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As Sir Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak gear up for their debate this evening, ahead of the next General Election, calls are being made for party leaders to address rising poverty levels in England.

At 9pm tonight, Tuesday 4th June 2024, Sir Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak are going head-to-head in the first televised debate in the run-up to the General Election. The event will be broadcast on ITV and hosted by news presenter Julie Etchingham who will be firing questions about the party leaders manifesto in front of a live audience. However, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF), a leading poverty charity in the UK, are calling on the politicians to pay particular attention to rising poverty levels following the charities new research.

According to JRF, 3.2 million people in the UK are a mere £40 a week from being in poverty, which is equivalent to the entire population of Wales. This statistic includes 700,000 children, 1.5 million working age adults and one million pensioners.

Just when you thought things couldn’t get any worse, the research also shows 900,000 of these people are only £10 a week away from hitting poverty levels. This includes 0.2 million children, 0.4 million working age adults and 0.3 million pensioners. These harrowing statistics are on top of the 14.4 million people already in poverty in the UK.

Paul Kissack, CEO of the JRF, said: ‘Such high levels of hardship – with millions experiencing poverty and millions more teetering on the edge of it – are a stain on the moral conscience of our nation.

‘It has been six prime ministers since this country last made sustained progress on reducing poverty. During that time we’ve seen a sustained rise in the number of people in deep poverty, with hardship and destitution growing even faster. Whoever is Prime Minister after July 4th must make reversing this dismal trend a priority.’

The charities research outlined it has been 20 years since the last prolonged period of falling poverty. In May 2024, seven million households reported that they had gone without essentials like showers, toiletries or adequate clothing in the last six months, or had gone hungry or cut or skipped meals in the last 30 days.

‘Our political leaders must be specific and ambitious about how they will tackle poverty. But so far there hasn’t been anything like the level of urgency from either Rishi Sunak or Keir Starmer that we need to see. Pointing to future growth as a panacea just won’t cut it,’ Paul said. ‘Tonight’s debate is a chance for both leaders to set out their plans and demonstrate they are serious about addressing hardship. Failure to act is a political and moral choice – and one they should expect to be judged on.’

Whilst measuring poverty levels in the UK, JRF looked to see if people’s income (adjusted or equivalised for household size and composition) is less than 60% of the UK average after housing costs have been deducted.

Image: Jonathan Kho

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The news comes after a report to Scottish Borders Council’s executive committee revealed temporary housing is at an all-time high and plans to build 184 affordable homes are unlikely to be met.

The latest Figures from Public Health Scotland highlight the dire state of housing in the country. The data shows that almost one in 20 people in the country are on a waiting list for a social home, there are 30,000 homeless households and nearly 10,000 children growing up in temporary accommodation.

Against this backdrop, the Scottish Borders Council have declared a housing emergency. The local authority heard that the number of applications for social housing properties has doubled in five years – with Scottish Boarders Housing Association receiving 104 bids for just five new homes at its latest development in Kelso.

Julie Pirone, cllr for Tweeddale East, is among officials who support the declaration. She claimed it’s about time the local authority addressed the housing issues and started to think about people who could end up ‘homeless’.

‘I believe quite strongly that we are in a housing emergency,’ Cllr Pirone said. ‘Everyday I get calls from people who cannot get on the housing ladder who are young. I get calls from people who are in overcrowded accommodation that can’t get moved and they want to be able to stay here and they want to have good housing.’

Cllr Pirone added: ‘We need to make sure we have more innovation in the housing market and to ask our governments, both of them, to support what we do.

‘We also have to think about those that are homeless and the refugees and the Ukrainians who also really love our region and want to stay, but who we are struggling to find homes for too.’

Echoing a similar tone, Cllr Stuart Marshall, has also expressed his sorrow regarding the current housing situation.

‘Never in 17 years of representing the ward of Hawick and Denholm can I think of receiving so many desperate pleas from parents and guardians regarding not only their desperate situation to get out of their property and into another one because of over-crowding, but just because of the appalling condition of their properties as well,’ Cllr Marshall said. ‘I deal with issues every single day with registered social landlords and private landlords regarding over-crowding, ageing windows, faulty heating, failed heating systems.’

The Scottish Borders Council has become the sixth local authority in the country to declare a housing emergency with Argyll and Bute, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Fife and West Dunbartonshire making similar declarations within the past year.

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The latest figures from Goodlord, an award-winning lettings platform, show rent costs have reached their highest level within the last month since October 2023.

Experts found between April and May 2024, rent costs across the country rose by over 1% and are now 6% higher year-on-year. According to the data, the average cost of a rental property in England is now £1,183 – this is a rise of 1.4% compared to April’s figure of £1,166. What’s more, the increase is the highest rent average recorded since October 2023, when rents on new tenancies were £1,190 per month.

Against this backdrop, costs in the West Midlands experienced the biggest month-on-month change. In this region rents soared by 4%. Following closely behind was the North West, which recorded a 2% increase.

It is thought that with the temperature rising rents may be heading into their seasonal summer upswing.

‘The coming months are traditionally the busiest season for the rental market and the time when rents peak,’ said William Reeve, CEO of Goodlord. ‘During 2024 so far, year-on-year rent rises have been fairly consistent – hovering around the 6% to 7% mark.’

William added: ‘Rental averages broke the £1,350 per month barrier for the first time in the summer of 2023.

