Gatehouse Bank extends support for UK build to rent market

Gatehouse Bank has established a new partnership with Ascend Properties, the Manchester-based estate and lettings agency. The new relationship will see Ascend working with the Bank to extend its reach into the Build to Rent sector, following a significant investment... View Article

New disability access course being staged by BSRIA

BSRIA is delighted to be staging a new and exciting three day industry course: Disability Access Legislation & Surveys which will ensure you are up to speed with all current legislation and guidelines to gurantee your building fully conforms with... View Article

Designing a smoke control system

Steve Knight of Whitesales explains the challenges of smoke control in multi-occupancy buildings. With 53 per cent of fire-related fatalities resulting from individuals being overcome by smoke or toxic fumes, smoke heat exhaust vent systems (SHEVs) make a critical difference... View Article

Thakeham and Radian form joint venture

Thakeham has formed a significant joint venture with housing provider Radian to develop more than 600 new homes in Pease Pottage, West Sussex. The development will also provide a  home for locally based charity St Catherine’s Hospice, a new primary... View Article

From the world’s tallest to smallest homes

The conference streams at HOMES feature some of the UK’s leading residential developments. Here are eight of the best. 1. George Street modular towers: The sky is the limit Interest in modular built housing is growing but some housing providers continue to cite... View Article

TODD Architects’ Progressive Workplace Design for Santander CNP

TODD Architects have completed a progressive workplace fit out for CNP Santander Insurance, undertaking the interior planning and configuration of its newly constructed offices at Three Park Place, Hatch Street Upper, Dublin 2. Following an in-depth staff consultation process, TODD... View Article

Social sector league tables expected within two years

League tables for social landlords are expected to appear within two years and they will include housing associations, councils and ALMOs according to the sector’s regulator. The prospect of using tables to rank social landlords by their performance was included... View Article

HAs to scrap fixed-term tenancies

Housing Associations are turning their backs on fixed-term tenancies and returning to the previous regime of granting permanent tenancies to their residents. L&Q was the first major social landlord to make the decision, converting all of its existing 8,500 fixed-term... View Article

Council unveils drone service to survey roofs

A council-owned organisation is to start a new drone-based service by surveying the roofs of almost 8,000 local authority homes in the city of dreaming spires. Oxford Direct Services (ODS) is the service and delivery arm of Oxford City Council.... View Article

Landlords welcome rental housing standards review

The Government’s decision to review the safety standards expected of rental housing has been welcomed by the Residential Landlords Association. David Smith, Policy Director at the RLA, said: “We welcome the Government’s decision to review the safety standards around rented... View Article

Bill to give tenants more powers makes good progress

Tenants in both private and social housing are to get more powers to challenge their landlords over homes that are “unfit for human habitation” after a Private Member’s Bill won Government support. From next year tenants in England will be... View Article

HA boards alerted to sector’s reputational risks

After a turbluent year in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire and with austerity measures still affecting rents, the social housing sector has been warned by its regulator that it is under greater scrutiny than ever before. In its... View Article

Fresh concerns raised about tower block safety

Concerns over the safety of hundreds of tower blocks housing an estimated 100,000 people have been raised by residents and construction experts, with warnings that the properties are at risk of collapse. In a report run by The Independent newspaper... View Article

Welsh regulator intervenes over ‘serious’ failures at HA

The Welsh Government is intervening at a medium sized housing association after it found evidence of “serious failures of governance.” Hendre requires regulatory intervention because a “significant risk has not been effectively managed”. It has also failed across a number... View Article

More HA mergers proceed

The trend for housing associations to merge in a bid to reduce their costs and increase the amount of new housing they can build, shows no sign of abating. In the Midlands a new 45,000 home landlord called Platform Housing... View Article