NHF: Recommendations for the Spring Budget

What are we asking the Chancellor to include in the Spring Budget 2024?

SUBMISSION SUMMARY:

Protect vital homeless services by boosting and ring-fencing funding for housing-related support to ensure spending at least matches the £1.6bn per year allocated to local authorities in England in 2010.

 

  • Relieve homelessness by investing in homelessness prevention advice, support services and financial support to the hardest hit families. This includes:
  • Review the household benefit cap, the two-child limit and the removal of the spare room subsidy.
  • Review the five-week wait for Universal Credit and deductions system.

Reinstate uplifted funding for Discretionary Housing Payments so tenants with a rent shortfall can be supported to avoid rent arrears.

Make increased support available to all low-income households through the benefits system.

Reinstate the £300m Housing Transformation Fund, to support the integration of housing into health and social care systems and the development of more specialist housing.

Make sure everyone can feel safe in their home by: implementing the End Our Cladding Scandal campaign call for equal access to government building safety funding for housing associations – ensuring contractors, as well as developers, remediate defective buildings that they built for housing associations, applying a zero-rate on remedial works for VAT purposes.

Deliver more social homes by allocating funding for regeneration programmes over a longer period and ensure Local Planning Authorities have the necessary resources to enable timely granting of planning permission.

Deliver a long-term, inflation-linked rent settlement, with a reintroduction of a convergence mechanism.

Make a long-term commitment to decarbonising our housing stock by committing to release the remaining Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund in full.

Extend the temporary zero-rate VAT relief applied to the installation of energy saving materials to 2030 and include double and triple glazed windows and insulated entrance doors in its scope.

Commit to new burdens funding for new requirements introduced through the review of the Decent Homes Standard. This will enable housing associations to continue to provide the high quality, affordable homes the country needs.

Support low-income residents with their energy bills by reopening the Energy Bill Support Scheme Alternative Funding to ensure all households who missed out receive their payment and introducing an energy social tariff to protect low-income residents in the longer-term.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE SUMISSION IN FULL

The government has launched a consultation on reforms to social housing allocations, and the NHF are collecting member feedback on this consultation until 6 March.

 

Email us with any questions or feedback on the proposals.

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NATIONAL CHAIN OF GYMS INSTALLS RINNAI AIR source HEAT PUMPS

 

One of the UK’s biggest chain of gyms and leisure centres has switched to using products from the Rinnai range of commercial air source heat pumps – and electric cylinders – as a major part of hybrid heating and hot water systems at sites up and down the country. The innovative new range of air source heat pumps utilize R290, a LOW scoring GWP (Global Warming Potential) refrigerant.

Ease of install was cited as a major reason for the switch away from one of the major heat pump brands.

The installation team was quoted as stating that

‘Setting up was straightforward and simplified, this was owing to the easy navigation through parameters that enabled their part of commissioning to be shortened. When commissioning other brands there were numerous parameters and set points, in fact there are layers and layers of them – this means that if one is set incorrectly then it can lead to extensive, expensive time on site in rectifying a small issue’.

 

ADDING THAT as the Rinnai systems are provided complete with heat pump, controls, cylinders, valves and auxiliary heat sources along with schematics and telephone support the installation was hugely streamlined.

Rinnai’s R290 air source heat pump range is available in 11 different sizes, from 6 kW up to 50 kW. All units arrive with control systems that allows real time programming and customization enabling specific customer requirements to be met.

R290 allows for several operational benefits: energy efficiency is improved by 10%, hot water temperatures of up to 75 degrees Celsius can be achieved and R290 usage provides compliance alongside the European F-Gas Regulation which focuses on phasing down refrigerant environmental impact.

CLICK HERE

To preview this exciting new range visit and receive an information pack for all new Rinnai products and leave your details

As well as providing an extensive list of low carbon technologies Rinnai also offers a range of online customer services that assist in customer choice and information.

Rinnai’s carbon calculation service considers design from a holistic perspective of capital expenditure, operational expenditure, and carbon savings. Rinnai’s carbon calculation service will compare a customer’s current heating or DHW system to Rinnai’s product portfolio of low carbon, high performance, heating systems that are all proven to reduce cost. This feature will enable customers to view proven benefits when investing in a Rinnai system and understand the practical, technical, and economical benefits achievable from Rinnai system specifications.

