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Taking to the steps of Downing Street for what could be one of his final times, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced last week that a General Election will be taking place on 4th July 2024.

Below are some reactions and theories about what this news means for the housing and development sector and what industry experts want to see from the next parliament. 

Andrew Carpenter, chief executive office, the Structural Timer Association (STA)

‘This is a pivotal opportunity to place sustainable housing at the top of the political agenda and we urge all political parties to seize this chance to revolutionise the way we build our homes. Housing is a crucial issue for voters across the country, but it’s essential that we underline the importance of sustainability and to continue the momentum that has been garnered by the Timber in Construction Policy Roadmap, published in December last year.

‘Setting out a clear path towards the increased use of timber in construction, the Roadmap has laid the foundation for transforming our housing landscape through the integration of timber frame housing. This method of construction offers a speedy, sustainable and clean approach to meeting the current and future demands of housing – as well as utilising offsite assembly, which effectively addresses the skill shortages that are endemic within our sector.

‘Increasing the use of timber in construction presents a promising solution for the incoming government to address the pressing housing crisis and tackle net zero obligations, and it’s vital that the progress we have already made is not lost.’

Lawrence Turner, Director, Boyer

‘The housing crisis is a pressing issue that has plagued the UK for far too long. With a new Government potentially taking office on 4 July, there is hope that real change can finally be brought about to tackle this crisis head-on.

‘However, with only 100 days to make a significant impact before the end of October, it is essential that the new government focuses on key priorities that will have a lasting and effective impact on addressing the housing crisis. Here, we outline the top ten points that we believe a new government should urgently address to bring about positive change in the housing sector.

1. First and foremost, re-introducing mandatory housing targets for local authorities is crucial. Local councillors should not bear the burden of determining housing need in their communities, especially when faced with opposition from a vocal minority opposed to housing. By setting clear and objective housing targets at the national level, local authorities can focus on delivering the necessary housing in their district, without being swayed by local political pressures.

1. In conjunction with mandatory housing targets, the reintroduction of regional planning is essential. Co-ordinating housing and infrastructure needs at the regional level will ensure a more sustainable and co-ordinated approach to development, leading to better outcomes for both residents and the environment.

1. A National Green Belt Review is also imperative in ensuring that the most sustainable patterns of development are reflected in Local Plans. By prioritising sustainability and assessing the most appropriate locations for residential development closer to jobs and transport hubs, we can help reduce the need to travel and meet local authorities’ net zero carbon targets.

1. The creation of New Towns is another key point that must not be overlooked. By reintroducing the concept of New Towns, we can effectively address the growing housing need while maintaining the integrity of Green Belts and preventing urban sprawl.

1. Reversing recent policy changes in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) is crucial to increasing housing delivery in the short term. The current relaxation of housing land supply requirements is only exacerbating the housing crisis. It is essential to revert to the previous standards to ensure that enough homes are being built to meet local needs.

1. Increasing resourcing for Local Planning Authorities is also a priority. With understaffed and underfunded authorities, continued delays in planning applications and local plan preparation are inevitable. By providing financial support and investing in the necessary skills and expertise within local authorities, we can ensure that the planning system functions effectively.

1. Creating a new Governmental department focused on tackling the housing crisis, along with appointing a Minister for the Housing Crisis, will help drive the agenda forward and ensure that the issue remains a top priority. With a dedicated department, plans to build more homes in sustainable locations can be properly implemented.

1. Introducing mandatory Section 106 standard template agreements and increasing funding for legal professionals within local authorities will help streamline the planning process and reduce delays in granting permissions for developments. By avoiding reliance on temporary staff and ensuring swift agreement on necessary s106 terms, construction of new homes can begin sooner.

1. Leveraging AI technology to aid in processing planning applications and engaging with local communities on planning decisions is another innovative approach that can improve the efficiency and transparency of the planning system. By using digital communication channels and social media, local authorities can effectively communicate with residents and involve them in the decision-making and plan-making processes.

1. Finally, legislating to address the impacts of phosphates on residential developments is essential. By tackling this issue at the source through collaboration with Water Companies, we can remove unnecessary barriers that prevent much-needed housing developments from moving forward.’

Antony Duthie, regional director, Lanpro

‘As manifestos are published in the coming days, it is vital that all parties recognise the importance of the planning system as a key economic facilitator and economic driver which can significantly increase the country’s productivity in addition to resolving the housing crisis.

‘The next government needs to take bold steps to resolve the many challenges that currently stand in the way of delivering much needed housing and infrastructure. People will be looking beyond the rhetoric of political campaigning and instead for evidence that manifestos can bring about real change.’

John Leiper, chief information officer, Titan Asset Management

‘UK in the out-of/no recession category, and the day inflation falls to 2.3% we see the UK Tory party announce their decision to go to the polls. Coincidence? I don’t think so. With one more print between now and vote day, and increasing odds inflation falls further to the fabled 2% number, Rishi has done all he can to increase his odds at the upcoming election. To quote James Carville, “it’s the economy stupid”. We continue to watch developments closely alongside potential implications for the UK economy and markets.’

Oli Sherlock, managing director of insurance, Goodlord

‘With a General Election now set for 4th July, the Renters (Reform) Bill and its progression is now in major doubt. This will be deeply frustrating for the whole industry, which is desperate for clarity. Should the bill not be pushed through as part of the wash-up we will be back to square one. The best we can hope for is that the next government, whoever it’s led by, puts housing and the PRS at the heart of their agenda.’

Images: Rui Chamberlain, Andrew Carpenter, Antony Duthie and Lawrence Turner 

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New permitted development rights for unused farm buildings have come into effect, allowing them to be converted in homes and other commercial developments without the need for planning application.

At the end of last month, the government announced new legislation that will grant landowners the power to diversify buildings and deliver new housing without the need to acquire planning permission. Now, just under four weeks later, the changes have successfully come into effect.

The proposals form part of the government’s Long-term Plan for Housing, which was announced in July 2023. The desire to deliver more homes on farming land came after government figures exposed that just 5,000 homes have been created on such land since April 2014. What’s more, is this project will also produce a number of job opportunities.

Plans also outline that farms have the ability to expand the number and size of buildings on site, again, without the need for planning permission. The size limit for new farm buildings on sites over five hectares has increased by 500sqm to 1500sqm, and for farms under five hectares by 250sqm to 1250sqm. The volume allowance for extensions may also increase to 25% (from 20%) without the need for prior approval.

 Aidan Van de Weyer, senior planner at Lanpro in Cambridge, has welcomed the news as he believes these reforms will ‘bring greater flexibility to the use of rural buildings.’

‘By bringing in new residents and supporting local businesses, conversions of rural buildings – those which are currently not suitable for modern farming operations – will support the long-term vitality of countryside communities,’ Aidan said. ‘At Lanpro, we are already discussing with our clients how these changes will provide opportunities. One farming client, for example, has an unused barn building that has now been brought within the scope of permitted development and is keen for us to develop a proposal to capitalise on this change in the regulations.’

Echoing a similar tone, Rachel Hallos, vice president of the Nation Farmers’ Union, has said she ‘greatly supports’ the new proposals.

She said: ‘These changes are essential opportunities for farmers who wish to diversify their business, allowing them alternative streams of income and the ability to further support their local rural economy.’

Image: Scott Goodwill

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The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) have teamed up with the Digital Task Force for Planning to accelerate the use of technology within the planning sector.

