More homes for seniors needed to cope with ageing population A major uplift in public subsidies to support private investment of more affordable homes for rent, student and seniors’ accommodation is being called for by the British Property Federation. It has estimated at least 100,000 new homes a year need to be built across the sector yet at present this is restricted to 35,000. The British Property Federation, BPF, is calling for a future government to increase public subsidies by [...]

The UK’s industrial and logistics sector is pressing the government to bring back strategic planning so that new warehouse space can keep abreast with economic growth. The British Property Federation, BPF, has released a paper, Building the UK’s Critical Infrastructure, that calls on future governments to treat logistics space as a crucial part of national infrastructure. SEGRO chief executive and BPF logistics property board chair David Sleath said: “After years of demand outstripping supply, we can unlock significant investment and drive [...]

Scotland’s homes need to be watertight and insulated before installing heat pumps and other renewable energies, warn key industry figures in a report outlining the country’s retrofit challenges.  Two out of five occupied homes are failing on quality standards particularly when it relates to energy efficiency, reveals Building Research Establishment Trust data. And over half of homes in Scotland don’t meet good energy efficiency levels, according to a government report published in 2023.  The Chartered Institute of Building’s policy and [...]

Industry unconvinced deadline for better water treatment will boost housebuilding Housebuilders are sceptical that pressure on water companies to get their treatment works up to scratch will unlock homes in areas where river nutrients are high. Last week environment secretary Steve Barclay announced water companies operating in 16 sensitive catchment areas would have to meet specified nutrient removal standards by April 2030. Home Builders Federation’s communications director Steve Turner said: “The notice is important as it requires local authorities, and [...]

Solar panels on the roofs of all new homes will add millions to the cost of housing developments, warns the National Federation of Builders. The trade body is unhappy with a proposal that they could become mandatory under the Future Homes and Building Standards consultation released this week. NFB head of policy and market insight Rico Wojtulewicz said: “They’ve pushed photovoltaic panels as a great thing, but they aren’t if they’re merely an add-on and the environment for delivery is [...]

Prime minister Rishi Sunak’s pledge to build the “foundations for a better future” in the King’s speech failed to mention addressing the country’s decline in housebuilding.  The construction industry was dissatisfied the speech omitted legislation to overhaul nutrient pollution laws estimated to be holding up 150,000 new homes in river catchment areas.  Federation of Master Builders chief executive Brian Berry said: “It is disappointing that there was nothing of note to address the alarming decline in housebuilding rates across the [...]

The government’s amendment to ease nutrient neutrality rules for rivers in sensitive areas was rejected in the House of Lords with 192 peers voting against versus 161 in favour. Baroness Willis of Summertown said the Homebuilders Federation’s claim that urban development counted for less than five per nutrient loading was out of date. She said an updated Defra, department for food and rural affairs, report showed that sewage effluent was responsible for closer to 30 per cent of river nutrients [...]

Repair work to soar in wake of RAAC crisis Builders could be overwhelmed with repair work to schools, hospitals, theatres, and other unsafe public buildings due to failing RAAC panels. Earlier this week the government revealed 156 schools contained reinforced autoclave aerated concrete, RAAC, of which 104 required urgent action with 52 already repaired. The Federation of Master Builders, FMB, chief executive Brian Berry said: “Local builders may struggle to cater for the scale of the issue facing schools, as [...]