Rinnai low-GWP range of heat pumps demonstrate Rinnai’s continuous dedication to producing low cost, highly efficient and thoroughly robust appliances that reduces operational expenditure and carbon emissions.

A hybrid (or dual fuel) heating system combines both a high efficiency continuous flow water heater or a hydrogen blend ready 20% water heater with a renewable heating system such as a heat pump or a Solar Thermal arrangement.

Widespread use of hybrid heating and hot water systems are increasingly relevant to the heating industry as the UK Government aims to reduce national reliance on fossil fuels. A hybrid system can meet all objectives in terms of being practical, economical and technically feasible.

A hybrid system would be an ideal option for projects looking to replace or upgrade their hot water system with a more energy efficient and cleaner solution. A hybrid system provides designers, property owners and managers with the familiarity of the continuous flow water heating system and renewable energy generated by a heat pump or solar thermal array.

Rinnai’s Hybrid solution is market leading technology owing to its ability to conserve energy. This is achieved by each gas fired water heater reading the temperature of the preheated hot water and modulating the gas input to boost required water temperature. This means that the renewable gains are maximised and the use of natural gas or hydrogen in the future is optimised.

CLICK HERE

For more insights on Hybrid systems

Consultants, specifiers and contractors should seek manufacturers and suppliers with systems technology that is equipped with smart controls and adjusts performance on a constant basis in the drive to lowering carbon outputs yet retaining the need to create a healthier way of living.

 

RINNAI’S H3 DECARBONISATION OFFERS PATHWAYS & CUSTOMER COST
REDUCTIONS FOR COMMERCIAL, DOMESTIC AND
OFF-GRID HEATING & HOT WATER DELIVERY

 

Rinnai’s H3 range of decarbonising products include hydrogen / BioLPG ready technology, hybrid systems, and a wide range of LOW GWP heat pumps and solar thermal. Also, within Rinnai’s H3 range is Infinity hydrogen blend ready and BioLPG ready continuous flow water heaters which are stacked with a multitude of features that ensure long life, robust & durable use, customer satisfaction and product efficiency.

Rinnai’s range of decarbonising products – H1/H2/H3 – consists of heat pump, solar, hydrogen in any configuration, hybrid formats for either residential or commercial applications. Rinnai’s H3 range of products offer contractors, consultants and end users a range of efficient, robust and affordable decarbonising appliances which create practical, economic and technically feasible solutions. The range covers all forms of fuels and appliances currently available – electric, gas, hydrogen, BioLPG, rDME solar thermal, low GWP heat pumps and electric water heaters.

Rinnai H1 continuous water heaters and boilers offer practical and economic decarbonization delivered through technological innovation in hydrogen and renewable liquid gas ready technology.

Rinnai’s H1 option is centred on hydrogen, as it is anticipated that clean hydrogen fuels will become internationally energy market-relevant in the future; Rinnai water heaters are hydrogen 20% blends ready and include the world’s first 100% hydrogen-ready hot water heating technology.

Rinnai H2 – Decarbonization simplified with renewable gas-ready units, Solar Thermal and Heat Pump Hybrids. Rinnai H2 is designed to introduce a practical and low-cost option which may suit specific sites and enable multiple decarbonisation pathways with the addition of high performance.

Rinnai H3 – Low-GWP heat pump technology made easy – Rinnai heat pumps are available for domestic and commercial usage with an extensive range of 4 – 115kW appliances.

Rinnai’s H3 heat pumps utilise R32 refrigerant and have favourable COP and SCOP.

Rinnai is a world leading manufacturer of hot water heaters and produces over two million units a year, operating on each of the five continents. The brand has gained an established reputation for producing products that offer high performance, cost efficiency and extended working lives.

Rinnai’s commercial and domestic continuous flow water heaters offer a limitless supply of instantaneous temperature controlled hot water and all units are designed to align with present and future energy sources. Rinnai condensing water heaters accept either existing fuel or hydrogen gas blends. Rinnai units are also suited for off-grid customers who require LPG and BioLPG or rDME.

