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The percentage of charity supporters who said they have included a legacy gift is up seven percentage points since 2010

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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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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One of Yorkshire’s leading transport planning, engineering and infrastructure specialists is bolstering its commitment to developing talent in the West Yorkshire city.  

SYSTRA, which was founded in July 1992 and means ‘Systèmes de Transports’, has recently announced that it has relocated to Leeds to assist in levelling up the city.

Now situated on 114 Wellington Street, the new office provides a modern open-plan creative space that helps SYSTRA staff work to the best of their ability. Members of the team who are now based in Leeds are working on projects for various local clients including West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA), Leeds City Council, Kirklees Council, and national infrastructure organisations such as HS2, Network Rail, Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB), and National Highways.

In addition, SYSTRA are also involved with the Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU East) electrification project, which will transform the rail passenger experience between Leeds and York. It aims to do this by improving capacity and making journeys more reliable, safer and sustainable.

The positive news from SYSTRA to help improve train experiences has been well received as it seems these days, all that seems to make headlines is the fact that trains are either on strike or routes are getting cut.

Nick Salt, CEO of SYSTRA, said: ‘We are delighted with our new space in Leeds. It is a bright modern space which complements our colleague’s shining skills across our range of services. We look forward to growing the business through delivering sustainable infrastructure and creating places that thrive across Yorkshire.’

Likewise, Sebastien Dupont, managing director of consultancy at SYSTRA, has remarked that despite having a presence in Leeds that dates back ‘more than three decades’, it is ‘wonderful to have a newly-created, modern office space to reflect our brand and our ambition to deliver first-class services.’

Sebastien added: ‘We are very much looking forward to growing our portfolio of work in Yorkshire and continuing to support our clients on complex sustainable infrastructure projects in the UK, Ireland and around the world.’

Image: SYSTRA

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Research from a leading homelessness charity has found that inaction to scrap section 21 notices has meant 84,650 households in England have faced eviction in the last five years.  

‘Everyone deserves a safe, secure place to live,’ according to Rick Henderson, chief executive of Homeless Link. However, according to the charity’s new research, this view doesn’t seem to be echoed amongst the Conservative Party.

Published this morning, the research found that 84,650 households in England approached local councils for support after facing eviction within the last five years. This statistic was discovered even after the Conservatives pledged to scrap section 21 notices, which allow landlords to end tenancies at will with just two months’ notice.

Theresa May, former prime minister of the Conservative party, was the first to announce that this legislation would be scrapped in April 2019, but fast forward five years and it is still yet to be done.

To conduct their research, Homeless Link analysed official data from the Department for levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC), which showed that homeless numbers peaked between April and June 2023, the period when the government introduced its renters’ reform bill pledging to end the uncertainty hanging over private tenants.

Against this backdrop, Ministry of Justice figures that were released towards the beginning of this year, found that more than 26,000 households had been thrown out of their homes by bailiffs after court proceedings following section 21 notices since the pledge.

Rick Henderson said: ‘It is clearly not right that someone can be evicted from their home for no reason with just two months’ notice. The government identified this in 2019 but its inaction has led to tens of thousands of households unnecessarily facing homelessness.

‘A huge shortage of genuinely affordable housing means when a household approaches their local authority with a section 21 notice, and the local authority has a statutory duty to help them, often all they can do is try to keep them in that property, find them another private rented property or, as a last resort, place them in temporary accommodation at huge expense.

‘Those who the local authority don’t have a duty to support tragically often end up sleeping rough.’

One tragic example of this is Kelvin, whose name has been changed for anonymity purposes. He was living in a privately rented London house-share for three years when one day, out of the blue, him and his housemates received a letter from their landlord saying they were being evicted with no given reason.

‘I was so shocked and upset by what had happened,’ Kelvin said. ‘It really impacted me. All of a sudden, even though I was keeping up with my rent and my bills, I was homeless. I spent time sofa-surfacing while I figured out what to do, and all the time kept working.’

At the time of eviction, Kelvin wasn’t provided with enough time to move all of his belongings out of the house-share before the locks were changed.

However, Kelvin’s story did end on a positive note, as he found a safe place to stay at Your Place – a charity that provides people on the streets with temporary accommodation.

Kelvin said: ‘It’s peaceful and I’m able to focus on my career and getting back on my feet. My keyworker has been awesome; she’s always really supportive and I’m so grateful to have the support and stability that I didn’t have before. But I’ve lost trust in private landlords and things need to change so that this doesn’t keep happening to people.’

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SOS Children’s Villages Denmark (SOS DK) have created a scheme to help house children in Ukraine. Even before the tragic war erupted, the country was found to have one of the highest rates of children living without a stable home.  

Today, 15th April 2024, SOS DK have launched their new initiative, which is otherwise known as the Children’s Living Project. The idea, which was made possible through the support of 11 charities and organisations across Denmark, is to create new, sustainable homes for children in Ukraine.