‘That means, if this 6% to 7% year-on-year trend continues, we could be seeing our first £1,400+ rental average being recorded in just a few months time.

‘However, while rents continue to outpace both inflation and earnings, there are some signs of pressures easing, as seen in the void figures.’

The research from Goodlord highlighted that the average voidage, which is how long a property is vacant between tenancies, was 11% higher than at the same time last year, suggesting a slight lessening of the imbalance between demand and supply. 12 months prior, in May 2023, average voids were around 19 days.

Although, last month the biggest shift in void periods was experienced in Greater London and the East Midlands – both areas saw a 20% increase.

Recent news from Goodlord’s rental index shows that although the hiked up rent prices aren’t ideal for people’s budgets, they are welcomed by landlords. Costs have increased by 28% since March 2020 – just before England was put into lockdown – suggesting the market is slowly improving. 

Image: Ethan Wilkinson

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Ahead of the next General Election, the National Federation of Builders (NFB) has released its 2024 Election Manifesto, titled: ‘Supporting Construction to Power Growth’.

Presented in five chapters and covering seven topics, the manifesto presents recommendations that are deliverable within one parliamentary term, and more importantly sustain growth.

1. Decarbonisation: Focuses on the UK building stock, tax incentives, retrofit and energy. It offers solutions to the challenges the industry faces in turning energy inefficient buildings into climate, health and economic assets, the grid into an enabler and government policies into decarbonisation and businesses advancement.
2. Housing and Planning: Recognises the barriers of growth to a competitive, better housing market. With a focus on enabling small and medium sized housebuilders, making planning work, fairer housing outcomes, placemaking and affordable housing.
3. Procurement and Payment: Highlights that since Brexit, the UK has not made the most of its opportunities and it must therefore explore how it can ensure it is spreading growth, rather than avoiding risk. From late payment and retentions, to process and penalty, a fairer system is needed for tax-payers and constructors.
4. Environment: Looks at how policies on water and biodiversity are not delivering the outcomes that are possible within the existing policy frameworks. The recommendations should achieve an immediate environmental betterment and tackle the source of two major environmental challenges.
5. Skills and training: Without an ecosystem where construction thrives, the industry will waste billions training up a new workforce for jobs that don’t exist. The best example of this is the decimation of SME housebuilders, whose market share has dropped from 40% to 9% in three decades. This period has also seen a decrease in the construction workforce, with apprenticeship completions struggling to grow. 

Richard Beresford, Chief Executive of the NFB, said: ‘The reality is obvious; the construction industry is a key component for the UK to meeting its numerous challenges and therefore the incoming government must not only understand where the barriers to our industries’ growth exist, but what that means for the UK’s ambition.

‘With more than fifty recommendations spread across five chapters, our Manifesto builds on NFB member experiences and involvement with policy makers to create a solid foundation for the reforms that would immediately deliver sustained economic and social growth in construction and across the UK.’

Rico Wojtulewicz, NFB’s Head of Policy and Market Insight, said: ‘UK construction is key to placemaking, fixing the housing crisis, building our infrastructure, meeting our climate obligations and enabling British business. Yet we appear to have lost sight of how we ensure it isn’t in decline and with insolvencies 30% higher than in 2019, something is awry.

‘The NFB manifesto highlights the gaps in policy thinking and ultimately opens doors for growth conversations, without placing further burdens on tax-payers.’

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SJ Roberts Construction Ltd and Shrewsbury Colleges Group have been working on the delivery of their apprenticeship programme since 2004. Now, the groups have announced a wider range of training pathways to encourage more people into the job.

Currently, 36 students are involved in the apprenticeship training that is supported by the SJ Roberts team. However, in an impressive turn of events additional students have recently become involved with taking further steps to obtain a career in construction.

Four T-Level students and one BTEC student spend one day a week on site with the construction company and a further two students completing level four and five qualifications in quantity surveying and site supervisor roles, along with T-level students, will attend guest lectures delivered by both SJ Roberts Construction and their sister-company Lowfield Timber Frames.

Commenting on the growing partnership with Shrewsbury Colleges Group, manager director of SJ Roberts Construction Ltd, Mike Sambrook said: ‘We so often hear the construction sector complain about a lack of skilled labour, but we’ve recognised that won’t change if we’re not prepared to invest in the training process itself.’

Mike added: ‘We’ve long supported apprentices and have witnessed the positive contribution that they make to the company, but it’s worth remembering that there’s a myriad of pathways that lead to careers in construction which is why we’ve actively extended our partnership with Shrewsbury Colleges Group.’

The work SJ Roberts Construction are doing to encourage young people into construction isn’t going unmissed. Research from a survey conducted by the Construction Industry Training Board shows around half of workers are aged 34 and under (45%), which is a higher proportion than compared with the UK population as a whole (36%).

In addition, experts found just 6% of construction workers are aged 60 or over.  

Stuart Raine, curriculum director for construction and built environment studies at Shrewsbury colleges group, expressed her delight about the success of their partnership with SJ Roberts.

‘We’re delighted to have such a strong and long-standing partnership in place with SJ Roberts and Lowfield Timber Frames,’ Stuart said. ‘The ability for our students to have practical experience either through apprenticeships or work experience placements is hugely beneficial in their development of skills for the workplace. We know that our students will get the best possible introduction to a working life through SJ Roberts and Lowfield Timber Frames.’

Image: SJ Roberts Construction Ltd

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