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Ambition set out for ‘dramatic increase’ in annual number of new homes built

Housing Secretary Sajid Javid said he wanted to see “a dramatic increase in annual numbers” of new homes built.

Housing Secretary Sajid Javid has set out an ambition for more than 300,000 new homes to be built each year by the mid-2020s.

The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government was speaking on a visit to a new housing development in Cambridgeshire where he launched Homes England, the new government agency which is replacing the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA).

He said that housing affordability was the “biggest housing issue in this country”, and while increasing the number of homes built from round 217,000 per year to 300,000 was a “big ask” he believes it is achievable.

He described Homes England as “the new government agency which is part of our plan to make sure we’re building far more homes in this country”.

He continued: “What this agency will do, and today here where we are in Cambridgeshire is a fantastic example of it, is help to assemble land, especially brownfield land, that can be developed into homes and work with those developers, help them with infrastructure and particularly focus on what I call the small and medium-size developers to help them build the homes that we need.”

Asked how the launch of Homes England was more than a rebrand from its predecessor the HCA, he said: “One thing that’s very different from before is the new agency has a lot more power, including a lot more what I would call firepower, so a lot more financial resources for example.

“One good way of demonstrating that is investment in infrastructure and what we found is to bring more housing sites forward and to bring them forward more quickly it really helps if you can invest in the road and rail links and other types of infrastructure that you need.

“If you can do it upfront, so you can show the local community that that infrastructure will definitely be there, I think you will get a lot more interest and you can bring forward a lot more sites.”

He said he wanted to see “a dramatic increase in annual numbers” of new homes built.

“What I’ve set out is by the middle of the next decade I want to see the current, around 217,000, number rise to at least 300,000,” he said. “That’s a big ask but I’m sure we can do it if we continue to work in partnership with developers, with local councils and others to get this done.”

He continued: “Housing affordability I think is the biggest issue in housing in this country and there’s far too many people, particularly younger families, that feel that owning or even renting a decent home is out of their reach.

“Clearly that’s not acceptable, so in the long term what we’ve got to continue doing is to increase the number of homes built each year.

“We’re at almost a 10-year high at the moment but we need to do a lot more.”

He said that in the short term “more immediate” help on offer included schemes such as Help To Buy and the lowering of taxes such as the cut in Stamp Duty.

Source: BT.com

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59 homes could be built across a Notts town

Up to 59 homes could be built on three vacant sites across a Nottinghamshire town.

If plans are given the go-ahead by Mansfield District Council’s planning committee, homes could be built on Westfield Lane, Colston Road and Sherwood Close.

Three separate planning applications were submitted to the council this month for a mix of houses, apartments and bungalows.

All sites are within a five-mile radius of each other.

Plans for the Westfield Lane site were submitted by Munkbridge Homes Ltd. The company wants to build 14 bungalows on the former care home site, which was demolished some months ago.

The planning application submitted by the developer states: “This development should have no detrimental impact on the existing neighbouring properties.

“More than adequate parking is provided within the site and it is hoped that this is satisfactory in terms of layout, scale and appearance and a satisfactory residential environment.”

The application for the site includes plans for 28 car parking spaces.

At the Colston Road site, which is described as a brownfield site, developer Urban Plus Ltd has applied for permission to build six one-bed and six two-bed apartments.

The planning application submitted to the council states: “The area currently suffers from new quality investment, this is evident in the existing housing stock in the locale.

“The development will provide area regeneration, employment from construction work during the development.

“The proposal will result in the delivery of high quality residential development in a sustainable brown field location.”

Gleeson Homes wants to build 33 two and three bedroom homes on land off Sherwood Close.

If it’s given the go-ahead, 11 of the homes would have two bedrooms, and the remaining 22 would have three bedrooms.

The site was used as allotment gardens up until 2016, and has now been stood empty for some months.

The developer said this area has become a “fly-tipping” hot spot, and believed the homes would get rid of this issue.

Forty car park spaces are also planned as part of this application.

Source: Nottingham Post

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New plans to build apartments on old brewery site revealed

The latest stage of plans which could see hundreds of homes built at a former old brewery have been unveiled – with 18 new apartments planned for the site.

An application has been submitted to Broxtowe Borough Council‘s planning department by developer Fairgrove Homes.

The company wants to build the new apartments as part of a wider project to redevelop the site of the old Hardys and Hansons brewery, off Harvey Road, Kimberley.

The former brewery was sold to Greene King in 2006, but it was abandoned five years later and was left to fall into disrepair.

It has since been split into a number of smaller development plots and sold to developers, who could eventually build up to 350 homes on the site.