The project couldn’t have come at a better time. Even before Russian military forces entered Ukraine in 2022, research from Save the Children found that the country had one of the highest rates of children living in institutional care in Europe, with around 100,000 living in some form of residential care facility. However, since the war began, the problem has tragically escalated.

To help the ongoing crisis, the new project from SOS DK will see a cluster of buildings created in three different locations across Ukraine. Each cluster is set to feature homes for foster families, shared recreational and social spaces for both inhabitants and local communities, and social centres that will supply a range of mental health support for foster families as well as locals living in the surrounding area.

Commenting on the news, Mads Klæstrup Kristensen, managing director of SOS Children’s Villages Denmark, said: ‘The ongoing war in Ukraine has affected millions of children, leaving many of them without parental care, protection, and a safe space to call home. Our priority has always been to ensure children around the world have their needs and rights met to enable them to grow up in a caring home, thrive and become their strongest selves.

‘Through this project, we want to inspire better ways of caring physically, emotionally, and socially for children without parental care and help move toward de-institutionalization by demonstrating new, holistic solutions for alternative care environments.’

According to SOS DK, the new establishments will be constructed within existing neighbourhoods to help better integrate new families and make children feel as at home as possible.

Lee Petersson, CEO of the VELUX Group – one of the partners of the new project – claimed that the scheme will hopefully help inspire other organisations and authorities to act, as no one should have to experience what individuals in Ukraine are, especially children.

‘With the war causing unprecedented destruction across the country, we want to contribute with a more sustainable way of rebuilding homes in Ukraine,’ Lee said. ‘With our Living Places concept, we demonstrate that it is possible to build healthy homes with a low carbon footprint – and we are happy to contribute to this impactful project that helps secure a more promising future for children without parental care in Ukraine.’

Lee added: ‘Our contribution is small in the grand scheme of things, but the children who will be living in the new homes will grow up in an environment that promotes health and their wellbeing. We hope that this project will help inspire others to take action – both in terms of supporting the rebuilding of Ukraine, but also to transform the building industry.’

Image: SOS DK

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Figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) show gross domestic product (GDP) rose by 0.1% in February, but despite positive indicators experts have warned ‘challenges still persist.’

 January 2024 was potentially one of the wettest starts to a new year that has been experienced for a while. Conditions had major effects on construction and retail, but deposit this, new ONS data shows GDP increased by 0.1% in February, matching City economists’ forecasts and extending a recovery after growth in January was revised up from 0.2% to 0.3%. 

Commenting on the news, Liz McKeown, ONS director of economics statistics, said: ‘The economy grew slightly in February with widespread growth across manufacturing, particularly in the car sector. Services also grew a little, with public transport and haulage and telecommunications having strong months.

‘Partially offsetting this there were notable falls across construction as the wet weather hampered many building projects.’

In addition to the data showing a growth last month, the latest figures also highlight the rise of 0.1% over the last three months to the end of February. This is the first time this has happened since last summer, with activity recovering from a slump last year as households cut back on spending amid the cost-of-living crisis.

However, Douglas Grant, group CEO of Manx Financial, has warned that despite a positive increase, individuals and businesses are still set to face financial difficulties.

He said: ‘The most recent GDP figures in the UK serve as a stark reminder that despite certain recent positive indicators, challenges still persist. This underscores the importance for SMEs to seize this moment to reassess their existing lending arrangements and strengthen their positions.

‘The data is reflective of separate research conducted by Manx Financial Group that reveals a significant shift in the financial landscape for SMEs. In contrast to the previous survey, where only 25% faced challenges, the current findings indicate that two out of five SMEs are now grappling with operational slowdowns or halts due to a lack of external financing.

‘The survey also underscores that 15% of SMEs seeking external finance or capital are unable to secure the necessary funds. These financial constraints, coupled with a potentially unprecedented and volatile environment marked by ongoing conflicts, multiple elections, a tightening labour market, and persistent cost-of-living challenges, pose obstacles to the prospects of SMEs and national economic growth.’

In addition to SMEs struggling, the research from the ONS shows that construction output collapsed by 1.9% on the month as heavy rainfall forced cranes to sit abandoned on building sites. The UK’s dominant services sector, which makes up about four-fifths of the economy, also struggled. Figures show the sector only grew by 0.1% in February amid weaker activity in retail and wholesale distribution.

John Glencross, CEO and Co-Founder of Calculus, said: ‘Following a surprise contraction in UK GDP at the end of last year, today’s data signals small consistent steps back towards growth for the economy. The slight growth seen in the second quarter indicates that the UK is steadily emerging from a relatively short recession in record time.

‘As we observe where the economy will head in Q2 and beyond, now more than ever we need to support UK smaller businesses, which ignite growth, increase employment, and drive innovation.’

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