The INGENIOUS project, composed of various university scientists, is organising a webinar to discuss the importance of indoor air quality (IAQ) in UK social housing following the Awaab Ishak case.
Titled: Beyond Awaabs Law: Priorities for Indoor Air Quality Actions in the UK, the webinar, which is being delivered in partnership with Born in Bradford and Stockholm Environment Institute, aims to highlight the multiple dimensions of air quality by going beyond moulds and spores to address the broader issues of indoor air quality. By looking beyond social housing, the webinar discusses indoor air quality in private rented homes and owner-occupied homes with the intention that a wider perspective ensures IAQ improvements cut across all types of houses or housing processes.
Scientists from the University of York, University of Manchester, the University of Sheffield, and the University of Cambridge, will be delivering the webinar, which is timely and aligns with the ongoing consultation process of the 2023 Social Housing law. The UK Housing Secretary launched a consultation on 9th January, 2024, on implementing the Social Housing law, also known as Awaab’s law.
The law was proposed into Parliament after two-year-old Awaab Ishak tragically lost his life in December 2020 due to a respiratory condition caused by mould. The young boy lived with his parents in a damp and mould invested flat in Rochdale and despite applying for help countless times, the landlord refused to address the issue.
Supported by DEFRA, the INGENIOUS project, is dedicated to unravelling the impact of various household activities on airborne pollutants. Through investigation, the INGENIOUS project strives to uncover these unknowns and develop practical interventions to minimise exposure. This webinar offers a valuable platform to present INGENIOUS observations on indoor pollutants and how these cut across all sorts of housing in the UK.
Considering that there are no existing singular legislative frameworks for indoor air quality, they are subsumed and captured in subtly interpreted ways in other laws. It is hoped that such a webinar will sensitise participants on IAQ and how this is important for the UK housing sector.
Speakers include:
• Prof. Nicholas Pleace – Director, Centre for Housing Policy, University of York
• Prof. Nic Carslaw – Principal investigator, INGENIOUS, Indoor Air Chemistry, University of York
• Dr. Chantelle Wood – Social psychologist, University of Sheffield
• Prof. Sani Dimitroulopoulou – Principal Environmental Public Health Scientist on Indoor Environments within the Air Quality and Public Health Group, Environmental Hazards and Emergencies Department (EHE), UKHSA
• Prof. Sarah West – Centre Director, SEI York
Click here to register for the webinar [7]
Image: Iyus sugiharto
Michael Gove launches consultation on Awaab’s Law [8]
The challenge of improving indoor air quality in social housing [9]
A controversial decision from the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee as revealed that UK inflation rates will once again stay at 5.25%.
The battle to lower inflation rates is one that is continuously being fought by the Bank of England. Back in December 2021 the Bank began increasing rates and continued to do so 14 times until August 2023 – when they hit 5.25%.
Although the saying goes ‘what goes up must come down’, unfortunately it can’t be applied here, as the Bank of England are yet to lower rates. This morning, officials from the Bank declared that for the fourth time in a row figures would stay at 5.25%, because it looks as though the UK is on the brink of a recession.
However, this decision was not taken lightly. In a rare three-way split, two members of the Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) preferred to increase the Bank rate by 0.25% so the total would sit at 5.5%. One other member preferred to reduce the rate so it would sit at 5%.
In a statement, the Bank said: ‘Six members (which include Andrew Bailey, Sarah Breeden, Ben Broadbent, Megan Greene, Huw Pill and Dave Ramsden) voted in favour of the proposition.
‘Three members voted against the proposition. Two members (Jonathan Haskel and Catherine L Mann) preferred to increase Bank Rate by 0.25 percentage points, to 5.5%. One member (Swati Dhingra) preferred to reduce Bank Rate by 0.25 percentage points, to 5%.’
