Building News is an information portal for all professional building specifiers. Here you can find all of the latest construction news from around the UK and the rest of the world.

Government will fail to keep housebuilding promise of 200,000 homes by 2020

MP Kit Malthouse has admitted that the Government will fail to keep its 2015 election promise to build 200,000 starter homes by 2020.

In 2016, the Government allocated £1.2 billion to the ‘starter homes’ programme, which aimed to build 200,000 properties exclusively for first-time buyers at a 20% discount on their market value.

When asked how many starter homes had been build since 2016, the housing minister stated: “At the moment, none”.

The National Federation of Builders (NFB) is not entirely surprised at the failure of the starter homes programme. Since its inception in 2015, they have asked ministers and civil servants how we can deliver homes under this scheme, but have not received any response or support.

Whilst many might appreciate Malthouse’s clarification that the scheme is a failure and has built no homes in four years, the lack of transparency remains worrying and feeds into wider concerns that developers have with the Government and local authorities, who do not appreciate how damaging lack of certainty is to SME house builders.

The starter homes programme could have delivered some planning certainty, as it would have added work to local pipelines. But Malthouse’s admission explains why developers were not sure how they could get involved with starter homes.

Richard Beresford, chief executive of the NFB, said “This is bad news for the UK’s housing market and exposes the poor level of trust in relations between the Government and SME house builders. The Government must rethink how it should work with the wider industry, and not just a few volume house builders. It must figure out whether it really wants to build affordable homes or just win plaudits for acknowledging the problem and appearing to try.”

Rico Wojtulewicz, head of housing and planning policy for the House Builders Association (HBA), said “The Government has let SMEs down by promising a scheme that we were best suited to deliver but never engaging with us to deliver it. As refreshing as Malthouse’s honesty is, it comes too late particularly as starter homes were included in the most recent revision to planning policy.

“House builders are doing everything in their power to fix the housing crisis. It would be great if the Government shared our commitment.”

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New study shows architects’ fire protection knowledge lacking

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  • Two years after Grenfell 92% of UK architects unable to define key building fire protection terms
  • A third of architects say their current employer doesn’t spend enough on fire protection training
  • Overall, architects believe they are lacking in fully comprehensive fire protection training

Zeroignition, the fire retardant ingredient technology firm, announced findings from its latest study of architects and specifiers. Architects were asked about their understanding of four common terms relating to buildings and fire. Only 8% were able to correctly define these four basic fire protection terms.

The terms were active fire protection (systems which protect structures and people including sprinkler systems, fire extinguishers, smoke alarms), passive fire protection (whereby the spread of fire is slowed or contained through the use of fire-resistant walls, floors and doors, amongst others), fire resistance (a set of products that prevent fire spreading to other parts of the structure), and reaction to fire (methods designed to help people escape from fire).

While one in three architects (35%) were unable to correctly define the concept of active fire protection, when asked about fire protection options they’d considered in projects, smoke alarms were named by 38% and sprinklers by 33%.

Just over half (52%) of all architects couldn’t give an accurate definition of passive fire protection, where fire protection is ‘built in’. However, 54% did cite fire doors as a consideration, which is part of the passive approach. Passive technologies such as flame retardant treated materials (e.g. firewall) were considered by over a quarter (29%), plasterboard by 21%, and plywood/OSB by 8%.

58% of architects were unable to explain what ‘reaction to fire’ is and almost three quarters (71%) were unable to define fire resistance.

Fire safety

None of the architects interviewed said they’d had comprehensive fire protection training, most had some training and 8% say they’ve had none.

Ian King, chief operating officer, Zeroignition, says ‘Architects are responsible for designing safe buildings. There’s clearly a lack of understanding as to the fire basics which is worrying to say the least. Architects, their employers and the professional bodies need to invest in ensuring this knowledge is bedded in.’

Architects and interior design firm gpad london has looked at fire safety, commenting on their procedures. Jeremy Wiggins, director from the firm says, ‘Fire kills. It’s part of our duty to make sure we design safe buildings. We had a look at the RIBA fire safety consultation and tweaked our processes. We make it part of our design thinking from day one, involving end users and fire consultants as soon as practical. Beyond this we make sure that each project has a named person for fire safety responsibility.

‘We won’t take chances on this, it’s easy for knowledge to become half remembered if you don’t call on it every day and so we refer to checklists when designing as well as running ongoing CPD sessions focusing on it and new innovations.’

