FIRST LOOK AT NEW ASHBOURNE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AS SALES GET WRAPPED UP FOR CHRISTMAS

 

A Derbyshire housebuilder has provided a sneak peek inside its flagship Ashbourne development after batch of surprise pre-Christmas sales.   

Hodgkinson Builders has been handed an early Christmas present having sold the first three homes at its highly anticipated Rosarium Heights site.

Rosarium Heights appears to be bucking the traditional trend of a sales slow-down in the approach to Christmas with a small flurry of unexpected November and December sales as the development approaches its final stages of completion. 

Robert Hodgkinson, operations director at the firm, said: “We are immensely proud of the homes at this select development. 

“House hunters have proved that they agree that what we have created is something special, with three of the 10 properties already snapped up.” 

New homes partner Kerri Bywater, of Bagshaws Residential, confirmed that the development, off Clifton Road, has produced three sales in the last month and a half.   

She said: “Since the spade was first put in the ground a year ago, there has been much anticipation when it comes to what the finished properties would look like. Buyers have not been disappointed.” 

There are 10 homes on the site providing a perfect spread of 2-, 3- and 4-bed semi-detached houses. 

Each home will be finished to a high standard with quality kitchens and integrated appliances, oak style internal doors and patio or bi-fold doors onto the rear gardens. 

Layout choices include either open-plan living or separate kitchen and living spaces. Generously sized bedrooms and en suites wrap up the house buying package. 

Robert said the firm was also keen to keep the history of the site, recognising the importance of the location within the local community. 

Rosarium Heights is named after a cottage that was historically on the site, while individual homes are named after nearby beauty spots – The Dovedale, The Carsington and The Wolfscote. 

While the Ashbourne development draws on the firm’s 30-plus years' experience in the industry, this is the first development in the Midlands under the Hodgkinson Homes banner.

The Hodgkinson Builders team, which enjoyed TV fame recently on the BBC3 fly-on-the-wall documentary Brickies, is the big name behind landmark construction projects such as the apartment building on the site of the former Debenhams store in Derby’s Victoria Street. 

It is also hailed for its social housing projects as well as the construction of family homes for other property clients – all sectors of the business that continue to thrive. 

Robert said: “We are passionate about building the right properties for individual communities and helping those communities to grow and flourish. Reaction to the almost-finished homes has been tremendous and we can’t wait to show off their stunning interiors. 

“From a muddy field in Ashbourne just a year ago to the stunning development we have now... we are thrilled by the result. Kerri and the team at Bagshaws Residential are doing an amazing sales and marketing job for us with homebuyers first and foremost.” 

As always, Hodgkinson is also championing apprenticeships and trade jobs in the industry.

Robert added: “On any development that we create, we will always be looking for local people first, and we’re always keen to get good people on board.”

Prospective homebuyers are now invited to book a first look around the Rosarium Heights homes. For more information contact Bagshaws Residential, in Ashbourne, on 01335 346677. 

For information about the firm, or to check available job opportunities, visit www.hodgkinsonbuilders.com.

Land and Housing where is it going ?

 Title: Land Requirements for Housing Development: A Comprehensive Guide

Introduction

The development of housing is a complex and multifaceted process, and one of its fundamental components is the acquisition and utilization of land. The amount of land required for a housing development project varies depending on several factors, including the type of housing, location, local regulations, and the developer’s goals. In this article, we will explore the crucial aspects of land requirements for housing development.

1. Type of Housing

The type of housing being developed has a significant influence on the land requirements. Different housing types, such as single-family homes, multi-family apartments, or condominiums, demand varying amounts of land. Single-family homes typically need more land per unit, while multi-story apartment buildings can accommodate more residents on a smaller footprint.

2. Location and Zoning Regulations

The location of the development site plays a vital role in determining land requirements. Local zoning regulations, which vary by region, dictate factors like minimum lot size, setbacks, density, and allowable land use. Understanding and complying with these regulations is essential for successful development.

