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Construction complete on £12m facility for army musicians
Pick Everard have announced the completion of a new facility for the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS) to host rehearsals and performances.
According to Pick Everard, a national multi-disciplinary consultancy working within the property sector, the new establishment, which held its topping out ceremony last September, can now house all 54 musicians serving under RMAS – the organisation where all officers in the British Army are trained to take on the responsibility of leading their soldiers.
Funded by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) under the Defence Estate Optimisation (DEO) Army Programme, the refurbished buildings include an instrument store, music library and rehearsal rooms, as well as offices, storage, changing rooms, and a crew room that will support performances such as passing out parades and Sovereign’s parades.
Commenting on the achievement, Matt Carter, director at Pick Everard, said creating the new development has been a ‘complex’ yet rewarding project.
‘This has been a complex undertaking, which involved close collaboration with our project partners to navigate several onsite challenges, including ecology operations to ensure our work would not interfere with natural habitats present onsite,’ Matt said. ‘Our teams were committed to delivering a facility of the highest standard, with green credentials, which is reflected in our DREAM ratings.’
Matt added: ‘British Army Band Sandhurst musicians now have a modern and acoustically optimised environment, that is befitting of their reputation for excellence on the UK Defence stage.’
In addition to helping RMAS, the new development is also beneficial to the environment. Air source heat pumps, solar panels and programmable lighting systems have been fitted within the building.
Against this backdrop, social value was also integral to the project, with the team providing free decoration services to community centres nearby. These centres will also host coffee mornings with the veterans to discuss and raise awareness about mental health.
Debs Thorne, Joint Bands School Programme Manager, said: ‘This project is a fantastic example of the significant investment underway across the Army estate, to support military training and future capability through delivery of modern, sustainable infrastructure. I have been really impressed by the quality of the finished buildings and I trust that the British Army Band Sandhurst will soon feel at home in their new, purpose-built music facility.’
The Ensemble Band are due to move into the building this summer and an official opening event is planned for autumn 2024.
Images: RMAS
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Here are the areas in England with the least energy efficient homes
New research from Envirohomes Renewables has revealed that properties in the Isles of Scilly are the worse affected as just 14.9% have an EPC rating of band ‘c’ or above.
The Scottish-based organisation studied data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) which displayed the percentage of homes in each local authority with an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) of band ‘C’ or above.
Properties with an EPC rating of band ‘C’ often meet the minimum energy efficiency standards required by building regulations. However, having a ‘B’ or an ‘A’ rating is preferred.
According to the research, the Isles of Scilly, which is located off the Cornish coast, has the lowest number of energy efficient homes in England. The data examined found that in 2022, just 14.09% of properties in the area had an EPC rating of ‘C’ or above – the lowest in England by almost 10%.
However, homes in Pendle, which is situated in Lancashire, aren’t far behind. Experts found that a mere 21.83% of properties here reach the required EPC ratings. In addition, only 24.84% of homes in South Essex have EPC ratings of ‘C’ or above.
Research from Envirohomes Renewables.
Commenting on the news, Ross Jones, director of Envirohomes Renewables, said: ‘While there are many ways you can save money on energy for your home, having a low energy efficiency rating can make this very difficult from the start, and costs will add up, and with the current cost of living this can be a serious problem. However, if you live in one of these areas, you can improve your EPC rating by installing insulation, changing your lighting, replacing your boiler, and more.’
The new research, which was published earlier this week, coincides with government plans to ensure all fuel-poor homes have an EPC rating of a least band ‘C’ by 2030 and as many homes across the country as possible are rated a band ‘C’ or above by 2035. Although, the figures uncovered by Envirohomes Renewables show a lot more work needs to be done to make sure these goals are met.
Image: Andreas Gücklhorn
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UK inflation has dropped to 3.2% which isn’t good news for interest rates
The Office of National Statistics (ONS) has revealed inflation rates hit their lowest level since September 2021 last month, leading experts to believe that the Bank of England is ‘likely to maintain interest rates for an extended period.’
According to the figures from the ONS, which were revealed this morning, the drop in food prices, particularly in meats and crumpets, caused inflation to fall from 3.4% in February to 3.2% in March. Although this is a positive outcome, city economists and the Bank of England had forecast a slightly larger decline to 3.1%.
Against this backdrop, economists are expecting a further decline in April, with the potential to fall below the Bank’s 2% target after a sharp drop in household gas and electricity bills to the lowest level for two years.