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Spring statement: construction industry response

This week Chancellor Philip Hammond delivered his Spring statement to the chamber. Touching on key issues such as the housing crisis, skills shortages, Brexit, apprenticeships and planning reform, the latest budget included much for the construction sector to sit up and take note of.

Housebuilding in particular, was very much high on the agenda. The Chancellor has previously promised 300,000 new homes a year by mid-2020s. Will the range of measures signalled in the latest Budget be enough to achieve that ambitious target? Are enough steps being taken to address some of the key issues facing the construction industry?

Buildingspecifier.com catches up with thought leaders from across the sector to see what they have to say in response:

More costs and more delays will hamper house building – Brian Berry, FMB

According to the Federation of Master Builders (FMB), new biodiversity measures will result in more costs and more delays for the nation’s small and medium-sized (SME) house builders, worsening the housing crisis.

In response to the statement, Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB, said “The Chancellor claimed to support housing delivery but actions speak louder than words and the burdensome and poorly thought-through biodiversity targets for developers will bring yet more costs and more delays for builders. Just as the environment for SME house builders starts to improve, these measures could end up stalling our progress. The Government wants to make developers, large and small, increase the biodiversity on their sites by a whopping 110 per cent and for an average site of ten units, the additional cost could be in excess of £2,000. Needless to say, this would also create delays to projects by adding additional hurdles for builders to negotiate during the already bureaucratic planning process.”

“Rather than hampering the building of new homes, if the Government wants to be ‘more green’, it should focus instead on retrofitting the more than 24 million homes that have already been built and which account for around one fifth of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions. This will not only help reduce the UK’s carbon footprint but will also tackle the scourge of fuel poverty.”

We are likely to see an increase of regulatory measures in the industry, aimed at encouraging homes which are fit for the future – Neil Stewart, Glen Dimplex Heating and Ventilation

CEO of Glen Dimplex Heating and Ventilation, Neil Stewart said “The introduction of the Future Homes Standard for new builds is another positive move towards achieving net zero carbon dwellings in the future and ensuring UK homes benefit now from being highly efficient. The introduction of this new standard is in response to a legal commitment to the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive.

“Along with other legal requirements, such as carbon budgets, we are likely to see an increase of regulatory measures in the industry, aimed at encouraging homes which are fit for the future. As this could cause radical change for construction, industry bodies have been spending time analysing what this actually means and where changes need to happen to our current traditional techniques and processes.

“In February 2019 the Committee on Climate Change released their latest report on UK Housing: Fit for the future?, which suggests a required overhaul of how UK homes are supplied with energy. More recently the SEA’s response to how the Buildings Mission to halve energy use by 2030 can be achieved, highlights the need to future proof todays developments in readiness for the required changes.”

“As we transition to a low carbon, low energy future, we are likely to see a change in the HVAC strategies used in building design. This indicates an increase in the specification of renewable technologies, especially where dominant energy loads can be fulfilled in a  low carbon way. Heat pump technology provides a potential solution, supplying homes with the required energy through recent innovations which are transforming how this technology can be applied.”

Now is the time to invest in our people and our places – Lord Porter, LGA

Responding to the Spring Statement, Lord Porter, Chairman of the Local Government Association, commented: “The Government acted on our calls to find extra one-off funding for councils this year in the last Autumn Budget, including for social care, potholes and high streets. With councils still facing a funding gap of more than £3 billion in 2019/20, it is disappointing that the Chancellor has missed the opportunity to use today’s Spring Statement to provide further desperately-needed funding for our under-pressure local services this year.

“The money local government has to maintain the services our communities rely on is running out fast and huge uncertainty remains about how local services will be paid for into the next decade.

“Last year’s Autumn Budget was the earliest for a number of years but was still held at the end of October. The Government’s plan to publish the Spending Review alongside the Autumn Budget this year could exacerbate the funding challenges facing councils and will severely hamper their ability to plan ahead for next year and beyond. It is vital that the Government publishes the Spending Review much earlier and ensures it genuinely secures the financial sustainability of councils.

“Now is the time to invest in our people and our places.

“Brexit cannot be a distraction from the challenges facing our public services. If we truly value our local services then we have to be prepared to pay for them. Fully funding councils is the only way councils will be able to keep providing the services which matter to people’s lives, continue to lead their local areas, improve residents’ lives, reduce demand for public services, and save money for the taxpayer.”

