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COVID 19 – a residential landlord's perspective by Jason Hobday, Associate, and Nigel Emmerson, Partner, at law firm Womble Bond Dickinson

We find ourselves in unprecedented times for the modern era.  In this every changing environment, with an overload of government guidance, and which is changing on a daily basis, residential landlords are eager to understand what obligations they may have towards their tenants.  Whilst many landlords will be motivated by a laudable desire to act in the best interests of their tenants, care should be taken to ensure that they do not inadvertently find themselves on the wrong side of the law.

As at the time of writing landlords are not under any direct statutory duties in relation to taking steps to support the government's strategy for dealing with COVID-19 – which has now reached phase 2 – 'delaying the spread of the virus'.  This may however change in the coming days and weeks and so the position should be closely monitored using the Public Health England guidance https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/coronavirus-covid-19-uk-government-response

Northern Ireland headquartered building products specialist celebrates 60 years of business
 
Staff at AG (formerly Acheson + Glover) have gathered at each of the company’s locations to celebrate 60 years of business. The first of a series of celebratory events was held in Fivemiletown – where three generations of the Acheson family joined staff to mark the firm’s historic milestone.  
 
The hard landscaping and building products provider, formed in March 1960 employs more than 230 people.

Expert comment on the announcement of a new Green Heat Network Fund in yesterday’s Budget Statement

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunaq, yesterday outlined a number of funding commitments for low carbon heat in his Budget Statement. An element of that is a £270 investment in a new Green Heat Network Fund to run from 2022 to 2025, to follow on from the Heat Network Investment Project. It is designed to ensure that heat networks adopt the most cost-effective low carbon heat sources.  

Anthony Coates-Smith, managing director of Insite Energy, a London-based heat network metering and billing payment specialist, which manages approximately 250 UK heat network schemes, says:

“The announcement of a new Green Heat Network Fund is a positive reinforcement of the role that well designed and operated heat networks can play in achieving the UK’s ‘net zero’ 2050 challenge. 

Thanks to today’s Budget 2020 meeting, the new Affordable Homes Programme will get a much needed £12bn multi-year settlement and £400 million for ambitious Mayoral Combined Authorities and local areas to establish housing on brownfield land across the country.
Tom Slingsby, chief executive of property developer Southern Grove, which focuses heavily on creating affordable homes, comments:
“This cash boost for affordable homes will underpin building for many years to come and is a declaration of war on a housing crisis that isn’t going away.

Even though fire sprinkler systems are to form an important part of the Phase 2 Grenfell Tower Inquiry, which began in January this year, many pro-active HA and local authority landlords have already started implementing major programmes of fire protection upgrades, including the retro-fitting of fire sprinklers.

New build and current council housing in Renfrewshire will benefit from a £75million investment as Renfrewshire Council outlines its three-year Housing Capital Investment Plan.

Initially, £24million will be invested in 2020/21 to support planned investment programmes, regeneration, new build homes and retrofitting in projects throughout Renfrewshire.

Brand-new council housing will be developed in Gallowhill and Foxbar, with around 60 and 40 new homes respectively, and work is expected to start later in 2020 on a further 101 new build homes in Ferguslie Park and 39 in South West Johnstone.

This fresh investment builds on 95 new build homes in Johnstone Castle and 80 new homes in Bishopton which are nearing completion.