Yesterday, 21st May 2024, marked the beginning of the annual UK’s Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum (UKREiiF) and at the event, Joanna Key, director general for regeneration, housing and planning at the DLUHC and Dr Wei Yang, chief executive of the Digital Task Force for Planning, signed the memorandum of understanding (MoU).

This will introduce new software to planning systems across the country ‘to give communities more say’ on applications, and ‘improve experiences of buying or selling properties’, the government said.

In addition, the government said the new technology will also help developers to identify suitable sites for new homes quickly and ‘unblock development stuck’ in the planning process.

A spokesperson for the DLUHC said: ‘This partnership paves the way for a new age of planning, speeding up decision making while giving communities more of a say on the housing and infrastructure in their area.

‘We are already using PropTech to accelerate the planning system, helping identify new sites for homes whilst protecting biodiversity.

‘This new technology is helping our long-term plan for housing to go even further to build the right homes in the right places.’

In a bid to encourage the community to have more of a say in the planning process, the DLUHC already funds councils to speed up the adoption of technology through the PropTech Innovation Fund. As it stands, local authorities in England have received £12m for more than 10 pilot schemes.

Dr Yang has expressed her enthusiasm to begin working with the DLUHC.

‘We are delighted to have signed the MoU with DLUHC, representing a significant step forward in our efforts to reinvigorate spatial planning as a positive force in addressing the multi-faceted challenges we face through a holistic approach,’ Dr Yang said. ‘This MoU will enable collaboration across our respective digital planning programmes and draw links to digital planning’s macro-economic and environmental impacts, as well as fostering future means of collaboration with local authorities and other organisations.’

Image: UKERiiF

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Our sister publication, Air Quality News, have announced that the 2024 National Air Quality Conference will take place on Wednesday 6th November and, for the first time, will be held at London’s Prospero House.

Prospero House is located near London Bridge, directly opposite Borough Station.

This year’s event will be the fifth national conference and, as ever, it will bring together some of the most important policymakers and academics who are working on solutions to the challenges created by air pollution and clean air provision.

The exhibition will also profile organisations who are offering solutions to the challenges faced in delivering improved air quality.

Super Early Bird tickets are now on sale but they are limited in number. Use the form on this page to make the most of these best-value tickets.

The first speakers have also been announced:

Simon Birkett, Clean Air in London

Simon Birkett is the Founder and Director of Clean Air in London. He has championed full compliance with the World Health Organisation’s most recent air quality guidelines since 2006 to protect public health and the climate.  Simon was the first and only air pollution stakeholder on UNEP’s High Level Inter-Governmental and Stakeholder Advisory Group for its Sixth Global Environment Outlook between 2015 and 2019.  This was the top steering group for the United Nations’ most comprehensive report on the global environment since 2012. 

Fiona Coull, Cross River Partnership

Prior to working at Cross River Partnership (CRP), Fiona worked as a consultant on several sustainable transport and Air Quality projects, including the Mayor’s School Air Quality Audit Programme, an initiative aimed at reducing emissions and exposure at 50 primary schools in some of London’s most polluted areas.

Fiona manages CRP’s Smarter Greener Logistics programme, a Defra-funded project that aims to minimise the impact of freight on noise, air quality, traffic and pavement space in London by making improvements across 14 London boroughs and two London Business Improvement Districts. The programme also involves increasing the viability of river freight.

Diana Varaden, Imperial College London

With a decade of experience in participatory research, Dr Varaden has led numerous citizen science projects, including the successful Breathe London wearables study, which actively engaged children in research, enabling the collection of a large and unique data set. It simultaneously increased children’s awareness of air pollution, fostering positive changes in their behaviours to reduce exposure.

Dr Varaden is currently deeply involved in the development and delivery of the engagement, involvement, and participatory strategy for the WellHome study, a community-based research project dedicated to investigating indoor air pollution. Her work underscores the importance of involving non-experts in research and promoting public engagement in health and environmental issues.

Nick Ruxton-Boyle, Director of Environment, Marston Holdings

Nick is a chartered transport planner and urban mobility expert with significant professional experience spanning strategic planning to concept design and has gained a wealth of experience in both the public and private sector throughout his career. Nick was head of transport at the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, Technical Director at Project Centre and is currently now Director of Environment at Marston Holdings. He is chair of the editorial panel at the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation. An urbanist, Nick is passionate about the role transport can play in the environment, the economy and society and is currently working on a wide range of air quality projects.

During his presentation Nick will be joined by a local authority partner to outline a detailed air quality joint project ..further details to be announced.

AQN are also in the process of acquiring experts for their traditional panel session.

If you have not attended once of the conferences before, you can find a report on last year’s National Conference here, while below is a short montage of the Northern Air Quality Conference held in Manchester in March.

Nigel Wilcock, Executive Director of the IED, explains the government should finally grant councils the right to statutory powers. It could be the only hope form stopping more from issuing the dreaded Section 114. 

Since 2018, eight English local authorities have issued Section 114 notices which indicate that the council’s forecast income is insufficient to meet its forecast expenditure for the next year, as the sector’s coffers reach breaking point.

Nigel Wilcock

More worrying, but not surprising, is almost one in five council leaders and chief executives in England surveyed by the Local Government Association (LGA) last year think that it is very or fairly likely that their chief finance officer will need to issue such a notice this year or next due to a lack of funding to keep key services running.

The magnitude of this issue, most notably at Birmingham City Council, has made front-page news. In fact, four councils in the past 12 months have declared themselves in effect bankrupt, while more have signalled drastic spending cuts as they attempt to avoid potential insolvency.

Now, this is attracting political attention at the highest level, including through the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee report on Financial distress in local authorities, published in February. In this report, the cross-party committee said that Ministers must urgently inject £4 billion into English town hall budgets to head off an ‘out of control’ financial crisis that threatens to drag well-run councils into bankruptcy and put local services at risk.

For now, following the initial Local Government Financial Settlement, councils in England have been handed an extra £600 million in funding to tackle the worsening financial crises, with £500 million available for social care, alongside a further £100 million in other funding guarantees and grants. Taking into account this new funding, Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove reported that the top-up in the financial package for English councils meant an overall increase in their budgets of up to £4.5bn next year.

Whilst the LGA has said that it will ‘continue to work with government to achieve a sustainable long-term funding settlement and updated distribution mechanisms, as well as legislative reform where needed, so that local government can play its full part in delivering inclusive prosperity and growth through investment to support people, places, and the planet’, we need to think bigger about our collective approach to council income-generation activity. This, in turn, links directly to the biggest issue facing this country.

Sustainable economic growth is urgently required to help deliver the funding for government to tackle significant areas of under-investment. With an aging population this will require significant improvements in productivity but at present the UK economy is flatlining and the high inflation of 2022 and 2023 has impacted on living standards and consumer expenditure. Serious questions are now being asked about current approaches to stimulating growth.

The nationally-led approach to stimulating growth has under-delivered for decades, and the National Audit Office found that since 1975 successive governments have introduced more than 55 separate policies targeting economic growth in England, with £18bn being spent between 2011 and 2020 alone. Put simply, this is not working, and it is time to enable effective action to drive economic growth that is locally led.

With the government transferring Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) to local government, the pivotal economic role of councils for realising the country’s growth ambitions has been articulated. This is why the Institute of Economic Development (IED) has recently launched its Grow Local, Grow National manifesto for change calling for councils to be given statutory powers over economic development so they can help create high-quality jobs, attract investment into local areas, and turbocharge the UK plc.