We welcome the Chancellor’s £3bn affordable homes guarantee scheme to support the delivery of 30,000 new homes. – Terrie Alafat, CIH

Commenting on the Chancellor’s Spring statement, Terrie Alafat, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) said “We welcome the Chancellor’s £3bn affordable homes guarantee scheme to support the delivery of 30,000 new homes. A previous scheme that allowed the government to underwrite borrowing by housing associations to fund affordable housing delivery worked well, so it’s good news that it is coming back. We have always said this would be a sensible and positive move. We need to see the details of the scheme, but the key question is whether the homes being funded are genuinely affordable, especially considering that we need 90,000 new homes per year at the lowest social rent.”

The lack of affordable housing is now pushing hundreds of thousands of working families to the brink – James Prestwich, NHF

James Prestwich, Head of Policy at the National Housing Federation said “We welcome the announcement of a £3bn guarantee scheme, which we called for in the Autumn. It will help housing associations borrow more cheaply and therefore build more homes. However, whilst this is an important contribution, we desperately need new money in the next spending review to build more social housing.

This is more crucial than ever in the midst of Brexit uncertainty – the lack of affordable housing is now pushing hundreds of thousands of working families to the brink – the number is rising year on year, many are living in debt, at threat of eviction or homeless.

We need to build 145,000 affordable homes every year to house these people – this is not a one off investment, the government must commit billions of pound every year into building more social housing. We hope, as the Comprehensive Spending Review approaches, the government will see sense and commit the significant investment needed into social housing.”

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Offshore wind energy could provide a third of all UK electricity by 2030

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Clean, green offshore wind is set to power more than 30% of British electricity by 2030, Energy and Clean Growth Minister Claire Perry has announced with the launch of the new joint government-industry Offshore Wind Sector Deal.

This deal will mean for the first time in UK history there will be more electricity from renewables than fossil fuels, with 70% of British electricity predicted to be from low carbon sources by 2030 and over £40 billion of infrastructure investment in the UK.

This is the tenth Sector Deal from the modern Industrial Strategy signed by Business Secretary Greg Clark. It is backed by UK renewables companies and marks a revolution in the offshore wind industry, which 20 years ago was only in its infancy. It could see the number of jobs triple to 27,000 by 2030.

The deal will also:

  • increase the sector target for the amount of UK content in homegrown offshore wind projects to 60%, making sure that the £557 million pledged by the government in July 2018 for further clean power auctions over the next ten years will directly benefit local communities from Wick to the Isle of Wight
  • spearhead a new £250 million Offshore Wind Growth Partnership to make sure UK companies in areas like the North East, East Anglia, Humber and the Solent and continue to be competitive and are leaders internationally in the next generation of offshore wind innovations in areas such as robotics, advanced manufacturing, new materials, floating wind and larger turbines
  • boost global exports to areas like Europe, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and the United States fivefold to £2.6 billion per year by 2030 through partnership between the Department of Trade and industry to support smaller supply chain companies to export for the first time
  • reduce the cost of projects in the 2020s and overall system costs, so projects commissioning in 2030 will cost consumers less as we move towards a subsidy free world
  • see Crown Estate & Crown Estate Scotland release new seabed land from 2019 for new offshore wind developments
  • UK government alongside the deal will provide over £4 million pounds for British business to share expertise globally and open new markets for UK industry through a technical assistance programme to help countries like Indonesia, Vietnam, Pakistan and the Philippines skip dirty coal power and develop their own offshore wind projects

Claire Perry, Energy & Clean Growth Minister said “This new Sector Deal will drive a surge in the clean, green offshore wind revolution that is powering homes and businesses across the UK, bringing investment into coastal communities and ensuring we maintain our position as global leaders in this growing sector.

“By 2030 a third of our electricity will come from offshore wind, generating thousands of high-quality jobs across the UK, a strong UK supply chain and a fivefold increase in exports. This is our modern Industrial Strategy in action.”

The Co-Chair of the Offshore Wind Industry Council and Ørsted UK Country Manager for Offshore, Benj Sykes, said “Now that we’ve sealed this transformative deal with our partners in government, as a key part of the UK’s Industrial Strategy, offshore wind is set to take its place at the heart of our low-carbon, affordable and reliable electricity system of the future.

“This relentlessly innovative sector is revitalising parts of the country which have never seen opportunities like this for years, especially coastal communities from Wick in the northern Scotland to the Isle of Wight, and from Barrow-in-Furness to the Humber. Companies are burgeoning in clusters, creating new centres of excellence in this clean growth boom. The Sector Deal will ensure that even more of these companies win work not only on here, but around the world in a global offshore wind market set to be worth £30 billion a year by 2030.”