3. Density and Plot Ratio

The density of a housing development, often measured in units per acre or square meter, directly affects land requirements. Higher-density developments require less land per unit, making them suitable for urban or suburban areas with limited available land. Developers may use a plot ratio, which defines the maximum buildable area in relation to the land size, to determine how many units can be constructed.

4. Infrastructure and Common Areas

Land requirements also encompass space for essential infrastructure and common areas. This includes road access, parking facilities, green spaces, community amenities, and utility installations. Proper planning for these elements is crucial for the functionality and appeal of the development.

5. Environmental Considerations

In some cases, environmental factors can limit the available land for development. Protected natural areas, wetlands, and steep slopes may restrict the usable land. Ensuring compliance with environmental regulations is not only legally required but also an ethical obligation.

6. Affordable and Inclusive Housing

Developers aiming to provide affordable and inclusive housing may require larger parcels of land to accommodate a mix of housing types, including units for various income levels. Such projects often prioritize community development and social inclusivity.

7. Market Demand and Profitability

Market conditions and profit margins play a pivotal role in determining the amount of land a developer may require. A developer seeking to maximize profit may choose a higher-density project, while one focused on high-end, low-density housing may opt for larger plots.

8. Feasibility Studies and Site Analysis

Conducting a feasibility study and comprehensive site analysis is a crucial step in assessing land requirements. This includes evaluating the local market, understanding the costs associated with land acquisition, infrastructure, and construction, and determining the optimal land-use mix for the intended development.

Conclusion

The land requirements for housing development are contingent on various factors, from housing type and location to zoning regulations and market demand. Successful housing development begins with a thorough understanding of these factors and careful planning to ensure that the land is utilized effectively, sustainably, and in compliance with local laws and regulations. Ultimately, land is a finite and precious resource, and responsible land use is essential for creating thriving and sustainable communities.

Build to Rent: Is it worth it?

Build to Rent are new build developments designed specifically for renting. They come with longer tenancies, a dedicated on-site manager and purpose built communal spaces, as well as a premium price tag. Here's everything you need to know about Build-to-Rent.

Renting privately comes with a whole range of issues for many people: complaints of damp properties which landlords refuse to repair, dealing with extortionate rents and the precariousness of short leases. But is Built to Rent the answer? We look at the pros and cons

What is Build to Rent?

As the name suggests, Build to Rent (sometimes known as BTR or B2R), describes new build apartment developments that have been built specifically for renters. Build to Rent addresses many of the problems that renters face when renting privately such as problems associated with short-term leases.

But they are also designed to offer:

• Good quality homes, mainly in larger towns and cities and often located near good public transport links.
• Residents will typically have access to communal facilities like gyms.
• Developments typically have on-site staff.

How many Build to Rent homes are there?

Build to Rent was introduced in 2012. One famous example is the London Olympics athletes’ accommodation in Stratford, east London, that was turned into rental accommodation. Other large developments followed and the Build-to-Rent scheme has grown in popularity.

In 2023, according to the British Property Federation, there are 251,208 Build to Rent homes in the UK, of which 78,717 are complete, with 72,244 new Build to Rent properties under construction and 113,379 in planning stages.

Given that there are an estimated five million rental properties in the UK, Build to Rent represents a small percentage, but it is growing. In fact, John Lewis is pledged to build and rent out 10,000 homes in coming years.

How many Build to Rent London properties are there?

There are around 96,000 London Build to Rent homes, while outside London, there are around 155,000. Build to Rent Manchester properties are available as well as in Birmingham, Liverpool and many other towns and cities.

How are Build to Rent developments different?

Developers are designing their Build-to-Rent properties to suit the lifestyles of the people they expect will want to live there. So as well as offering good quality accommodation, they are also trying to create Build to Rent communities within the developments by including features like communal areas, gyms and games rooms. Some have their own concierge service.

