Shakespeare Martineau comments on MIPIM 2019

Simon Stanion, head of planning at Shakespeare Martineau, reflects on the key themes for planners from MIPIM 2019.   “The atmosphere in the Midlands Pavilion has been particularly upbeat throughout, with many exciting development portfolios marking significant investment opportunities across the... View Article

Spring Statement comment from BRE

Gwyn Roberts, New Homes and Communities Lead at BRE said: “BRE welcomes the Chancellor’s proposal for a Future Homes Standard. We fully support the need for future-proofed new homes but don’t think we should wait until 2025 for them. “We... View Article

International Women’s Day | Modular developer commentary

Comment from Helen Charlesworth, Head of HR at ilke Homes: “As one of the UK’s leading modular housebuilders, ilke Homes is committed to championing diversity and addressing the skills shortage within the construction industry. As an emerging sector, modular housebuilding... View Article

The need for more flexible working in construction

Editor of Housebuilder & Developer, James Parker explores whether the construction industry is flexible enough to attract female applicants. Flexible working – all responsible employers talk about it being a good thing, but how many are allowing it to happen... View Article

Install sprinklers now, says London Fire Brigade and Johnson Controls

Following the news that the London Fire Brigade has called for all purpose-built residential blocks to have sprinklers installed, Simon Rooks, operations director at Johnson Controls and council member of the British Automatic Fire Sprinkler Association (BASFSA), comments on how the government and building... View Article

LGA responds to NAO’S planning for new homes report

Responding to the report, Cllr Martin Tett, Local Government Association’s Housing spokesman, said:  “Planning is not a barrier to housebuilding. Council planning departments are doing an incredible job with extremely limited resources, approving 9 out of ten applications, with the... View Article

Planning reform is the only way to build more social homes

In a speech given to London First Building Summit, Housing Secretary James Brokenshire announced that the Government will make £497 million of funding available to build 11,000 social homes across the country. Arguing that new housing in the capital “will be key”... View Article

Problems are mounting for builders, according to new FMB survey

Growth in the construction industry could be held back by a weakening housing market, rising costs and an increasingly nervous banking sector, according to the Federation of Master Builders (FMB). The FMB’s latest State of Trade Survey showed that workloads for construction... View Article

Will a garden office add value to my property?

One of the main reasons people choose to extend their property is because they believe it will add value. However, this is a huge project that can cost a fortune and leave you feeling overwhelmed. If you are looking for... View Article

Adding value to your home through curb appeal

Curb appeal is becoming increasingly more important when building or selling a home, as the rise in images of attractive homes becoming readily available on social media, and first impressions count more than ever. This means that not only do... View Article

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

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

Unlocking the drive to quality

James Parker reports on a call from TV architect George Clarke for a change in the way we build homes. TV architect George Clarke spoke at a recent event staged by Mitsubishi Electric looking at the urgent need to innovate... View Article

Designing a home with a year-round garden

Gardens have to feel good as well as look good. When designing a garden, it is important to take this into account and consider all the ways to make it perfect throughout the seasons. There are a few things you... View Article