Get smart on connected homes

We are now fully immersed in a world with a growing interest in all sorts of connected technologies. In terms of domestic heating, many prospective house buyers want to control a heating system from their smartphone or set it up... View Article

The high performance alternative

Paddy Leighton of Icynene takes a look at heat loss in buildings, and how new, high performance insulation systems can improve comfort levels in both retrofit and new-build applications. When Britain began its post war building boom, coal was king... View Article

Turning floods into an asset

Management of and protection from localised flooding is a rising concern for housebuilders, but suds and flood control doesn’t have to be only about moving water to safety. Sean Robinson of Polypipe argues that new housing estates provide the perfect... View Article

A new high for Hounslow

As part of a large-scale regeneration project for Hounslow Town Centre, a major new mixed-used scheme from Barratt is in the works, which will bring over 500 private and affordable homes to West London. Jack Wooler reports. Arranged around a... View Article

Financial freedoms

Patrick Mooney, housing consultant and news editor of Housing Management & Maintenance, reports on how councils are saying the new social housing Green Paper doesn’t go far enough. The pressures imposed by tight pursestrings have been very evident in recent... View Article

Surveying the industry

Brian Berry, chief executive of the FMB, explains the company’s annual House Builders’ Survey, and explores what the Government could do to alleviate the issues found. Most policy makers in central and local government now accept that we will struggle... View Article

From the editor

The Government’s Green Paper on social housing admits Grenfell “shook public trust in the wider system of fire safety” but does little to tackle the issue of accountability – essentially, ‘who’s responsible’? A few pages on informing residents on safety... View Article

The rise and rise of concrete facing bricks

Craig Mcbride of Tobermore tracks the rise in popularity of concrete facing bricks, explaining how they satisfy the needs of housebuilders facing unprecedented demand across the Uk. We all remember the story of the Three Little Pigs from childhood. When... View Article

Protecting Water Quality

James Roper, Infrastructure Segment Manager for GPS PE Pipe Systems, discusses the complexities around installing barrier pipe within contaminated land With increasingly more brownfield sites being redeveloped to allow a greater volume of housing to be constructed, reliable pipelines are... View Article

Solid housing market in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Amidst varying reports on national house prices this summer, the August 2018 RICS Residential Market survey continues to show a diverse regional picture with the market solid in many parts of the country. While London, parts of the wider South... View Article

Property experts discuss impact of Government housing plans

A leading barristers’ chambers has hosted a podcast on the Government’s new planning rulebook which is dividing industry opinions. The revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), released this summer following a public consultation, aims to deliver 300,000 new homes per... View Article

Barratt Scotland buys 14 new sites for development

Barratt Developments Scotland has acquired 14 new sites for development, in response to continued growth in demand for new homes. During the first six months of the year, Barratt Developments Scotland, which includes both the Barratt Homes and David Wilson... View Article