League tables for social housing less likely

The Government is understood to have dropped its proposal to introduce league tables for social housing providers, after tenants voiced their concerns it could increase their stigma and leave them trapped in poor housing. The idea was originally included in... View Article

Sprinklers should be provided in all new and refurbished flats

Influential building industry bodies have joined forces to demand that sprinklers are made mandatory in all new homes in buildings taller than 11 metres. The Royal Institute of British Architects, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and the Chartered Institute... View Article

Councils demand money for sprinklers in tower blocks

Council leaders have demanded Government funding for installing water sprinklers in hundreds of tower blocks, warning that residents in thousands of flats do not feel safe in their own homes. Representatives of 15 councils from Bristol to Newcastle delivered a... View Article

The Homes Act 2018: a landlord’s guide

By Richard Walker, National Technical and Development Manager at Peter Cox This April, the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitations) Act came into effect. The updated legislation allows tenants in England and Wales to pursue legal action against landlords who do... View Article

Councils’ powers to remove Grenfell-style cladding ‘useless’

New powers for councils to step in and remove dangerous cladding from privately-owned towers have been criticised for being “largely useless”, leaving tens of thousands of leaseholders feeling unsafe and facing huge bills. Last November, Housing Secretary James Brokenshire announced... View Article

Grenfell residents’ rights were breached

The human rights of Grenfell Tower’s residents were breached by both their local council and the Government, according to the country’s equalities watchdog. The use of combustible cladding on the tower and allocating flats high in the building to elderly... View Article

New partnership formed to deliver Queensway regeneration

Southend-on-Sea Borough Council and Swan Housing Association have signed contracts and formed a joint venture partnership that will work to deliver the regeneration of the Queensway estate. This follows full council approval of Swan Housing Association as preferred bidder in... View Article

Feeling ‘at home’ improves health, say researchers

The ability to feel ‘at home’ has a significant impact on people’s health and wellbeing, according to experts at the University of Stirling. Academics, who studied 75 tenants living in rented properties in Glasgow over a year, found that being... View Article

Coffin Mew comments on no fault evictions

Following recent reports that the government will consult on no fault, or section 21, evictions, Adrian McClinton, Partner at Coffin Mew comments: “The government’s announcement that it is consulting on the removal of ‘no fault evictions’ represents a seismic shift... View Article

New technologies inspire optimism on energy use

Patrick Mooney explores why new technologies are inspiring him to be more optimistic about our use of energy The challenges posed by global warming in terms of how can we reduce carbon emissions, safeguard our health and pass on a... View Article

Bury St Edmunds Extra Care scheme acquired by Housing 21

Housing 21, a leading not-for-profit national provider of Extra Care and Retirement Housing, has acquired a new Extra Care scheme from a local partnership between Orwell Housing and Havebury Housing in Bury St Edmunds. The news follows Housing 21’s commitment... View Article

£7.5m sheltered housing scheme opens at Danemore Tenterden

A major landmark in Ashford Borough Council’s multi-million-pound modernisation plan for its sheltered housing schemes has seen the re-opening of the £7.5m Danemore scheme in Tenterden. Located at Beechy Path and a short walk from the town centre, the new-look... View Article