Letwin Review: SMEs are crucial to solving the housing crisis

The Letwin Review rejects criticisms of landbanking and welcomes calls from industry bodies to diversify the housing market and speed up house building on large sites. Small and medium-sized (SME) house builders have previously told the Government on repeated occasions... View Article

Upsizing the downsizing market

While the lack of affordable new homes for first time buyers often makes the headlines, at the other end of the market there is a similar crisis which gets far less publicity. Yet solving the problems for this older demographic... View Article

Highest new home registrations in 11 years, reports NHBC

UK builders registered more than 43,500 new homes during the third quarter of 2018, according to NHBC’s latest new home registration statistics – making it the highest quarter since 2007. 43,578 new homes were registered during the period July –... View Article

Budget 2018: industry reactions

After Chancellor Phillip Hammond made several announcements of increased investment in housing and construction in his Budget speech, industry leaders have been quick to comment. With more positive spending news than many had expected, the commentary was largely favourable, though... View Article

Bonfire of the planning rules?

Will the London Mayor’s promise to tear up planning help tackle the housing crisis and what does this mean for population density? James Parker investigates. At the end of 2017, London Mayor Sadiq Khan announced he was “ripping up planning... View Article

Yorkshire housebuilder wins national industry award

Leeds-based housebuilder, Park Lane Homes, is celebrating a major industry accolade after winning Single Unit Development of the Year at the Premier Guarantee Excellence Awards. The company’s Providence House detached property in Collingham, near Wetherby, won the award ahead of... View Article

BBA and LABC’s rallying call for 100 per cent Hackitt

100 per cent Hackitt – an industry initiative to encourage the government to deliver all of the recommendations contained within Dame Judith’s report – was launched in Westminster on Monday (October 22) by Local Authority Building Control (LABC) and the... View Article

Edenstone markets its first carbon zero home

Edenstone Homes has pledged to offer carbon zero homes across its developments by 2021 with its first “green” house now on sale in Aberthin. The Magor-based homebuilder uses good design, new products and innovative construction methods to reduce the impact... View Article

Developers recognise opportunities in affordable housing

Building works have commenced on a new housing development set in the beautiful Perthshire countryside. The Forgan Grove site was initially planned for homes worth in excess of half a million pounds. Following the recession a new approach has been... View Article

Planner calls for ‘planning friendly’ budget

Planning expert Sam Dewar is calling on the Chancellor to provide more money in his budget to strengthen local authority planning to drive growth in the housing sector. Sam Dewar, a director and planning manager at Yorkshire-based DPA Planning Ltd,... View Article

Britcon manager scoops top industry award

A young house building site manager for well-established civil engineering and building firm, Britcon, has scooped a top national award at “The Bricks”, the prestigious LABC Warranty event celebrating the very best businesses and individuals in the UK housebuilding industry.... View Article

Construction growth slows, says FMB

Growth among construction SMEs slowed in most parts of the UK in the third quarter of this year, according to the Federation of Master Builders (FMB). Key results from the FMB’s latest State of Trade Survey, which is the only quarterly... View Article