Social housing providers are at the heart of two political hot potatoes in the United Kingdom: the ongoing housing crisis and, with registered providers’ 4.4m homes contributing significantly to the nation’s carbon emissions, the drive to net-zero by 2050. Bringing up the quality of homes through retrofit also alleviates the burden on the NHS and social services.

The challenges faced by social housing providers were recently expressed during a roundtable meeting of senior social housing representatives co-hosted by the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) and the Chartered Institute of Housing as part of CIOB’s Client Strategy.

The roundtable delegates confirmed the variety of ages and types in their portfolios of homes makes the task of upgrading them complex. Because of this, making efficient and effective progress along the path to net-zero is tricky, especially when some of the technology has yet to mature and past government policy (on gas boilers, for example) has wavered.

The complexity for providers is compounded by conflicting priorities, not least to do with health and safety, innovation, the need to adapt to climate change, and meeting Decent Homes standards. As one delegate put it, putting these pieces of this policy jigsaw together at the moment is like “trying to pin jelly to the wall.”

Cash of the sort provided by the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) isn’t all that’s needed to greenlight decarbonisation work. Housing associations frequently have overriding commercial pressures. Take homes featuring older, solid-wall construction, for example. Insulating them as part of a fabric-first solution is not only comparatively expensive but runs the risk of actively damaging the assets’ value, making the work hard to justify in the business case.

Even when SHDF cash does greenlight retrofit work, structural barriers in how the fund works make it less efficient and cost-effective than it could be. Instead of piecemeal upgrades around the country, the money could be better spent funding regional partnerships of providers for joint procurement of work focused on single areas, perhaps governed by the relevant local authority.

Not only would this lessen the resource-intensive administrative burden of running multiple contracts – lowering prices and achieve economies of scale – but it would also encourage a greater emphasis on placemaking (in line with the Building Beautiful Places plan and the National Policy Planning Framework). The resulting pipeline of work would encourage industry investment in recruiting labour and upskilling in retrofit work, which are currently in massively short supply. According to the roundtable delegates, though, making it happen requires a more “grown-up strategic partnership” between the social housing sector and government.

Despite these barriers, there is goodwill in the sector and, indeed, progress towards net-zero is already well underway. Housing providers are reskilling, reorganising and reprioritising their investment goals with the help of carbon literacy training and better data. The forthcoming UK Net Zero Carbon Building Standard is providing a robust benchmark and springboard for agreed cross-sector action.

Importantly, providers are increasing their focus on social tenants by paying due attention to their justified anxieties about work that disrupts daily life and might tip them into, or further into, fuel poverty without competent technical oversight.

Asked about their hopes and aspirations for the UK’s new government, the delegates were unanimous in wanting adequate long-term funding, a national retrofit strategy, reform of town planning and, especially, relief from policy uncertainty. These should, perhaps, feature in the new Labour government’s housing policy.

 

Source: The House

 

Historic England has produced a new Advice Note to provide clarity and support consistent decision-making for proposals to reduce carbon emissions and improve the energy efficiency of historic buildings whilst conserving their significance and ensuring they remain viable places to live in the future. It reflects current national planning policy.

As historic buildings continue to change and evolve, they need to contribute to a greener future and be fit for purpose for the people who live in, experience and care for them. If done thoughtfully and carefully, changes to historic buildings can achieve the complementary goals of protecting our heritage and adapting to climate change. Keeping historic buildings in use, through sensitive repair, maintenance and adaptation, can help to reduce carbon emissions, reliance on fossil fuels, and energy costs.

The Advice Note provides:

• Advice on advice on what permissions, such as listed building consent, are needed for some of the common changes required to decarbonise and improve the energy efficiency of historic buildings
• Advice to assist local planning authorities – and other parties involved in the planning process – in determining proposals to decarbonise and improve the energy efficiency of historic buildings to enable positive climate action. Some typical building adaptations in response to climate change impacts are also included
• Signposting to other relevant information, advice, and guidance.

Whilst primarily aimed at a specialist audience (such as local planning authorities, heritage consultants and those involved in the planning process), it will also be useful to building owners and occupiers.

The Historic England Advice Note Adapting Historic Buildings for Energy and Carbon Efficiency has now been published.

This Advice Note is mainly for a specialist audience, but it will also be helpful to building owners and occupiers.

 

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

 

Mayor Tracy Brabin has vowed to deliver a “new dawn” for housebuilding across West Yorkshire, by working in lock-step with local housing providers and the new government in Westminster.

The West Yorkshire Housing Strategy 2040, the first of its kind for the region, has been unveiled on a visit to Saxton Lane in Leeds, where 204 affordable apartments are being developed by WDH.

