Build Build Build

[6feetdown]

London again

Government and City Hall confirm two-year cut in affordable housing requirements from 35% to 20%

Long-awaited package of support to boost housebuilding in London also includes changes to design standards, relief from levies and changes to mayoral powers

www.building.co.uk

Berkeley defends decision to cut affordable housing to 8% in controversial Peckham scheme

Planning Inspectorate launches eight days of hearings into 877-home Aylesham Centre redevelopment

www.building.co.uk

Emergency action taken over London's lack of house-building

Special measures to tackle the house-building crisis in London have been announced.

www.theconstructionindex.co.uk

" With house-building in the capital at a virtual stand-still, the mayor of London and the government have come together to develop an emergency package of support for developers."

Will 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

www.building.co.uk

" it is the data on starts that is particularly alarming. GLA figures suggest that work on just 3,447 homes began in the first half of the current financial year. This compares to 27,210 starts for the full year in 2024/25 – itself already a 15-year low. "

HOW MUCH??????????

Drilling unlocks data for Palace of Westminster restoration

More surveys have been conducted in preparation for the £13bn renovation works that being planned for the Houses of Parliament.

www.theconstructionindex.co.uk

and why FFS

and this is a farce

https://www.theconstructionindex.co...stry-rounds-on-pm-over-apprenticeships-reform

Modular builder supports T level programme

Yorkshire’s Reds10 has teamed up with a local school to introduce a T level syllabus in construction.

www.theconstructionindex.co.uk

You'd think they'd have an idea of the make up they've just spent £15 billion on crossrail

 

[V8Druid]

and a.n.other pile of Sh 1 t about to hit the fan .......

Almost all homes fitted with external insulation under Conservative governments’ retrofit schemes need repair work, report finds

National Audit Office survey uncovers litany of failures on two energy efficiency schemes including widespread suspected fraud

www.building.co.uk

" Almost all homes fitted with external insulation under two government retrofit schemes need remediation work to correct “major issues” including damp and mould, a report has found. ... will require repair work, affecting up to 23,000 homes "

NAO confirms scale of nationwide insulation bodge

A National Audit Office report has confirmed just how big a fiasco the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme has been.

www.theconstructionindex.co.uk

" A government scheme to entice homeowners into installing insulation became a field day for cowboys, cheats and charlatans. "

 

[V8Druid]

and wing nut's up to clean up again

Crown Estate eyes Harwell expansion with plan for science hub and housing

Oxfordshire plot sits next door to existing innovation campus

www.building.co.uk

"The Crown Estate has bought a 221-acre site in Oxfordshire which it says it will redevelop "

 

[V8Druid]

Ready-mix sales down 12% on the year

Demand for construction materials is stuck at crisis levels, the industry is warning.

www.theconstructionindex.co.uk

" Insurers are warning that the growth of solar panels has led to an even greater incidence of fires. .... New research from business insurer QBE reveals UK fire services faced a fire involving a solar panel once almost every two days in 2024, marking a 60% increase in the past two years."

Solar panels present growing fire risk, say insurers

Insurers are warning that the growth of solar panels has led to an even greater incidence of fires.

www.theconstructionindex.co.uk

 

[V8Druid]

" Plans lodged by a partnership between developer Ballymore and retailer Sainsbury’s for more than 2,500 homes in Ladbroke Grove have been approved by the Kensington and Chelsea council. " ??

Huge £3bn housing scheme in west London being developed by Ballymore and Sainsbury’s gets green light

Kensal Canalside will take 11 years to build and include towers up to 29 storeys

www.building.co.uk

" Budget speculation hits Taylor Wimpey sales "​

Budget speculation hits Taylor Wimpey sales

Housebuilder hit by 'uncertainty' of what's in chancellor's plans in two weeks' time

www.building.co.uk

Budget worries putting starts and investment decisions on hold, G&T warns

Consultant says market feels 'hesitant' while firms await outcome clarity from chancellor

www.building.co.uk

" Construction activity declines at fastest pace for more than five years. "​

PMI: From bad to worse

Construction activity declines at fastest pace for more than five years.

www.theconstructionindex.co.uk

https://www.theconstructionindex.co...erkins-under-fire-for-change-in-payment-terms

Six mayors to get powers over £7bn in Social and Affordable Homes Programme

News comes as Homes England this morning issues guidance for potential bidders

www.building.co.uk

" Salford council has approved Matt Brook Architects’ plans for one of the tallest residential developments in the country despite thousands of objections from members of the public and campaigners ." and i'll bet genghis had a hand in it somewhere

Salford approves 3,300-home tower cluster set to be UK’s tallest residential development

Henley Investment Management's £1.3bn proposals survive onsalught of opposition from members of public and campaigners

www.building.co.uk

and ........ " A National Audit Office report reveals that the government has written off £2.7bn over the past two years on cancelled transport projects. " God knows how many millions of that was wasted on the Newport-Cardiff relief road with dozens of CPO-ed properties now lying empty - aside for the vast sums spent on consultancy fees, etc., etc., etc.