Giving local authorities a legal duty over economic development would create a clear accountability structure, which in turn would make it simpler and more attractive to UK and international firms and financial institutions to invest in places. It would also enable the development of local strategic economic development plans that respond to the views of local businesses, as well as the wider community.

Enhanced local focus on tackling stagnant growth and inequalities, in particular through resources invested in regeneration and boosting residents’ skills, would be facilitated and council staff upskilled with the tools and knowledge to help drive real economic growth.

With the right level of resources, councils can stimulate growth across the country, addressing the social, regional and financial inequalities that exist between places, delivering the productivity our economy so desperately needs.

Economic development’s role in understanding the drivers of growth and the needs of communities is clear, but the detailed work required to create positive change requires local understanding.

Without recognition as a statutory function, the importance of economic development can be under-prioritised as difficult funding decisions are made, although in the medium term a solid economic development strategy can create the foundations on which local areas can improve financial performance. A strong economic development function can also ensure government priorities in areas such as levelling up are developed more effectively at the local level.

The IED believes that it is only through this approach that national policies can be consistently implemented at a local level – and that economic development can make a difference to residents of areas at the local level. Alongside this overarching call to action are a series of recommendations (read our full manifesto for the detailed asks) sitting within six supporting pillars which we deem critical for success.

These six pillars include:

1. Devolution

As increasing local devolution moves up the political agenda, it will be essential for local authorities to have in place the models to ensure that local evidence can be gained, effective policies developed and implementation delivered.

2.     Funding and Pipeline Stability

Underpinning all economic development and associated projects is a requirement for a more stable and long-term funding landscape.

3.     Net Zero

The IED fully supports the mission of the Blueprint Coalition’s Manifesto for Local Climate Action, a core part to this being recognition of the need for a place-based approach to tackle climate change and move towards net zero.

4.     Business Development, Trade and Inward Investment

Growing our businesses, attracting investment into our local areas and supporting exports is a fundamental part of any locality’s economic development remit, helping to increase pay, employment and productivity.

5.     Labour Market and Skills Activation

A statutory economic development function would be involved in assessing local skills, key sectors and provide skills intelligence for local skills providers, employers and the workforce. Skills development, workforce assessment and the development of clear pathways into work would be a key element of the economic strategy.

6.     Workforce and CPD

Legal duty for economic development remit would need to be underpinned by an experienced and stable workforce. Under-investment in economic development and funding settlements for local authorities has meant important economic development skills have been lost to the profession and there is a need to rebuild them.

It is no surprise that both the government and opposition parties have made growing the economy a key focus for the forthcoming general election.

With a stagnating economy, and as increasing local devolution moves up the political agenda, it is essential for local areas to have in place the economic development models to ensure local evidence can be gained, effective policies developed and implementation delivered.

This is the core role of any economic development function and it seems unthinkable that despite moves towards devolution, economic development is not one of those areas deemed as a statutory responsibility of each local authority.

Councils could deliver so much more if they were given statutory powers, with their unique understanding of local economies, to better ensure policies are adapted to local conditions and make the most of the strengths of local places.

Having discussed our manifesto with key decision-makers, and with more Westminster meetings held or scheduled, we welcome further engagement with all parties to improve decisions on economic and industrial strategy development, leveraging the unique experience the economic development profession has of delivery.

We call on all parties to recognise the critically important role that economic development practitioners have in delivering levelling up and place-based economic transformation.

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Authorities in the capital city have voiced their concerns over shortcomings in government plans for regulating the short-term and holiday lets sector, warning they could exacerbate the housing crisis.

This morning, Tuesday 21st May 2024, a letter to housing secretary Michael Gove from London Councils was made public, which highlights the government’s proposal to create a new planning ‘use class’ for properties already used as short-term lets.

The new planning rules for short-term let properties were first introduced in February 2019 with an aim to freeing up more affordable housing for locals. They are due to come into place ‘this summer’.

However, the cross-party group have claimed that transferring short-term lets into this new planning category under permitted development rights will see thousands of homes removed from London’s permanent housing stock. London Councils estimates there are at least 43,000 short-term lets in the capital, which is equivalent to one in every 85 London homes.

Although, despite apprehensions, London Councils have welcomed other aspects of the government’s action on short-term lets. This includes introducing a much-needed regulation and oversight of the sector. These include a mandatory national register of properties and continued planning permission requirements for future short-term lets.

Despite this, London Councils argue that reclassifying existing short-term lets into a new planning category – the ‘C5’ use class – without requiring planning permission undermines efforts to preserve homes for residents amid worsening housing pressures and homelessness rates.

Research that was published last year by the cross-party group found a 41% in reduction in the number of London properties available for private rent since the Covid-19 pandemic, although data from the Office of National Statistics shows London private rents increased 7% in the year to 2024 – the highest jump on record – and the new change in planning rules could hinder progress.

Commenting on the news, Cllr Darren Rodwell, of London Councils, said although government plans mean well, the blanket reclassification of existing short-term lets into a new use class could strip the capital of thousands of homes.’

‘For too many years the short-term lets market has been growing out of control,’ Cllr Rodwell said. ‘With housing and homelessness pressures in the capital worse than ever, boroughs are extremely concerned about losing permanent housing stock. The priority has to be ensuring homes are available for long-term residents.’

Cllr Rodwell added: ‘Boroughs are keen to work with ministers on developing these proposals further and ensuring London is better placed to tackle this challenge.’

Image: Robbie Duncan

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Last month saw the beginning of introducing a new scheme to monitor standards of social housing in England. In this feature, Catherine Little, director of Campbell Tickell discusses what’s changing and what still needs to be done. 

1st April 2024 marked the start of a new regulatory regime for English social housing providers. A new set of consumer standards, with a proactive programme of inspections, came into force, as well a statutory complaint handling code and new powers for both the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) and the Housing Ombudsman. The date signalled some stark changes.

That’s at least partly true. At our recent webinar in March, more than 200 attendees heard that the regulator’s approach will: be steady; roll out across a four-year cycle of inspections; and be a process of continual learning for providers.

Here we discuss the key themes of the webinar, as well as drawing on the recently published documents from the RSH and Housing Ombudsman.

Finalising the consumer standards

The high level of support for the consultation, particularly from tenants, has provided credibility for the approach and more details. As such: the four standards remain the same; the thematic headings are largely unchanged; and the Code of Practice has been amended, only to provide greater clarity in some areas.

Consultation changes

The key differences in the final standards are:

• Changes to the Neighbourhood and Community standard: An increased focus on the safety of shared spaces (not shared space overall), and clearer focus on anti-social behaviour and hate incidents, within the context of safe neighbourhoods
• Extension of some requirements to prospective tenants: For example, understanding diverse needs as appropriate
• Extension of the tenant engagement requirement: Such as providing feedback on the impact of engagement to tenants
• Adding requirements for the provision of tenants’ rights and complaints information based on government direction

The code of practice has been updated with further examples and clarification. Alongside the expectation to collect and use data about their tenant base, landlords may also use external data and information to meet the requirements around diverse needs. Confirmation has also been added that landlords need to be aware of legal requirements, the advice of the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and tenant privacy.

Changes still to come

• Awaab’s Law (consultation closed in March)
• Competence and conduct standard (consultation closed in April)

Regulatory standards: it starts with the board

The RSH co-regulatory approach is based on the principle that the board or councillors is responsible for compliance with regulatory standards, including as publishing information to tenants and self-referral to the Regulator in cases of material non-compliance.