Commenting on the news, chancellor Jeremy Hunt, said: ‘The plan is working: inflation is falling faster than expected, down from over 11% to 3.2%, the lowest level in nearly two and a half years, helping people’s money go further.’
However, Rachel Reeves, the shadow chancellor, has said that today’s outcome is not a win for the Conservative party.
‘Conservative ministers will be hitting the airwaves today to tell the British people that they have never had it so good,’ Ms Reeves said. ‘However, after 14 years of economic failure under the Conservatives, working people are worse off.’
Ms Reeves added: ‘Prices are still high in the shops, monthly mortgage bills are going up and inflation is still higher than the Bank of England’s target.’
Echoing a similar tone, Daniel Austin, CEO and co-founder at ASK Partners, said: ‘Decreasing inflation suggests that the Bank of England is likely to maintain interest rates for an extended period, particularly considering the signs of economic recovery we’ve witnessed.
‘This all points to a positive domestic story of an economy exiting a mild recession but does mean that pressure will remain on those servicing debt and with ongoing global market uncertainty surrounding the Middle East crisis, the coming months are set to be shaky.’
‘In the real estate sector and as property loan extensions expire, borrowers will face the choice of injecting fresh capital, returning assets to lenders, or selling in a soft market,’ Austin said. ‘The assets hitting the market will kickstart the cycle and offer opportunities for capital-endowed buyers, who view this as an opportune moment to acquire assets at significant discounts.’
The latest inflation news, comes ahead of the next Bank of England’s meeting where they will decide on whether to retain interest rates or decrease them. The meeting is due to take place on 8th May 2024.
Ahead of the meeting, John Glencross, CEO and co-founder of Calculus, said: ‘Today’s data shows UK inflation is falling, although still above the Bank of England’s target of 2%. If inflation continues to fall the Bank of England may start to cut interest rates by summer which could bring a renewed sense of optimism for investors, consumers and British businesses alike.
‘In his Spring Budget, the Chancellor spoke on his belief that the success achieved in tackling inflation will soon convert to economic growth, placing particular focus on the strength of the UK’s technology sector. Supporting British growth companies could help improve the near economic horizon by boosting GDP and increasing job creation.’
Image: stux
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EV battery factory plan dropped for good
After three years of uncertainty, Northumberland City Council have ditched plans to build a new EV battery factory in favour of a computer data centre.
In 2021 Britishvolt, a UK startup manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries, proposed plans to build a new EV battery factory in Cambois, Northumberland, however the organisation collapsed at the beginning of 2023 after running out of money, which caused more than 200 people to lose their jobs.
The battery plant, which was going to be known as the ‘gigafactory’, was expected to create 3,000 highly-skilled jobs and another 5,000 indirect jobs in the wider supply chain, and had been touted as an example of ‘levelling up’.
However, following the companies collapse, Northumberland County Council have said they are now considering buying back the energy park, which was home to Britishvolt, in exchange for up to £110m from private equity firm Blackstone.
The investment firm plans to build a computer centre, known as a hyperscale data centre campus on the grounds. These types of establishments are often used by companies including Google, IBM and Microsoft and typically comprise more than 5,000 severs and cover 10,000 sq ft.
As this project is so big, the local authority have claimed that the plans would create more than 1,600 direct jobs and over 2,700 indirect roles over the course of its development.
Currently, there have been no details released about which organisation will be running the data centre, but the council is set to meet on 23rd April to speak about the plans in more detail.
Commenting on the news, Scott Dickinson, said that although letting go of the previous battery factory plan was ‘disappointing’, the new proposal shows a lot of ‘promise’.
He added: ‘The local community shares a sense of caution but is determined to support and ensure the success of this endeavour.
‘The group pledges unwavering support for all initiatives and is eagerly anticipating crucial milestones such as the submission and review of planning applications.’
Image: Britishvolt
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Mayor of London pledges to end homelessness under one condition
Sadiq Khan has promised to end homelessness in the capital city if he is re-elected next month. However, he said his plans will only be successful if he works alongside a Labour government.
With just over two weeks until local elections commence, yesterday, 15th April 2024, Sadiq Khan made a speech in Waterloo in which he promised to end rough sleeping in London by 2030 if he is re-elected as the Mayor.
Speaking at St John’s church, Mr Khan claimed he would work to create more rough sleeping hubs and strengthen relationships between boroughs, businesses and charities. In addition, he followed up his vow with a promise of £10m extra spending over the next three years on top of City Hall’s current annual homeless budget of some £36m. This promise comes as the number of people sleeping rough in London has hit new record highs.
