September, 2009

Social Housing — Comments Off
30
Sep 09

Second round of council housing provided a further £180 million

The housing minister has launched the second round of the government’s council housing building programme.

John Healey said he is making £180 million available to fund 1,200 homes ‘for councils that are ready to help build the affordable homes we need in this country’.

Bids must be in by the end of next month and the successful bidders will be announced by the end of 2009. Councils will be subjected to the same requirements as private developers and housing associations to run apprenticeship schemes and promote local employment.

Uncategorized — Comments Off
24
Sep 09

Housing Associations promised cash for job creation

The Housing Minister has told Housing Associates to create jobs and apprenticeships for construction works in return for accessing government cash for affordable homes.

John Healey expects all associations to ‘raise their game’ to help people onto the property ladder and keep their homes during the downturn.

In exchange the government has agreed to increase the amount of grant it contributes to the housing association-led mortgage rescue scheme.

Uncategorized — Comments Off
17
Sep 09

PM admits public sector faces ‘cuts’

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has told trade unionists expenditure will be cut on ‘unnecessary programmes’ and ‘lower priority budgets.’

He said the labour party would reduce spending on “unnecessary programmes” and cut out inefficiencies. However, he echoed business secretary Peter Mandelson’s message that frontline services would be protected.

Low carbon solutions — Comments Off
9
Sep 09

£29.96m released to cut carbon from housing

As part of the 2009 Budget ‘Building Britain’s Future’, the Treasury housing stimulus package has released £20.96m capital funding for low carbon infrastructure exemplars in ‘Growth Points and Growth Areas.’

With an aim to reduce carbon emissions from housing, the budget refers to existing policies enabling £50 billion of low-carbon investment over the three years to 2011.

Together with announcements made in the autumn 2008, this will enable an additional £10.4 billion of low carbon sector and energy investment over three years.

Educational Building / Social Housing — Comments Off
8
Sep 09

Public Sector Work Increase

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has confirmed a rise public sector work in the second quarter of 2009, compared to the previous quarter.

The ONS stated a 12 per cent rise in ‘non housing’ projects such as the Olympics project and the restart of the school building programme, together with a more modest 3 per cent rise in social housing work.

The rise has led to belief that the worst of the recession’s ‘adjustment’ is now over and a gradual recovery of the construction sector is now likely.

Low carbon solutions — Comments Off
7
Sep 09

Councils pledge to 10:10 campaign to cut carbon

Ten councils have pledged to cut their carbon emissions by a tenth in the next year in what is being seen as the UK’s ‘biggest collective effort’ to tackle climate change.

The local authorities now join pledges made by individuals and organizations nationwide including the Government’s full cabinet. They include Islington LBC, Richmond LBC, Oxford City Council, Kirklees Council, West Sussex CC, Stroud DC, Eastleigh BC, Slough BC, Greenwich LBC and Hackney LBC.

Educational Building — Comments Off
2
Sep 09

NHF warns over rural school closures

The lack of affordable housing in rural areas is causing the local primary schools to close at the rate of one a month.

The figures obtained by the National Housing Federation (NHF) show that 13 village primaries closed in 2006, 14 closed in 2007 and 13 in 2008. Overall, between 2004 and 2008 there were 62 closures, which is the highest number since the 1990s.

The Federation says that Local Councils are ordering the closures in a bid to save money as pupil numbers in rural areas fall due to parents earning below average incomes, compared with above average house prices.

New Build — Comments Off
1
Sep 09

Conservatives to delay Labour housing targets

The Conservatives has suggested that if the party gained power, it would establish a new housing bill and cancel regional targets.

The shadow communities secretary, Caroline Spelman, has told colleagues that the Tories would introduce a new local government and housing bill in the first year of office, which would “revoke… in whole or in part” all of Labour’s regional development targets.