Keith Anderson, ScottishPower Chief Executive, concluded “ScottishPower is proof that offshore wind works, we’ve worked tirelessly to bring down costs and, having transitioned to 100% renewable energy, will be building more windfarms to help the UK shift to a clearer electric economy. Two of our offshore windfarms in the East Anglia will replace all of the old thermal generation we’ve sold and we are ready to invest more by actively pursuing future offshore projects both north and south of the border.

“We have a fantastic supply chain already in place in the UK, from businesses in and around East Anglia to across England, across Scotland as well as Northern Ireland. The Sector Deal will attract even more businesses in the UK to join the offshore wind supply chain and we are excited to see the transformative impact this will have on our projects.”

In addition, the deal will:

  • challenge the sector to more than double the number of women entering the industry to at least 33% by 2030, with the ambition of reaching 40% – up from 16% today
  • create an Offshore Energy Passport, recognised outside of the UK, will be developed for offshore wind workers to transfer their skills and expertise to other offshore renewable and oil and gas industries – allowing employees to work seamlessly across different offshore sectors
  • see further work with further education institutions to develop a sector-wide curriculum to deliver a skilled and diverse workforce across the country and facilitate skills transfer within the industry
  • prompt new targets for increasing the number of apprentices in the sector later this year

The cost of new offshore wind contracts has already outstripped projections and fallen by over 50% over the last two years, and today’s further investment will boost this trajectory, with offshore wind projects expected to be cheaper to build than fossil fuel plants by 2020. The Deal will see UK continuing as the largest European market for offshore wind, with 30GW of clean wind power being built by 2030 – the UK making up a fifth of global wind capacity.

The UK is already home to the world’s largest offshore wind farm, Walney Extension off the Cumbrian Coast, and construction is well underway on projects nearly double the size. Around 7,200 jobs have been created in this growing industry over the last 20 years, with a welcome surge in opportunities in everything from sea bedrock testing to expert blade production.

The Deal will look to seize on the opportunities presented by the UK’s 7,000 miles of coastline, as the industry continues to be a coastal catalyst for many of the UK’s former fishing villages and ports. Increased exports and strengthened supply chain networks will secure economic security for towns and cities across the UK.

 

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It’s time to revive and re-imagine the British high street

The high street is dying but not yet dead and can still be revived and reimagined, says the Federation of Master Builder (FMB) in response to a new report by a Committee of MPs.

In the report ‘High streets and town centres 2030’, the Select Committee for Housing, Communities and Local Government said “The six months over which our inquiry took place appeared to be the most turbulent for the high street so far. Barely a week went by without headlines pronouncing the ‘death of the high street’ or a major retailer announcing a restructuring or a fall in profits.

“An enormous change has taken place in retail in recent years. The traditional pattern of making purchases in physical stores, both in and out-of-town, has been profoundly disrupted by the growth of online shopping. The impact of this on our high streets and town centres in the form of store closures, persistently empty shops and declining footfall is clear for all to see.

“Against this concerning backdrop, we make a set of recommendations to Government, local government, local communities, retailers and landlords to be acted on now. Unless this urgent action is taken, we fear that further deterioration, loss of visitors and dereliction may lead to some high streets and town centres disappearing altogether.”

Responding to this, Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB, said “I’m really encouraged with the visionary approach this report has taken, as it looks at how we need to fundamentally reimagine the ways that we regenerate our high streets in order to adapt to the challenges of modern life. Central to breathing new life into our high street is converting empty or underused spaces above shops into new homes. These kind of homes would be ideal for young families and professionals, and would benefit the high street through increased footfall to the ‘activity-based community gathering places’ which the report wants us to aspire to. The 2017 FMB report ‘Homes on our high streets’ sets out a number of creative ways that we can overcome the challenges laid out by the Select Committee, and which are associated with regeneration projects, including disparate ownership and preserving local characteristics. In this regard, I was particularly pleased with the Committee’s conclusion that the Government must review the planning powers currently available to local authorities, with a view to strengthening them and empowering local authorities to deliver on town centre transformation and, at the same time, the Government’s ambitious housing targets.”

“With a survey of cross-party MPs showing that 90 per cent of respondents recognise the potential of our existing buildings to help solve the housing crisis, I would urge the Government to accept the recommendation to conduct a review of our high streets as quickly as possible. In particular, the Government must deliver on its commitment to review the Compulsory Purchase Order process, which could help speed up regeneration of high streets. However, contrary to the Committee’s conclusion that Permitted Development Rights risk undermining a local authority’s ability to plan for their housing delivery, streamlining the process for upwards development above certain premises would help them meet their targets while maintaining a more rigorous application process for other kinds of developments. What we must avoid is perfectly good space lying empty and achieving nothing in terms of boosting the local economy or providing homes for individuals and families.”

