A weekly news summary covering all aspects of the housebuilding industry. Available to members only.
HBF News
HBF meets with CLG to discuss Energy Performance Certificates
HBF met CLG officials this week to highlight some of the issues surrounding EPCs for new homes, ahead of the second HIPs consultation deadline. One of the main areas discussed was whether given timing issues in finalising arrangements for the provision of certificates by accredited assessors, it would be more appropriate to delay the implementation of EPCs for new homes until later on this year. CLG are considering this option.
HBF have produced a Q & A sheet resulting from the meeting:
Please note: The CLG answers to the questions are for guidance only and are subject to change prior to the final regulations being laid at the end of March.
To download the full HBF consultation response please visit the website:
The final EPC regulations are due to be laid on 27 March. HIPs regulations are due to be laid on 29 March and will come into force from 19 April and go live as from 1st June. We will continue to update you on developments in the run up to implementation.
AGM and Annual Lunch - Book by the end of February to benefit from 10% discount
The HBF AGM and Annual Lunch is due to be held on Wednesday 25 April at the prestigious Hyatt Regency - The Churchill, W1 London.
Tables booked before 28 February will benefit from 10% discount.
To book telephone the Events Team on 0207 960 1646 or email events@hbmedia.co.uk
Housebuilding Innovation Awards now open
The Housebuilding Innovation Awards are now open for entries. These awards were created by the industry, for the industry and recognise companies which are demonstrating a commitment to innovation in the industry. The ten categories range from design to customer satisfaction, from public sector partnerships to marketing innovation. The entry deadline is Friday 27 April. Judging will take place over the summer and the awards will be presented by Michael Portillo at a dinner at London's Millennium Mayfair hotel on Thursday 1 November.
more info and download entry form
The house that Bjorn built - towards the zero carbon home
HBF and the Energy Savings Trust are jointly running a free one-day conference for home builders on Thursday 22 March at the British Library, London
HBF Executive Chairman Stewart Baseley will be speaking along with key experts from Sweden, Canada and the Netherlands and home builders will be able to learn from the work of others within the industry.
Please forward details of this event to any colleagues or contacts who may wish to attend.
Budget date set
The 2007 Budget will be announced on Wednesday 21 March. HBF will be examining the detail of the budget and will brief members accordingly.
Sellers lower price aspirations as interest rates rise, say Rightmove
The Rightmove house price index for February has shown a 2% drop in annual inflation from 13.5% to 11.5%, with the monthly rise of 0.9% being the smallest February rise for 5 years.
Demand cooling but lack of properties still pushing prices up
A lack of property on the market has driven up house prices for the fifteenth consecutive month, despite cooling demand, says RICS UK Housing Market Survey.
House prices rose for the fifteenth consecutive month in January but the pace of increase eased back to June levels. 28% more Chartered Surveyors reported a rise than a fall in house prices, down from 36.6% in December.
Unlocking up to £7 billion is key to meeting Barker target of delivering 50,000 new homes every year, says Housing Corporation report
Unlocking a potential £7 billion of additional debt capacity from housing associations is key to meeting future affordable housing needs of between 40,000 and 50,000 new affordable homes for rent every year, according to a new Housing Corporation report.
"Unlocking the Door - Delivering more affordable homes from the comprehensive spending review 2007" was published by the Housing Corporation
DCLG highlights progress in housing stock sustainability
Communities and Local Government Minister Angela Smith has welcomed the progress that has been made in increasing the sustainability of buildings following the publication of two Parliamentary reports.
The reports on the Sustainable and Secure Buildings Act 2004 and the Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Act 2006 highlight action that Government has already taken such as the Code for Sustainable Homes and outline ambitious future plans including the Review of Existing Buildings, which will examine how to improve energy and water efficiency as well as looking at the impacts on climate change of all existing stock.
Advice for planners on managing flood risk
A draft guide was published this week to help planners better understand how planning policy should be used to manage flood risk, as climate change continues to impact on traditional weather patterns.
