The capital’s mayor Sadiq Khan has released new guidance for developers to ensure new buildings are greener prioritising space for walkers, cyclists and public transport users. The guidance is part of Mr Khan’s plans to make London a zero-carbon city within the next ten years and offers practical advice on how to do it. He said: “I’m committed to delivering a brighter future for London - one that’s greener, fairer and more prosperous for everyone.” Mr Khan said it was vital [...]

Plymouth University is piloting the use of an ancient building material called cob to construct a new generation of energy-efficient homes. They have started building a single storey 32-square-metre lab and classroom next to the university’s sustainability hub out of the material which is a mix of soil, water, straw and hemp. Principal investigator and professor of environmental building at the art, design and architecture school Steve Goodhew said: “We will create a living lab and demonstration site that will [...]

Developers should be encouraged to concentrate on refurbs rather than knocking down existing buildings in a bid to tackle ‘embodied carbon’. Experts are urging ministers to encourage developers to explore refurbishments in favour of demolition as making steel, concrete and bricks for new buildings generate vast carbon emissions. Business minister Lord Callanan told delegates at a Property Week conference that the government would be looking at this issue in its forthcoming heat and building strategy. National Federation of Builders housing [...]

A chance to build up to 1000 homes on 17.5 acres of freehold land hugging Wolverhampton, Wyrley and Essington canals is up for grabs. Canalside South is on the eastern edge of the city centre and is made up of the former Crane Foundry site and British Steel distribution centre on land off Qualcast Road. Wolverhampton city council deputy leader Stephen Simkins said: “There is a strong developer appetite to deliver a transformational project in this part of the city. Canalside South [...]

Housebuilders are pressing for councils to be more flexible on material changes and completion dates given the current supply chain crisis. The National Federation of Builders, NFB, wants the government to issue a ministerial statement requiring local authorities to be more accommodating. NFB chief executive Richard Beresford said: “The government cannot magic up building materials, but they can ensure the impact isn’t as great. Through keeping an eye on importation challenges, such as paperwork and port access and continuing to [...]

Completions in central London are expected to hit a three-year high, with 5.5m sq ft scheduled for delivery by the end of this year, according to Savills research. Pre-lets accounted for more than a fifth of space acquired since the first lockdown in March last year. The property agent said central London requirements stood at 10m sq ft – up 41 per cent on the same period last year. Nearly half of this space is made up of occupiers with [...]

A new system making it easier for SMEs to gain a slice of Homes England’s £20bn worth of development opportunities is up and running. The government agency hopes it will be simpler for SMEs to come forward having replaced its panel of partners with a ‘dynamic purchasing system’ where new players can apply to join at any point. Under the old arrangement, the panel of partners was renewed every four years making it less flexible. Homes England chief land and development officer [...]

Nearly a quarter of online browsers looking at properties for sale or let were from overseas – the highest figure since January 2020, according to property agent Knight Frank’s data. This was up on the average of 17 per cent of overseas viewers in the 18 months to June this year. The return of overseas corporate tenants and overseas students getting ready for the academic year has driven demand. Knight Frank’s head of UK residential research Tom Bill said: “International [...]

Stamp duty relief on properties up to the value of £250,000 is thought to be behind August’s surprise house price upturn said the country’s second biggest mortgage lender, Nationwide. Although the benefits are typically more modest than before delivering tax savings of £2,500 compared with £15,000 on a property worth £500,000 back in July. The building society’s chief economist Robert Gardner said: “The bounce back in August is surprising because it seemed more likely that the tapering of stamp duty [...]

Nearly 120,000 new homes, of which half will be affordable ownership, are to be built for young people over the next decade, the government has announced. It’s allocated £8.6bn out of its £11.5bn affordable homes programme for 57,000 homes for ownership, 29,600 for social rent and 6,250 affordable rural homes. Housing secretary Robert Jenrick said: “Creating more opportunities for home ownership is central to this government. “This huge funding package will make the ambition of owning a home a reality [...]

Investments in offices outside the capital for the first half of this year hit £3.58bn - 18 per cent above the long-term average for the first half of this year, Savills research reveals. Overseas investors accounted for two-thirds of the £3.58bn of investments from January to June 2021 – 38 per cent above the five-year average. Savills said the high turnover in Greater London, Southeast and the regional market was due to large lot sizes with 14 transactions over £50m [...]

Post-Brexit products certification postponed to avoid supply crisis Manufacturers have won an extra year to get products tested to comply with new UK certification rules originally due to replace CE marking in January 2022. International and domestic manufacturers had threatened to pull products off the market given the long queues for getting their items tested by that deadline. Construction Products Association, CPA, government relations and business development director Jeff May said: “To the government’s credit they realised some of the [...]