According to the latest figures, 4,389 people were found to be sleeping on the streets between October 2023 and January 2024 – compared with 2,561 in 2016, before Mr Khan was elected.
By 2021, after a year of Mr Khan being in post, the number of people sleeping rough in London had fallen by 19% year-on-year.
In his speech, Sadiq Khan said that the reason for having a 2030 deadline to end homelessness was because the promise had been ‘synced’ up with national rather than mayoral politics.
Mr Khan said: ‘It’s possible the general election won’t be until January 2024. The parliamentary term is five years, and so we’ve synced the pledge with the next Labour government’s timelines.’
Against this backdrop, Mr Khan has pinpointed the delay in banning no-fault evictions as one of the root causes as to why so many people have tragically resulted to sleeping on the streets.
‘The causes of rough sleeping we can’t deal with without a change of government,’ Mr Khan remarked. ‘We know the causes of rough sleeping. One out of four people sleeping rough was formerly a tenant in private accommodation – that’s why ‘no fault’ evictions have got to go.’
The mayor added: ‘We also know some of the welfare benefits changes made by the Government have been a source for those sleeping rough. That’s got to go as well.
‘If there’s a Labour Government, we’ll have 1.5 million new homes [over five years] across the country. [We’ll get a] big chunk of those in London.
‘In relation to landlord licensing, if we had a Labour government, we could have better quality accommodation across London, which would make it less likely for people to have to leave their homes.’
However, Susan Hall, Conservative mayoral candidate, has branded the pledge as ‘another promise that Sadiq Khan will fail to deliver.’
Ms Hall said: ‘Given his appalling record on housing. Sadiq Khan has only started building 4% of the affordable homes he promised in the latest programme, and it is his failure that has kept people stuck in temporary accommodation and made it harder to get rough sleepers off the streets.’
The latest data from the Combined Homelessness and Information Network (CHAIN), which provides quarterly and annual statistics on rough sleeping in the city, found that 1,070 of the individuals spotted on the streets between January and March this year were in and around the West End boroughs of Camden and Westminster.
Following Sadiq Khan’s announcement, various industry experts have voiced their opinions including John Glenton, executive director of care and support at Riverside, who has claimed that the pledge is promising and exactly what the city needs right now.
‘It is heartening to hear Sadiq Khan’s commitment to end rough sleeping,’ John said. ‘The latest rough sleeping figures for October to December 2023 showed we had the largest number of people sleeping rough on the streets of our capital ever recorded during a quarterly period with 4,389 people identified as sleeping rough.’
John claimed: ‘These figures demonstrate a growing humanitarian crisis on the streets of London.
‘We wholeheartedly agree with Sadiq’s plan to expand the number of rough sleeping hubs in London and his aim to strengthen relationships with boroughs, charities and businesses to achieve this aim.’
The government have issued a final warning for residents looking to take part in local elections as registrations to vote closes at midnight tonight. Local elections are due to start on 2nd May 2024.
Image: chan lee
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Could a politics-free development sector become reality? Because that’s where we’re headed
With the General Election just around the corner, Toby Lambert, head of residential development at Carter Jonas, discusses how politicians urgently need to buck their ideas up regarding the property sector.
The position of the two main political parties could not be more diametrically opposed: Labour as YIMBYs, Conservatives as NIMBYs; Labour in support of Green Belt release, Conservatives opposed; Labour committed to housebuilding targets for both market and social/affordable housing, Conservatives blocking development through indecision and delay. This contrast is exemplified in the fact that housebuilding was a major focus of Labour’s autumn conference, whereas it was notably absent from the Conservatives’ conference agenda.
The need for change
Most of us in the development industry recognise the need for change. As the Home Builders Federation (HBF) says in the introduction to their recent report Firmer Foundations, ‘The UK is in the midst of a housing crisis, where politics has too often got in the way of practical solutions’. Its ten-point plan for government action states that England is the hardest place in the developed world to find a home, with the lowest rates of vacant homes across all OECD nations.
Despite there being demand for change, however, I am beginning to question whether politics is the force to bring it about. Should something as important as a home become a political football, with approaches to development radically shifting with political whim or a change of government, and should the output of the development industry be so intrinsically linked to politicians’ and pundits’ desire to talk up or down the housing crisis?
It was over a year ago, following a rebellion by backbench Conservative MPs, that Michael Gove promised to make government-set housing targets more flexible. The statement resulted in many local authorities stalling their local plans in anticipation of further clarification – clarification which is still awaited. And whilst the new NPPF shows that we delivered 232,820 net additional dwellings in 2021/2022, this still falls short of the government’s stated target of 300,000 homes to be built year on year from 2025.