Rinnai products are i2HY20 certified, A-rated water efficiency, accessed through multiple fuel options and are available for purchase 24/7, 365 days a year. Any unit can be delivered to any UK site within 24 hours. Rinnai offer carbon and cost comparison services that will calculate financial and carbon savings made when investing in a Rinnai system. Rinnai also provide a system design service that will suggest an appropriate system for the property in question. Rinnai offer comprehensive training courses and technical support in all aspects of the water heating industry including detailed CPD’s.

CLICK HERE TO VISIT RINNAI’S ‘HELP ME CHOOSE PAGE’

 

 

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Canadian Fire Station Rejects Modular Construction

 

St. Albert city council has decided to spend an extra $3 million on a new fire station that will now be built conventionally, instead of the modular building style council agreed on in late 2022.

The new fire station, the city’s fourth, will be built on the northwest corner of the St. Albert Trail and Neil Ross Road intersection.

Council approved a $26.5 million borrowing bylaw for the project 2021. The project’s initial budget only set aside $250,000 to service the land, and in fall 2022 administration told council the funds needed for servicing was closer to $2.2 million. To stay within the budget, administration proposed the new two-bay fire station be a modular building.

Modular — or prefabricated — buildings are built off-site, then transported and set in place.

On Jan. 23, Coun. Mike Killick put forward a motion directing administration to move forward with a conventional construction style for Fire Hall No. 4, and his motion passed, with Mayor Cathy Heron, Coun. Shelley Biermanski, and Coun. Natalie Joly opposed.

“When I look at the extra $3 million over the 20-year borrowing bylaw or 40-year life of that building, to get it right the first time is what I want to do,” Killick said in an interview. “My belief is that firefighters provide a real beneficial service … and they live at that fire station. It operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year … and we deserve to give them a good facility to work out of [and] almost live out of.”

Killick also argued that while he appreciates administration’s attempt to reduce costs, moving forward with modular buildings is not something that’s talked about for any other city project, such as the pavilion building planned for Millennium Park or the upcoming 12-lane expansion to Liggett Place, the St. Albert Transit depot in Campbell Business Park.

“Why on earth are we discussing or debating this for a fire hall?” he said.

During debate, Coun. Sheena Hughes said she was in favour of Killick’s motion because she was concerned a modular building wouldn’t last as long as a conventional build, and spending an additional $3 million now to avoid having to spend more money in the future to replace the modular building would be a good way to reduce risk.

“The stick-and-brick build we know will make it to 50 years,” Hughes said. “If we do the modular and we find out in four or five years time it’s not working out, it’s going to cost us $16 million to correct, it plus inflation.”

Speaking against the motion, Heron said council

“should be, quite honestly, thanking administration for trying to save us some money,” by recommending something “non-traditional.”

“Often ‘non-traditional’ is a scary word, and if we keep doing things the same way we’re never going to be innovative, we’re never going to save money, [and] we’re never going to think outside the box,” Heron said.

“I’m going to have to err on the side of saving money and even though it’s [covered] in the borrowing bylaw … just because it’s in there doesn’t mean we should spend it, and I’m going to go with the $3 million savings today.”

Joly said she would have supported the motion if spending the additional $3 million would get St. Albert a “stronger product,” but she thought a modular building would be just as good as a conventionally built structure.

“We’ve heard repeatedly that that extra $3 million is not going to give us something different,” Joly said. “I think there’s also an idea that best means conventional, and I don’t agree with that.”

“I have every confidence that with any build that administration chooses they’ll build us a fantastic facility that is a wonderful place to work in.”

Although an additional $3 million for the project will be covered under the existing borrowing bylaw, the city may need to increase the debenture further if any issues arise during detailed design or construction, a report to council written by city project managers Meredith Willacy and Deborah Johnson said.

Dawny George, the city’s director of engineering, said in an email the fire station may not open in 2025 as initially planned, now council has decided to move forward with a conventional build.

“Based on the industry knowledge and assumption that design will take the greater part of 2024 to complete, with construction anticipated in 2025-26, it is estimated that conventional structure will take longer than the modular build and will likely result in a delay of opening until 2026,” George said.

Source: St. Albert Gazette

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Unique teams up with Leicester City in the Community for outreach project

Pictured: Leicester City Football Club legend and former captain, Steve Walsh (left),

and Gary Burrows, senior project manager at Unique (right), at the handover of the new French doors installed at Gorse Hill City Farm.