Below is a video from X (formely known as Twitter) of governor Andrew Bailey explaining why the Bank made the decision to keep interest rates the same:
Governor Andrew Bailey explains today’s decision to hold interest rates at 5.25%. pic.twitter.com/7DUyd2BumC [16]
— Bank of England (@bankofengland) February 1, 2024 [17]
Commenting on the news, William Marsters, Sales Trader at Saxo UK, said: ‘Two calls for a rate hike and one call for a rate cut may seem very disjointed from the Bank of England’s MPC. But it is really a reflection of the difficulties the central bank is facing. Markets have set their sights on cuts this year, so much so that both the ECB and the Fed have made a point to realign expectations on the speed and depth.
‘For the BoE, they are still facing the highest nominal inflation rate in the G7 whilst also sporting low growth. Given these factors, the split decision is no surprise. Directional conviction for UK markets may remain elusive until inflation is more under control.’
In addition, other industry professionals have echoed a similar tone. Sekar Indran, Senior Portfolio Manager at Titan Asset Management, claimed the decision has put the Bank of England is a ‘less fortunate decision’.
‘Bailey offered a not-too-dissimilar tone to his peer across the pond, Jerome Powell, stating further evidence of inflation easing is needed before we see a rate cut,’ Indran said. ‘The reality is the MPC is in a less fortunate position than the FOMC with the highest inflation in the G7 and economic growth among the lowest.’
Indran added: ‘The downturn in manufacturing output also shows no signs of abating as per this morning’s PMI data with demand continuing to soften and supply chain disruptions re-emerging.
‘The swaps market continues to price that the US will move first which we would agree with, but we believe the magnitude of cuts may end up being greater in the UK relative to the US, contrary to what the market is pricing.’
News of interest rates staying the same have also left UK households devastated. Throughout this winter thousands of people have had to go without sufficient heating or food as a result of squeezed budgets. According to recent figures from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF), around one million households have said that since May 2023 they have had to disconnect their fridge or freezer for the first time in a bid to save money.
In addition, figures from JRF also found that in October last year a quarter (2.8m) of UK low-income households ran up debt to pay for food, a third sold belongings to raise cash, and one in six had used community ‘warm rooms’ – heated community areas that began popping up all over the UK last April.
Against this backdrop, Daniel Austin, CEO, and co-founder at ASK Partners, has explained that the Bank of England’s decision might be for the best.
Daniel said: ‘A hold on interest rate rises was expected now that inflation has started to fall. Although there was an effect on the affordability of debt, yesterday’s slight uptick in house prices is a positive indication that prices may have reached their lowest point.
‘This will bring investment capital back into the real estate market from buyers who have been waiting to make opportunistic, distressed purchases.
‘Those with finance in place are well poised to capitalise on the situation but the market in general will benefit from increased activity bringing back buyer confidence. As a lender to property developers and investors, we have seen first-hand the impact that rate hikes have had on borrowers and the market; stabilisation will be welcome news.’
Images: iStock and Etienne Martin
Third time lucky: Bank of England set to hold interest rates following inflation warning [19]
Economic danger zone: Bank of England hikes interest rates following inflation failure [20]
Research has found that of the millions of homes that were built in England during 2013/14 one in 13 are in a national flood zone.
Aviva, a British multinational insurance company, have recently deep dived into new findings from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) and discovered that 8% – equivalent to 109,017 new homes, face the highest risk of flooding in England.
Experts unveiled that in flood zone three, a area with the highest risk, there is a one in 100 or greater annual probability of river flooding or a one in 200 or greater annual probability of flooding from the sea in any year.
News of these figures being released, which can be found in full here [24], have also come just weeks after storms in England caused severe damage to people’s homes across the country. Storm Henk, one the latest storms that unleashed hell this winter, caused over 400 homes to be vandalised.
As a result of previous severe weather conditions, new homes are being advised to be constructed with better flooding protection.
‘It’s concerning that almost 110,000 new homes have been built in the last decade in a flood zone, leaving thousands of homeowners and tenants at risk,’ Aviva’s Jason Storah, chief executive for UK & Ireland general insurance, commented.