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Theresa May’s offer to delay Brexit spells further uncertainty for construction

The prime minister has pledged that MPs will have three chances to vote on the next stages of the process to leave the EU.

Theresa May promised the House of Commons to hold a meaningful vote on the withdrawal agreement on 12 March. If the deal fails, the Government will ask MPs on 13 March whether they support a ‘no-deal Brexit’. If the House of Commons rejects no-deal, MPs will have the opportunity to vote on 14 March on postponing Brexit until at least 30 June.

The National Federation of Builders (NFB) continues to think that the construction industry needs an orderly withdrawal from the EU, ending uncertainty for businesses. Although the prime minister’s announcement could postpone the imminent prospect of leaving without a deal, it does nothing to dispel uncertainty among construction businesses about the future.

Richard Beresford, chief executive of the NFB, said “While the prime minister appears to be lining up the votes to make no-deal more unlikely, those pushing for a harder Brexit may just decide to cast their unchanged votes at a later date.

“Far from delivering certainty to thousands of construction companies, the prime minister’s announcement may end up delaying a no-deal Brexit by three months.”

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Construction productivity boost could provide £100bn to UK every year

The scale of construction’s productivity gap has been laid bare in the a research report from Mace, which shows that the UK is missing out on more than £100bn of annual economic activity.

Mace’s research report, ‘The Size of the Prize’,  compares the construction sector and the manufacturing sector in the UK.

Manufacturing has seen steady productivity growth over the last twenty years, allowing the sector to deliver more economic growth with the same or fewer number of workers.

Conversely, the UK construction sector has seen productivity flat line for the past twenty years, limiting growth and denying the UK more than £100bn a year of economic benefit.

Mace’s figures show that – had construction kept pace with the productivity gains in manufacturing – the UK would see:

  • An approximate 3% increase in the UK’s overall Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
  • Each construction worker producing £38 an hour of economic activity, compared to £25.50.
  • The capacity to deliver the £600bn national infrastructure pipeline in four years, rather than six.

The tax generated by an additional £100bn of annual economic activity would produce an extra £40bn a year for the Government, enough to eliminate next year’s budget deficit, based on the Spring Budget forecast from 2017.

Mark Reynolds, Mace’s Chief Executive, said “The collapse of Carillion made clear the stark challenges facing the construction sector. Improved productivity is the key to more sustainable growth and stability across the industry. Unless we take swift action, slim margins and below average productivity will prevent the UK’s construction sector reaching its potential.

“It’s clear the UK is missing out on a huge amount of potential growth and infrastructure delivery every year – as well as the increased funding for public services that would generate.

“Now that we have seen the scale of the missed opportunity, it’s more important than ever that we work together to improve productivity across the sector. This means making the best use of the research and development funding available from government, as well as investing effectively to ensure we have the required skills across our workforce.”

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Hadley Group acquires Hadley Steel Framing Ltd

Ben Towe, Group Managing Director at Hadley Group

Global cold rolled manufacturer of steel solutions with real world applications, Hadley Group is pleased to announce the acquisition of Hadley Steel Framing Ltd (HSF). HSF will continue to operate as a stand-alone business but will have the resources of the wider Hadley Group available for support.

Hadley Group originally acquired a 50% stake in Hadley Steel Framing Ltd (HSF) ten years ago, supporting the growth of the company by manufacturing and delivering its cold rolled steel framing products. This latest development in HSF’s ownership means it will be business as usual with no changes to the manufacturing or delivery aspects of the business. Hadley Group will provide HSF with the stability and security that comes with being part of a large international group.

Hadley Group operates across the globe, providing a significant breadth of product solutions across a diverse market. The company’s expertise, market insight and manufacturing capabilities have positioned it as a world leader in advanced cold rolled steel technology.

HSF is a future market leader in steel framing design, assembly and installation with core strengths in its bolted system certified to 12 storeys. The company’s expert technical, structural and design ability ensures it can provide a single solution from concept to completion on building projects in all sectors, both on site and off site.

Ben Towe, Group Managing Director at Hadley Group, said: “We view the acquisition of HSF as highly complementary to our other current construction product offerings and intend to support them as they continue their progression in the markets they serve. Architects, specifiers and contractors trust HSF to deliver industry standard and bespoke construction solutions on a world stage and we are delighted to confirm the addition of HSF into the Hadley Group.”

