Tag Archives: homes
Grand Designs presenter Kevin McCloud’s company to build new homes in Bristol
Presenter of the hit TV show Grand Designs is to build his biggest and most sustainable housing development to date in Bristol. The new housing development in Southmead should be complete by 2019 on the site of an old primary school after Bristol Council agreed to sell the land to housing association United Communities. The association will build the homes in partnership with Kevin McCloud's development company HAB Housing (Happiness Architecture Beauty) which will include 150 properties of which a third will be affordable. The affordable homes will be built to the equivalent of Passivhaus energy efficiency standards and all homes will meet level four of the Code for Sustainable Homes. And it is not just the homes that are to be sustainable. The whole development will be built with the environment in mind. The estate will have a green infrastructure, including sustainable food production, low carbon energy sources and new cycle routes. ‘This development will raise the bar in terms of sustainability and quality of design. The aim is for this to be a transformative housing scheme, one that drives a healthier way of living. “We have worked really closely with the Southmead community throughout the process, and their ideas have been reflected strongly in the design,’ said George Ferguson, Mayor of Bristol. ‘HAB has been eager to win a project in Bristol ever since we began to plan our move here. Now that our offices are in the city, it's with great relish that we can roll up our sleeves and begin work at Dunmail,’ said McCloud. ‘This scheme gives us the opportunity to work alongside local people and organisations and to partner with United Communities, whom we particularly admire. We're looking forward to working in Southmead and delivering something of quality, richness and sustainability for the area,’ he added. Local residents helped to shape the design of the development, and the community will continue to be involved throughout the project. Feedback from residents reflected in the scheme includes the desire for smaller low rise properties, the need for a mixed tenure site and the inclusion of outdoor community space. ‘As a locally based housing association we already have a long track record of working in Southmead, so we’re really thrilled to have won the bid to redevelop the former Dunmail School site. The 150 new homes here will help to tackle the affordable housing crisis in the city, by providing a mix of homes for sale, rent and shared ownership,’ said Oona Goldsworthy, Chief Executive of United Communities . ‘We’ve already starting talking to the local community about what the homes might look like and hope that existing and future residents will be really proud of the new development,’ she pointed out. It is hoped that a planning application for the development will now be submitted in March 2016, and if consent is given work would be due to start in September 2016. Continue reading
New housing commission launched in UK
A new Housing Commission has been launched in the UK to explore new routes to house building so councils can enable the construction of more desperately needed homes. Councils built nine times more homes between 2010 and 2015 than between 2000 and 2005 and are desperate to dramatically increase the availability of new homes in their local areas, according to the Local Government Association. The LGA said this is vital to building the 230,000 new homes the country needs each year as private developers have not built more than 150,000 homes a year for more than three decades. The Housing Commission will also explore the importance of effective housing in boosting jobs and growth, helping meeting needs of an ageing population, saving social care and the NHS money, and helping people into work. It will look at new ways that councils can enable investment in new homes, the role of councils in shaping homes within prosperous places and communities, the role of housing in supporting tenants to find and progress in sustained employment and the role of housing in adapting to an ageing population and preventing onward costs onto social care and health services. Evidence is sought on the key issues for communities, partners and councils, on good practice that has successfully addressed those issues, and what is needed to build on those successes. Councils, partners, organisations and individuals are invited to contribute their issues, evidence, and examples of effective housing and ideas to the Commission's Advisory Panel, made up of experts and academics. The Commission will take a medium term view incorporating current housing reforms but will look beyond them in making the case for councils to be able to deliver the homes our communities and places need. Findings will be brought together in a report in Spring 2016 and presented at the LGA Annual Conference in June 2016. ‘We're working with government to ensure housing and planning reforms support council efforts to build more homes and the Housing Commission we are launching today will investigate how the government and councils can help deliver houses to solve our housing shortage,’ said Peter Box, LGA housing spokesman. ‘Councils must be able to play a lead role in building the homes we desperately need, and building the homes in a way that create prosperous places and growth, help people into work and positively adapt to an ageing population,’ he explained. ‘This is the best way to meet local and central government ambitions for our communities, to reduce waiting lists and housing benefit, keep rents low and help more people live long and happy lives,’ he added. Continue reading
Sales to first time buyers up in the UK, latest estate agent data shows
The number of sales made to first time buyers in the UK rose for the second month running, to the highest level in six years, according to the latest housing market report from the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA). The October report show that there was an average of nine sales made per estate agent branch in total and 31% of these sales were to first time buyers. Last month, the group accounted for 29% of all sales, and in August just 20%, showing an 11% jump in just two months. ‘It’s really promising that, for the second month running, the number of sales being made to first time buyers has risen. Competitive mortgage products and the increasing pressure of an interest rate rise could be encouraging first steppers to take the plunge, as well as the dwindling supply of rental housing stock, putting pressure on renters to buy,’ said Mark Hayward, NAEA managing director. The report also points out that the supply of available housing increased in October, ahead of the Christmas slowdown. The number of properties available to buy per branch increased by 16% from 37 in September to 43 in October. On the other hand, demand for property dropped slightly from an average 342 house hunters per branch in September, to 336 in October. ‘Although it is great to see supply growing and demand falling, albeit by just 2%, we cannot rest in the knowledge that the housing market is on the ‘road to recovery’. What we’re seeing is a seasonal uplift,’ said Hayward. ‘Those selling their homes are keen to push through sales before Christmas, hence the uplift in properties entering the market but with the average sale taking between nine and 12 weeks, it’s unlikely transactions will be pushed through before Christmas now. Buyers are holding off until January to kick off the New Year with a house hunt,’ he explained. ‘The only way we can attempt to repair the market is simply by building more houses. Osborne’s pledge last week to build 200,000 new and affordable starter homes, with a discount for those under the age of 40, and his promises to offer loans to small builders, reform the planning system and re-designate commercial land to build new homes are all a step in the right direction. But until it’s all put into motion and we see the walls of new properties going up, we’re not holding our breath,’ he added. Continue reading