Award-winning fabricator of PVCu and aluminium windows, doors and curtain walling, Unique Window Systems has lent its support to an outreach project organised by Leicester City in the Community (LCitC).

The business donated two sets of white PVCu French doors towards a project which involved the construction of a new classroom at Gorse Hill City Farm.

Unique’s installer team, who typically work on high volume projects for large commercial clients, also carried out the installation of the doors free of charge.

Located on a 20-acre site on the edge of Leicester city centre, Gorse Hill City Farm is a working farm and visitor attraction.

Operating as a registered charity and home to over 100 animals, it enables visitors, and children in particular, to learn more about farming, conservation, and animal welfare in a hands-on, fun, and interactive way.

One of the official charities of Leicester City Football Club (LCFC), LCitC harnesses the power of football and LCFC to inspire individuals to achieve their full potential.

Committed to ensuring everyone it engages with receives the support they need, either directly or through a network of partners, LCitC’s core activities entail education, community outreach and targeted interventions with football and inclusivity serving as underlying themes.

The French doors donated by Unique are from a range able to accommodate widths of up to two metres and that is available in seven different colours and finishes.

Ideal for maximising levels of natural light and for opening up spaces such as conservatories, the range also offers a choice of frame styles including straight edged, chamfered and ovolo.

Emma Lowry, senior manager (education) at LCitC, said:

“Every year, Leicester City in the Community, delivers numerous projects which are focused on making a positive difference to local good causes.

“We can only do this with the help of similarly community-minded individuals and organisations like Unique Window Systems.

“On behalf of everyone at Leicester City in the Community, Gorse Hill City Farm and all those people who will ultimately benefit from the new classroom, I’d like to thank the business for its generous support.”

Mir Patel, senior manager at Unique Window Systems, added:

“Unique Window Systems has a strong sense of corporate citizenship, and we recognise the need for all businesses, ours included, to leave a lasting and positive legacy on society.

“As one of Leicester’s major employers, we also feel it’s important to give something back to the local communities where many of our team and their families live and spend their free time.”

 

 

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Aluminium Scrap: A Promising Technology

Post-consumer recycled aluminium scrap is transformed into new building materials

(Credit: Andrea Starr, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory)

Twisted aluminium mesh, broken bicycle frames and used car parts languishing in junkyards could gain new life as building structures such as door and window frames thanks to a new recycling technique.

Based on a patent-pending technology developed at the US Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in Washington state, the new process could reportedly provide energy savings of almost 90% when making aluminium building components.

“Strong yet lightweight aluminium parts are being deployed more often as building materials,” a PNNL announcement said. “But there’s a high energy and greenhouse gas emissions cost to mining and refining aluminium.”

According to the International Aluminium Institute, the production of 1 ton (0.9 tonnes) of primary aluminium emits an average of 17 tons (15.4 tonnes) of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

Rather than processing mined aluminium, new laboratory testing has reportedly shown that PNNL’s Shear Assisted Processing and Extrusion Process (ShAPE) process can transform 100% post-consumer scrap aluminium into usable extrusions that meet or exceed stringent ASTM standards for strength and flexibility for common building-grade alloys.

“The ShAPE technology unlocks the possibility of creating circularity in aluminium scrap markets, thus reducing dependency on imported primary aluminium and the massive amounts of energy associated with its production,” the announcement said.

The manufacturing process deforms scrap aluminium bricks or rod-shaped billets using high shear forces to ‘pulverise’ impurities in scrap aluminium into tiny particles, uniformly dispersing them within the aluminium microstructure.

The dispersion eliminates microscopic iron clumps that can generate microfractures in recycled aluminium products manufactured using conventional methods, the PNNL team said.

ShAPE aluminium extrusion could provide considerable energy savings, the announcement said, by eliminating the need to dilute impurities found in recycled aluminium with 25-40% newly mined aluminium before processing.

“The ShAPE manufacturing process conserves energy and eliminates greenhouse gas emissions on several fronts,” said PNNL chief scientist Scott Whalen, who led the research. “First, we avoid the need to add primary aluminium. Then, we eliminate the need for what is called homogenisation of the billet material, a six- to 24-hour heat treatment near 500°C prior to extrusion.”

