Articles

Floodex, the UK’s leading exhibition and conference for flood risk management, flood protection and resilience, returns to ExCeL London on 25–26 November 2026, bringing together flood professionals, catchment & waterways management, local authorities, infrastructure owners, engineers, consultants, contractors, manufacturers and emergency planning specialists.
As the UK faces increasing pressure from extreme rainfall, surface water flooding and the need to adapt infrastructure to a changing climate, Floodex provides a dedicated forum for the industry to examine the challenges ahead and explore practical solutions.

A wide range of subjects are covered by expert speakers, including Carolne Douglas.

Nobody can accuse the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) of lacking clarity in its expectations of registered providers of social housing in England. The recently published Regulatory Casework Review 2026 is an undeniably effective communication, providing simple and straightforward guidance, punctuated by relevant and unambiguous examples of both good and poor practice.

The reason the RSH can produce a document that even hardened members of the ‘Plain English Campaign’ would struggle to find fault with is that its seven key lessons are, fundamentally, common-sense ways for landlords to maximise the impact and value of their investments to existing and future residents.

Anti-social behaviour is one of the most difficult and persistent challenges faced by social housing providers.

For residents, the consequences can be profound. Persistent noise, intimidation, harassment, drug-related activity, damage, nuisance or the regular presence of unwanted visitors can affect not only quality of life, but a person’s sense of safety in their own home.

For housing professionals, however, there is another problem: evidence.

As part of Stroud District Council’s maintenance programme, we safely removed asbestos insulating board (AIB) soffits from eight residential blocks comprising a mix of two and three-storey flats and houses. The project formed a key part of a wider refurbishment programme, enabling the Council’s framework contractor to replace the roofline systems immediately after the asbestos removal works.

Success relied on detailed planning, effective communication and close collaboration between all contractors. Our objective was to complete the works safely, efficiently and on programme while minimising disruption to residents and allowing follow-on trades to begin without delay.

The Prime Minister and Secretary of State, Angela Rayner, have allocated almost £10 billion to kick start a surge in social housing construction.
 

Prior to his promotion to PM, Mr Burnham said he would make housing a priority by launching ‘the biggest council housebuilding programme since the post‑war period’.

Two months on and long term funding has now been confirmed for 33 strategic partners – councils, housing associations and other providers – in a bid to follow through on the promise. 

As another spell of exceptionally hot weather places pressure on water resources across the UK, DAB Pumps is urging the industry to pay greater attention to the performance and efficiency of the systems responsible for moving water around buildings.

While public discussion often focuses on rising demand, hosepipe bans and water conservation measures, the role of building water systems is frequently overlooked. Yet as temperatures rise and demand patterns become more unpredictable, the resilience and efficiency of these systems is becoming increasingly important.

The social housing sector is presenting an ever growing list of challenges to providers. Increasing demands from building safety standards, decarbonisation targets and consumer regulation mean that budgets are being stretched further than ever before. The recent end of ECO4 funding and the introduction of new regulations such as Awaab’s Law only scratch the surface of considerations landlords across the UK will now need to consider as part of their wider business strategy.