Developers will soon be expected to offer discounts of between 30 to 50 per cent on some of the new build homes they build for local first-time buyers on modest incomes. Housing minister Christopher Pincher has said at least a quarter of developers’ contributions to affordable housing should include these types of discounted homes. “Ensuring access to homeownership remains a key priority and challenge for this government. However, rising prices, high deposits and difficulty accessing mortgage finance still mean that [...]

Smaller housebuilders are to be given a better chance of bidding to develop public land following a major overhaul of the system. Housing accelerator Homes England is making the process more flexible and simplifying access so smaller developers and new entrants can participate. Homes England chief land and development officer Stephen Kinsella said: “This new digital system marks a huge step forward, making it much easier for developers to bid for our land. I’d encourage our current partners, as well [...]

A new brick producing a tenth of the carbon emissions of a traditional one is poised to go into commercial production. Zero Waste Scotland has pledged £1m for manufacturing Kenoteq’s K-Briq made from over 90 per cent of recycled demolition and construction products. Kenoteq managing director Sam Chapman said: “The construction industry faces a tremendous challenge when meeting decarbonisation goals. The industry sends over 800 million tonnes of waste to landfill in Europe every year, at a huge cost to itself and the environment.” The brick, developed by researchers at Edinburgh’s [...]

The next mayor should consider reducing the impact of proposed boundary taxes affecting builders in greater London, urges the Federation of Master Builders branch for the capital. They’ve drafted a manifesto for the new incumbent calling for help to access workplaces and for an assessment of road closures and restricted parking on their operations. SME construction firms across England have seen the fastest growth in workloads from January to March 2021 in a decade, however, London builders reported the lowest [...]

Timber, roof tiles and roofing membranes are proving pricier and harder to source with longer lead times threatening construction output. Imports such as paints and varnishes are expected to be difficult to get next month with shortages in PVC and resins for the rest of the year. Roofing supplies are in some cases delayed by up to six months although they’re expected to improve in the second half of the year. Timber is likely to be scarce for the whole [...]

Smaller builders could benefit from a £150m ‘help to build’ fund to make it easier for people to commission a bespoke home. The government initiative is aimed at creating a level playing field between first-time buyers of newly built homes, who benefit from ‘help to buy’, and those who want to build their own home. Housing secretary Robert Jenrick said: “Building your own home shouldn’t be the preserve of a small number of people, but a mainstream, realistic and affordable [...]

Major contractors are rolling out a new common assessment standard aimed at radically reducing the £1bn spent a year checking out supply chain providers. Balfour Beatty, Costain, HS2, Mace, Multiplex and Skanska have signed up to the new pre-qualification system where just one certification is required for tenderers. Build UK deputy chief executive Jo Fautley said: “It’s been a collaborative effort, involving companies across the whole sector, and the new system is a huge step towards more efficient working, which [...]

A disused coal-fired power station in Staffordshire is set to be redeveloped to offer 2,300 new low carbon homes and a school. Cannock Chase and Lichfield district councils granted outline planning permission for energy and redevelopment specialist ENGIE, who own the 139-ha brownfield site, to press ahead with the mixed development. ENGIE UK & Ireland’s divisional chief executive Colin Macpherson said: “We have been in positive and productive communication with all the relevant local authorities and local residents for many years [...]

UK construction activity boomed in March with the purchasing managers’ index reaching 61.7 – the highest reading since the second half of 2014. This was a sharp rise on February’s 53.3 figure and significantly above the 50 no-change status with housebuilding the best performing category at 64 – the fastest growth since July 2020. Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply group director Duncan Brock said: “This upturn led to a significant boost in hiring levels with the fastest upturn in [...]

An office and a garden have overtaken closeness to a station, shops and restaurants when it comes to choosing a new home, according to research commissioned by Wayhome. Censuswide surveyed 2,175 renters and homeowners revealing people’s priorities had changed with space and closeness to parks becoming the most enticing qualities of a property. Wayhome chief executive Nigel Purves said: “When you’re narrowing down your search for the perfect home to rent or buy, most of us will have a wish-list, [...]

Companies doing globally accredited eco refurbs should be able to do green retrofit work on UK homes and buildings immediately, advises the National Federation of Builders, NFB. The trade body argues poor take-up of the troubled green homes grant scheme was due to a complicated TrustMark accreditation system requiring PAS 2030 excluding lots of qualified tradespeople. NFB housing and planning policy head Rico Wojtulewicz said if the government had listened to the construction industry the scheme could have worked. “They [...]