3 Benefits of Built to Rent

Many renters have encountered issues with private renting. Common problems include:

• Short-term leases
• Complaints that rents have unfairly increased
• Landlords being slow to carry out essential repairs

By comparison, the benefits of renting a new build through the Build to Rent scheme are:

1. Tenancy options of over three years

With Build to Rent, developers should usually offer longer tenancy agreements of 3 years or more to all new tenants who want one. These are also known as ‘family friendly tenancies’ because they offer longer-term security and stability for people wanting to settle down within a community.

However, there isn’t an obligation for the renter to take up a 3 year tenancy. If they want a tenancy of 6 months, 1 year or 2 years, companies should offer these.

Although there may be periods when the offer of longer tenancies would interfere with planned refurbishment works. In this case, it would be permissible to offer shorter tenancies, running up to the date of the refurbishments.

2. Easier to address problems

The big benefit is having one landlord responsible for managing and operating the whole development. This should make it easier for tenants to get in touch with the landlord and get problems resolved quickly.

Another benefit is the landlord must have a complaints procedure in place and be a member of a recognised ombudsman scheme. This means if things do go wrong tenants should have a clear way to complain and get issues addressed.

3. The rent is clearly laid out including any basis for increase

Where the rent or service charges are to be reviewed during the period of the tenancy, the basis for the review and for calculating the increase (whether as a fixed percentage or index linked to inflation) should be clearly set out in the tenancy agreement.

So what are the disadvantages of Build to Rent?

So, are there any disadvantages to Build to Rent? Yes. Firstly, while more Build to Rent homes are being built, they are still only a small proportion of private rental properties. Secondly, you may not qualify to live in the existing Build to Rent developments. That’s because many of the ones that are already built are targeted at specific demographics such as over 55s or young professionals or people with pets.

Finally, and most significantly, living in a Build to Rent property isn’t cheap….

Is Build to Rent affordable?

All the benefits of Build to Rent homes don’t come cheap. With many offering communal workspaces, laundry services, concierge, event spaces and gyms it isn’t surprising they can come at a premium. When you rent a new build flat with these extra facilities and services, it means the average rent on these developments is typically higher than comparable properties on the private rental market.

But while you may be able to afford the rent now, bear in mind that paying a premium for your rent is going to make it even harder to save if you are hoping to one day buy your first home. If you are looking at rental but one day want to afford to buy, take a look at our saving for a deposit guide. Other government schemes (Rent to Buy and Shared Ownership  for example) may also enable you to get on the property ladder while renting. And check out the numerous other alternatives to the government’s now defunct Help to Buy scheme.

Do developers need to provide affordable housing?

Yes. The Government’s guidelines say 20% is a ‘suitable benchmark’ for the level of affordable private rent homes to be provided. Although this can be challenged by local authorities should they wish to set a different proportion.

So what is affordable housing when it comes to Build to Rent? The Government says national affordable housing policy requires a minimum discount of 20% for affordable private rent homes compared to local market rents.

Am I eligible for affordable Built to Rent?

Eligibility should be agreed locally between the local authority and the Build to Rent scheme operator, but taking into account criteria set out in planning guidance. So contact the developer for more information on this.

Will Build to Rent make things better for renters?

Our research suggests the benefits if you rent a new build through this scheme could be significant. Some 40% of respondents to our recent YouGov study said they would appreciate renting directly from a responsible company or housing provider rather than a private landlord or lettings agent.

Over a third said renting a high-quality home would significantly improve their rental experience.

Build to Rent developers

There are a number of Build to Rent developers, some of which include:

• Simple Life Homes
• Quintain Living
• Allsop Letting and Management

• Essential Living
• Dandara Living
• Moda Living
• Legal & General, urbanbubble
• Touchstone
• Way of Life
• Get Living

Construction industry bears brunt of cooling UK labour market

 

Construction industry bears brunt of cooling UK labour market

The wider impact of the slowdown on employment is mitigated by an already depleted workforce

The construction sector is bearing the brunt of a wider labour market slowdown © Simon Dawson/Bloomberg

A year ago, UK brickmakers could not produce enough to keep up with racing demand. Now, they have the opposite problem: brickyards are not big enough to hold the mounting stacks of unsold stock.

