Construction firms’ activity bounced back in November thanks to the UK economy reopening and a smoother supply chain, according to Purchasing Managers’ Index, PMI. The index was up at 55.5 for the month compared with 54.6 in October pointing to the strongest point of expansion since July and the tenth consecutive month above the 50 no change level. Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply group director Duncan Brock said: "Commercial orders were the strongest, picking up the slack from the [...]

Urban extensions and more garden villages need to be granted if the government is to achieve its ambitions of building 300,000 new homes a year, according to a new report. Feeding the Pipeline looks at the practices of the nation’s ten largest housebuilders and argues 59,200 extra homes a year need to be built to hit this target by the mid-2020s. Homes Builders Federation, HBF, planning director Andrew Whitaker said: “Building enough homes to match demand requires sufficient sites to [...]

An extra £11m of public money to develop 23 brownfield sites across England is a chance for the government to support SMEs, the National Federation of Builders, NFB, has claimed. The trade body said it was important to know whether it was local authorities or Homes England delivering the latest tranche of the brownfield land release fund. NFB head of housing and policy Rico Wojtulewicz said: “If the contracts just go to the big companies, then what’s the point. The [...]

Lead times for brick supplies are forecast to increase this year with house builders advised to work closely with manufacturers to ensure delivery and mitigate delays. The Brick Development Association has said imports will help meet the current UK shortfall until new lines come on stream in 2023 and 2024. “While this may require flexibility around choice and specification, quantities should be sufficient to meet demand,” said the Association. The Construction Leadership Council’s product availability group, PAG, has flagged up [...]

About 40,000 new homes are being delayed mainly in Somerset, the Solent and Kent because developers are required to ensure rivers are nutrient neutral, claims the industry. The Construction Leadership Council, CLC, has written to housing secretary Michael Gove asking for him to come up with a long-term solution. CLC chair Andy Mitchell said: “This should recognise the negligible amounts of nutrient pollution arising from new housing and commercial projects and find effective means of reducing the significant nutrient pollution [...]

Electricity companies rather than developers should pay for sub-stations to provide enough load for electric vehicle chargers in new homes, argues the National Federation of Builders, NFB. The trade body was reacting to prime minister Boris Johnson’s announcement that all new homes and buildings will be required by law to have electric vehicle charging points from next year. NFB chief executive Richard Beresford said members supported the green industry and the transition to electric vehicles but were critical about the [...]

New build home buyers will be able to purchase property with a five per cent deposit through a new scheme launched this week. Barratt Developments, Bellway, Keepmoat and Vistry are among the 17 builders across England, Wales and Scotland who have signed up to ‘deposit unlock’. The UK’s second largest lender Nationwide and Newcastle Building Society are involved with more lenders expected to join early next year. Homes for Scotland chief executive Nicola Barclay said: “The industry has worked hard [...]

The building industry is proposing sub-contracting of testing and the temporary use of existing certificates for products to ease pressure on the UK’s imminent post-Brexit certification system. The chair of the Construction Leadership Council, CLC, Andy Mitchell has written an open letter to the business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng highlighting the lack of testing capacity and need for action. “A number of market failures have contributed to this situation including the relatively small scale of the UK construction products testing market, [...]

London’s oldest and largest housing association Peabody is looking for a private sector development partner to finance and help build 730 homes as part of the regeneration of South Thamesmead. Peabody wants to establish a 50:50 joint venture to build phases two and three of the 3.1ha site at Harrow Manorway near Abbey Wood which will be connected to the new Elizabeth cross rail line. Head of external affairs at Peabody Benjamin Blades said: “We’re already planning future phases of [...]