Quote of the Week – 9th July 2018
“The two elements the traveler first captures in the big city are extra human architecture and furious rhythm. Geometry and anguish” – Federico Garcia... View Article
Barristers provide local authorities with planning advice and updates
More than 100 local authority planning delegates have benefited from the expertise of top barristers following a series of advisory seminars. No5 Barristers’ Chambers Planning Group has hosted the Local Authorities Seminar Series in London, Bristol, Leicester and Leeds aimed... View Article
HAs in Wales increase operating surpluses while reducing operating costs
Welsh housing associations increased their operating surpluses by 12.7 per cent last year reaching £193m, from a turnover which rose just 0.3 per cent to £908m. The largest 33 Welsh HAs also reduced their operating costs by 2.6 per cent,... View Article
Number of UK households in temporary accommodation increased by 66 per cent since 2010
The number of households in temporary accommodation totalled 79,880 at the end of March this year, compared to 77,220 in March 2017, with London accounting for two thirds of the total. The overall UK figure was up 66 per cent... View Article
Nottingham City Council to bring in licensing scheme of private landlords
Nottingham City Council is bringing in a selective licensing scheme of private landlords from 1st August. From that date landlords who receive rent on a private property in certain parts of the city will need a licence to show their... View Article
Bromford completes its merger with Merlin to form a 40,000-home organisation
Midlands based Bromford has completed its merger with South West-based Merlin, to form a 40,000-home organisation. The association will still be known as Bromford and it plans to invest £1.5bn in 14,000 new homes over the next 10 years in... View Article
HA brings a repairs contract on 18,000 homes back in house
The country’s largest housing association is bringing a repairs contract for 18,000 homes in London, Essex and the Midlands back in house. Clarion Housing has decided to end its current agreement with Mitie and Wates from November. The two contractors... View Article
Families spend a third of their income on rent
Families in rural areas are spending almost one third of their income on rent according to research by the Institute of Public Policy Research. A family with one child, and earning one full-time and one part-time median wage in a... View Article
Construction begins on new affordable homes in Elgin
Social housing landlord and construction giant team up to provide new homes A local housing provider and one of the UK’s largest independent construction and infrastructure firms will work together to bring Elgin residents much-needed quality and affordable social housing.... View Article
Stop landlords evicting tenants without reason
Section 21, the clause of the Housing Act 1998, that allows private landlords to evict tenants without any reason, should end. No-fault eviction causes insecurity and stress for Londoners who rent privately and can discourage tenants from complaining about sub-standard... View Article
Jump in landlords leaving the private rental market
Despite a continuing growth in demand for rental properties, the private rented sector is seeing growing numbers of landlords selling their buy-to-let properties. Recent figures from ARLA Propertymark reveal rises in the number of landlords selling properties to their highest... View Article
Landlords react to longer-term tenancy plan
Reacting to reports that the Government will announce plans to introduce mandatory three year tenancies, Richard Lambert, CEO at the National Landlords Association (NLA) said: “In his speech to the Conservative Party conference last October, Sajid Javid announced plans for a consultation... View Article
Government proposes longer tenancies but no rent controls for RPS
A minimum tenancy term of three years for privately rented homes is being considered by the Government as a way of giving people greater security in the fastest growing sector of the housing market. A consultation exercise on the minimum... View Article
Fact of the Week – 2nd July 2018
The world’s largest Gothic cathedral is in new York City. It is the Cathedral of St. John the Divine on Amsterdam Avenue and 112th Street. The cathedral measures 601 feet long, 146 feet wide, and has a transept measuring 320... View Article
One Manchester surpasses house building targets two years early
Housing provider One Manchester has exceeded its ambitions to build 500 new homes across south and east Manchester within five years, with a total of 663 new homes recently either completed, under construction, or with full approval to go ahead... View Article
Mayor launches new help for rough sleepers as number falls in London for first time in a decade
Mayor warns levels are still at crisis point in London and demands Government action Sadiq announces plan to double number of outreach workers and offer more help for rough sleepers with an extra £3.3m he has secured from Ministers Mayor... View Article
Surge in demand for secure, lock up and leave London homes boosts capital’s Build to Rent appeal
Innovative developer be:here has revealed a surge in demand for ‘lock up and leave’ property in London. The finding ties in with data from Statista, which shows that the average person increased their number of holidays abroad from 1.4 in 2016... View Article
FAKRO loses smear campaign against VELUX
FAKRO, Polish roof window competitor to VELUX, loses a complaint to the EU Commission, which since 2012 has been used as the basis for a smear campaign across most of Europe against The VELUX Group. The European Commission rejected the... View Article