In practice this means that board members/councillors will need to seek assurance that regulatory standards are being met. Those organisations that have completed a gap analysis with the draft standards are in a good place to review and move forward. Others should complete a compliance assessment now.

Inspections

Updated detail around proactive inspections and the publication of results includes a couple of unheralded, but unsurprising details. These include:

• The potential for the Rent Standard to be included in local authority inspections. (See: How we approach regulatory judgements and gradings)
• A confirmation of a four-year inspection cycle, with more visits where risk is found, and a six-week notice period
• While inspections for local authorities won’t be carried out during a local election, the RSH makes no such commitment for reactive engagement
• The inspections will consist of a document review and follow-up observations of board and the relevant customer committee or scrutiny group. Interviews will follow, likely with: the executive team (together or separately); the Chair; the Chair of audit committee; and possibly Chair of customer committee (or the equivalent)
• A range of tenant engagement mechanisms ranging from time spent with a tenant scrutiny group (without staff present) to neighbourhood walkabouts, surveys, or something else
• Proactive inspections will result in Regulatory Judgements, and a consumer ‘C’ rating – for housing associations added onto the existing G and V ratings. The Regulator has been consistent in setting a likely range of outcomes from C1 to C4 and has dampened expectations around many C1s – although their documentation makes clear that this must be the ambition and accepted level
• The use of Regulatory Judgements will expand to cover reactive engagement, including with smaller providers, although the RSH will continue to apply a rating only to Registered Providers over 1000 homes

Navigating regulatory changes

The number of changes from 1 April 2024 may feel quite overwhelming, but some central messages emerged during our webinar about how best to navigate and adapt.

• Organisational culture is central to meeting the new regulatory requirements
• Curiosity at board level is crucial: look beyond the basics and ask the right questions
• Good quality data is essential to meeting the standards: holding the right data about property, people and services (including complaints) – and using this to inform decisions
• Ensure residents have an active seat at the table: move beyond engagement to real inclusion and influence
• Finally, the importance of collaboration – sharing good practice, but also challenges, can help to create an environment of transparency and ambition so that the standards are the baseline of what can be achieved

Images: Matt Brown and 

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The Centre for Ageing Better have revealed that fixing older people’s faulty homes would save the NHS and social care more than £1.5bn a year and deliver more in health benefits.

How many times have you heard Prime Minister’s and MPs promise to help the NHS and social care by providing them with more funding? Well, new research has found that funding may need to go into another industry as the key to helping health services has been found to be an unlikely one.  

Experts from the Centre for Ageing Better have revealed that removing the most serious risks to people’s health and safety from the country’s poorest quality homes, where the head of the household is aged 55 or over, would result in savings to the NHS of almost £600m per year.

In addition, new analysis from academics at the Care Policy and Evaluation Centre (CPEC), which is based at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), found formal care costs could be slashed by £1.1bn a year by 2027.

The LSE analysis indicates the potential for a further £3.5bn annual savings in unpaid care costs for older people. Previous research from the Centre for Ageing Better, an independent charity identified £19bn of annual health benefits from investing more in home improvement.

Arguably, this research couldn’t have come at a better time. Not only could fixing elderly people’s homes save the sector billions, but it could also reduce pressures on the NHS and social care, who are currently facing their worst staffing crisis to date. Likewise, the charity have also previously discovered that almost eight million people live in an unsafe home: approximately 2.6 million of these are aged 55 and over and 1.8 million are children.

Dr Carole Easton OBE, chief executive at the Centre for Ageing Better, said: ‘There is a terrible personal cost for older people who live in homes that are making them ill and which have the potential to seriously injure and even kill them. Older people are more likely to live in a dangerous, damp or cold home and are among the most vulnerable to the health impacts which can exacerbate conditions such as asthma and arthritis, as well as increasing the risk of an acute episode such as a stroke or heart attack.

‘But this country’s poor-quality housing crisis also reaps a terrible cost on our already stretched health and social care sectors. Fixing unsafe homes is a value-for-money solution that will not only help people to live healthier and longer lives, but will also reduce pressures on health and social care.’

‘With so much supporting evidence pointing to significant benefits, it beggars belief that home improvement is not higher up the political agenda,’ Dr Easton added. ‘Improving the country’s health cannot be done without improving the quality of our homes.’

Focusing investment just on mitigating excess cold, which claims the lives of up to 9,000 people a year in England and Wales, in every home in the country headed by an older person would deliver an estimated £325 million worth of savings to the NHS every year and pay back the repair costs within nine years.

The Centre for Ageing Better recently launched the Safe Homes Now campaign with eight other charities including Barnardo’s, Asthma + Lung and St John Ambulance.

Following the publication of this research, the campaign is calling for a national strategy to tackle the poor quality of the country’s homes and has challenged the government to halve the number of non-decent homes, which currently totals 3.7 millions, within the next ten years.

Dr Nicola Brimblecombe, senior researcher at the Care Policy and Evaluation Centre and lead of the LSE research project (CAPE), said: ‘Our study clearly shows how poor quality and unsuitable housing can increase people’s care needs and their ability to live independently, negatively affect wellbeing, and reduce choice.

‘Improving housing has the potential to improve people’s quality of life, reduce health and care inequalities, and save money for government as well as having wider benefits to the environment and society. Negative effects of poor housing for social care can be long-term – action to improve poor quality housing cannot come soon enough.’

The new research will be presented at a special event on the cost of poor-quality housing to health and social care at LSE on Tuesday 21st  May.

Image: The Centre for Ageing Better

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The Accounts Commission have revealed local authorities are currently facing a budget gap of £585m this financial year – but matters are only set to get worse.

Last week the commission published a report on the financial state of councils in Scotland at a budget briefing prepared by Audit Scotland. Stark conclusions were drawn which highlighted that if councils were to make any improvements, ‘ever tougher decisions’ would have to be made. These include councils having to raise money through charging citizens for some services and using reserves.

Experts found that this year’s budget gap represents 3.5% of councils’ total revenue budget.

According to the budget briefing, the 2024/25 funding allocation of total revenue to local government has increased by 5.7%, but money remains constrained as most of the increase is directed to funding to deliver central government pledges.

The majority of local authorities in Scotland were planning to increase their budgets by increasing council tax in 2024/25, however in the Autumn of 2023 the government announced a council tax freeze in a bid to help locals struggling with inflated living costs.

Although, the financial blows for councils don’t stop there. Within the report, the Accounts Commission have highlighted that councils could be facing a budget shortfall worth £780m by 2026/27.

Derek Yule, from the Accounts Commission, has claimed it is ‘getting harder for councils to do more with less.’

Derek added: ‘They have to find and then deliver significant levels of savings to address budget gaps. Fully engaging with local people and being clear about the different and difficult budget choices is vital, whilst understanding the impacts on the most vulnerable.’

This is the first year that findings from the budget briefing have been made public. The Accounts Commission said the ‘wide range’ of approaches councils take to budget setting and the level of information, and the way that it is publicly reported, made it ‘challenging to report a definitive national position’.

Following this, Derek said councils in Scotland must improve the way they present financial information.

Reacting to the dire financial states of local authorities, COSLA – a councillor-led, cross-party organisation championing the work of Scotland’s councils, is calling for a ‘real’ and ‘meaningful’ solution to address the problem.

Katie Hagmann, COSLA’s resources spokesperson, said: ‘It is vitally important that these concerns, which have been consistently raised by COSLA Leaders and are now backed up by evidence presented by the Accounts Commission, are acted upon for the sake of Scotland’s public services and our communities who rely upon them.