The acquisition complements both company’s growing reach with the announcement coming soon after Hadley Group’s acquisition of EWS (Manufacturing) Ltd.

Hadley Steel Framing has recently launched a new website which showcases all of their products and expertise. For more information on HSF, please visit: www.hadleysteelframing.com

For more information about Hadley Group, please visit: www.hadleygroup.com
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£9m to help build 200,000 homes in new garden towns

A £9 million cash injection to speed up the locally-led building of new garden towns and villages across the country has been announced.

The Garden Communities project is expected to deliver 200,000 properties on large sites by 2050, and the latest funding will help get 21 sites ready for development.

The government project is helping ambitious councils get well-designed homes built on large sites, and the money will help pay for master-planning and technical studies.

Work is already underway on 10,000 properties across the country in garden towns and villages, with 36,000 expected to be underway or completed by 2022.

Housing Minister Kit Malthouse MP said “We have not built enough homes in this country for the last three decades, and we are turning that around as we work towards our target to build 300,000 properties a year by the mid-2020s.

“This £9 million funding boost is giving councils the support and cash injection they need so they can finish planning new developments and get diggers on site.”

The developments being funded include a 2,000 home site for custom and self-builders in Bicester, on land purchased by the council from the Ministry of Defence.

It also includes developments in Basingstoke, Didcot, Taunton, Harlow-Gilston and across Northamptonshire where work is already underway on the first phase of developments.

The funding will be administered by Homes England.

Place | Capacity award | Homes
Aylesbury | £420,000 | 15,000
Basingstoke | £695,000 | 10,000
Bicester | £770,000 | 13,000
Harlow & Gilston | £715,000 | 24,000
North Essex (Colchester, Tendring & Braintree) | £1,000,000 | 43,000
North Northants (Corby, Kettering & Wellingborough) | £725,000 | 33,000
Otterpool Park, Folkestone | £1,250,000 | 10,000
Taunton | £550,000 | 15,000
Bailrigg | £100,000 | 3,500
Culm, Mid Devon | £300,000 | 5,000
Dunton Hills | £100,000 | 3,500
Halsnead | £300,000 | 1,589
Handforth | £150,000 | 1,650
Infinity, Derbyshire | £150,000 | 3,200
Longmarston | £300,000 | 3,500
Longcross | £125,000 | 1,700
West Oxfordshire | £150,000 | 2,200
Tresham | £300,000 | 1,500
Welbourne | £300,000 | 6,000
West Carclaze | £300,000 | 1,500
St Cuthbert’s, Carlisle | £300,000 | 10,000

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Councils warn of ‘severe’ need for affordable homes

A report published today by APSE (Association for Public Service Excellence) and written and researched by the TCPA finds that 98% of UK councils surveyed describe their need for affordable homes as either ‘severe’ or ‘moderate’.

UK councils are becoming increasingly unable to meet demands for affordable housing and 98% now describe their need as either ‘severe’ or ‘moderate’, with only 1% claiming that their need is not substantial.

The survey of 166 local authorities in Britain highlights the pressure on councils to meet the growing demand for affordable housing due to a lack of new homes being built and that many of those that are being built are not affordable to those in need.

The research highlights the cumulative impact of existing housing and planning policies in England—such as the 1 per cent annual rent reductions in the social rented sector and the continued deregulation and reform of the planning system—have reduced the ability of councils to secure genuinely affordable homes available for social rent.

Kate Henderson, Chief Executive of the TCPA, said “Our research reveals that Britain is facing an acute housing crisis with councils across the country increasingly unable to meet the need for affordable housing.

“The government must make tackling the housing crisis a priority. An ambition to increase housing numbers is not enough, we need to ensure that the homes that are built are affordable and well designed.”

By exploring a range of issues faced by councils, this study has identified how local authorities are already taking a more active role in housing delivery through entrepreneurial approaches, such as setting up local housing companies and innovative approaches to partnership working. Over two thirds (69%) of councils surveyed said that they already had or were thinking about setting up a local authority housing company either on their own or in partnership.

Paul O’Brien, Chief Executive of APSE concluded “A new wave of council homes would help support local economic growth, jobs and skills in our economy; housing could be an effective driver for a renewed industrial strategy but to achieve this we need to place local councils at the heart of delivery on housing need. That means the Government must provide the financial freedoms and flexibility for councils to deliver solutions to our chronic housing shortage.”

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