CABE launches step-by-step guide to good design of public space
As part of the local government white paper, Strong and prosperous communities, the government has made a commitment to encourage community groups to have greater control over how their local environment is managed and improved. For the first time, CABE has set out how community groups can radically improve the design of public space.
Industry News
Hills report urges major rethink on social housing
A report on social housing published this week by Professor John Hills of the London School of Economics has called for a "major rethink" of social housing in England. His main recommendations include:
- Increasing the attention given to existing homes and current tenants
- Creating a better income mix in areas dominated by social housing
- Addressing worklessness and supporting the livelihoods of tenants
- Offering a wider range of choices to tenants and others in housing need, but without removing security of tenure.
New research from CIH and JRF examines how housing markets work
A new report from The Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation shows what factors drive rising housing markets.
Understanding Housing Demand by Paul Hickman, David Robinson, Rionach Casey, Stephen Green and Ryan Powell from Sheffield Hallam University shows that people's sense of identity and their lifestyle aspirations are important factors in influencing where they choose to live.
Based on in-depth studies of rising housing markets in Yorkshire and Humberside, the research examines how and why housing markets change and what factors drive residential mobility.
Thames Basin Heaths homes report "good news for local families"
The Assessor of the technical sessions of the South East Plan Examination in Public considering the evidence base relating to residential development near the Thames Basin Heaths, published his report on 19 February. He found that Natural England's Draft Delivery Plan was unsound, taking into account the ecological and legal advice submitted by HBF's advisors. He also recommended a less onerous set of standards on mitigation pending a long-term solution to concerns about the impact of new housing on the heathland bird population.
In a press release, Executive Chairman of the Home Builders Federation (HBF), Stewart Baseley said:
"This report explodes some of the myths that have grown up around this issue, and we hope it will be recognised by planning authorities as a helpful guide to best practice in both building new homes and supporting local wildlife.
"Local authorities should take account of the evidence it presents and follow its recommendations in lifting the moratorium on new homes as a matter of urgency. This would be good news for the community and for local families whose children would otherwise be forced to leave the area once they have a family themselves."
HBF will now be pressing for an urgent lifting of the moratorium on the building of new homes for local people across thirteen local authorities in Surrey, East Berkshire and North East Hampshire which has arisen as a result of Natural England's Draft Delivery Plan.
Further HIPs concerns voiced
Resistance is mounting to current HIPs plans as we draw closer to the 1st June.
In response to Government's consultation on HIPs, RICS has called for the postponement of mandatory HIPS:
"We believe that it is time to sweep up all the problems with home buying and selling rather than focus on the depleted home information pack which has had most of its stuffing removed."
The Council of Mortgage Lenders has also called for implementation of HIPs to be postponed:
"Given the significant uncertainties that remain and the doubt that HIPs will deliver the intended benefits we have called on the government to delay introduction of HIPs until the trials are complete, the outcomes properly reviewed and uncertainties resolved"
Hamptons International has warned against the introduction of HIPs on June 1st:
"At the moment a vast improvement is needed. The implementation date is June 1st and no-one has any confidence in it. Absolutely nothing is clear. It is ridiculous that we are supposed to operate this scheme very shortly, but no-one actually knows what they're doing"
In the meantime, the Association of Home Information Pack Providers has launched a HIP Code to ensure maximum protection for the consumer and sellers, advising consumers only to use pack providers who adhere to this code. Alongside this they have published 10 facts sellers and buyers should know about HIPs:
CBI Director-General challenges business on climate change
The CBI's Director-General, Richard Lambert, this week challenged property managers to find innovative ways to reduce the impact of their business' property on climate change. Speaking at the annual CBI/IPD property conference, he urged occupiers to consider the long-term benefits of occupying energy efficient buildings, and to think about how they use existing property in a more climate-friendly way.
Citing the ongoing work of the CBI's climate change task force and new green property initiatives by companies such as Marks & Spencer, Richard said that the climate change agenda cannot be divorced from property, and that business must make every effort to show to put forward constructive solutions. He also told the conference that the CBI would continue to lobby against returning power to councils set business rates, and against the introduction of a Planning-gain Supplement in 2009.
Jo Turner