‘Now is the time to take real action. [The] Accounts Commission report is an accurate portrayal of where we are now. The reality right now for councils has never been more challenging.

‘The effect of years of real-terms cuts to core budgets have been compounded by additional policy commitments and less flexibility in how we allocate increasingly directed budgets. This makes the ability to take local decisions on most of our budget, almost impossible.’

Image: Chris Robert

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New figures from Rightmove’s House Price Index show the average price of properties listed for sale increased by 0.8% this month.

The month of May holds various positives. Typically, it is the time in England when the weather starts to improve, flowers begin to blossom and the days get longer. However, new data from Rightmove’s House Price Index also shows this month to be a particularly good time for house sales. Experts have uncovered that this month, the average price of a home rose to £375,131, which is an increase equivalent to £2,807.

According to professionals from Rightmove, the increase has happened as a result of the Spring selling season – May is often a popular time when people decide to buy a house, as new records have been set in 12 of the past 22 years.

Tim Bannister, director of property science at Rightmove, said this news is especially encouraging as various industry experts believed the property sector would struggle after the Bank of England hiked interest rates up to 5.25%.

‘Some predicted that property prices would suffer sharp falls and take a while to recover following the Bank of England increasing the vase rate up to 5.25%, where it has remained since august 2023,’ Tim said. ‘However, the momentum of the Spring selling season has exerted enough upwards price pressure to reach a new record asking price.’

Tim added: ‘From a regional perspective, the North East, with the cheapest average prices in Great Britain, has seen the strongest price growth. However, it’s important to remember that prices overall are still only 0.6% ahead of this time last year. The market remains price-sensitive, and with prices reaching new records in the majority of regions and mortgage rates remaining elevated, affordability for many homebuyers is still stretched.’

In addition to showcasing a rise in property prices, the data also displayed that increased buyer and seller activity has been driven by pent-up demand, despite continued high mortgage rates. Sales agreed between buyers and sellers in the first four months of the year are up 17% compared to the same period in 2023, outpacing a 12% rise in new listings.

Daniel Austin, CEO at ASK Partners, said: ‘The property sector is recovering. Rent values have seen sustained growth, positioning real estate as reasonably valued in comparison to gilts and presenting growth potential.

‘In the realm of commercial real estate, factors like physical condition, location, and age significantly influence a property’s value. Well-maintained properties boasting modern amenities tend to command higher prices, while neglected ones may struggle to attract tenants or investors. In the current market, the emphasis has shifted towards the importance of location and quality over the yield on debt or cost. We anticipate opportunistic acquisitions of prime properties in prime locations.’

Echoing a similar tone, Aaron Milburn, UK managing director for Pepper Advantage, claimed it is likely the trend of increased house prices and buyer-seller activity will continue.

‘Growth in house prices looks set to continue, according to Rightmove this morning. This would appear to complement our recent findings that mortgage arrears growth is slowing to its lowest rate since September 2022’s Mini-Budget and the mortgage market is showing some signs of improvement,’ Aaron said. ‘However, today’s figures contrast with those from Nationwide’s survey earlier this month which observed the average asking price of a home going in the opposite direction.

‘This discrepancy highlights that the state of the housing and mortgage markets is not the same across the whole of the UK, with disparity between regions. Similarly, we found that the arrears growth rate increased during Q1 for both the North East and North West regions while other areas, including the South East and Greater London, decreased. Even with green shoots appearing, the economic picture remains complex, and certain groups remain under pressure and will likely require support for some time.’

Overall, Rightmove predicts around 1.1 million completed sales transactions will occur this year. However, due to the house buying process still taking around five to seven months to complete, Rightmove have stated that to achieve this target by Christmas, people who are considering buying a property should act now.  

Image: volzi

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Central government have given councils in the county £9.6m to help restart housebuilding plans that have been delayed by almost two years.

Planning permission to build 16,000 homes in Norfolk have been in talks since 2022, however they were postponed due to concerns about pollution levels in the River Wensum and on the Broads.

Against this backdrop, Norwich Broadland, South Norfolk, Breckland and North Norfolk councils stopped granting permission for new properties close to the waterways. The authorities said no more homes could be constructed until measures were implemented to stop sewage from new properties impacting river nutrient levels.

However, thanks to funding from the government, the plans to build new homes have been given the go-ahead, as over £9m has been earmarked to help fund mitigation measures that include paying farmers not to keep livestock near rivers.

Lee Rowley, local government minister, who visited a housing estate at Beeston – a town near Norwich, said: ‘We have seen too many homes stuck in the planning system. This government backs the builders and not the blockers.

‘This fund will help unlock new housing in catchment areas like Norfolk, supporting councils to build more homes that local communities want and need.’

However, environmental groups, have claimed that whilst introducing nutrient neutrality measures were a start, the government need to do more.

Norwich Green Party councillor Gary Champion said: ‘Instead of improving the water we are just removing one source of pollution and replacing it with another, so the river is still polluted.

‘We really should be taking measures to bring overall pollution levels down.’

Image: Phil Hearing

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Since 2021 the world’s second largest economy have faced property struggles. However, the country have recently revealed their most significant steps yet to address it.

China’s property market was a key driver of growth up until developers began selling houses that hadn’t been built yet. With ever-rising prices, citizens were happy to keep purchasing – even if they didn’t intend to live in the houses, which inevitably caused their market to crash. However, this week, new measures have been announced which include cutting the amount home buyers need for a deposit and encouraging local authorities to purchase unsold properties.

The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) claimed it would establish a 300bn yuan – which equals to £32.8bn – facility to support affordable housing. This is designed to help local state-owned enterprises to but unsold homes.

In addition, the central bank have also axed the minimum mortgage rate and cut the minimum down payment for first-home buyers from 20% to 15%. The lowest deposit for second homes was also reduced from 30% to 25%.

Today, He Lifeng, Vice Premier, informed officials that councils can purchase properties at ‘reasonable prices’ and sell them as affordable housing, although he hasn’t offered any details yet about the number of homes that could be bought or the timescale the initiative would run for.

As well as the new measures being revealed, new figures have also been released which show new home prices had fallen for the 10th month in a row in April – the 0.6% month-on-month decline was the sharpest reduction since November 2014.

Against this backdrop, County Garden – a struggling Chinese developer – had a hearing in a Hong Kong court over its potential liquidation on Friday. Although, this has been adjoined to 11th June.

Since 2021 developers in China have been facing severe financial pressures as local authorities announced measures to curb the amount real estate companies could borrow.

Image: Rikke Filbært

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Paul Kutschmarski, director of Web Presence, believes too many charities are unaware of the huge benefits available to them through Google Ad Grants.

The website you are currently viewing has been created by our friends at Web Presence, who are based down the road from Air Quality News in Macclesfield.

At a recent visit, Web Presence director Paul Kutschmarski got to talking about his work with charities. Specifically, about helping them access Google Ad Grants, through which the search engine offers charities a considerable amount of free advertising.

Paul was frustrated that so many charities are unaware of the scheme and many others tended to view it as ‘too good to be true’ and were reluctant to engage.

As many of the magazines at Public Sector News deal with a variety of charities, we offered to give Paul the opportunity to explain what is available and how they can go about accessing this fantastic resource. 

Can you explain what you want to achieve?

