Rent arrears fear for landlords despite pandemic discounts

Scotland’s largest landlord membership organisation has warned that despite almost half of landlords offering discounts to tenants affected by Covid-19, arrears are continuing to rise and could reach unsustainable levels unless government takes action to help tenants pay their rent.... View Article

Award success for town centre housing development

The development of the former White Lion pub in Stockport town centre has scooped a top gong at a regional awards ceremony. The joint entry from Stockport Council and Trafford Housing Trust took the top prize in the ‘Best Change... View Article

Radical planning reforms set to be unveiled

A people-focused planning system where land will be zoned as ripe for development, or renewal, is to be unveiled later this week. Housing secretary Robert Jenrick wrote in yesterday’s Sunday Telegraph his reforms would offer a faster and simpler system... View Article

Industry takes key step towards modern home building methods

Industry leaders have agreed a key step towards insuring and mortgaging new homes built using Modern Methods of Construction (MMC), Housing Minister Christopher Pincher has announced. Warranty providers have signed a Memorandum of Understanding agreeing to take meaningful steps towards... View Article

£9.5m programme to reduce housing’s carbon footprint

A new programme worth up to £9.5m million will reduce the carbon footprint of existing social housing in Wales, make energy bills more manageable for residents and provide new job and training opportunities. The Optimised Retrofit Programme (ORP), part of... View Article

Curo to deliver first Passivhaus homes in B&NES

Housing association and housebuilder Curo are on track to delivering the first ultra energy efficient homes in Bath & North East Somerset this autumn. Curo are building four Passivhaus-certified houses at their 700-home Mulberry Park development in Combe Down, Bath.... View Article

LGA responds to proposed ‘automatic’ planning reforms

Responding to the Government’s proposed planning reforms, Local Government Association Chairman, Cllr James Jamieson said: “While we await the details of these planning proposals, it is vital that any reforms provide the right protections so residents have the power to... View Article

Fire Service answers developer’s safety call

Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service answered the call from a North East regeneration and development specialist to strike a deal which has improved both site and fire safety. By agreeing a licence for nearly 1.4 acres of unused... View Article

Social housing in rural areas a ‘long ignored scandal’

Commenting on the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee report into social housing, Crispin Truman, chief executive of CPRE, the countryside charity, said: ‘It has never been more important to deliver better quality and genuinely affordable homes for everyone and... View Article