Another application was submitted to the council in October. This sought permission to build 14 new townhouses in the brewery yard.

Originally the plan was to build a three-storey apartment block of 24 one bed rooms. This was approved in 2015.

But the developers chose to instead revise the plans after some opposition from the public, and the plans were re-submitted to seek permission to instead build townhouses, with the company saying it felt there was “more of a need for family homes”.

Chairman of the Kimberley Chinemarelian Historical Society and Kimberley Town Councillor Roy Plumb, 76, welcomed new of the latest planning application.

He said: “This will make the Kimberley area a lot more attractive for people. It is certainly one of the biggest developments we have had since the Victorian-period.

“Of course it would have been great to keep the brewery, but it couldn’t happend. A mixed residential development was the only viable option.

“The developer is keen to retain the heritage of the site, and is forward-thinking with this. The homes will be in-keeping with the site itself.

“It will develop the site into a 21st century living space, and it won’t look out of place for the area.”

The latest application, submitted in December, seeks permission to develop 18 two-bed apartments in the already existing Grade II listed maltings building.

Planning documents submitted by the developer state: “The alterations to the existing building externally are very little and barely constitute development. They will be very minor and will barely impact on the character or appearance of the area.

“The condition of the building is deteriorating rapidly since the closure of the brewery some plus 10 years ago.

“They [the apartments] will enable the building to be put back into viable usage in the long term, and will bring substantial improvements to the area long-term.”

A final planning decision on both this latest application and the one submitted in October has yet to be made by the borough council’s planning committee.

The brewery was originally opened in 1832 and was the major employer in the town with over 200 employees.

Many of the buildings are from the 1850s and 1860s, although over the years new buildings and warehouses have been continually added.

Fairgrove Homes is already developing 23 new-build homes and four conversions on the another part of the site, including 10 detached houses.

Source: Nottingham Post

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New £2.9m bridge will create link between Notts town and village

Funding for a multi-million pound bridge that will support the development of hundreds of new homes has been approved.

The new pedestrian and cycle access overpass will be installed over the A46, connecting the former RAF Newton site – where 550 new homes are proposed – with a plot of land also proposed for new housing in Bingham.

A total of 317 homes could be built on the plot of land, just west of Chapel Lane, by developer Barratt Homes.

The planning application was submitted to Rushcliffe Borough Council in September, and is due to be discussed by its planning committee at a meeting in the new year.

The council has been awarded £2,910,000 by Highways England – the government-owned company with responsibility for the operation, maintenance and improvement of the motorways and trunk roads in England – to build the bridge.

The bid to secure the funds began two years ago, and it was confirmed on December 28 that it had been awarded from Highways England’s Growth and Housing fund.

Bingham Town Councillor Sue Hull welcomed the news of the bridge being built, and said it would “connect” both Newton and Bingham together.

She said: “The borough council applied for the funding of the bridge over two years ago now.

“It is needed for the area. The residents on the RAF Newton site feel isolated, as the nearest shops for them are in East Bridgford.

“This new bridge will connect the two sides together. People will be within walking distant of supermarkets, and the post office.

“It will be a quick and direct link to Bingham’s town centre, and will have a huge positive impact on the people from the Newton side.”

It is not known when work on the bridge will start.

The developments are part of the first phase of Rushcliffe Borough Council’s plan to build up to 1,050 new homes as well as shops, a community centre, primary school and allotments and parks in Bingham

Leader of Rushcliffe Borough Council Councillor Simon Robinson said: “Rushcliffe is delighted to be awarded this funding from Highways England Growth and Housing Fund.

“The link bridge directly supports the development of 550 new dwellings proposed at RAF Newton.

“It will provide direct pedestrian and cycle access across the recently dualled A46 between the RAF Newton and Bingham development sites.

“This will mean the current and future residents of the RAF Newton settlement will have sustainable access to a wide range of retail and commercial amenities on offer in Bingham, and better access to employment opportunities in both the town itself and the greater Nottingham area through improved access to public transport links.

“RAF Newton is a key site on the A46 and the funding for the bridge brings us a step closer to realising our targets and ambitions for this key growth corridor.”

Source: Nottingham Post

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Plans to build 20 new homes on site of former pub and shops in Top Valley

A former pub site and a row of shops with flats could be turned into 20 new homes, plans have revealed.

The former Harvester site off Old Farm Road and a row of shops and flats in Knights Close, Top Valley, could make way for a mixture of houses and houses.

A document submitted to the council by Pelham Architects on behalf of Nottingham City Homes states the site will be turned into 12 two-bedroom houses, two two-bedroom flats, one two-bedroom split-level house and five four-bedroom split-level homes.

