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Increase in empty homes hidden by holiday lets ‘flipping’ ruse

Friday, 25th February 2022

Empty homes being recorded as holiday lets by owners who want to avoid paying council tax on them is to blame for an apparent drop in the numbers of vacant properties recorded across the country. The group Action on Empty... View Article

Procurement for Housing Framework Reappoints David Phillips

Friday, 25th February 2022

David Phillips is delighted to announce its reappointment for the Procurement for Housing (PfH) furniture and flooring framework for the next four years. Following a meticulous tendering process, David Phillips is pleased to be one of five suppliers listed on... View Article

Developers told to stump up for building safety measures, but uncertainty remains over responsibility for landlords’ costs

Friday, 25th February 2022

Michael Gove broke the stalemate over who has responsibility for cladding removal costs by demanding that developers pay up, but his solution may only provide a partial relief for individual leaseholders. Developers have been given until early March to agree... View Article

Poor social housing has been a problem for decades

Friday, 25th February 2022

Poor social housing conditions have been a problem for 30 or 40 years and the Government, together with social landlords, face an uphill battle to solve the issue according to the Archbishop of Canterbury. During an interview with ITV News,... View Article

Millions of families in England face biggest social housing rent rise in a decade

Friday, 25th February 2022

Nearly five million families living in social housing in England are facing rent rises of up to 4.1 per cent from April – their biggest increase in a decade, according to the Resolution Foundation thinktank. The organisation has forecast a... View Article

Skills and data holding back social landlords’ from digital transformation of services

Friday, 25th February 2022

The lack of both skills and quality data is holding back social housing landlords who are attempting to digitally transform their organisations and better serve residents. A new survey, commissioned by conversation-as-a-service leader Futr, has found that social landlords see... View Article

Homelessness is disproportionately affecting women

Friday, 25th February 2022

Sixty per cent of all homeless adults living in temporary accommodation in England are women, despite only making up 51 per cent of the general population analysis by the housing charity Shelter has found. The charity’s new report, Fobbed Off, used... View Article

West London council slated by Ombudsman over roof leak lasting six years

Friday, 25th February 2022

A series of complaint handling failures by the London Borough of Ealing led to a lengthy and frustrating delay for a resident in getting a leaking roof replaced, causing damp in her flat and impacting on her health. The leaseholder complained in... View Article

Consultation on new tenant satisfaction measures underway

Friday, 25th February 2022

The Regulator of Social Housing is consulting on a new set of tenant satisfaction measures, as proposed in the Government’s Social Housing White Paper, but the closing date for responses is imminent. The Social Housing White Paper was published over a year ago... View Article

£200bn worth of empty homes sitting vacant across Britain

Friday, 25th February 2022

Research by a leading lettings and estate agency has found an estimated £200bn worth of property is sitting vacant across Britain’s housing market – up 2.1 per cent on the previous year alone. Barrows and Forrester analysed Government data on... View Article

Social housing trade bodies give a guarded welcome to Gove’s building safety announcement

Friday, 25th February 2022

Representative bodies from across the housing sector have warmly welcomed the Government’s plans to sort out the cladding crisis, but they have universally asked for more details and highlighted concerns about the funding of other essential fire safety works and... View Article

Tax loophole on second homes to close

Friday, 25th February 2022

Owners of second homes who abuse a tax loophole by claiming their often-empty properties are holiday lets will be forced to pay under tough new measures announced by the Government. The changes will target people who take advantage of the... View Article

Caddick Construction start work on Pontefract Fire Station site

Wednesday, 23rd February 2022

Construction has begun on the site of the former fire station on Stuart Road in Pontefract where WDH will provide 37 high quality apartments to provide much needed affordable housing in the area. The development forms part of Wakefield Council’s... View Article

Sustainability Report 2021: ROCKWOOL products sold in 2021 will save annually more energy than one million homes consume every year

Wednesday, 23rd February 2022

New investments continue decarbonisation of company’s operations. ROCKWOOL Group’s Sustainability Report for 2021, published today, provides third-party verified data showing how the company’s products make a quantifiable impact toward achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The report also shows the... View Article

Futurebuild returns for 2022

Monday, 21st February 2022

Futurebuild, the event that’s championed a sustainable built environment for the past 16 years, has opened registrations. Taking place from March 1 to 3, 2022, the event will connect specifiers, decision makers and disruptors with major brands and start-ups from... View Article

Paving the way for nature

Monday, 21st February 2022

Chris Hodson of Interpave discusses why concrete block permeable paving (CBPP) is a key sustainable drainage system (SuDS) technique Extensive new tree planting with provision for long-term nurturing is now a requirement for developments, with new government policies taking effect.... View Article

Manage heating the easy way

Monday, 21st February 2022

Nicola Martin at RadiWarm explains the simplicity and efficiency of electric pipeless radiators For landlords and housing managers, heating presents some pressing challenges; sharply rising prices and the urgent need to reduce carbon emissions, to name but two. In terms... View Article

Ensuring safe and efficient heating

Monday, 21st February 2022

The pressure to decarbonise existing homes continues to grow, as does the desire to end fuel poverty. Anthony Watton of Baxi Heating explores how social housing providers can implement heating solutions that prioritise both efficiency and safety for occupants. With... View Article