London councils offered more funding for planning

The Mayor of London has announced £10 million for ambitious councils that want to boost their role in building new homes in the capital. Building on previous positive announcements this year – small sites and SME house builder initiatives, increased... View Article

Comment on call for £42bn for housing associations

Martin Bellinger, executive chairman at Guildmore, said: “Housing Associations are justified in demanding far more than the £2bn of investment promised by the Prime Minister. In order to deliver in the 2020s during a period of market adjustment to the... View Article

Can we change our bad energy habits?

Tenants in the private rented sector spend more money on heating their homes than other residents, but the recently published United Nations report on climate change could spark a major shift in how energy is provided to tenants’ homes and... View Article

Efficient evacuations – never leave a person behind

We’re all familiar with the fire safety drill, from regular practice runs at school all the way through to adult working life. An alarm is sounded, signalling the urgent evacuation of every person in the building – in an orderly fashion... View Article

Legionella control for housing

Landlords have a legal responsibility to ensure the health and safety of their tenants by keeping property safe and free from health hazards. What is a landlord? Anyone who rents out a property (or even just a room) they own... View Article

Social housing fund must support areas in most need

A Government injection of £2 billion into the provision of social housing must support areas in most need of funds, rather than focusing on what generates the best return in the shortest time. Richard Cook, a specialist in economic development... View Article

L&G Response: Government funding for affordable housing

Ben Denton, Managing Director of Legal & General Affordable Homes said: “‘We are pleased that the Government has announced increased funding towards affordable housing today. This will help to deliver more homes at levels that residents can afford in areas... View Article

Managing & maintaining water safety: seven top tips for landlords

Dealing with plumbing problems can be time-consuming and costly. However, many call-outs can be prevented if landlords are familiar with the key regulations regarding water safety management and follow best practice, explains Julie Spinks, director of WaterSafe, the national accreditation... View Article

Are longer tenancies the answer to our housing problems?

The majority of private sector tenants are happy with their accommodation it seems, but a group of experts are warning that the sector’s continuing growth is harming family life and the welfare of children in particular. These contradictory statements pose... View Article

CIEH calls for urgent action on revenge evictions

The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) has welcomed the new report from Citizens Advice on revenge evictions and called for an urgent review of legislation. The new report, launched today, found that private renters who formally complain about issues... View Article

Planners respond to Government’s garden towns announcement

In response to the Government announcement today of a new garden communities programme to increase the number of in garden towns in England, Victoria Hills MRTPI, Chief Executive of the Royal Town Planning Institute, says: “The Government’s garden towns programme is... View Article

NFB: Social housing green paper does not go far enough

The National Federation of Builders (NFB) welcomes the papers approach to solving existing social housing problems but warns that proposed changes do not go far enough. The Government has published its social housing green paper, A new deal for social... View Article

RIBA responds to the Government’s Social Housing Green Paper

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has tresponded to the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government Social Housing Green Paper. RIBA President Ben Derbyshire says, “Whilst there are some welcome proposals in the Government’s Social Housing Green Paper, I’m... View Article

Tangible proposals needed in Social Housing Green Paper

Following the launch of the Government’s Social Housing Green Paper, The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) has welcomed the focus on rebalancing the relationship between tenants and landlords, but called for detail and concrete proposals. Announced by the Housing... View Article