It also says there will be a four-bedroom ‘parsonage’ with a garage and three parking spaces.

The area has previously been described as an “area of blight” and residents speaking to the Post earlier this year were relaxed about the planned demolition.

The site also includes a former Harvester pub, which has been empty for some time.

A shop will be retained on the site but moved to a more suitable area.

The document states: “The shop is now at the pivot point on the site, facing the subway, existing footpath route and the extended Knights Close. It will be useful in increasing natural surveillance in the location proposed and with windows from the flats above on three sides there will be surveillance to all the public areas.

“We ensured that homes have habitable rooms facing the route to help with natural surveillance. This route will also work well in replacing the path that is proposed to be close which runs north-south adjacent to the western boundary.

“Closing this path will help make the routes children take to school feel safer as the new route is in front of homes rather than being isolated and not over-looked.

“The existing homes are simply detailed and we wanted to reflect that in the house designs, but add more features such as the various porches, black brick header details and contrasting brick colours.

“Brick garden walling will also be used, which will add interest and longevity. We tried to tie together the varied colours of brick from the surroundings by using red, buff and black brick.”

Speaking to the Post in May when it was revealed the area had been earmarked for demolition, Carl Brant, 28, who also lives over the shops, said: “I think it was March I found out. I was kind of happy because I’ve wanted to move, to be honest – I’ve got a young daughter in Aspley, so I would like to move nearer.

“I wouldn’t say it’s quiet. It’s a bit noisy outside sometimes, although there’s never really any trouble – but most of the shops have been empty now for about two years.”

Source: Nottingham Post

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Plan to build 970 homes in £100m ‘extended village’ for York

Developers have revealed plan to build 970 new houses and a primary school on the edge of York.

National housebuilder Redrow has drawn up proposals for the north east of the city, near Huntington, on a site bounded by Monks Cross Link Road to the east and North Lane to the north.

The development would cost £100 million to build and take ten years to complete, at a rate of around 100 homes a year.

As well as the houses and school, there would be sports pitches, a play area and public open areas.

Redrow says the school and commercial, transport and sports facilities would be at the heart of the development, to form a vibrant village centre.

The site is within the Outer Ring Road has been deemed suitable for housing in various draft versions of York’s proposed Local Plan, so will likely prove less controversial in principle than a separate, larger plan north of the bypass, reported earlier this month in the York Press.

Redrow revealed its ideas for the site at two local consultation events earlier this month, and intends to submit a formal planning application to City of York Council early in the New Year.

Redrow revealed its ideas for the site at two local consultation events earlier this month, and intends to submit a formal planning application to City of York Council early in the New Year.

Plan to build 970 homes in £100m ‘extended village’ for York Commercial Finance Network

Redrow’s site plan

Redrow said it was keen to “create a community that is not just another new development”. They say they will include affordable housing.

It says:

The extended village will have new community facilities to meet the needs of the future and existing residents, including a small local shop, primary school and public open space and playing fields.

It is expected that the primary school will be designed to a standard that facilitates wider public uses, to act as a community hub.

‘Respecting the landscape’

Elsewhere in the information they sent to YorkMix, Redrow says: “Monks Cross North will be a leading example of a high-quality sustainable community, through the creation of a place that is economically, socially and environmentally sustainable.

“The development will draw on the features of the site while respecting the landscape setting of the surrounding green belt.”

Huntington and New Earswick councillor Keith Orrell said: “Local councillors know this has long been in the Local Plan.

“When the Local Plan process finishes, we look forward to local people being consulted about the details.”

City of York Council has struggled for many years to complete an acceptable Local Plan, a landmark document meant to help determine the future development of the city.

The plan identifies which parts of the city are suitable for what sorts of development, and aims to project how many houses will be needed to accommodate the city’s growth.

Disputes between parties have seen repeated disagreements and rewrites, but the current administration now hopes to submit a plan to the Government by May 2018.

Source: York Mix

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39-home estate in Telford gets the go-ahead

Plans for an estate of almost 40 houses which will transform a site in Telford will go ahead.

The latest scheme by Telford & Wrekin Council’s housing company Nuplace will see 39 properties on land in Snedshill.

A range of two, three and four-bedroom homes will be built after councillors accepted the proposals at the council’s planning committee on Wednesday evening.

As part of the plans along Holyhead Road and Snedshill Way, a total of 15 per cent of the homes will be affordable properties.

Councillors – who voted unanimously to accept the project subject to conditions including a section 106 agreement – raised concerns over the original reduction in affordable homes from 25 per cent.