With high interest rates putting many housebuilding projects on hold “for the foreseeable future”, Forterra, a listed brickmaker, is cutting manpower and mothballing sites — including one, in Lancashire, where a gravity-fed ropeway has carried clay to the kilns for a century.

“These are good, well-paid, unionised jobs,” said Charlotte Childs, a national officer at the GMB union. About 200 staff will be affected, including many in roles such as kiln or machine operators that would typically attract salaries above £35,000. 

The construction sector — hit by the housing market downturn, squeezed mortgage holders scrapping home extensions and the potential scaling- back of big public projects such as the HS2 rail line — is bearing the brunt of a wider labour market slowdown.

Vacancies, which rocketed in the post-coronavirus pandemic upswing, have been falling for more than a year. The latest official data showed unemployment up sharply from 3.8 per cent on the quarter to 4.3 per cent and employment down, even though average wages were still rising at a record pace. 

But these figures only cover the period up to July and analysts have questioned whether they can be relied on — as the Office for National Statistics is in the process of overhauling its labour market survey following a sharp drop in response rates since the pandemic. 

Gauging just how much the jobs market has weakened since the summer is crucial for policymakers at the Bank of England as they assess how long to keep interest rates high. The monetary policy committee thinks unemployment will have to rise, and wage growth slow, for inflation to return sustainably to its 2 per cent target. But if it keeps policy too tight for too long, it could trigger unnecessary and painful job losses. 

With banks, law firms and consultancies seeing a drop in mergers and acquisitions; big tech companies scaling back their presence in the UK and consumer-facing industries feeling the effects of squeezed household budgets, jobseekers are now in a very different environment than in 2021 and 2022, when employers entered bidding wars to fill gaps. 

“People coming back from the holidays are putting their heads down, staying put and are just thankful they have a job,” said Yael Selfin, chief economist at KPMG, who has found employers around the UK to be much less concerned about staff churn and wage pressures.

Others also said the labour market could now be weaker — and wage growth slower — than the official data suggested.

“We are in a different place from 12 months ago . . . [Employees feel that] if you have a record and tenure, maybe it’s better to stay where you are,” said Chris Gray, director at the recruiter ManpowerGroup UK, describing the overall jobs market as mixed, with variation between sectors, but “probably more ebb than flow”.

However, most analysts think that while wage growth is slowing, job losses are likely to be more limited than in previous downturns — because the UK workforce is already depleted by demographics, the departure of EU workers and high rates of long-term sickness. 

Neil Carberry, chief executive of the Recruitment & Employment Confederation, said that although employers were taking longer to commit to new hires, confidence was nevertheless improving. “The impact of a long period of slow growth is less than it would have been in the past,” he said, adding that many companies would be able to attract candidates on lower salaries if they were willing to continue offering flexibility on homeworking. 

The benign overall picture masks big differences between sectors, with construction and retail suffering, while areas such as social care still struggle to recruit. But even in sectors that have seen high-profile lay-offs, recruiters say there are still pockets of strong demand. 

Rhona Carmichael, chief commercial officer at the specialist tech recruiter Nash Squared, said many regional companies had been unable to compete on pay at the height of the post-Covid hiring frenzy, as remote working allowed the US groups to recruit from a wider pool. 

“They were getting gazumped when the market was out of control . . . Now there is a degree of normality,” she said, adding that more than half of companies still aimed to expand IT teams. 

As workers become more wary of leaving a secure job, some recruiters say they are in a paradoxical situation where employers are not looking to add to headcount, but are still struggling to keep staffing at full strength. 

Gray said that although job ads were now attracting more applicants, it was “like walking through treacle”, with businesses constantly recruiting to replace staff who left or fell ill, rather than to expand. 

Even in the sectors hardest hit, industry figures worry more about struggling to recruit when demand bounces back than they do about job losses now.

Greg Shaw, a regional director for Randstad’s construction team, said the recruitment agency was looking to fill just 1,350 vacancies in the sector, down from 1,850 a year ago, and that there was a big risk skilled workers would “melt away into the rest of the UK economy” during the downturn. 