He added: “With approximately 55% of the global aluminium extrusion market servicing the building and construction industry, the evolution of ShAPE to include aluminium recycling for building structures is an enormous opportunity for decarbonising the built environment.

“We are finding that the unique microstructures within the metal are more tolerant to impurities than previously thought. This enables us to reach even deeper into the aluminium scrap market while maintaining material performance.”

Founded by entrepreneur Eric Donsky, manufacturing start-up Atomic13 aims to commercialise the technology and create custom-extruded parts for building and consumer products.

“ShAPE technology enables companies like Atomic13 to produce aluminium extrusions made from 100% post-consumer scrap with 90% lower carbon,” Donsky said. “At the same time, the low feedstock costs result in lower costs for consumers. We look forward to continuing to work with PNNL engineers to advance this promising technology.”

Source: I.meche

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Tall and Green, London’s Newest Skyscraper

Set to rival The Shard as the city’s joint tallest building

Updated designs for London’s newest skyscraper, set to rival The Shard as the city’s joint tallest building now includes more urban greening and improved sustainability.

Revised plans for One Undershaft include an elevated podium garden on the 11th floor and what would be London’s highest viewing platform.

The tower originally received planning approval in 2016, but developer Perennial Group and development manager Stanhope had to resubmit plans following changes made as a result of the decline in office work after the Covid-19 pandemic.

Under the new plans, designed by Eric Parry Architects the building will now measure out to 309.6 metres, with 74 floors, making it London’s joint-tallest building.

The planning application outlines “extensive publicly accessible spaces” in an effort to create a building “that is truly open and accessible to all.”

Plans also include several restaurants and “flexible cultural spaces”, with a public viewing gallery situated at the top and two floors of “education spaces” curated by the Museum of London.

Original plans included a “cross-bracing” pattern on the outside of the building, earning it the nickname The Trellis. The new plans show this pattern has been removed- leaving the building without a nickname.

Eric Parry Architects say the new revised plans afforded them the opportunity to “reconsidered their approach,” and the new proposal now delivers a “more wellbeing-led commercial space with high-quality external spaces, public open spaces, improved sustainability and a cultural and creative offer.

“The revised proposals will enable us to deliver a more sustainable building with enhanced urban greening.”

Main construction is pencilled to commence in 2026, with a 2029 expected completion date.

 

Source: Pro Landscaper

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Multimillion-pound restoration

New Warehouse roof and Gantry (Image credit: The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum)

Work has begun on a grade II-listed building at Manchester’s Science and Industry Museum, replacing a historic roof the size of two Olympic swimming pools.

The New Warehouse, which is more than 140 years old, is the next building to undergo essential conservation work.

It is part of a multimillion-pound restoration programme taking place across the Science and Industry Museum’s site.

Scaffolding will be erected around the New Warehouse this winter as part of the museum’s current £14.2m worth of national capital funding by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to complete urgent repairs.

Originally built in the 1880s to support the expansion of Liverpool Road Station, the building provided essential goods storage as the station grew into a hub of 19th century industry.

Now it houses the main museum entrance, three permanent galleries (Revolution Manchester, Textiles Gallery and Experiment), three changing exhibition spaces, a café, shop and conference space, spread across three floors.

Manchester-based architects Buttress, who specialise in restoring listed and historic buildings, will work on the scheme.

Sally MacDonald, director of the Science and Industry Museum said: “We are delighted that the next stage of the site’s multi-million-pound restoration project is underway. This marks an exciting moment as we carry out vital repairs to our main museum building, including a brand-new roof.

“Whilst this repair work will bring some disruption to our site, including our largest scaffolding structure to date, the changes taking place now will mean visitors can enjoy our museum for years to come. We’ve always been a place of change and transformation and the work on New Warehouse is our next step to future-proof our historic site.”

 

source: Insider Media

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Lift Barriers to MMC and Deliver Affordable Housing

The only way that new ‘green’, efficient, safe housing can be built in the UK at the speed and scale required is if modern methods of construction (MMC) are more widely adopted in the housebuilding market, but the industry needs help to deliver the benefits MMC offer, experts have said.

