New Government reveals housing plans in Queen’s Speech

The new UK Government has touched on its housing plans as part of the Queen’s Speech, aiming to help home-buyers and renters, devolve power and funding to communities and improve building safety. The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government... View Article

Clean & simple

In order to help you create a flawlessly minimalist space in your bathroom, Granville Developments’ Matthew Firth offers his top design tips – from the right towel storage using modern radiators, to glass shower screens, and more Bathrooms are, typically,... View Article

The future of beam and block

Ashley Perkins of Milbank Concrete Products explains why housebuilders should be choosing a thermally insulated flooring solution over traditional methods of ground floor construction. Housebuilders should think about the advantages of incorporating insulation into their structural flooring  – underfloor insulation... View Article

From little acorns Active Buildings grow

2020 promises to be an exciting year for the construction industry, particularly for architects with whom green and sustainable practices are rapidly starting to take root. One such system is the ‘Active Building’ approach, pioneered by the government-backed SPECIFIC and... View Article

International architecture practice BDP opens Leeds studio

Major international interdisciplinary architecture and engineering practice, BDP, has announced the opening of a new studio in Leeds following the delivery of a series of successful high-profile projects in the city. The studio will be led by Architect Associate, Vicky... View Article

Stay put policy being reviewed after heavy criticism

One of the most significant outcomes of the Grenfell Tower inquiry phase one report has been the chairman’s demand to end the automatic ‘stay put’ policy for all high-rise blocks. Sir Martin Moore-Bick told Ministers to develop national guidelines for... View Article

Government adviser to new Building Safety Regulator named

Dame Judith Hackitt will provide independent advice to the Government on how best to establish the powerful new Building Safety Regulator and avoid a similar disaster as the Grenfell Tower fire. The appointment follows Dame Judith’s Independent Review of Building... View Article

Biggest council landlord warns of possible repair cutbacks

The country’s biggest local authority landlord has warned that an estimated £93 million bill for fire safety works will force it to cut spending on repairs and maintenance work to its housing stock. Birmingham City Council owns around 62,000 homes,... View Article

Ombudsman consults on faster service with tougher powers

The new ombudsman has been consulting the social housing sector on plans to improve his organisation’s service and to spark big changes in customer service for tenants. It would be fair to say that Richard Blakeway was a controversial choice... View Article