Removing the barriers to progress

Richard Harral of the Chartered Association of Building Engineers (CABE) discusses how the ongoing Part L consultation is the clear way forward to genuine carbon reductions, including closing the performance gap. For all those of us who believe that we... View Article

Where was housing during the election?

Click here to listen. Brian Berry of the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) highlights the lack of focus on housing during the recent election campaigns, and explores what the new Government can do to aid the sector going forward. After... View Article

From the editor

Berkeley Group’s recent results announcement would seem to show some fairly sobering truths for the housebuilding sector, particularly in London where the group is largely active. However in fact, they did not come as a surprise to the market or... View Article

The SME Case for Self-Build

Brian Berry of the Federation of Master Builders (FMB), explores how and why Government policy designed to aid self-builders can actually help SME housebuilders too. When discussing how to support small- and medium-sized housebuilders (SME), one area that is often... View Article
Paddy Mooney

The fight to combat homelessness

Patrick Mooney, housing consultant and news editor of Housing, Management & Maintenance, explains why he believes Whitehall politicians need to up their game in the fight to combat homelessness and cut unnecessary deaths. It was a sad indictment of the... View Article
James Parker, Housebuilder & Developer

From the Editor

TV architect George Clarke spoke at a recent event on the urgent need to innovate in housebuilding to deliver good quality at the same time as the numbers. At the Mitsubishi Electric-staged event Clarke provocatively said “there’s no point building... View Article

From the Editor

By James Parker, editor of Housebuilder & Developer. You have to admire ‘Dancing Queen’ Theresa May’s strength. While navigating a seemingly impossible course between shark-infested waters of extreme Brexiteers and the EU, she also managed to announce something universally welcomed... View Article

Treating water pollution on construction sites

Dr Richard Coulton of Siltbuster outlines the main types of on-site water pollution, and how to treat them. Under the Environment Agency’s Regulatory Policy Statement (RPS), construction companies likely to discharge anything off site other than clean water need a... View Article

Transforming the industry for the better

Sarah McMonagle of the Federation of Master Builders (FMB), explains the organisation’s three point plan to reform the construction sector’s approach to quality, in the wake of Grenfell. Let’s be honest, the construction industry does not have the greatest image... View Article

Bespoke fireplace designs: What’s next?

Andrew Munro, MD of CVO Fire, offers his predictions and advice for 2016 fires and fireplace trends Trends The two main predicted trends in interior design for 2016 are high efficiency and bespoke fireplace designs for special developments, where a... View Article
water

Managing water in a wetter world

Michael White, business development director of Alumasc Water Management Solutions, says climate change, increased urbanisation and more extreme weather is causing problems for our built environment. Incorporating high capacity steel rainwater systems into our buildings is an effective and affordable... View Article

One million recruits needed to beat housing crisis

According to a white paper produced by EC Harris, construction companies will need to recruit one million new recruits by 2020 if the industry is to build more homes and beat the housing crisis. The paper, ‘People and money –... View Article

Autumn Statement reforms stamp duty

Housing commentators had to wait until almost the end of the government’s Autumn Statement before George Osborne announced major reforms to stamp duty. Before he detailed the changes to the threshold payments the Chancellor explained: “I am introducing today a... View Article

Abode – urban living in a rural setting

Joint winner of the Sunday Times British Homes Awards’ Development of the Year (with more than 100 homes) Countryside’s Abode community proves that volume housing does not have to look and feel like a faceless executive estate This exemplary development,... View Article