Why the Environmental Bill is good news for developers

Following details of the government’s Environmental Bill last month, Jon Stewart, Business Development Director for Drainage at Polypipe Civils & Green Urbanisation, unpacks the policy for developers and explains why, if considered holistically and creatively, it can lead to better,... View Article

Designs taking flight

Eric Nicholls of Spiral UK explores the different options for feature staircases available to housebuilders and developers, detailing the benefits of each. Choosing a staircase sounds easy – after all a staircase has only one function – but why should... View Article

Raising the standard

Steve Cipriano of Vaillant examines the real-world impact of the 2025 Future Homes Standard for England’s housebuilders. The long-awaited publication of the UK Government’s response to the Future Homes Standard (FHS) consultation provided much needed clarity around the direction of... View Article

Making the journey to net zero

Progress towards net zero carbon 2050 is gathering pace with the Government reinforcing commitments to a series of sustainability pledges. Tom Murray of Baxi Heating discusses the latest developments, and what housebuilders and developers need to consider right now. The... View Article

Crest Nicholson’s Godalming goals

A collection of three and four bedroom houses and one and two bedroom apartments are being launched by Crest Nicholson at its new development, Catteshall Court, in the market town of Godalming, Surrey. Once the units are complete in 2023,... View Article

A modern method of Covid recovery

John Carter of Aldermore argues why builders need to embrace modern methods of construction as a way to help the industry recover from the pandemic. The impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic have demonstrated the importance of the need for businesses... View Article

Short supply

LISTEN HERE 🔊 Brian Berry, CEO of the Federation of Master Builders (FMB), explores how the shortage of construction materials is constraining small builders’ ability to ‘build back better.’ Since the coronavirus pandemic, many small to medium-sized (SME) construction firms... View Article

Taking pride in inclusivity

LISTEN HERE 🔊 Anchor Hanover has been chosen to deliver the UK’s first ‘extra-care’ housing scheme for LGBT+ people, in south Manchester. Charles Taylor from Anchor Hanover takes Jack Wooler through the proposals. What’s believed to be the first UK... View Article

The housing stats don’t stack up

LISTEN HERE 🔊 Patrick Mooney, housing consultant and news editor of Housing, Management & Maintenance asks, do the Government’s numbers for how many homes with planning permission have not been built stack up? There is a strange and mysterious coincidence... View Article

Steeling yourself for the future

LISTEN HERE 🔊 Stuart Judge of the Steel Window Association considers the performance benefits of contemporary steel frames in terms of meeting the future challenges for housebuilding. Britain can take pride in the way its big pharmaceutical companies and top... View Article

The most cost-effective solution for family-friendly safety

Danny Openshaw from UAP Ltd, the specialist in safety and security hardware for windows and doors, discusses the role of the humble window restrictor in specifying family-friendly developments RoSPA figures indicate that around 4,000 children aged 15 and under fall... View Article

Put safety first with fire doors

LISTEN HERE 🔊 Scott Francis of Bowater doors explores the standards and accreditations housebuilders should consider when looking for a composite fire door. Choosing fire doors can be a confusing and frustrating process. The internet is awash with manufacturers, installers... View Article

A new green focus for bathrooms

LISTEN HERE 🔊 Adam Teal of Kaldewei explains why sustainability is now a key aspect for specifiers when planning bathrooms, as the industry restarts in earnest. During World Earth Day this year, Delhi experienced the cleanest air quality on record,... View Article

The sustainable case for PIR

Simon Blackham of Recticel insulation explores why the sustainability benefits of PIR make it a great choice for smart, energy efficient homes. Polyisocyanurate (PIR) insulation panels satisfy two crucial factors for designing effective insulation solutions for new and existing buildings:... View Article

Pushing design boundaries with bespoke

Kathryn Muller of The Rooflight Company discusses how bespoke design can allow housebuilders and developers to push the boundaries of aesthetics on their schemes. ‘Bespoke’ – designers, developers and architects love the word. It means breaking conventional rules and resetting... View Article

Raising the profile

Tony Hobbs of Southern Sheeting looks at how and why profiled metal sheeting is increasingly being used across a range of areas in residential projects. Profiled metal roofing has been adopted in the commercial sector for many years but, thanks... View Article

The importance of green spaces

Paul Cassidy of Meadfleet explores how green space in housebuilding projects is crucial for the sake of residents’ health and their environment, and the role open space management specialists play here. If the last year has taught us anything, it... View Article

Hanover gets the green light

LISTEN HERE 🔊 A pioneering project by housing association Hanover (Scotland) to provide 15 Passivhaus social homes near Loch Lomond, on the site of the developer ’s first ever scheme, has been given the go -ahead. Jack Wooler speaks to... View Article