All Comment articles – Page 2
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CommentWhy there are reasons to be cheerful about the housing market
Resilient consumer confidence, falling interest rates and planning reforms are giving housebuilders hope for 2025 – but the government must do more if it wants to hit its targets, says Joey Gardiner
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CommentMandatory Biodiversity Net Gain one year on. Is it working?
A year after 10% Biodiversity Net Gain was mandated for large, newly-approved housing developments, James Taylor reflects on the policy’s impact on the housebuilding industry and the challenges it continues to face
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CommentInvestment partnership models are our best chance to get close to 1.5m homes
Increasing the development liquidity of councils and housing associations, including through new external finance, is key to meeting Keir Starmer’s housebuilding goals, writes Richard Jones
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CommentCollaborating not competing: Why place-based tendering makes more sense
The fragmented nature of the social housing sector can see multiple landlords competing for the same suppliers. Matt Forrest explains how North east social housing providers are coming together to find a better way.
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CommentThere are many unanswered questions about the government’s Nature Restoration Fund
Ministers plan to create a new fund as a way for developers to meet their environmental obligations without slowing down housebuilding, writes James Clark. But how will it work and will it be successful?
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CommentPlanning reform in the year ahead – a lot to do but the signs are promising
Paul Smith describes the current planning reform landscape and finds positivity in the government’s general direction of travel
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CommentWhy the sector needs to engage more with ‘the other regulator’
Ofgem is set to play a much bigger role in housing than ever before. Matthew Scott and Megan Hinch explain why
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CommentHow supporting small charities is helping Hyde better understand its communities
The Hyde Charitable Trust has ramped up its funding for local charities amid a tough operating environment for the third sector. But, writes Katherine Rodgers, it’s not just about the money.
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CommentLocal communities can mistrust CGIs if they appear unrealistic
Residents and other stakeholders are forced to rely on visual representations of planned schemes when forming opinions. It is crucial they send the right message, writes Vasilena Bocheva
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CommentPatchless working but retaining a local link - the best of both worlds in housing management
Troy Francis has been promoted to the role of executive director for operations at Southern Housing. He here explains how the G15 landlord’s revamped operating model will work
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CommentHousebuilders and government must work together to solve the skills conundrum
Ensuring we have sufficient skills to build 1.5m homes is a daunting challenge, but there is hope on the horizon, writes David Thomas
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CommentChange of focus, elevation of skills and use of tech: how building control must modernise post-Grenfell
Building control is being overhauled following Grenfell. Denise Chevin looks at what changes need to be made
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CommentTackling harassment of frontline housing staff
The Employment Rights Bill will introduce a new requirement to make employers liable for third-party harassment of employees. Karen Bates explains what social landlords must do to protect frontline staff.
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CommentThe top five challenges for housing delivery in 2025
A stuttering economy combined with skills shortages and ramped-up housebuilding targets has put the sector on course for a challenging 2025, writes Sian Webster
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CommentPutting children and young people at the heart of housing design
Dinah Bornat explores how housing design can better meet the needs of younger generations
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CommentThe strengths and weaknesses of the new consumer code on shared ownership
Eight housing providers are trialling a new code aimed at improving the experience of shared owners. But asks Ruth Barnes, will it have teeth?
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CommentWhy people-centred regeneration is the key to reviving our towns
It is time for the government to focus on ‘thriving towns for a revived nation’ writes Ben Derbyshire
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CommentFurther regulatory requirements without support for the social housing sector would be counter-productive
As the prime minister looks for ideas to improve growth, Ian McDermott warns about the consequences of increasingly complex regulation
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CommentLooking ahead to 2025: positivity about government’s housing ambitions, but will it all come together?
The new Labour government has made welcome announcements to boost housing supply, writes Rachael Williamson. But will the necessary investment, skills and capacity coalesce quickly enough?
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Comment2025 can be the year we make significant strides in addressing the housing crisis
The coming 12 months should be a big year for housing with opportunities for creating positive change, writes Elly Hoult