The shortage of consented land is compounded by delays in the planning system – the latter the result of the failure to resolve the nutrient neutrality problem, the under-resourcing of local planning authorities and the inertia in local plan production, especially in authorities dependent on Green Belt release for growth.
The impact on the development industry is intense competition for available land, with higher bids than anticipated and less of a variance between conditional and unconditional offers. This immediately factors into viability assessments. In some cases it dilutes the quality of new communities or substantially reduces the benefits that can be provided – from open spaces and community infrastructure to social / affordable housing, and it invariably perpetuates house price rises. With the PLC housebuilders competing for smaller sites than before, SME housebuilders are often priced out of the market. Unsurprisingly, the HBF despairs of a housing crisis, ‘decades in the making’.
In part a consequence of slower development, in part a consequence of increased house prices and increased mortgage rates, sales rates are currently as low as 0.5 sales per week per operational outlet compared to an average of 1.5. This then impacts on financing of development schemes, which is already stretched by the considerable hike in interest rates.
With each of these factors the result of recent political decisions, I believe the argument in favour of separating land from politics has never been more valid. There are many levels on which this could occur, and in doing so substantially benefit the functioning of the sector and the supply of new homes.
A long-term approach to land assembly
Land assembly is a long-term process which invariably extends beyond a single political term. But the release of land must be a continual process – not one to be delayed because greater restrictions on the Green Belt (under the Conservatives) might raise values or rushed through because the potential for CPO by Local Authorities (under Labour) might reduce values.
Strategic planning should operate outside the remit of local authorities, the elected members of which are too easily swayed by constituents’ sentiment, especially in the run up to an election.
Consistency in planning gain
Greater clarification and consistency are required over the provision of community benefits, social / affordable housing, biodiversity net gain and the many other demands made on developers throughout the planning process – demands which have the potential to threaten the viability of an entire scheme when announced at a late stage in its conception.
The proposed Infrastructure Levy is probably not the ideal – not least because, being determined by development profits – it cannot be budgeted for and therefore considerably increases uncertainty.
Greater consistency in housebuilding input can only be achieved through greater consistency in the requirements made of developers.
Objectivity in decision-making
The developer’s utopia would include the abolition of planning committees. This would deliver the much-needed separation of development from local politics and an increased consistency and transparency in planning decisions, based on universal, objective principles. The policies need not be put in place by the Secretary of State as is currently the case with the NPPF (although that said, at the time of writing, the revisions first proposed a year ago are yet to be implemented) – but might be better drawn up by nationally based arms-length organisation.
While the Regional Spatial Strategies of the early 2000s were far from utopia, the majority of the development industry would, I believe, agree that they are the closest we have been to achieving utopia when it comes to allocating land for development, and that coupled with the ‘zoning’ process that is proven to work in other countries, may provide the best solution to date.
Longevity and political separation in planning principles
This process would have the further benefit of allowing policies to extend beyond a five-year parliamentary term, as is necessary for example in implementing a wholescale review of the Green Belt, establishing investment zones or new towns, or of any development reliant on new transport infrastructure.
The positive elements of politics
With the development industry representing such a large portion of the UK economy, the variance in economics, market forces and social demands would mean that politics could not be disassociated from the sector entirely.
The involvement of politics would be largely fiscal – for example, in providing initiatives for first time buyers to get onto the property ladder or incentivise downsizing through Stamp Duty reductions. Both are crucial to re-starting the market after a slow-down but may require a shorter-term, closely monitored application which does not create a disruptive bump in the market (as was said of Help to Buy). A single initiative to encourage baby boomers to downsize could release trillions of pounds of equity from homes, ultimately cascading down to ensure we stimulate the market from the bottom up.
Conclusion – is politics-free development a reality?
Within its first 100 days, the 1997 Labour government took interest rates out of politics. This move was previously unimaginable – although it has largely been seen as successful. Could a 2024 Labour government take planning out of politics? Perhaps not – not because it would be impossible to do so, but because the Labour party is intent on resolving the housing crisis, and to succeed in doing so would not only be an unparalleled achievement but would almost certainly guarantee a second term. However, elements of the planning system, as we saw with Labour’s Regional Spatial Strategies and Regional Assemblies, can be successfully disentangled from politics to the advantage of all involved, politicians included.
Images: Gary Walker-Jones, Sidharth Bhatia and Ivan Bandura
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