Iain Gilbey and Graham Robinson of Pinsent Masons said that recommendations published by the House of Lords Built Environment Committee at the end of its parliamentary inquiry into MMC – a concept that covers a range of alternative off-site and on-site techniques – shine a light on issues that present a significant barrier to a thriving MMC industry.

Gilbey said:

“The UK government has a target of building 300,000 new homes in England each year, but the chronic skills and labour shortage and stagnant productivity that plagues the construction sector present a significant barrier to traditional housebuilding. A shift to off-site factory manufacturing of standardised building components, among other modern methods of construction, can not only help housebuilders realise huge improvements in productivity – it can also cut both embodied carbon and the amount of waste created by the construction industry and over time will lead to net zero homes.”

“However, as the Built Environment Committee has exposed, the MMC industry has faced problems in the UK, with a number of specialist providers of volumetric housing having gone out of business in recent years. For the benefits of MMC to be realised, the industry needs a long and stable pipeline of projects to make adopting MMC commercially viable – the level of investment needed to establish new factories and overhaul traditional construction business models is significant. The committee has highlighted reasons why this pipeline of work has not emerged in the way it might,” he said.

In a letter to housing secretary Michael Gove (18-page / 347KB PDF), chair of the Built Environment Committee, Lord Moylan, said the committee has “limited confidence that a coherent plan to encourage the use of MMC is in place”.

The committee highlighted the link between potential growth in the use of MMC and the government having “a clear strategy and a good understanding of how the industry operates” and called on the government to “publish its full strategy for MMC now or, if it requires updating, by no later than the end of March 2024”.

Currently, the government provides direct loans to some MMC companies and supports the adoption of MMC through the Affordable Homes Programme (AHP). The committee said, though, that the government should assess whether those measures are “the most effective way to support the establishment of new MMC companies and their research and development”.

The committee also identified a disconnect between the benefits MMC have to offer and the demand specialist MMC manufacturers are seeing for their services. It said the government should “undertake further research … to determine if there are genuine policy barriers to major housebuilders increasing their use of MMC”.

Among the other issues it raised, the committee said the government should update documents that support the housebuilding industry to assess its compliance with building safety regulations to make it easier for the industry to assess how MMC map to the regulatory requirements. It said the government also must do more to ensure insurers provide the warranties developers need when using MMC.

Pinsent Masons has consulted with over 100 industry leaders across the UK construction and house building industry to examine the practical barriers and potential solutions to adopting modern methods of construction. During this two-year process of collecting the views and evidence gathering, the team of experts at Pinsent Masons has been able to identify the main barriers to MMC and gain a granular view of the practical and legal problems facing the industry.

Together with industry bodies such as the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, Constructing Excellent and Make UK Modular, and individual companies such as TopHat, Pinsent Masons wrote to housing secretary Michael Gove calling on government to do more “to unlock private investment to scale the adoption of modern methods of construction”.

One of the recommendations made in the letter was that stamp duty land tax (SDLT) be reduced for new homes built to an energy performance certificate (EPC) ‘A’ standard. Pinsent Masons has estimated that implementation of the measure would have minimal impact on public finances but bring real benefits by avoiding the need for “expensive retrofits” to millions of new homes that would not otherwise be ‘net zero’ compliant.

Another recommendation was to increase the percentage of new homes built using MMC under the AHP.

Ultimately, according to Robinson, a clear pipeline of projects and incentives are needed to support the industry in investing in a still very nascent approach to building the homes that Britain badly needs.

Robinson said:

“MMC is in all reality the only hope of achieving low carbon and net zero homes, at scale. MMC also allows new materials to be used – and new innovative approaches to be adopted – and has been shown to have the potential to significantly cut embodied carbon in built assets.”

“Creating digital twins and using technology to gather data on how homes are operated can promote long-term improvements to the efficiency of how we use our homes and to the way they are designed, while a platform approach to design also promotes the creation of a circular economy in the construction sector by enabling standardised components to be re-used. In the context of ever-more stringent building safety requirements and growing costs of disputes where defects are identified, developers also stand to see improvements in the quality of building products by moving away from making and installing them in a bespoke way on construction sites to adopting standardised production processes at off-site factories,” he added.

