News - netMAGmedia Ltd

Dismantling planning system will lead to failure of build, build, build agenda, warns RTPI chief exec in open letter

Thursday, 2nd July 2020

OPEN LETTER FROM VICTORIA HILLS, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE ROYAL TOWN PLANNING INSTITUTE (RTPI) The planner-bashing rhetoric coming out of government this week has deeply concerned me – not only on behalf of the planning industry but also on behalf... View Article

L&G commits to net zero carbon across its housing portfolio

Thursday, 2nd July 2020

Legal & General (L&G) announces that it is to make all of its new housing stock operational net zero carbon enabled by This will be implemented in a phased approach across all homes invested in or built by Legal &... View Article

The long-term benefits of combining LD1 specification, IoT and connected fire safety technologies

Thursday, 2nd July 2020

The disparities between Approved Document B (Fire Safety) volume 1 and the recent revision of Part 6 of BS 5839 presents housing providers with varying guidelines on the minimum requirement of fire safety provisions their property portfolio should currently specify.... View Article

Introducing AliClad, a new Non-combustible Aluminium Soffit Cladding System for Balconies

Thursday, 2nd July 2020

From the makers of AliDeck aluminium decking, AliClad is a new fully compliant solution for underside soffit cladding on steel balconies. Designed with steel fabricators in mind, the AliClad System enables off-the-shelf balcony soffit cladding specification, removing the need for... View Article

Kingspan helps Passivhaus development to meet the standard

Wednesday, 1st July 2020

A development of 13 homes in the Bedfordshire village of Sharnbrook has been certified to the rigorous requirements of the Passivhaus Standard, with a specification combining Kingspan’s premium performance insulation boards and the Kingspan TEK Building System of Structural Insulated... View Article

Planners must be central to sustainable post-COVID recovery, RTPI tells UK governments

Monday, 29th June 2020

The Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) has today launched a far-reaching, national campaign calling on governments across the UK and Ireland to capitalise on the expertise of planners to achieve a sustainable, resilient and inclusive recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.... View Article

Over 80,000 new homes will be lost in one year to Covid chaos

Monday, 29th June 2020

Shocking new analysis predicts the pandemic will see 84,000 fewer homes delivered this year – with overall output dropping from 255,000 last year to just 171,000 homes in 20/21. Without urgent government action, the research carried out by Savills for Shelter, estimates 116,000... View Article

Sinking in the Sun

Monday, 29th June 2020

With May 2020 officially designated as hottest on record, it is very possible that the UK will experience another hot, dry summer again this year. As most will remember 2018 saw an uncharacteristic six-week long heatwave which caused a surge... View Article

Birmingham’s first co-housing projects underway

Monday, 29th June 2020

Birmingham City Council, in partnership with Housing 21, a leading not-for-profit provider of housing and care for older people of modest means, has identified land in Lozells and Saltley to provide the city’s first co-housing projects for older people. The... View Article

Aico in the Community – supporting charities and organisations during a difficult time

Friday, 26th June 2020

Understanding that charities currently need help more than ever, Aico have been supporting local charities and community organisations in multiple ways, helping to replenish some of the funds that have been lost due to fundraising events being cancelled during the... View Article

London housing association calls for new development tax as part of major reforms to land market

Thursday, 25th June 2020

Leading housing association Network Homes has released a new report calling for major reforms of the land market, including a flat affordable housing tax for developers to replace the existing system of developer contributions and build more affordable homes. Making... View Article

“Two years is too long” – NFB issues verdict on CITB Consensus Delay

Thursday, 25th June 2020

The National Federation of Builders (NFB) has expressed significant concern at the proposals issued today by CITB for supporting the industry’s training and skills delivery. The proposals suggest that the construction sector, which is taxed by CITB to support the... View Article

Aico and EIC collaborate for digital mental health awareness sessions

Thursday, 25th June 2020

Aico and the Electrical Industries Charity (EIC) are joining forces to help educate and increase understanding of mental health awareness with virtual, online training. As part of their ongoing commitment and support to the EIC, Aico are organising mental health... View Article

Offsite Solutions launches new bathroom pod range – the UK’s first floorless GRP pods for build-to-rent

Thursday, 25th June 2020

Offsite Solutions, the UK’s leading pod manufacturer, has launched a new range of bathroom pods specifically designed for the build-to-rent residential sector. A UK industry first, the floorless GRP pods have been estimated to reduce operating costs by over 50... View Article

Leeds development for recovering addicts scoops prestigious property award

Thursday, 25th June 2020

A residential scheme near Headingley that houses homeless people who are recovering from addictions, has been named Yorkshire’s best residential development at the inaugural Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors’ (RICS) Social Impact Awards. Regent Lodge in Hyde Park is owned... View Article

Localis essay collection unwraps new ideas to kickstart C19 housing recovery

Thursday, 25th June 2020

Independent think-tank Localis has today set out an ambitious set of innovative and practical ideas from itself and 20 leading housing experts detailing how a housebuilding-led recovery could drive economic and social renewal as the nation emerges from the Covid-19... View Article

‘Government must improve dismal track record and deliver quality affordable housing’

Wednesday, 24th June 2020

Responding to calls from senior government aides for major reforms to the planning system, Tom Fyans, campaigns and policy director at CPRE, the countryside charity, said: “The deregulation drumbeat is getting louder, but we know from bitter experience the issue... View Article

Why you should take a closer look at fire door certification

Monday, 22nd June 2020

By Kevin Underwood, BWF Fire Door Alliance As an effective passive fire protection product, fire doors fulfil a life-saving role in resisting the spread of smoke and fire for a period dependent on their fire classification. A fire door is... View Article