News from the Sector

Levelling Up the United Kingdom

The much-anticipated Levelling Up White Paper has been released by the UK Government. The paper sets out how we will spread opportunity more equally across the UK. It introduces a new policy regime, reflects on learning from the past and sets clear and ambitious medium-term missions for the housing sector.

Cladding costs

Following the Housing Secretary’s plan in tackling the cladding issues, Chair of the Levelling Up commission Clive Betts has recognised an inquiry on whether the developers’ responsibility of bearing the cost of fire safety repairs should be shared among several industries. “What if the industry says no?”

Betts has raised concerns in having to cut down the social housing programme if their priority is being shifted to bringing the existing fire safety issues to an end.

Sustainability – Reporting

As the UK continues taking measures in climate-related matter, Board member of Sustainability for Housing, Craig MacDonald explains the importance of adhering to the Sustainability Reporting Standard (SRS) and how it is beneficial for assessing sustainability risks in the perspective of investors.

Regen funding for 20 places

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities (DLUHC) announces the two prioritised cities, Wolverhampton and Sheffield, to receive the £1.5bn brownfield regeneration fund, including the upcoming launch of providing loans to small and medium sized homebuilders.

Low supply of homes

One of the most used property portals in the UK, Zoopla, finds the demand for housing has skyrocketed from previous years, which is believed to be due to “the pandemic search for space” and the impact of home-based working increasing. This calls for a higher supply of homes to meet the current demand.

Housing need in Northern Ireland

The Commissioning Prospectus for Northern Ireland has been published and is ready to be viewed, providing a strategic overview of the demand in building new social homes across 11 local government districts. It adds useful information for home builders moving forward in delivering affordable homes.