Housing Focus
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FeaturesInside West Yorkshire’s quiet renaissance: A regional deep dive into the forces transforming its cities
Devolution is giving Leeds, Bradford and the surrounding local authorities the opportunity to fulfil their potential. Joey Gardiner profiles West Yorkshire, its funding streams, community priorities, key clients and active consultants
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FeaturesThe regeneration rethink: funding, power and the local leaders shaping what comes next
For over a decade, built environment policy has prioritised new build over regenerating places. As Building launches its new Regen Connect editorial campaign, Joey Gardiner finds out why that might all be about to change
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Features‘The cliff edge has probably been reached’ … When the Warm Homes Plan finally arrives, will there be an industry left to deliver it?
Reports suggest the upcoming plan will see a big move towards low carbon technologies and shift in emphasis from grant to regulation. But industry figures say its long delay and the cancellation of the ECO scheme last year could leave DESNZ without the workforce to deliver its goals
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FeaturesWhat slow progress at Tempsford says about the wider new towns programme
Despite the suitable location of the Bedfordshire site as a place for tens of thousands of new homes, the government has yet to formally declare its backing for the project. Joey Gardiner asks why so many questions remain unresolved about the plan for a new town in the area 18 ...
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FeaturesWill the expected London housebuilding package rescue the stalled development industry?
With one in six housing schemes in the capital on hold and demand at rock bottom, Joey Gardiner asks whether simply reducing expectations for affordable housing will be enough to get construction going again
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FeaturesThere’s a major blockage in the housing pipeline – and it looks likely to get much worse
A growing number of water companies are objecting to planning applications on the basis that there is not enough local sewage treatment capacity to cope with the new homes required, Joey Gardiner reports
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FeaturesHow the UK’s largest listed private landlord Grainger is preparing to ride the build-to-rent wave
Grainger has spent the past few years pivoting towards build-to-rent to take advantage of the burgeoning living markets sector. As the firm registers as a REIT in order to attract investment, chief executive Helen Gordon explains her strategy
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FeaturesAhead of a £1.5bn development, Populo Living shares its plan to boost regeneration in Newham
In 2018, a new mayor tasked Newham’s housing company with building more affordable homes. Seven years later, it’s getting ready for its biggest scheme yet. Daniel Gayne headed east to find out more
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FeaturesWhat will the Treasury’s Green Book review mean for construction?
Boris Johnson’s 2020 review of the Treasury’s appraisal process for government investments led to some improvements in how value in schemes is judged, but a new review commissioned by Labour this year has found that many of the old practices remain embedded. Rachel Reeves has said she wants to go ...
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FeaturesMore than a masterplan: the people power behind Earls Court’s next chapter
Mary Richardson went to meet the team of local people helping to shape the Earls Court redevelopment in west London as part of a wider programme of inclusive community engagement
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FeaturesIt’s deja vu all over again: Can the Ox-Cam Arc work second time around?
The chancellor has given her backing to an expansion plan for the corridor connecting Oxford, Milton Keynes and Cambridge, including thousands of homes, which the previous government dropped. Joey Gardiner asks what hope the industry can have
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FeaturesThe 1.5 million-home question: Does the government’s planning reform programme add up?
Ministers unleashed a barrage of planning reforms in the dying days of 2024. Joey Gardiner asks if these can give the industry the boost it needs to get anywhere close to the government’s ambitious housebuilding target?
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FeaturesA tale of two mergers: What do the completion of Barratt-Redrow and the collapse of Bellway-Crest Nicholson mean for Labour’s housebuilding plans?
Is the ground-breaking tie-up likely to help or hinder the government’s chances of hitting its sky-high 1.5 million housebuilding target?
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FeaturesKey takeaways from the Building the Future Conference and Housing Today Live
Church House in Westminster yesterday played host to two back-to-back conferences on construction and housing attended by hundreds of professionals from the built environment. Here is a round-up of the key talking points from the event, run by Building and Housing Today.
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FeaturesInvestigation: how are councils assessing the risks of uPVC cladding in low-rise housing after the Barnet fire?
When a fire in 2023 destroyed four terraced houses Barnet Council brought the housing sector’s attention to an overlooked fire safety issue: the use of uPVC cladding in low-rise homes. Have other councils heeded its warning? Olivia Barber launched a Freedom of Information investigation to find out
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FeaturesA boost for housebuilding or an ill-defined gimmick? - Labour’s ‘grey belt’ plans explained
Labour hopes its rebrand of ‘ugly’ green belt land will help. But will it work?
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FeaturesHome Truths podcast: In conversation with Darren Rodwell
Episode 4: Bricks and mortar, hearts and minds - Darren Rodwell, Labour’s candidate for Barking and council leader for the east London borough, on how he expects the Labour leadership to reveal more housing policy detail now the election has been called
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Features‘Good, but not perfect’ – What next for Homes England?
A year after the launch of its five-year strategic plan, an independent review of Homes England has set out recommendations for improving the body. But with an election coming soon, what might the future actually hold for the agency? Daniel Gayne reports.
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FeaturesA vision for 150,000 homes but no water to supply them. Does Gove’s Cambridge plan stand a chance?
The housing secretary wants to build nearly three times as many homes as the target set by Cambridge’s own planners. Is there something he knows that they don’t? Daniel Gayne reports
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FeaturesRise of housebuilding ‘superleague’ predicted in wake of Barratt’s deal for Redrow as analysts brush off regulatory worries
Yesterday’s £2.5bn move has analysts wondering who might be next to join forces – and reduce risk of being picked off themselves