Housebuilders could be lumbered with extra infrastructure costs if solar panels become mandatory for new developments, the industry fears. The National Federation of Builders, NFB, has criticised the government’s energy strategy, published last week, for focusing on the increasing use of solar panels rather than wind turbines. Housing and planning policy head Rico Wojtulewicz said: “Solar panels will raise costs. You have to get a qualified person to install them. They’re not just an add on, as they require grid [...]

Building output was boosted by sustained rise in new work across the board according to the Construction Purchasing Managers index for March. The latest reading of 59.1 was unchanged from February and well above the 50 mark that separates expansion from contraction. The index revealed the joint-fastest rate of output growth since June 2021 boosted by the highest level of new orders since August last year. Commercial work was the best-performing segment with an index reading of 60.8 due to [...]

Fuel prices to soar in wake of curbs on Russian oil imports Business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng has announced the UK will phase out imports of Russian oil by the end of the year. Mr Kwarteng said that as the ban was not immediate there would be enough time for supply chain adjustments. “Businesses should use this year to ensure a smooth transition so that consumers will not be affected,” he said. The UK sources 18 per cent of its diesel [...]

SME builders are lobbying the government to hold off scrapping the tax rebate on red diesel due to the war in Ukraine. Lack of electrically powered machinery, biofuel and a shift in prices due to sanctions against Russia will mean huge cost increases when the rebate is removed on 1st April. Contractors have said they may have to increase their hourly rates for activities such as excavation by up to £5 per hour. The 47 pence per litre rebate for [...]

New home registrations showed a year-on-year increase of 25 per cent to 153,339 for 2021, according to the National House Building Council, NHBC. The sector saw a significant rebound following 2020’s eight-year-low of 122,935 registrations. New home completions also showed a significant uplift in 2021, increasing by 21 per cent to 139,333 compared with 2020’s 115,561. NHBC chief executive Steve Wood said: “The house-building industry demonstrated considerable resilience in 2021, rebounding well from the pandemic and coping with significant strains [...]

A £170m major mixed-use scheme next to Hertfordshire’s Hemel Hempstead station is available for development. Network Rail and London and Continental Railways, LCR, are looking to shortlist six developers for the ten-year project on prime commuter-belt land. LCR regional director Andrew Ferguson said: “Coupling easy access to London with open green spaces and high-quality community assets, this site represents an unmissable opportunity to unlock new homes, commercial space and public value”. Architects Farrells masterplan is for 450 flats in a [...]

The construction industry is waiting with bated breath to see if Stuart Andrew – the eleventh new housing minister in 12 years – will embrace SMEs as a vital tool for building more homes. Deputy chief whip Stuart Andrew, who grew up on a North Wales council estate, assumed the role yesterday in the prime minister’s mini-reshuffle as part of the clear out of the whip’s office. The National Federation of Builders chief executive Richard Beresford said: “He has a [...]

Improving housing affordability in the southeast of the country is to be ditched in favour of pouring resources into building new homes in the midlands and the north. The 80/20 rule where 80 per cent of Homes England funding went to parts of England that were expensive to live is to be scrapped, the government has announced. Levelling up secretary Michael Gove said: “For decades, too many communities have been overlooked and undervalued. As some areas have flourished, others have [...]

Leaper Land Promotion is looking for a delivery partner for up to 49 custom and self-build homes on 6.5 acres next to Framlingham village in East Suffolk. The company has gained outline planning for a phased development of up to 33 open market homes, made up of 27 custom-build and six self-build homes. Leaper director Ben Marten said: “We are open to dialogue with potential buyers and delivery partners for part or all of the site, but specifically a developer [...]

A swathe of councils could follow two Hertfordshire authorities who rejected their local plans in the wake of the government’s decision to reverse proposed planning reform. The construction industry fears Conservative-run Hertsmere and Welwyn Hatfield borough councils’ move to revise their local plans because too many homes were to be built on green belt land could set a trend. National Federation of Builders housing and planning head Rico Wojtulewicz said: “The decision of two home counties to reject building homes [...]

A £1.5bn home building fund offering loans to SMEs to help them deliver 42,000 new houses across the country has received a lukewarm response from the construction industry. The National Federation of Builders, NFB, has said the loan scheme would only be of any use if smaller housebuilders could borrow prior to gaining planning permission. NFB housing and planning policy head Rico Wojtulewicz said: “The government has promised this level of funding previously but as it has not understood the [...]

The UK’s second biggest brick maker Forterra warned of further price hikes this year in its latest trading statement. The company said it was reviewing costs before deciding whether to charge more following double-digit increases over the last few months due to higher energy costs. Chief executive Stephen Harrison said: “We remain watchful of further inflationary cost pressures, and we will apply further price increases as necessary.” He added 70 per cent of the company’s energy costs had now been [...]