‘Crucially, these homes are not covered by the Flood Re insurance scheme and many may have been constructed without flood resilience. Not only are these newly built homes at high risk – they also face the prospect of repeated flooding and may not be protected by flood defences to prevent or limit flood damage.’
In addition to the data highlighting concerns over homes being built in high flood risk areas, it also outlined climate concerns. Almost two thirds (61%) of new home residents are concerned about the impact of heat on their home, compared with 46% of residents of homes that were built before 2018.
Storah added: ‘Insurance can play its part by restoring homes and offering financial reassurance, but it cannot replace cherished family possessions or prevent the emotional impact that floods bring. It is paramount that any future plans for new homes include strengthened rules to prevent the development of buildings in current and potential flood zones. But in some low-lying parts of the country, this is more difficult. In these cases, flood resilience should be made mandatory in planning rules and built in from the outset.’
Various new build homes have experienced some damage since they were built. According to the research, one in eight new build residents say their home has been affected by flooding inside and 16% have suffered flooding issues in the garden. However, researchers revealed new homes are not just at risk from flooding but wider construction problems.
26% have suffered a water leak; 18% have been damaged by storms and 15% have been affected by subsidence, severe movement, or tree damage.
‘It’s worrying that many newly-built homes have already suffered a flood within five years of construction. This suggests the homes may have been built in unsuitable locations to standards which are unable to withstand flooding,’ Storah said. ‘But the research reveals wider concerns about construction which could leave these homeowners and tenants at risk from other climate events, including hot, dry weather.’
Storah continued: ‘If we are to prevent more scenes of devastation caused by extreme weather, we need to work collectively to change where and how we build. By building houses that are climate-ready and able to withstand the multiple impacts of climate change we can provide safe and sustainable homes for our future generations.’
Research from the ONS notes that 2022/23 figures do not form part of the at-risk homes approximation as they aren’t available yet.
Image: Nationaal Archief
Around 600,000 properties are at risk of flooding, research finds [25]
One in six properties affected by flood risk by 2050, study shows [26]
The government has announced a last-minute £600m funding package to help deliver key services, amid fears of a wave of council bankruptcies and service failures.
The support package will primarily see an additional £500m added to the Social Care Grant to bolster social care budgets, a key cost pressure for local government.
Ministers said all councils would also see an increase in core spending power of at least four percent before any local choices on council tax, efficiencies or reserves – an increase from the three percent announced in the provisional local government funding settlement.
However, some warned that the funding doesn’t go far enough.
Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove said: ‘We have listened to councils across England about the pressures they’re facing and have always stood ready to help those in need.
‘This additional £600m support package illustrates our commitment to local government. We are in their corner, and we support the incredible and often unsung work they do day-to-day to support people across the country.’
Shaun Davies, chair of the Local Government Association (LGA), said: ‘The LGA welcomes that the government has acted on the concerns we have raised and recognised the severe financial pressures facing councils, particularly in providing services to the most vulnerable children and adults through social care services and delivering core front-line services to communities.
‘We 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.’
But Sir Stephen Houghton, chair of the Special Interest Group of Municipal Authorities (SIGOMA), warned that more was needed.
‘This increase in funding is welcome and will help councils in the short-term,’ he said. ‘However, it won’t address the long-term funding gap or the need for reform of the broken local government finance model. This unprecedented increase before the final settlement shows that there is a growing understanding within the government about the crisis in local government finances. These pressures have been well-documented for some time, so it is disappointing that the funding has only been announced at this late hour.
‘More funding will be required to match the current level of demand-led pressures and stabilise the sector. It is welcome that most of the funding will be allocated though the social care grant. Social care, particularly children’s services, is the largest current pressure for the sector and the area most in need of additional grant funding.’
In light of the exceptional circumstances, the Treasury will be providing £500m with further details set out at the upcoming Budget whilst details on the distribution of this funding will be included in the final Local Government Finance Settlement in early February.