Councillor Ian Fletcher: “The designs of the houses and layout is appropriate for the type of housing they are. I’m concerned about the affordable housing proportion being reduced down to 15 per cent.”

The houses will be built by Nuplace’s development partner Lovell and made available for rent.

The report, submitted to Telford & Wrekin Council, said: “The application site will provide much needed accommodation on allocated residential land within the village of Snedshill.

“The site is in a sustainable location, where future residents will enjoy close proximity to schools, services, employment, and community facilities.

“The development of the application site will form a natural extension to the existing village boundary, terminating at Holyhead Road, the development will provide a feature to intersection of Holyhead Road and Snedshill Way.

“The site will provide quality new build homes for market rent with a small number of affordable homes, creating an inclusive development for different needs.”

Council officers said the site was not viable to produce the full 25 per cent in affordable homes.

Members of the planning committee also raised the need for appropriate crossing along Holyhead Road.

Councillor Fletcher added: “I think we should have an appropriate crossing along the road.”

Source: Shropshire Star

 

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Schemes aim to bring 1,700 new homes to Birmingham’s Southside

Ambitious new plans could see 1,700 new homes brought to Birmingham’s Southside district.

Manchester property group MCR has submitted a £275 million urban village scheme to council planners that would see more than 1,000 new homes on the vacant Monaco House site on Bristol Street.

Meanwhile housebuilder Barratt Homes is proposing 778 new apartments and houses on a nearby plot further down Bristol Street, on the former site of Matthew Boulton College and the old St Luke’s housing estate.

MCR’s £275 million urban village, named New Monaco, is intended to completely transform a seven acre site on Bristol Street into a unique village community on the fringe of the city centre.

Two towers, 26 and 29 storeys high, will stand alongside apartment blocks and townhouses at the heart of the build-to-rent scheme, providing more than a 1,000 one, two and three-bedroom homes for rent.

Plans for the new city centre community include 1,500 sq m of space for ground-floor shops, cafes and bars; landscaped public and private open areas and pedestrian walkways.

Residents will also benefit from facilities including two levels of basement car parking, a concierge, an on-site gym and cycle club.

The development will provide a new street to link nearby Vere Street with Wrentham Street to connect surrounding city centre locations.

MCR Property Group is working with partners including planning consultant, Pegasus Group, and architects, Leach Rhodes Walker, to bring the ambitious project to life.

Demolition of Monaco House is currently underway with building work set to start at the end of next year. It is estimated the project will take around five years, completing in 2023. Once finished, the homes will be sold via Regency Residential, MCR Property Group’s residential arm.

Chris Taylor, fund manager at MCR Property Group, said: “We’re incredibly proud of the final plans for New Monaco. Everything has been designed to enhance the vacant land and deliver well-designed, high-quality, affordable housing for Birmingham residents and enrich the city centre for generations to come.”

David Onions, director at Pegasus Group, said: ‘‘Monaco House has been an unattractive part of Bristol Street for many years and this major new development will result in a dramatic improvement to this part of the city centre, aiding significant revitalisation of Birmingham’s Southside area and meeting the city’s growing housing needs.”

Christian Gilham, director at Leach Rhodes Walker architects, said: “This purpose-designed urban village will set a fresh benchmark for the quality of city centre living in Birmingham. The scheme embraces high quality, durable designs and revitalises this prominent Bristol Street site to create a new community focused around two new, landmark residential towers.”

Meanwhile plans have also been filed with Birmingham Council for the demolition of the former St Luke’s Church and The Highgate Centre off Bristol Street to redevelop the site to provide 778 one, two and three bedroom houses and apartments.

It adds to the dramatic transformation of the area; the site across Bristol Street forms Park Central, a Crest Nicholson housing scheme on the site of the former former Lee Bank estate, which is being undertaken by Crest Nicholson.

An application for the St Luke’s site was originally filed in February but withdrawn last month for changes following feedback from the council. It now comprises 233 houses and 545 apartments across 16 apartment buildings as well as a small shop unit.

There will also be 544 parking spaces as well as landscaping and areas of parkland, including children’s play areas and a football pitch.

Express and Star

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Anger over plan to demolish Telford house to make way for 85 new homes

Plans have been put forward to demolish a house in Telford to make way for more than 80 new homes.

Shropshire Homes want to knock down the home in Wellington Road, Muxton, to build the estate of 85 homes, which will include affordable housing.

It would form part of a huge development of 665 homes plus industrial units on the site, which were put forward by Tesni Properties – close to the site on land north of Breton Park Residential Caravan Park, off New Trench Road.

Now, those living nearby have criticised the plans – with 24 objections made to Telford & Wrekin Council.

Residents claim the village is being “continually harassed” by developers and called for it to be stopped.