“The government has to act now before people start drifting away into different industries,” he said, arguing that work to fix unsafe school buildings could help use slack in the sector. 

Work is underway at our £12.7m housing development in Chesterton to build 67 new affordable homes

 

Work is underway at our £12.7m housing development in Chesterton to build 67 new affordable homes, and the stars of BBC’s Brickies have been appointed to deliver the build. 

The scheme, located on Watermills Road, just three miles north of Newcastle under Lyme town centre, will have a mix of two and three-bedroom properties available for shared ownership and rent to buy.

The development has several eco-friendly features and increased energy efficiency, as well as electric car charging points. The properties will comply with the latest building regulations, which are working towards a target to deliver net zero-energy usage by 2050.

Derby based Hodgkinson Builders have been appointed by Your Housing Group – you may recognise some of them as their team have become familiar faces after appearing on BBC reality series Brickies.

Lorraine Donnelly, our Development Director, said “It’s great to work with Hodgkinson Builders to bring much-needed affordable homes to this part of Staffordshire, helping local people to get on the property ladder. It is in an excellent location, close Newcastle under Lyme, local amenities and transport links, and will revive a piece of brownfield land.”

Director Robert Hodgkinson, whose firm was founded by his father, Ian, in 1990, said: “This is the biggest job we have done. It’s a significant project and it’s quite refreshing that we can lay down the foundations of continuity of work.”

Robert added that new jobs and apprenticeships will be created in the area, with the firm’s carbon footprint reduced due to employing local labour and contractors.

He praised Your Housing Group, saying: “I really enjoy working with Your Housing Group - they are like a breath of fresh air. They are one of the biggest affordable housing companies in the country and the team are excellent to work with.”

The development is expected to take around two years to complete.

Planning Permission is the solution to the housing crisis

 BELIEVING  WE HAVE CONCRETED OVER OUR ISLAND GETS US NOWHERE Homes, excluding gardens take up 1.3%of land. (Report from the The Times on Sunday Martina Lees)

How much of this green and pleasant land has been concreted over,

do you reckon? A quarter? A third? On average the public thinks almost half (47.1 per cent) of England is developed.

This finding, from an Ipsos survey, stands out for just how far perception exceeds reality.

Only 8.7 per cent of the country is developed - that is, covered in permanent structures such as buildings, roads, railways or pavements.

Government Ordnance

Survey data shows homes, excluding gardens, take up just 1.3 per cent of land. The average (mean) guess for the percentage of land taken up by homes? Thirty times as much, at 38.9 per cent.

This gross overestimation in the minds of voters is the backdrop to the political debate on homebuilding. It goes some way to explaining why our leaders shy away from the planning reforms we really need. Yes, there have been plenty of planning headlines to draw a dividing line ahead of the next election. Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, promises (with caveats) to build on the green belt, which Rishi Sunak vows to protect.

Likewise the Labour leader will reinstate the mandatory housing targets that the prime minister scrapped.

None of these measures addresses the root cause of our housing shortage, though.

Britain's planning system is a lottery where you have no certainty where you can build.

Every decision is made on a case-by-case basis, weighing up complex and contradictory policies. By contrast, most developed countries have rules-based systems. If you stick to the rules you know you can build.

The planning lottery is why my son, seven, and daughter, nine, don't have bedrooms.

We live in a dilapidated one-bedroom bungalow that we want to replace with a modest zero-carbon family home that our neighbours support.

Having spent £40,000 on planning experts we still do. not have permission to build.

Yet the public remains largely unaware of where the problem lies. In research for The Economist, Ipsos surveyed more than 2,000 adults, both renters and homeowners. A majority (55 per cent) say housing is unaffordable for "people like me". Many link affordability to supply: Britons are more than twice as likely to agree (50 per cent) than disagree (20 per cent) that housing will not become more affordable unless we build more homes every year. 

Yet they do not cite the planning system as the main reason for undersupply.