The government said the funding had to be used to address the pressures facing councils and improve performance, rather than saved for later use or spent on areas that are not a priority. Separately, councils will be asked to produce productivity plans which will set out how they will improve service performance and reduce wasteful spend – which the government defined as including spending on consultants and HR spending on equality, diversity and inclusion.
Image: Marco Oriolesi
Belfast City Council increases charity’s funding after threatening cuts worth 97% [32]
Record funding shortfalls have forced councils ‘on their knees’ [33]
Thanks to yet another historic deal signed with councils the number of places in England covered by a devolution deal has risen to 60%.
Around two years ago the government published their major levelling up plan, which included goals to transfer more powers to local authorities from central government. This is otherwise known as devolution.
When the plan was first introduced, 41% of the country was covered by the devolution agreement, now this has risen to 60% as a result of another historic deal being signed with Devon County Council and Torbay Council.
As a result, the new deal means an additional 10 million people will benefit from new powers handed from Westminster to their local leaders – covering a total of almost 34 million people across England.
Commenting on the news, levelling up secretary, Michael Gove said: ‘This historic devolution milestone shows our commitment to spreading opportunity more equally across the country – empowering local leaders to take control on matters that mean most to their communities and improving local people’s lives.
‘And to support their plans we’re providing billions of pounds in new funding for the long term, helping people to feel the benefits of these changes for years to come.’
As well as the new devolution deal being signed by two councils situated in the South of England, in the Midlands, the percentage of people covered by a devolution deal has more than doubled in the past two years – up from 26% to 55%, covering almost six million people.
In addition, the government have previously secured devolution deals for nine of England’s 10 largest cities including, Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham, Liverpool, Newcastle, Sheffield, and Nottingham.
These deals are helping to provide areas with over £15bn of new, long-term funding from the government, which as costs are continuing to climb, are widely accepted.
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities aims to secure devolution deals by 2030 for every part of England that wants one. This is one of 12 levelling up goals set by the department in its flagship Levelling Up White Paper in February 2022.
Image: Jordhan Madec
Devolution deal dropped by Cornwall Council [40]
North East set to get metro mayor under 1.4bn devolution deal [41]
Links
[1] https://www.thirdsector.co.uk/fundraising-income-holding-half-charities-research-finds/fundraising/article/1860158
[2] https://manchestercommunitycentral.org/aggregator/sources/4
[3] https://www.thirdsector.co.uk/incoming-charity-chief-pulls-role-two-weeks-announced/management/article/1860110
[4] https://newstartmag.co.uk/articles/watch-ingenious-project-to-host-webinar-on-indoor-air-quality-in-social-housing/
[5] https://manchestercommunitycentral.org/aggregator/sources/6
[6] https://newstartmag.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/02/eh1xd5xde-s.jpg
[7] https://www.york.ac.uk/yesi/events/2023/webinar-beyond-awaabs-law/
[8] https://newstartmag.co.uk/articles/michael-gove-launches-consultation-on-awaabs-law/
[9] https://newstartmag.co.uk/articles/the-challenge-of-improving-indoor-air-quality-in-social-housing/
[10] https://www.thirdsector.co.uk/major-social-care-charity-reveals-merger-plans/governance/article/1860010
[11] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-security-and-investment-notification-service-mandatory-voluntary-and-retrospective-forms
[12] https://manchestercommunitycentral.org/aggregator/sources/5