Richard Green, spokesman for Wellington Road Action Group, said: “Yet again we have another pot shot being fired at the residents of Muxton and in particularity those living on Wellington Road.

“This time Shropshire Homes is planning to build 85 houses on prime agricultural land. However, once again, they initially must demolish a house of outstanding character on Wellington Road to which to gain access.

“When are we, the residents, going to see the 2011 to 2031 local plan approved – only then, will this continual harassment be stopped once and for all.”

The property, called Green Gables, will be demolished to form the access to the new site.

Thirty-five per cent of the properties would be affordable. The application was submitted towards the end of November.

Council officers have said that a contribution of £600 per dwelling would be sought in order to upgrade nearby play facilities.

Howard Thorne, managing director of Shropshire Homes said: “The Tesni application is for a large area and has a number of complications – mainly concerning access and landscape impact.

“Our application is for just a small part of the Tesni site. Access will be from a modest junction on Wellington Road which meets council requirements and the site is surrounded by mature trees so there are no landscape concerns.

“The great benefit of our proposal is that, because there are no technical issues, it can be delivered very quickly. If our application is approved we expect to be building much needed houses, including over 20 affordable homes, by autumn 2018.”

Donnington and Muxton Parish Council will meet at 6.30pm today at Turreff Hall in Donnington to discuss the matter.

Mr Green has urged residents to attend the meeting.

Angry resident, Roger France, who is part of the action group, added: “The key first phase of the Tesni scheme is this access and an initial build of about 85 houses. The project is on hold awaiting conclusion of the TWC Local Plan.

“We now have another application – this time from Shropshire Homes – identical to that of Tesni’s first phase and amazingly also for 85 houses.

“By a stroke of luck, this application has a ‘village green’ in precisely the right position to allow the site’s main access road to be extended if Tesni subsequently submitted a new application for the balance of the 665 properties.”

“Shropshire Homes’ seemingly innocuous application is a cynical attempt to secure a main construction site access from Wellington Road for a major development of 665 houses and industrial units.

“If residents do not want years of heavy construction traffic polluting Wellington Road, they must write to TWC Planning Department and object to this proposal.”

Source: Shropshire Star

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House building helps UK construction output rise at fastest pace in five months

Demand for house building helped offset a drop in civil engineering and commercial construction activity.

The UK’s construction industry experienced a “moderate rebound” in November, as a pick-up in house building helped output grow at its fastest pace in five months.

The Markit/CIPS UK Construction purchasing managers’ index (PMI) showed a reading of 53.1 last month, up from 50.8 in October and easily beating economist forecasts for 51.0.

A reading above 50 indicates growth.

It was the highest reading in five months, with house building projects again emerging as the “primary growth engine” for industry activity.

The survey said participants chalked the growth up to “resilient demand” and a “supportive policy backdrop” for residential development.

It helped offset a drop in civil engineering activity and commercial construction, which was the weakest performing sub-sector in November as Brexit-related uncertainty and a subdued economic outlook weighed on client investment.

Duncan Brock, director of customer relationships at the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS), said: “It appears that policy support and a small recovery in the UK economy has boosted sentiment and encouraged clients to come out of their shells and start building again.

“The housing sector was the primary driver of growth increasing at the fastest rate for almost half a year.

“However, it is private sector companies that need to commit to big-ticket spending, with commercial development still underperforming as persistent Brexit uncertainty continues to bite.”

He added that there was also concern that a drop in new contracts has dragged civil engineering works, with activity dropping for the third straight month and marking the longest period of decline for more than four years.

But some construction managers have expressed hopes that “forthcoming tender opportunities” linked to energy and transport infrastructure programmes will increase workloads.

Overall, companies pointed to a “moderate rebound in new orders” last month, thanks to a “general improvement” in client demand which had softened over the summer. In turn, it sparked a “moderate rise” in sector jobs growth.

Optimism among business picked up from October’s 58-month low, though the survey noted that confidence was still relatively subdued and was hovering near its lowest levels since mid-2013.

Samuel Tombs, chief UK economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, said relatively low mortgage rates, the Government’s Help to Buy Scheme and other policy initiatives are likely to keep home building activity bouyant.

“Meanwhile, signs that the Brexit divorce terms will be agreed imminently, enabling future relationship talks to begin, might help corporate confidence to recover.

“But with the UK Government insisting — for now — that Britain eventually will leave the EU’s single market and customs union, firms likely will remain reluctant to commit to construction projects with long-time horizons.

“We expect the construction sector to bump along the bottom as long as a hard Brexit still is one of the options on the table.”

Source: Express & Star