Google Ad Grants for charities, that’s the thing. We offer a service, partnered with Google, which allows charities to get up to $120,000 a year in free advertising on Google ads, putting them at the top of the search results pages. We’ve been moderately successful at rolling that out. We’ve unlocked around £3m in funding for charities over this last year – which is fantastic – but the number we wanted to hit was £20m.

What I want to do is make charities aware that this is available. There’s no tricks or gimmicks to it. It sounds a little bit ‘too good to be true’, especially with how funding is for charities right now. But it’s not, it’s really good. It’s really valuable. And I want to get it in the hands of as many charities as I can.

The first thing they’re gonna say is what’s in it for you?

Absolutely, so yes, we charge for our service, so it’s a commercial thing but the funding itself, to pay for the clicks, is completely covered by Google up to that  limit of $120,000. And the offering from us is a heavily, heavily discounted version of what we offer our commercial clients.

What brought this about?

I’ll tell you the origin story of why we started doing this. We work with a fantastic charity in Manchester called National Ugly Mugs who provide safeguarding services for sex workers. We’ve been their tech partner for the last few years, we run their website, the membership and everything.

A few years ago, they were approached by this huge agency to offer this Google ad service, which we weren’t really aware of at the time. And, being their tech partner, they approached us and said, ‘Can can you do this for us?’ but the price they were being quoted was ridiculously low, it was about five times cheaper than we’d offer to a commercial client. It was really good pricing so we said, with the size and experience of that company, they know what they’re doing, work with them, it sounds like it’s going to be all good.

And then, over the next year, we watched just how poor it was. How little was done and how little value was added. I think of that $120,000 budget, they spent around £2,000 over the course of a year and they only made two changes to the account, one every six months.

So the charity said, ‘can you can you look at this again, we’d like you to do it?’  And that set us off.

We had to look at how we could do we do it at this price point. Obviously, it’s very easy to do cheaply if you only make two edits a year, but how do we do it to our normal, high level of service?

So we spent around a year and a half working on this new product internally, to figure out how do we get it down.

And we had a breakthrough talking to our other charity clients. We found there were three ‘pillars’ that they all had in common: They need help with fundraising. They need help with raising awareness. And they need help with recruitment. 

And that that changed everything because what we were able to do then was pre-create entire campaigns that work for fundraising, that work for awareness, that work for recruitment – with just the the details missing – the bit that relates to that particular charity.  So it’s a template, effectively.

We were able to eliminate all of the boilerplate, and that was phase one of us getting it working.

And then phase two – we’re software developers so we were able to develop some bespoke software to tackle the repetitive tasks that we were doing over and over again, that don’t really add value. Writing a lovely report that’s easy to understand is great, but it’s not a good use of time to do it repetitively, over and over again… doing the communications… monitoring the accounts. So we developed software to automate all of that for us.

So our time is only spent improving the accounts making sure they’re doing good work.

We found we were able to reduce our costs by 80%. It’s still profitable, but it’s cheap enough that small charities can afford it at a good price point.

What is that price point?

We have a few packages available, depending on the charities needs, and where they start from.  £3,800 – or £350 a month – to access £90,000 a year in free advertising is a pretty good proposition.

What exactly do you do for the charities?

We will handle the whole process from start to finish. We do the Google grant application with them: do all the application paperwork, do the eligibility checks and once the grant’s released, create the Google Ads account – the actual platform that they’re going to use for it.

And for any charity that wants it, we will do the application pro bono. So if you can’t afford our services, and you just want access to the grant, we’ll do that for free.

The part where you start paying is if you want us to do the audience research, find what keywords people are searching for, write all of the ads for you and build that into an account. And then on a monthly basis, or a bi monthly basis, go in and see how it’s going, pull back on the stuff that’s not working very well and push ahead on what is doing well, so it’s getting better and smarter each month. And working towards the fundraising, awareness and recruitment goals we’ve predecided with the charity. That’s the part you’re paying us for.

How exactly does the Google Ad grant work?

So, at current rates you’d get a little over £90,000 to that amount on your Google Ads account without incurring any cost.

Once you’ve got the grant, you’ve got it forever. You don’t need to keep reapplying each year or anything like that. You just keep it for as long as you use it.

One of the limits is that you can’t just blow the whole budget in the first month. It’s limited to around £230 a day. It’s a paced budget, designed for ‘always-on’ advertising, rather than just to promote certain events through the year.

What’s the pricing for Google ads? So if  I’ve got, say, just £10,000 pounds to spend on ads, what would I get for that?

It depends on your niche. It works like an auction. So if there’s, say, five companies that sell fences, one of them could say ‘I’ll pay two pounds per click’ and another says, ‘well, I’ll pay three’ – and that’s the order the ads will appear.

So the price that you pay for each time someone clicks on one of your ads, is set by your competitors. It would generally be around 50p to £5 each time somebody clicks one of your ads.

When you say ‘ads’ people think  graphic images but it’s not is it, it’s just it’s what we see when we search Google for anything.

Yes. Those first four results you see when you search for anything tend to have the ‘sponsored’ key word next to them. They’re the Google ads that you’d see. 

Are the ads constantly on there or can people run campaigns for three months and then pull them.

We do both. We call them seasonal campaigns. For a lot of charities, there are big events through the year, such as Autism Awareness Week and Children in Need, that come around at specific times of the year. So they tend to run in addition to the ‘always on’. But generally, for our clients, we are always fundraising, 24/7. 

I’m assuming most charities won’t have experience in this, so are in need of a lot of guidance. 

Absolutely. We think of ourselves like a bolt on digital department for each. The figures from Google say that working with an agency gives you an eight times better return than doing it alone. And the average person just wouldn’t know what to ask for it, so we have this pre-written strategy of what we’re trying to achieve for that specific client, what’s what’s the highest priority? How are they doing now, without the ads turned on? What would be a good figure for us to hit once they do have the ads turned on? And it works.

When the charities have spent the money, that’s it, so how long can that $12o,000 be made to last?

For the majority of our claims, we think of it as an unlimited budget – this is one of the ‘too good to be true’ parts. A big national charity can spend that £260 every day. One of our clients is Act for Addenbrooke’s who were running a DRTV campaign, fundraising for children who were stuck in hospital over Christmas. We were able to contribute towards 7,000 donations across the course of that campaign and they could burn through their budget by lunchtime, and then they’re off for the rest of the day. But if you imagine a 50p or £1 per click, and a charity that only serves Macclesfield, you won’t spend anywhere near the $120,000. You might be lucky to spend £10 or £20 a day. So in that case, we see it as an unlimited budget.

Do you design and run websites for any of these charities?

We do, Autism Initiatives and National Ugly Mugs for example. We don’t have to build a website, there’s no upsells or anything like that. But there are some requirements on the grant that you have what Google considers a ‘quality website’, so it has to be secure.

How many charities are you currently working with?

I think we have about 25 clients that are active and a good few more that we’re in some stage of discussion with, but we really want to do this at scale. Because of our investment over that 18 months, we have the team that can do this. We have the software, we have all the kit and everything’s set up to do it at scale. 

You said you’ve been a bit frustrated that more charities aren’t using the resource…

Yes, ‘ve been surprised and a bit frustrated at how slow the uptake has been on this. It’s a little bit bizarre, and we’ve put it down to a bit of ‘it really does sound too good to be true.’ 

Also, I guess there’s maybe not a huge commercial appetite within charities and not a great understanding of what Google ads are and what value they can add. I know that lots of charities are aware of it, but I think there’s many more who aren’t.

Our team are experts in their fields and have worked within charities themselves, so are passionate about not only utilising this fantastic resource, but also educating the people in the charities on the smart digital tools out there, that can help them reach their charity goals.

