Housing Focus – Page 2
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FeaturesSandbach saga: meet the housebuilder standing up to Michael Gove
In the latest example of the housing secretary intervening in planning on design grounds, we talk to Colin Muller of Muller Property Group, about the Sandbach development in Cheshire East which has been called in
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FeaturesCost comparison: Pros and cons of volumetric construction in housing
Pros and cons of volumetric construction, the barriers to widespread adoption, and a cost comparison between a traditional and modular residential tower
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FeaturesPassive fire protection: do we need a new construction discipline?
Tier one contractors have come together to warn they may not be able to give assurances that passive fire protection in designs comply with new regulations. Do we need a new approach?
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FeaturesHelp to Buy: It’s the end of an era
The final applications have been submitted and the government’s equity loan scheme in England is due to wind up on 31 March next year. Emily Twinch considers what impact this will have on housebuilders.
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FeaturesWhy Nigel Wilson is persisting with L&G’s huge housing push
L&G’s chief tells Joey Gardiner why not all of its investments have worked out so far – and why he remains optimistic that they will
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FeaturesCan housing associations keep building as the rest of the market slows?
Thanks to subsidy, housing associations have typically carried on building through a downturn as the volume housebuilders slow down. But, there is now scepticism about whether they can do so this time around
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FeaturesGove is back: the key questions facing the returning housing secretary
Just 111 days after being sacked, Michael Gove is back. Carl Brown looks at what’s facing Whitehall’s disruptor-in-chief
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FeaturesQ&A: what Sunak has told us about his views on housing
The new prime minister spoke over the summer about his proposals on the issue
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FeaturesAfter the storm: housebuilding’s prospects following the mini-budget
Kwasi Kwarteng’s growth plan was met with financial turmoil on the markets, but how badly is housebuilding likely to be affected?
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FeaturesSeven things you should know about new housing secretary Simon Clarke
Simon Clarke has become the fourth housing secretary in less than a year. But what do we know about him? Carl Brown finds out
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FeaturesAre we seeing the start of a housing development slowdown?
Three different sets of data suggest housebuilding activity is slowing. But many in the sector are bullish about growth. What’s going on?
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FeaturesGove cladding deal tracker: how much extra will each housebuilder pay?
Firms have begun announcing they have signed up to Michael Gove’s cladding deal. Here’s what we know so far
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FeaturesThe true cost of Gove’s new cladding policy on the housing sector
Michael Gove’s announcement that housebuilders will foot the £4bn cladding repair bill sparked a share price nosedive. Is the City overreacting?
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FeaturesTop 150 housebuilder analysis: A tale of two reporting periods
For some housebuilders the consequences of the pandemic determined their performance in this year’s top 150 rankings
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FeaturesConsumer priorities are shifting towards smarter, more sustainable homes
Property developers need to continue to find new ways to create spaces where people want to live, work, play and invest in
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FeaturesCanary Wharf’s new chapter: Shifting focus to residential
The stepping down of Sir George Iacobescu has raised fresh questions about the future of the iconic business district. As new boss Shobi Khan hints at a fresh residential-led vision, we take a look at what the future may hold
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FeaturesResidential market survey: Housebuilders' hopes and fears for 2021
The housing sector is blessed with a mini-boom - if you believe the hype - but new data reveals not all residential firms are bullish about their resilience to covid or their prospects next year
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FeaturesWhat does the political backlash mean for planning reform?
A government climbdown on a new formula to determine housing need looks inevitable in the face of Tory backbench revolt. Will it now also have to backtrack on its wider planning reforms, asks Joey Gardiner
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FeaturesA look back at Grenfell Inquiry module one: How experts blamed key players for ‘shambles’
The first part of phase two’s hearings concluded last week - here’s an overview of the evidence revealing major failures, incompetence and buck-passing
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FeaturesRethinking Design: housebuilders’ initial responses to the pandemic
Covid-19 is having a profound impact on what people now want from their homes, with bigger houses and outdoor space top of the wishlist. How should housing design reflect these new priorities?