The strategy identifies untapped potential for new housing across Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield, where over 38,000 new homes could be built on previously developed land.

For the first time, the plans will bring together the five local authorities of West Yorkshire to deliver across four core missions – boosting housing supply, building affordable homes, improving existing homes, and creating vibrant communities.

The strategy aims to build on the progress made since the devolution of the £90 million Brownfield Housing Fund to the region, which has helped to deliver more affordable homes than at any other time since the global financial crash, including 1,500 in the year 2022-2023.

Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said:

“Our fifteen year housing strategy gives us the long-term, joined-up approach we need to tackle this intolerable housing crisis, ensuring that everyone has a safe and secure place to call home.

“Growing up in a good quality council flat we didn’t have to worry about unaffordable rent, mould on our walls or the looming threat of a no-fault eviction, and no one else should have to either.

“Housing is a basic human right and the foundation for a good and healthy life. By working in lock-step with the new government and our brilliant local housing partners, we will deliver a new dawn for housebuilding across West Yorkshire.”

The launch of the West Yorkshire Housing Strategy follows a speech made earlier in the week from the new Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves MP, who vowed to “get Britain building again”.

To help deliver 1.5 million new homes by the end of the parliament, the Chancellor and MP for Leeds West and Pudsey has pledged to work closely with Mayors and local leaders, restore housebuilding targets, and reform planning rules whilst bolstering planning teams.

According to the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, there are approximately 85,000 people and families on waiting lists for a council home across the region, with house prices reaching six times the average annual wage, as compared to only three times the average annual wage in 2002.

Private renters have also been hit hard by the “double-whammy” of high inflation and poor conditions, with rents in Leeds, Kirklees and Wakefield rising by around 20% since 2018, and two in five privately rented homes failing to meet the government’s definition of a “decent home”.

To address rising fuel poverty, the Combined Authority and its partners have committed £40 million to modernise social homes with solar panels, heat pumps and better insulated walls and windows. The new housing strategy sets out an ambitious vision to create greener and more secure communities, driving down energy bills across West Yorkshire.

Cllr Denise Jeffery, Leader of Wakefield Council and Chair of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority Place, Regeneration and Housing Committee, said:

“Thousands more families are living in safe, secure and affordable homes because of the decisions of our West Yorkshire Mayor in partnership with local councils. We’ve really made the most of the powers and funding devolved to our region so far.

“But now we need to accelerate this work even more. For too long, strict Government rules over where our brownfield housing fund is spent have blocked our plans. This has limited too much of what we’ve been able to achieve to places where land values are already high.

“With the backing of a new Government, and the promise of greater flexibility in how we can make decisions, we can build 38,000 new homes. That is at the heart of delivering a region which everyone can be proud to call home.”

Andy Wallhead, Chief Executive Officer of WDH and Chair of the West Yorkshire Housing Partnership, said:

“Housing associations are already leading the way on housebuilding in West Yorkshire, with our partnership members collectively providing a fifth of all homes across the region.

“But, by working with the new Government and continuing our close collaboration with the Mayor, we’re determined to do even more and will keep on building to provide the affordable and sustainable homes needed to unlock West Yorkshire’s true potential.”

European stocks closed lower on Friday as investors digested the Labour Party’s landslide U.K. election victory.

The U.K.’s FTSE 100 index closed 0.45% lower, while the broader pan-European Stoxx 600 index provisionally finished the week 0.22% lower.

The primary news story on investors’ minds Friday was the result of the U.K.’s general election, with the opposition Labour Party winning a huge parliamentary majority, unseating the incumbent Conservatives after 14 years.

The FTSE 350 household goods and home construction index ended the session 2.5% higher on Friday, as traders reacted to news of the Labour Party’s win.

Looking at individual stocks within the sector, Vistry Group, Barratt Developments and Persimmon shares were up around 3%, while Taylor Wimpey rose by more than 2%.

Labour passed the threshold needed to govern alone early on Friday morning, as outgoing PM Rishi Sunak conceded defeat. Keir Starmer, leader of the center-left Labour Party, has now become the country’s new prime minister. Analysts expect the Labour victory to boost U.K. markets over time, particularly when it comes to housebuilding.

In a research note Friday, analysts at RBC Capital Markets said that if Labour’s election pledges turn into policy, it could mark the dawning of a “new age” for U.K. housebuilding.

“Over the last few years housebuilders’ potential has been hamstrung, but over the next few this potential is likely to be unleashed.”

“If the new Government’s walk matches its talk we expect the sector to re-rate, and in the very short term we suspect that the talk alone will be enough to lift share prices,” they added.

 

Source: CNBC