For more information contact Web Presence here.

Images: Rajeshwar Bachu and Myriam Jessier

During 2021 and 2023 £13m worth of civil penalties were issued to rogue landlords by councils, but only £6m has been collected so far, according to data from the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA).

In England, local authorities have the power to issue civil penalties worth up to £30,000 for a range of offences committed by rogue landlords. These include not having an up-to-date gas safety certificate, electrical safety breaches, not protecting deposits and breaching the right-to-rent rules.

The research, which was published yesterday by the NRLA, found that almost half of local authorities have not issued any civil penalties between 2021 and 2023, while 69% had issued five or fewer. However, despite the fines being dealt, councils are yet to collect all the money owed by landlords.

Commenting on the findings, Ben Beadle, chief executive of the NRLA, said: ‘Rogue and criminal landlords cause misery for their tenants and undermine the reputation of the responsible majority. Tackling them should be a high priority for councils.

‘At a time of tight budgets, it is strange that councils are failing to collect the fines levied on those landlords failing to do the right thing. It makes a mockery of the deterrent such fines should be. It will also come as a bitter blow to the many responsible landlords who comply with, and exceed, their responsibilities – but are subject to licensing regimes and associated fees all the same.’

The figures come as the Renters Reform Bill, which is currently going through Parliament, could offer a series of new offences that can be finable if it is passed.

Following this, the NRLA has raised the question of how able councils will be to use these newly acquired powers when almost half are not using the powers they already have.

Due to councils failures, the NRLA is calling for the creation of a new national chief environmental health officer to lead the charge for improved enforcement against rogue and criminal landlords.

‘It is vital that the Government and councils work together to boost the capacity of enforcement teams to make better use of the existing powers they have to tackle poor-quality housing,’ Beadle said. ‘Without this, additional protections for tenants in the Renters Reform Bill run the risk of being meaningless.’

Image: OleksandrPidvalnyi

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Remarked as a groundbreaking example of commercial redevelopment, Technique helped sustainability transform two adjoining mid-20th century properties in London.

The two abandoned old buildings that were situated in Clerkenwell, London, have now been transformed into a new office space that is comprised of three floors. Working with developer General Project, the client set out to deliver a development encapsulating high standards of architecture and specification, which would minimise energy and resources – a key aspect of reaching net zero targets.

Against this backdrop, specialist timber subcontractor B&K Structures were recruited to sustainably deliver the project. The use of timber meant lorry deliveries were cut by up to 70% and the material itself acts as a carbon sink because it preserves the chemical that is stored in wood, preventing its release back into the atmosphere.

Since the tragic fire at Grenfell Tower, which broke out in 2017, developers are being urged to switch to timber when building new establishments, as the material used to construct the tower was found to be easily flammable. 

In addition to providing green and safety benefits, experts who worked on the new development, said timber also helped ‘navigate a complex planning process and maximised the area uplift on a retained RC structure with serious existing limitations.

Various professionals have expressed their opinions on the new structure.

Amr Asaad, B&K structures

‘There were initial benefits [to using timber] such as the lower weight, requiring far less reinforcement of the foundations, and then the enhanced future flexibility it provides in terms of adapting the building to different needs.’

Fred Schwass, development director, General Projects

‘Our team has worked together as pioneers in mass timber, delivering unique spaces which prioritise quality and aesthetics over lettable space. For Technique we were also able to ensure cost certainty on the structural elements, meaning we had a pain/gain share agreement so the client had reasonable cost certainty during construction.’

Andy Heyne, Partner, Housing repairs and environmental services (HTS)

‘The dedication to aesthetic yet low environmental impact materials is carried throughout the entire building.  Significantly, the exposed structure celebrates the building by transposing a new CLT frame with the same grid; the timber slabs provide flexibility to connect floors with staircases, if required by a future multi-floor tenant.’

Lee Roberts, Pre-construction director, B&K Structures

‘Technique is another fantastic addition to our commercial portfolio and showcases the benefits that a hybrid timber and steel solution can bring to complex refurbishment projects. The faultless design and build process by the BKS team is testament to our longstanding experience and expertise with this type of scheme.’

Images: General Project

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The new build organisation have promoted a former apprentice into the position, showcasing the ability to excel your career in the development industry.

Elivia Homes have promoted Peter Hutson to become the new managing director of its Eastern region. He originally joined the development company as an apprentice and then progressed to become part of the central team, where he served as construction director for eight years. Now, Huston will head a team of more than 40, and will have overall responsibility for developments across Kent, East Sussex and Essex.

In addition, Huston will also be responsible for expanding the business, overseeing the company’s land acquisition programme and maintaining the regions performance in customer service.

‘I’m delighted to be taking the helm of our successful eastern business,’ said Peter Hutson. ‘The senior team, and the business as a whole, is very optimistic about our future, and my vision is firmly fixed on driving significant growth in the region, while motivating our fantastic team.’

Chris Chiles, chief executive of Elivia, said: ‘Peter’s promotion aligns with our core values of passion, progress and expertise. His journey from apprentice to managing director exemplifies the ethos of hard work, and the strategic foresight at the core of all our business decisions.

‘As we stand on the cusp of new opportunities and challenges, Peter’s role will be integral in delivering our strategy and guiding our eastern operation with a vision that ensures both resilience and growth.’

Elivia expanded into their newest region last year after the owners bought Millwood Designer Homes.

Image: Blake Wheeler

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Heineken UK is set to reopen 62 pubs and refurbish hundreds of older venues in a bid to attract customers who predominantly work from home.

Over 90 sites are set up for a makeover, which is expected to cost around £200,000, and the majority are located on sites under Star Pubs and Bars arm. The investment will see 62 sites reopen in 2024, meaning that by the end of the year the brewer will have opened the doors to 156 long-term closed pubs since the end of 2023.

The refurbishments will focus on new designs, signage and dividing screens that will help create different areas of the pubs to accommodate people’s reason for visiting. These include areas for watching sport and eating dinner.

Progress on the scheme has already started as the Ashford arms in Ashford-in-the-Water, Derbyshire, has just reopened after it closed its doors during the Covid-19 pandemic. The establishment has a 107-cover restaurant, nine en-suite rooms and 30-cover alfresco area.

In addition to helping local business and providing entertainment for those who are stuck inside their homes all day, Heineken have also said their developments will benefit the environment. The company have announced they will be launching further projects to improve pub insulation and cut energy use by 15% as part of its goal to become net-zero by 2040.

Commenting on the news, Lawson Mountstevens, managing director of Star Pubs, said: ‘People are looking for maximum value from visits to their local. They want great surroundings and food and drink as well as activities that give them an extra reason to go out, such as sports screenings and entertainment.’

‘Pubs have proved their enduring appeal; after all the disruption of recent years, Star is on track to have the lowest number of closed pubs since 2019,’ Lawson said. ‘It’s a tribute to the drive and entrepreneurship of licensees and the importance of continued investment. We’ve spent more than £200m upgrading and maintaining our pubs over the last five years, and we’ll continue to invest to keep them open and thriving.’

News of the pubs reopening has come at a tragic time for watering holes across the UK. Following the pandemic and the continued cost-of-living crisis, a record number of pubs have had to shut their doors. The latest figures from the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) shows over 500 pubs closed across the UK in 2023.

Image: Heineken UK 

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Research shows people who work in construction often suffer worse with their wellbeing, so this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week we’re discussing how they can be best supported.