[13] https://www.thirdsector.co.uk/union-vows-housing-charity-arbitration/management/article/1860001
[14] https://www.thirdsector.co.uk/priest-appointed-chief-executive-sports-body-32-years-chair/management/article/1859992
[15] https://newstartmag.co.uk/articles/inflation-interest-rates-stuck-at-5-25-for-fourth-consecutive-time/
[16] https://t.co/7DUyd2BumC
[17] https://twitter.com/bankofengland/status/1753048464584327252?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[18] https://newstartmag.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/02/2_k82gx9uk8.jpg
[19] https://newstartmag.co.uk/articles/third-time-lucky-bank-of-england-set-to-hold-interest-rates-following-inflation-warning/
[20] https://newstartmag.co.uk/articles/economic-danger-zone-bank-of-england-hikes-interest-rates-after-inflation-rate-failure/
[21] https://www.thirdsector.co.uk/major-retailer-seeks-charity-10m-partnership/fundraising/article/1859975
[22] https://newstartmag.co.uk/articles/flood-risk-one-in-13-new-homes-built-in-flood-zone/
[23] https://newstartmag.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/02/hrtqxobghja.jpg
[24] https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/housing/datasets/ukhousebuildingpermanentdwellingsstartedandcompleted
[25] https://newstartmag.co.uk/articles/around-600000-properties-are-at-risk-of-flooding-research-finds/
[26] https://newstartmag.co.uk/articles/one-in-six-properties-affected-by-flood-risk-by-2050-study-shows/
[27] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-staff-networks
[28] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-headquarters-occupancy-data
[29] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/strategic-suppliers
[30] https://newstartmag.co.uk/articles/mixed-response-to-government-funding-package-for-councils/
[31] https://newstartmag.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/01/wqlglhjr6og.jpg
[32] https://newstartmag.co.uk/articles/belfast-city-council-increases-charitys-funding-after-threatening-cuts-worth-97/
[33] https://newstartmag.co.uk/articles/record-funding-shortfalls-have-forced-councils-on-their-knees/
[34] https://www.thirdsector.co.uk/childrens-charity-takes-support-programme-transfer-70-staff/management/article/1859514
[35] https://www.thirdsector.co.uk/oxfam-drops-barclays-its-continued-financing-fossil-fuels/finance/article/1859467
[36] https://www.thirdsector.co.uk/children-cancer-uk-chief-step-down-two-years/management/article/1859466
[37] https://www.thirdsector.co.uk/regulator-opens-inquiry-disputing-trustees-cause-late-accounts/governance/article/1859465
[38] https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-takes-major-step-in-improving-biosecurity-and-preventing-diseases
[39] https://newstartmag.co.uk/articles/60-of-england-now-covered-by-historic-devolution-deals/
[40] https://newstartmag.co.uk/articles/devolution-deal-dropped-by-cornwall-council/
[41] https://newstartmag.co.uk/articles/north-east-set-to-get-metro-mayor-under-1-4bn-devolution-deal/
[42] https://manchestercommunitycentral.org/aggregator/www.theguardian.com/office%40pitcheroak.worcs.sch.uk
[43] https://manchestercommunitycentral.org/aggregator/www.theguardian.com/office%40pitcheroak.worcs.sch.uk?page=32
[44] https://manchestercommunitycentral.org/aggregator/www.theguardian.com/office%40pitcheroak.worcs.sch.uk?page=29
[45] https://manchestercommunitycentral.org/aggregator/www.theguardian.com/office%40pitcheroak.worcs.sch.uk?page=30
[46] https://manchestercommunitycentral.org/aggregator/www.theguardian.com/office%40pitcheroak.worcs.sch.uk?page=31
[47] https://manchestercommunitycentral.org/aggregator/www.theguardian.com/office%40pitcheroak.worcs.sch.uk?page=34
[48] https://manchestercommunitycentral.org/aggregator/www.theguardian.com/office%40pitcheroak.worcs.sch.uk?page=35
[49] https://manchestercommunitycentral.org/aggregator/www.theguardian.com/office%40pitcheroak.worcs.sch.uk?page=36
[50] https://manchestercommunitycentral.org/aggregator/www.theguardian.com/office%40pitcheroak.worcs.sch.uk?page=37
[51] https://manchestercommunitycentral.org/aggregator/www.theguardian.com/office%40pitcheroak.worcs.sch.uk?page=39