New public money focussing on unlocking brownfield land to pave the way for up to 116,000 new homes has been announced by the government. The £624m funding is available to all housebuilders particularly SMEs to help them pay for key infrastructure such as public transport and new schools as well as land remediation. Housing minister Christopher Pincher said: “This money will build on our commitment to bring derelict and abandoned sites back to life, regenerating towns and cities as we [...]

Housebuilding in regions close to rivers is on hold because developers are being asked to fix the problem of high nutrients in the water before planning approval can go ahead. Savills has calculated 32 local authorities are affected resulting in 33,700 fewer homes being built a year in England and around 500 in Wales. National Federation of Builders head of housing and planning policy Rico Wojtulewicz said: “Developers should not be paying for the cost of others impacts but as [...]

Better use of current buildings to reduce new construction demand are among the key points of a new report presented at COP26 today. Regeneration developers Galliford Try, housebuilders Wilmott Dixon and residential developer Wates Group were among the 200 endorsers of Built Environment produced by Architects Declare. The Royal Institute of British Architects president Simon Allford said: “Our buildings are responsible for almost 40 per cent of global carbon emissions. For the benefit of humanity, we need bold regulations and purposeful [...]

Councils should have the power to call for net-zero emissions as an unconditional requirement for all new developments, MPs have argued. The cross-party housing, communities and local government select committee’s report calls for net-zero to be given a central role in the national planning policy framework. Select committee chair Clive Betts said: “Local councils will have a critical role to play in efforts to achieve the 2050 ‘net-zero’ target, building public confidence in climate action, and ensuring a just transition. [...]

A network of pioneering developers, designers, investors and insurers have launched a multi-million euro fund to scale up timber construction on the eve of COP26. Engineers Arup, modular housebuilder BoKlok, Lendlease and sustainable architects Bennetts Associates are among the backers of Built by Nature, set up by the Laudes Foundation. Built by Nature chair Donald Brenninkmeijer said: “With building space expected to double globally before 2050, we must reimagine the way we build, from a carbon-intensive industry to one that [...]

An overwhelming majority, 89 per cent, of local builders are reporting delays because of supply chain issues or difficulty recruiting staff, according to a survey of SMEs. And 60 per cent of respondents to the Federation of Master Builders, FMB, state of the trade survey for the third quarter, July to September, said they had halted projects due to lack of tradespeople. Nearly all survey participants, 97 per cent, said material prices had shot up during July to September and [...]

Timber imports from January to July increased by eight per cent on 2019’s figures to more than seven million cubic metres, according to the Timber Trade Federation’s, TTF, latest statement. The Federation said record-breaking volumes, nearly two million more than in 2020, reflected high demand from a resurgent private housing market and a strong repairs, maintenance and infrastructure sector. TTF technical and trade head Nick Boulton said: “It is highly likely the UK is at a point where there is [...]

Developers and builders are on the verge of running out of land, which is becoming pricier to buy, warns the National House Building Council, NHBC. The NHBC’s latest figures for the third quarter of 2021 showed new home registrations at 33,779 compared with 39,364 for the same quarter in 2019. Private sector registrations showed a 43 per cent increase on the same quarter in 2020 while rental registrations revealed a 32 per cent drop. NHBC commercial director David Campbell said [...]

Nearly two-thirds of SME builders claim lack of available and viable land is holding them back from constructing new homes, according to research. The Federation of Master Builders’, FMB, latest annual survey showed 63 per cent of respondents citing it as an issue and 71 per cent said the number of small site opportunities was decreasing. FMB chief executive Brian Berry said: “Demand for new homes is soaring, but the decline of the small housebuilder has hit the capacity, competitiveness [...]

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 [...]