This week – 13th May to 19th May – is Mental Health Awareness Week, which is an event that was established by the Mental Health Foundation in 2001 with an aim to tackle stigma and help people understand and prioritise their and others’ mental state. To mark the occasion, we will be directing readers’ attention to the construction industry, as research has found people in the sector are more likely to struggle with mental illness than any other workers.

Data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) has woefully highlighted that workers in construction are four times more likely to die by taking their own life than in any other sector. In addition, two hardware and electrical organisations, otherwise known as IronmongeryDirect and ElectricalDirect have reported that 82% of builders in the UK grapple with work-related mental health problems every year, with an overwhelming 92% admitting to feeling uncomfortable discussing their problems.

Against this backdrop, research from Fix Radio – the UK’s only national radio station dedicated to builders in the trades – has revealed that 38% of tradesmen are now experiencing the worst levels of stress and anxiety in their lifetime.

How the mental health crisis is impacting the trades sector

Clive Holland, host of The Clive Holland Show – which is aired on Fix Radio – has claimed that there are an unjust number of reasons why the rate of suicide is so high in the construction sector, and these must be addressed now.

‘There are several underlying reasons why the rate of suicide in the construction trades is so high,’ Clive said. ‘Firstly, there is a macho image in the industry and men are not brilliant at ‘opening up’ and discussing their feelings. But I feel that this is changing slowly, but surely.

‘Secondly, there is a lot of stress involved in running a small business – there are long hours, few holidays, slow payers and cash flow issues. In the last two years particularly, spiralling costs of materials and spiking energy prices have squeezed margins even further. Couple that with the growing skills shortage – it ramps up extra pressures on daily site life. The pandemic has magnified many of these problems – tradespeople will tell you that they have never been this busy. Many are fully booked until the end of the year, if not further.’

Clive added: ‘It is also worth remembering that while many of our tradespeople have fantastic skills and deliver outstanding work, the weakest part of their game is dealing with the details of their business. Great tradespeople are not necessarily great business people and it is worth remembering that they often feel intimidated by the admin and financial side of the job.’

Where can help seek help?

The demand for national helplines has displayed the growing desperation among industry professions for support – the Big Brew, a national helpline for mental health – revealed that over a third of texts were from individual construction workers contemplating suicide, with 16% of those relating to depression. These heartbreaking statistics have been published at a challenging time in the sector as individuals have reported struggling with schedules, material shortages, the ongoing pressures of delivering housing targets and new environmental directives.

To try and help ease some of the pressure and combat stereotypes associated with people in this profession seeking help, Fix Radio have also highlighted various helplines that are on hand to offer assistance.

These include:

• The Lighthouse Club: 100% focused on improving the welfare and wellbeing of the construction community in the UK and Ireland. They provide a range of free and proactive services to help companies deliver the best possible support to their employees and their families.
• 24/7 Confidential Helpline:Available to everyone on your site including subcontractors, agency workers and allied trades. Their Construction Industry Helpline covers all aspects of emotional, physical and financial wellbeing, and is available in many different languages through our partnership with translation services
• Self-support app:A downloadable Wellbeing Support App called ‘Construction Industry Helpline’ that covers all the aspects of wellbeing. The app is packed with information to learn about conditions, how to develop coping strategies with signposting to over 3000 accredited organisations that provide support. It really is a ‘mate’ in your back pocket
• Text HardHat:A 24/7 service dedicated to providing immediate access to text back counselling
• Wellbeing Masterclasses:These are one hour scheduled CPD Accredited wellbeing education sessions covering topics such as: managing stress, building resilience, work-life balance, mindfulness, meditation, financial management and many more
• Lighthouse Beacons:Having identified over 160 volunteer centres around the UK and Ireland where workers can drop in to meet like-minded people, socialise and talk – the Beacons are facilitated by individuals with lived experience, and in this confidential environment, encourage those struggling with life problems to share their issues and if required, seek further help

Image: Karolina Grabowska

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Part of the government’s sweeping changes to the welfare system include claimants having to look for extra work if they do less than 18 hours a week.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) have said the new rule, which came into effect this morning, means individuals working less than half of a full-time week will have to book frequent visits with their work coach to boost their earnings.

Ministers have increased the administrative earnings threshold from the equivalent of 15 hours to 18 hours at national living wage for an individual claimant. The DWP have said the change applies to some 180,000 people.

Commenting on the news, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, said: ‘Today’s changes will help more people on universal credit move into well paid jobs and progress towards financial independence, which is better for them and for economic growth.’

The new legislation, which was announced last month by Mr Sunak alongside a review of payments to people with disabilities and mental health conditions, means people earning under £892 a month or £1,437 for couples will have to seek additional work.

This is up from individuals earning £617 and £988 for couples.

Mel Stride, Work and Pensions secretary, said: ‘We will always back those who want to work hard and today we are radically expanding the support available to help people progress in work.

‘With the next generation of welfare reforms, I want to help thousands of people on their journey off benefits and towards financial independence.

‘Our plan is making work pay, with people in full-time work now £7,000 better off than on out-of-work benefits, and our tax cuts putting £900 back in the pockets of millions of workers across Britain.’

Image: Suzy Hazelwood

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Figures from the Bank of England have revealed hundreds of thousands of homeowners have taken out mortgages in the last few three years that they will be paying off into retirement.

Despite house prices coming down and the Bank of England talking about lowering interest rates, there is one group of people who will be bearing the brunt of the housing crisis well into their retirement years.

Research that was obtained through Freedom of Information requests showcased that 42% of new mortgages in the fourth quarter of 2023 – or 91,394 – had terms going beyond the state pension age.

In the final quarter of last year, people aged 30 to 39 accounted for 30,943 new mortgages lasting beyond state pension age, while people aged 40 to 49 accounted for 32,305.

Those aged under 30 made up 3,676 of these mortgages.

During the same period in 2021, researchers found 31% of mortgages had the same end date, showcasing the increase in popularity for longer-term loans.

Against this backdrop, across the final quarters of all three years leading to 2023, almost 300,000 new mortgages were in this category.

Sir Steve Webb, ex-Liberal Democrat MP who is now a partner at the consultancy firm LCP, has voiced his concerns that younger people are taking out longer mortgage loans to manage costs, but these result in higher interest rates which mean they will be paying more in the long term.

‘The huge number of mortgages which run past state pension age is shocking,’ Sir Webb said. ‘The challenge of getting on the housing ladder is forcing large numbers of young homebuyers to gamble with their retirement prospects by taking on ultra-long mortgages.’

Sir Webb added: ‘We already know that millions of people are not saving enough for their retirement and if some of that limited retirement saving has to be used to clear a mortgage balance at retirement they will be at even greater risk of poverty in old age.

‘Serious questions need to be asked of mortgage lenders as to whether this lending is really in the borrower’s best interests.’

Echoing a similar tone, Karina Hutchins, principal for mortgage policy at UK Finance, said that while longer mortgage loans can offer some short-term benefits, they will eventually have ‘less disposable income to put into their pension if the mortgage runs for its full term.’

Karina remarked: ‘We would encourage customers to speak to an independent mortgage adviser to discuss the best options available for their specific circumstances.’

Currently, it remains unclear how long this trend may last as it depends on whether mortgage rates drop and settle. Following the decision to keep interest rates at 5.25% on Thursday, Andrew Bailey, the Bank’s governor, said he remains ‘optimistic’ that things are moving ‘in the right direction’.  

Image: BrianPenny

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