affordable housing

It is an inconvenient truth, but some developers do not want or like to build affordable homes. Many claim they will suffer from significantly reduced profit margins – taking their earnings below 20% - and this is the prime excuse given at the planning stage to try and avoid the issue, according to Global, the country’s fastest growing supplier of home warranties – but says the company - it does not have to be like that.
Most developers do not have a choice and planners will insist that they will have to include some element of affordable properties into the mix, but with the pressure on margins it is inevitable that some will cut corners and deliver poor quality. This in turn can put even more of a strain on margins – a situation, claims Global, that could be avoided by getting it right first time.
Current planning conditions state that developers building between five and nine homes must ensure 20 per cent of them are affordable - more than nine, then this figure rises to 30 per cent. That figure can further rise to 40 per cent for greenfield sites.

A partnership between housing association Cottsway and Cotswold District Council will bring 15 new low-carbon homes to Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire.
Following an exchange of contracts, the new development located at Davies Road, will be built by Helix Partnership Homes and will provide 15 homes for social rent, including a mix of one, two and three-bed properties.

There has never been a sharper focus on how we heat and power our buildings. With fuel prices soaring and deadlines for energy-efficiency improvements fast approaching, housing developers and social landlords are at the forefront of the challenge to decarbonise our homes, both new and existing. It’s with this in mind that the elemental content theatres, which are free-to-attend and running alongside InstallerSHOW at Birmingam’s NEC in June, have been put together.
Designed for an audience of social housing and built environment professionals, the three-day conference programme will feature thought-provoking discussion and an opportunity to learn about the key issues facing the industry when it comes to energy and heat.

http://www.installershow.com

Leading Change Consultancy Nine Feet Tall will be hosting a Virtual Roundtable Event aimed at business and transformation leaders in the Housing sector. Digital transformation has been on the agenda for many housing providers and these events provide a much-needed platform for thoughtful discussion and insight.

Customers are increasingly expecting digital solutions for their day-to-day interactions with housing providers and the pressure to deliver is high. Technology has evolved so quickly in recent years and the race is on to provide personalisation, efficiency and more customer control.

The Roundtable Event, on 29th September, will include interactive discussions, best practice advice and the key success factors to deliver transformation.

A Salford housing association has launched a new affordable home-ownership brand to support its bold ambitions to deliver more affordable homes to help tackle the housing crisis.
 
Salix Homes, which owns 8,000 homes across Salford, has launched Willo Homes in a bid to increase housing choice and deliver more affordable housing opportunities in the city.

With over 160 years’ experience in bathroom innovation, Twyford is a market leader in the affordable housing sector. Keith Ridding, regional sales director, answers some questions around the brand and addresses some common queries from housing association customers.

Heritage colours and kerb-side appeal were among the factors that persuaded the planning authorities of Bath that Modus PVC-U windows from Eurocell were the appropriate alternative to timber on a prime, exposed location near the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The estate was being developed by Bloor Homes, along with another major housebuilder, on a former MoD site dating from WW2 that overlooks the Georgian city and is near to its race- and golf course.