SOURCE: Pinsent Masons

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Government Must Invest £14b in Affordable Homes

 

The British Property Federation has called for 30,000 new build-to-rent homes to be constructed every year.

A group of some of the UK’s biggest construction companies has called on the next government to pour up to an extra £14 billion into affordable homes to ensure 145,000 are built every year.

The British Property Federation (BPF) has called on whoever wins the next election to also ensure that around 30,000 build-to-rent properties are constructed around the country.

Melanie Leech, the group’s chief executive, said:

“This year’s election comes at a critical time. The next government must not only set out a compelling vision for the future but will need to persuade the electorate that it can deliver.”

If the government works with industry it could unlock billions of pounds of investment from property companies, the BPF said as it unveiled its manifesto ahead of the election.

It said that £10 billion of new private capital could be unlocked if the government increased subsidies for affordable housing by £9-£14 billion, adding that this could help deliver 145,000 new affordable homes every year.

“As a country, we need to stimulate economic growth and become more productive,” Ms Leech said.

“We need to invest billions of pounds in our infrastructure, our housing is of insufficient quantity and quality, and town centres across the UK need reinvention.

“Looming over these issues is the existential challenge facing all of us – the need to decarbonise our society.”

The country is going to go to the polls some time this year, or maybe in January 2025, if the Prime Minister holds out until the very latest possible point.

The BPF asked for government action in other areas, including building stronger town centres and trying to help developers erect greener buildings.

It should include more resources for local planning officers, and a central planning system which helps local and regional authorities with massive projects, it added.

The group also asked for reform to the business rates system – the business equivalent of council tax.

A Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities spokesperson said:

“We need to build more affordable homes and that is why we continue to invest in our £11.5 billion Affordable Homes Programme, delivering tens of thousands of homes to buy and rent across the country.

“The Secretary of State recently set out new measures to speed up the planning system and we remain on track to deliver one million homes over this Parliament.

“Our long-term plan for housing will allow us to go even further, backed by £10 billion investment to boost supply and build the homes that local communities want and need.”

 

Source: The Standard

 

 

 

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Highlighting the Flood Risks in UK Housing

A recent analysis by Aviva, the UK’s largest home insurer, has unveiled concerning findings regarding the vulnerability of new homes in England to flooding.

The study reveals that 8% of new homes built in the last decade, equivalent to nearly 110,000 properties, are located in flood-prone areas, specifically in national flood zone three—representing the highest risk of flooding.

Despite the staggering numbers, the study shows that many residents of these new homes remain confident in their builders’ efforts to protect against flooding.

Approximately 60% of new home residents believe their home builders or developers have taken sufficient measures. However, only half of them (51%) are aware of specific measures implemented to reduce or prevent flooding.

The research also points out that even though some new homes face a higher risk of flooding, residents seem more aware of measures to enhance their properties’ resilience to climate impacts.

Forty-two percent claim to know what steps to take to improve resilience, and only 26% have not installed any resilient measures. This contrasts with 60% of residents in homes constructed before 2018 who have not taken such measures.

Jason Storah, CEO UK & Ireland General Insurance at Aviva, expressed concern over the situation. Storah noted that many newly-built homes have suffered floods within five years of construction, indicating potential issues with both location choice and construction standards.

The study also emphasises broader concerns about construction practices that could leave homeowners and tenants at risk from various climate events, including extreme weather conditions.

The report highlights that new homes built since 2009 are excluded from the Flood Re reinsurance scheme, designed to enhance the affordability and accessibility of flood insurance in high-risk areas.

Additionally, 59% of residents in homes built in the last five years believe their homes are at risk from flooding, compared to 41% of those in homes constructed before 2018.

Beyond flooding, climate concerns extend to other aspects, with 61% of new home residents expressing worry about the impact of heat on their homes, and 62% concerned about storms.

Despite these concerns, Aviva emphasises the need for collective action to address climate-related risks in construction, advocating for climate-ready housing that can withstand the multiple impacts of climate change.

Storah concluded by underlining the importance of strengthening rules to prevent construction in current and potential flood zones.

For areas where this is challenging, he suggests making flood resilience mandatory in planning rules from the outset to better protect homeowners and tenants from the devastating consequences of extreme weather events.

Source: Reinsurance News

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