£2.7bn sunk on scrapped transport projects

A National Audit Office report reveals that the government has written off £2.7bn over the past two years on cancelled transport projects.

www.theconstructionindex.co.uk

 

[groundworker]

Maybe we need a good industry news thread, don't think there'd be many posts in it though

'Construction employment sinks to 24-year low'

Construction employment sinks to 24-year low

Direct employees now falling faster than self-employed as costs bite

www.constructionenquirer.com

 

[V8Druid]

On hold: what Assent’s collapse and waiting for the Budget reveal about the state of construction

November has dealt a double blow to the sector - here's what would help

www.building.co.uk

Assent collapse: Are we ready to cope in the face of a chain reaction?

The sudden failure of building control specialist Assent raises some awkward questions about construction industry resilience. Do we understand our process and how vulnerable it is to disruption, asks Simon Rawlinson of Arcadis

www.building.co.uk

 

[V8Druid]

Development deal for 564-home scheme scrapped after second staircase concerns

Agreement for partnership was first signed in 2019

www.building.co.uk

" Agreement for partnership was first signed in 2019
Plans for a 564-home scheme in Ealing will not go ahead due to viability concerns, "

 

[bobthebuilder]

The Hard Truth Facing Developers | Onward

The UK housing delivery system is at breaking point. In many parts of the country, the cost of delivering new homes now exceeds their capital value.

ukonward.com

 

[V8Druid]

The Hard Truth Facing Developers | Onward

The UK housing delivery system is at breaking point. In many parts of the country, the cost of delivering new homes now exceeds their capital value.

ukonward.com

great article .....
and bang on ...
the figures are horrendous/staggering, depending on your view point
but Smarmer has promised 1.5 million new homes by the end of their term better buy a ****in' enormous bag of 'oofle dust' and a magic wand

 

[V8Druid]

Builders ‘speechless’ at automatic approval for housing by stations

House-building planning applications near well-connected train or tram stations will receive a default ‘yes’, the government is promising.

www.theconstructionindex.co.uk

" House-building planning applications near well-connected train or tram stations will receive a default ‘yes’, the government is promising. "

 

[V8Druid]

 

[V8Druid]

https://www.theconstructionindex.co.uk/news/view/government

biggest car park about to go underground
" The £33bn HAL proposal, which involves realigning the M25 motorway and putting it under the new runway "

and all this for an industry that according to Klaus and his WEF buddies should be shrunk to next to zero - not expanded

" It has never been more important or urgent to expand Heathrow "

 

[V8Druid]

gonna be some steel in this

McLaren lands £80m timber frame office in London

Scheme being billed as largest of its kind in UK

www.building.co.uk

biggest one we were ever involved in for Century/Kingspan/Castleoak/ whatever they're called currently, Timberframe, was 6 storeys and had sooooome steel in it

 

[V8Druid]

here's one for @TiltyShaun

Gloucestershire has big plans for Coombe Hill

Gloucestershire County Council is planning a £47m development at Coombe Hill.

www.theconstructionindex.co.uk

when McC& S were sorting planning on my yard the planners wanted a 6m reservation over the sewer, not 3m ... was a very expensive 3m as far as I was concerned - one rule for us - another for them

 

[Canal Navvy]

Is that easement expressed as three metres either side of the centre line?

 

[Monkeybusiness]

here's one for @TiltyShaun

Gloucestershire has big plans for Coombe Hill

Gloucestershire County Council is planning a £47m development at Coombe Hill.

www.theconstructionindex.co.uk

when McC& S were sorting planning on my yard the planners wanted a 6m reservation over the sewer, not 3m ... was a very expensive 3m as far as I was concerned - one rule for us - another for them

View attachment 77738

They were buying not selling though! It’s all tictacs I guess?

 

[V8Druid]

They were buying not selling though! It’s all tictacs I guess?

but only a little bit
" Gloucestershire County Council cabinet is set to decide next month on council plans to develop 27 acres of council-owned land at Coombe Hill, ...... Part of the site will be sold to private developers for approximately 25 new homes to be built. "

or if you meant McC&S ... they had no say in the reservations demanded by WW/DC and it screwed their original designs for my site

 

[V8Druid]

Is that easement expressed as three metres either side of the centre line?

well watermain easement is usually 6m, so looking at the scale it's drawn at I am guessing it is 3m on the sewer line ... I had a 1200mm line through my yard so it ended up at a 7.2m reservation in total ... only privately owned piece of ground in the town with it crossing

 

[V8Druid]

and this is a wow!!!

Developer submits plan to build 283-acre technology park in Ipswich

Curzon de Vere outlines plan to turn logistics site into AI, AgriTech and energy site supporting 4,000 jobs

www.building.co.uk