Tag Archives: freedom
Billions to be invested in homes for sale and rent in Ireland
Some €200 million it to be put into an Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund in Ireland aimed at opening up large sites in areas where people need homes. This is to relieve critical infrastructural blockages to allow for the delivery of homes on key sites and to improve the economic viability and purchaser affordability of new housing projects and deliver 20,000 new homes by 2020. The Irish Government has also announced under its Housing Action Plan that €5.35 billion will be allocated to the development of social housing with the aim of building 47,000 more social housing units by 2021. There will also be changes to planning to allow large scale residential development planning applications to be fast tracked. The Government said it will legislate to allow for larger housing development applications of 100 plus units to be made directly to An Bord Pleanala, the country’s independent planning body. An Bord Pleanala is also set to prioritise the determination of all planning appeals for large scale developments. This is to be done within an 18 to 20 week period and the roll-out of e-planning is also being looked at. The action plan also includes increasing the supply of home to rent and support for a stable rental sector. A national policy for appropriate on and off-campus accommodation for students will also be developed. The Housing Agency will be allocated €70 million to acquire suitable portfolios of vacant properties to be let under a national vacant housing reuse strategy. A register of vacant properties across the country will be drawn up and the planning rules for change of use of vacant commercial units to a residential units will be reviewed. However, according to the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI) critical skills shortages across all sectors of the housing market in Ireland will urgently need to be addressed to deliver the scale of housing delivery needed. Claire Solon, SCSI president, said that a National body with real authority and mandate is needed not just for housing, but also for national infrastructural planning. ‘It’s clear from the Action Plan that in several areas, it’s the need for projects like road completions, or water and drainage schemes that are actually preventing the delivery of housing,’ she pointed out. ‘The industry has shown itself be to resourceful following many difficult years, but there needs to be significant investment now to address the skills shortage in all sectors, professional, technical and trades,’ she explained. ‘We will be asking the Minister of Finance to specifically resource our sector in the upcoming Budget for training of apprentices, graduates and to help encourage workers from other sectors to transfer to construction and property roles. The industry plays a vital role in our economy and after many years of underinvestment, negative reporting and poor output, it needs radical intervention to upscale and deliver what could be one of the most important development stages in the history of our country,’ she added. The SCSI also believes… Continue reading
First ever rural plan in England will boost homes in villages
Villages and towns in England’s rural communities will be allowed to build starter homes for local residents as part of new plans set out by the government. Under the country’s first ever Rural Productivity Plan the law will be amended to allow Starter Homes to be built on Rural Exception Sites for the first time. This will allow local areas to allocate more sites for Starter Homes specifically for people who already live in the area, or have an existing family or employment connection to the area. It is part of a wide ranging plant to boost productivity and ensure the countryside becomes an even more attractive place for people to live, work, start a business and bring up a family. The plan points out that while a lack of housing is currently a national challenge, in rural areas it is a particular constraint to labour and entrepreneurial mobility, adding that the stock of housing is limited in rural areas relative to demand and house prices are on average 6.7% higher in rural areas than in urban areas. Under the plan the government will increase the availability of housing in rural areas, whilst protecting the Green Belt and countryside. This will include a significant contribution to the 200,000 Starter Homes already announced to be offered at a 20% discount for first time buyers under the age of 40. ‘Through the right combination of measures, the government wants to ensure that any village in England has the freedom to expand in an incremental way, subject to local agreement,’ the report says. Alongside the review of planning the aim is to ensure local authorities put local plans in place for housing according to agreed deadlines and require them to plan proactively for the delivery of Starter Homes. The government will also bring forward proposals to speed up the process of implementing or amending a plan and make it easier for them to establish a neighbourhood plan and allocate land for new homes, including through the use of rural exception sites to deliver Starter Homes. There will be a review the current threshold for agricultural buildings to convert to residential buildings and the introduction of a dispute resolution mechanism for section 106 agreements, to speed up negotiations and allow housing starts to proceed more quickly. Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne said that the aim is to create the right conditions for rural communities and businesses to thrive and this means investing in education and skills, improving rural infrastructure, and allowing rural villages to thrive and grow. ‘We’re connecting the countryside to make it just as simple to run a business from Cornwall as it is in Camden. But it’s not just about transport and technology. Our plan will help us create thriving towns and villages where generations of families can open and expand their businesses, buy a home and educate their children at first class schools,’ said Environment Secretary Elizabeth Truss. Communities Secretary Greg Clark that… Continue reading
British people aspire to build their own home with the very latest technology
There is still strong demand in the UK from people who want to build their own home with new research showing that 27% aspire to do so and many want the very latest technology. The most common reason for people building their own home is to have the freedom to design it how they want with 79% giving this reason, according to the research by price comparison website Confused. Some 33% would be fulfilling a life-long dream by building their own home and 33% want a property that is unique. But just 7% have actually fulfilled their dream. The research also shows that 34% say they would like to have more modern technologies in their home with 34% wanting to control appliance by smartphone, 21% wanting self flushing toilets and 20% voice activated lighting. Nearly half, 49%, say they would like to have a home security system, 46% would like to have underfloor heating and 40% would like to have a home cinema or entertainment system. Although many people want their homes to be more technologically advanced in the future, it’s clear that technology already plays an important part in today’s modern home. A third believe that modern technologies make running a home easier and 9% already control some household appliances with their phone. Of those who opt for mobile phone control, the majority, 62% use it to control their TV, 29% control their lighting and 13% use their phone to control their curtains. Some 25% say they prefer a more traditional home, 23% think modern technologies in the home encourages laziness and 17% think modern technologies in the home cause complications. Looking forward 10 years to 2025, it would seem that people expect innovative technologies designed to make our lives easier even more prevalent in the home. Some 44% say they think voice activated lighting will be commonplace in the home, with a further 43% predicting security systems with facial recognition will become a standard feature. Some 23% believe that in a decade homes will have remote controlled fridges, 22% foresee steam washing machines and 20% voice activated cookers. Other technological advances that people believe will be rolled out in homes across the country in years to come include sinks with built in dishwashers, smart kitchen surfaces that will identify what’s on them and have the ability to keep food at the right temperature and fridges which creates recipes for the food you have stored inside them. ‘We’re all individuals and it’s understandable that we’d want to reflect this within our homes. Building your own home is the ultimate step towards that goal whether you prefer a more traditional home or one with every gadget on the market,’ said Gareth Lane, head of home insurance at Confused. Continue reading
