Part S: Charged with the responsibility

Part S provides clear challenges as well as opportunities for the car charging industry, however while the solutions are available, the requirements for major housing developments remain somewhat mysterious. James Parker spoke to specialist charging firm Fortis EV to find... View Article

A busy start to 2024 & concerns for what’s ahead

Brian Berry, CEO of the Federation of Master Builders (FMB), summarises the last few months for SMEs and looks towards future challenges lying before firms this year A tepid Spring Budget, a bold, if not detailed direction for housing from Labour,... View Article

Best practice for home life safety

When it comes to Home Life Safety, it is vital that systems specified for domestic properties are as reliable as possible. Here, Phoebe Beddows of Aico details best practice for achieving fire protection in developments. Choosing the right fire detection... View Article

Permeable retrofit is a way forward for SuDS

A new era for SuDS management begins this year, so says Jamie Gledhill of Brett Landscaping. Here he explains why permeable paving is key for futureproofing high-risk developments, and what developers and housebuilders need to know. There is wide consensus... View Article

Radiators are much more than appliances

Offering a wide range of designs and features, radiators can have a major role as part of the decor, rather than simply heating. Stelrad’s Chris Harvey says take a closer look at the options available to specifiers. Until maybe a... View Article

The rental remedy

The surge in the Buy to Rent (BTR) sector, in the context of rising numbers of unsold housing stock, offers new opportunities to not only investors, but the supply chain too. Louise Walters, commercial director at flooring contractor Designer Contracts, explains... View Article

Futurebuild 2024 unites top innovators & collaborators

Futurebuild, the built environment’s most influential event for innovation and collaboration, returns 5-7 March 2024 at London’s ExCeL. Promising to be the most transformative yet, it will carry on its mission of taking a stand for a better built environment... View Article

Building a later lifestyle

With increasing awareness of the need for good quality retirement developments, as our population ages, a new scheme in Buckinghamshire built by GRAHAM shows how to create communities which go way beyond simple places to live. Roseanne Field reports  By... View Article

Are we ready for the future homes standard?

The task of decarbonising our new building stock cannot be underestimated. REHAU UK’s Martin Hitchin says a new industry survey and white paper shows that construction needs to step up to achieve compliance with the Future Homes Standard when it’s... View Article

The Industry Advocate: Looking into 2024

Brian Berry, CEO of the Federation of Master Builders (FMB), looks at some of the major issues the industry is already confronting and tackling in 2024. As we start to move through 2024, we can already start to see some... View Article

Powering up the future of EV charging

As the UK prepares for a net zero future, and Part S of the Building Regulations homes in on electric vehicles (EVs), housebuilders are grappling with the various practical issues around providing charging for residents of all new homes. Electrical... View Article

The ‘third’ way to prove building safety is being neglected

Helen Hewitt of the British Woodworking Federation’s Fire Door Alliance warns that third-party certification of fire doors is lagging, despite the emergence of the Building Safety Act and greater awareness of the importance of specifing third-party certified fire doors. Since... View Article

The time for MMC is now!

Richard Smith of NHBC looks at lessons from the history of Modern Methods of Construction, and how the growth of offsite is being driven by the combined forces of housing shortages, the need for quality, and climate change. Modern Methods... View Article

Hydronic Heating: A solution for net zero buildings

Gary Perry of Altecnic explores the advantages of using hydronic-based systems for heating future homes that are targeted to achieve much lower energy use There are many ways to provide space heating, cooling and domestic water heating in all-electric net... View Article

Plug subbie liability gaps

Daniel Sunley at Clear Insurance Management discusses insurance best practices when engaging subcontractors, and addresses common misconceptions around liability to help developers ensure that their agreements protect their interests. It’s no secret that UK housebuilders are battling a shortage of... View Article

Building a future for the Gascoigne Estate

A London council estate with a history of problems is being transformed in phases, thanks to a complex, high-density and high-quality scheme by council regeneration specialist developer Be First. They speak to James Parker about the recently completed Gascoigne West... View Article

Exploring solutions for stormwater management

ATTENDEES: Sue Illman, Illman Young  Chris Carr, FMB national president Steve Wilson, Environmental Protection Group Matt Clutton, Cameron Homes Martin Shaw, Meadfleet Ruth Clarke, Innovyze (sponsors) Jamie Gledhill, Brett Landscaping (sponsors) Charlotte Markey, Polypipe Civils and Green Urbanisation (sponsors) Our... View Article