It comes fourth on the list of perceived reasons, after a lack of councils building homes, low interest from politicians and local opposition.

No surprise, then, that politicians won't tackle fundamental reform to bring planning certainty. When the Tories tried under Boris Johnson, it cost them a by-election and they have back-pedalled ever since.

Despite the headlines,

Labour has no appetite for "being brave" on root-and-branch planning reform either, as one insider told me. Their priority is to oil the

existing system and bring stability to reinvigorate housebuilding.

If the public doesn't see planning as broken, fixing it won't win votes.

But fixing the planning system is what is required to end the housing shortage long term. We need certainty on what and where we can build.

It is time to be brave, starting with an adult conversation on why the countryside is far from concreted over. 

"Gove says he would ‘like to see’ 30,000 new social rented homes per year" But in reality the UK needs 90000 !!

 

Gove says he would ‘like to see’ 30,000 new social rented homes per year

NEWS19.07.236.30 PMBY GRAINNE CUFFE

Housing secretary Michael Gove has pledged to build 30,000 new social homes per year to tackle the housing crisis.

In an interview with Daniel Hewitt, investigations correspondent at ITV News, Mr Gove said that within the government’s £11.5bn Affordable Homes Programme, he has “specifically insisted that we renegotiated and that we have more money being spent explicitly for homes for social rent”.

He said it is “indefensible” that working people are having to live in vans, caravans and hostels. 

This marks the first time Mr Gove has given a figure for the number of social homes he wants to build. 

The number of new social rent homes being built has fallen from 39,562 a year in 2010 to 7,644 in 2021-22 – the same year that 24,932 were sold under the Right to Buy and 2,757 were demolished.

When launching its inquiry into the financial sustainability of the social housing sector, Clive Betts, chair the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee, said there is “compelling evidence that England needs at least 90,000 net additional social rented homes a year and it is time for the government to invest”. 

Mr Gove said: “Tens of thousands of new homes for social rent will be built as a direct result of the way we have reprofiled that spending.

“I would like to see 30,000 new social homes being built at least every year. 

“We need to step up. We have one more year until we have general election and we need to see a significant increase in the run-up to the election, and I want to see numbers increase after that.”

The housing secretary was speaking to Mr Hewitt, one of the journalists behind ITV’s major investigation into the state of social housing across England, ahead of the Social Housing (Regulation) Bill being given Royal Assent.

The bill is expected to become law as early as Thursday and comes two-and-half-years after the ITV investigation launched and more than six years after its catalyst, the Grenfell Tower fire, claimed 72 lives. 

Councils and housing associations will be subject to more stringent and proactive consumer regulation, as well as inspections, alongside being obliged to report new tenant satisfaction measures to the Regulator of Social Housing. 

The bill includes a clause known as Awaab’s law, named after two-year-old Awaab Ishak who died from prolonged exposure to mould in a Rochdale Boroughwide Housing flat. The clause will require landlords to respond to and investigate repairs within certain timescales, which are yet to be set. 

Mr Gove said he thinks the bill will “make a big difference because we are putting those who are responsible for looking after tenants in social housing on notice”.

He stated that the government takes responsibility for the poor housing conditions uncovered by ITV. 

“It is a shared responsibility, but I don’t think we can shuffle off responsibility for central government’s role, as well. 

“We do need to make sure funding gets to the frontline and make sure there is an effective approach to regulation,” he added. 

Last week, The Guardian revealed that the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities had handed back hundreds of millions of pounds budgeted for 2022-23.

An analysis by the Chartered Institute of Housing estimated that 5,000 new affordable homes could have been funded from part of the £1.9bn underspend reported by the housing department.

Mr Gove said the money would be “reprofiled into future years” and insisted that “100%” the department would get that money back from the Treasury. 

He added: “Because of the inflationary environment at the moment, there are constraints to our ability, on anyone’s ability, to build at the moment.

“What we need to make sure is that we have a sustainable, long-term housing plan for housing, and that money will be spent in future years.”