Made it Together’s Post

h Labour's plan to unleash a new building boom of 1.5m homes needs to consider all that the Green Belt can offer, not what it blocks. Beyond that, we must move away from the big housebuilder monopoly, which has stifled housing delivery and driven up prices. The industry needs change: that means more smaller and medium-sized builders. With a more diverse housebuilding industry and a brownfield-first approach, we can deliver the affordable housing that people need - and in sustainable locations too. Read more below, featuring our President, Mary-Ann Ochota. ttps://https://lnkd.in/gbMvb4YM?

So I've been thinking about this since I saw the Inside Housing report on council housebuilding last week - which in itself is a really good article. Two of the top 3 LB B&D and Newham have largely delivered via their DevCos, Be First Regeneration Limited and Populo Living. In the case of Be First, not just that, but they have also turned around and delivered Englands best planning service in parallel. The article asked if it was the end though of DevCo's and hinted it could be. DevCo's arent a silver bullet, and often their success is based on how they were established. How they were financed, and critically how that financing was structured in the first place, how they were led and governed, and how their business plan has evolved over time ,given the dynamic times we have been in, are also massive factors Clearly council's finances are also absolutely critical and we cant get away from that. But for me, there was evidence in the report to say DevCo's that can continue to evolve, that have exceptional teams, and deliver -actually deliver, are a part of the solution to the housing crisis. It may mean more JV's (public/public anyone?). It also might mean less direct delivery. It might mean more commissioning. It might mean a more mixed economy in terms of housing types and tenures, and looking at new types of partners. Partner with a for profit model ( and actually I'm hugely impressed with what Octupus are doing in this space). But as the figures in Newham and Barking show and actually out of London, in places like Stockport under an MDC - the bravery of those councils mean people now have homes, and more often than not, in long term public ownership. 

George Monbiot on the warped design of the UK Government's housing plans: "The government’s housing policy creates an impression of action by tearing up the countryside while, thanks to a perennial fear of upsetting powerful economic interests, failing to address the underlying causes of the problem. The likely result is trashed landscapes, unmet housing need and soaring rents. Had it set out to destroy people’s faith in democracy and hand the next election to the far right, it could scarcely be doing a better job." The basic problems: reliance on a cartel of housebuilders uninterested in affordability for the many; lack of attention to the rental market and social housing; lack of attention to lack of skills in sustainable construction; a hollowed-out local planning system, now being demonised instead of re-empowered and re-skilled; complete lack of imagination about new approaches, eg modular off-site construction. https://lnkd.in/eD5xBETi

The recent change in Government has brought about a renewed emphasis on the delivery of homes to meet housing needs and boost economic growth. With this in mind, research undertaken by Lichfields UK, commissioned by a Working Group of housebuilders and land promoters (Barratt Developments plc, Gladman, Harworth Group plc, Jones Homes UK, Persimmon Homes, Redrow, Richborough, Story Homes, Taylor Wimpey plc, and Wain Estates) supported by the Home Builders Federation, has quantified the economic benefits of Cheshire East maintaining a housing requirement of at least 1,800 dpa (the adopted Local Plan Strategy requirement) in its new local plan, rather than reducing it to 977 dpa (the current standard method figure). The higher housing target would result in: 1. Additional £𝟒𝟒𝟖.𝟕𝐦 gross value added e̲a̲c̲h̲ ̲y̲e̲a̲r; 2. Additional £𝟏𝟔𝟎.𝟖𝐦 construction cost investment e̲a̲c̲h̲ ̲y̲e̲a̲r̲; 3. Additional £𝟐𝟔.𝟏𝐦 resident expenditure e̲a̲c̲h̲ ̲y̲e̲a̲r̲; 4. 𝟓,𝟏𝟓𝟖 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥-𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐣𝐨𝐛𝐬 p̲e̲r̲ y̲e̲a̲r̲; 5. 𝟖𝟐𝟑 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 per year (𝟐𝟒𝟕 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 per year). The Working Group has collectively contributed to the delivery of 9,462 homes in Cheshire East since 2010; investing almost £2 billion into the Cheshire East economy. The research found that the Working Group’s developments have been catering for the needs of the local population, with the majority of new residents moving locally from within Cheshire East, or from just beyond the borough. Andrew Taylor Sam Reed Richard Naylor Kerren Phillips Luke Jones Adele Jacques Paul Murray Millie Jeffery Andy Pepper Lydia Smith Eliza Barbarewicz Nicholas Mills John Turton Neil Lewis Rebecca Caines Brian O'Connor Colin Robinson Alexander Davies Charlie Heywood-Heath Julia Langford

Delivery of homes not only meeting housing needs, it also delivery significant economic benefits as recognised by the Government this week. As part of our work for a Consortium of housebuilders and developers in Cheshire East, we have sought to quantify the benefits of housing delivery. Pursuing a figure of 1,800 dpa as opposed to 977dpa would result in the following benefits: 1. Additional £𝟒𝟒𝟖.𝟕𝐦 gross value added e̲a̲c̲h̲ ̲y̲e̲a̲r; 2. Additional £𝟏𝟔𝟎.𝟖𝐦 construction cost investment e̲a̲c̲h̲ ̲y̲e̲a̲r̲; 3. Additional £𝟐𝟔.𝟏𝐦 resident expenditure e̲a̲c̲h̲ ̲y̲e̲a̲r̲; 4. 𝟓,𝟏𝟓𝟖 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥-𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐣𝐨𝐛𝐬 p̲e̲r̲ y̲e̲a̲r̲; 5. 𝟖𝟐𝟑 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 per year (𝟐𝟒𝟕 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 per year). Some really interesting facts and analysis is set out in our attached report.

'The AHSP increases the affordable housing stock in the city, with the majority of this is through newbuild projects, but in addition non-residential buildings are repurposed and private sector properties are strategically acquired for housing associations.' Be interesting to see how this translates into satisfying demand and regenerating vacant offices, commercial buildings and brownfield areas across the City. Planning, stifling regulation, costs, incentives and much more needed addressed to get the city moving in the right direction.

𝐅𝐞𝐧𝐰𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐟𝐥𝐚𝐠𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐃𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫. Fenwood Estates Limited, the Doncaster based land and property development company, has secured a Brownfield Housing Fund grant of £272,000 from the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority to accelerate the build out of its ‘AIR’ development in Auckley, Doncaster. Melissa Kroger, Managing Director of Fenwood Estates said: “This funding is essential in accelerating the delivery of one of the region’s best new small housing schemes, close to an area critical to the region’s growth ambitions that includes the reopening of Doncaster Sheffield Airport. I’d like to thank the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority for the speed of determining our application and we will now work hard to finish the development by the end of March 2025.” South Yorkshire’s Mayor, Oliver Coppard, said: “We can’t have the economic growth that we need in South Yorkshire without more and better homes. "That’s why I’m so pleased to see a local business receive funding that will help deliver new homes close to Gateway East in Doncaster; new housing that will support our plans for economic regeneration in the City of Doncaster and across South Yorkshire. “The Plan for Good Growth, that I set out earlier this year, outlines the importance of developing good quality, affordable and sustainable housing if we are to improve living standards and restore pride, purpose and prosperity to South Yorkshire.” South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority Find more about the AIR development here - https://bit.ly/3WgwVnR

The Build to Rent sector is rapidly transforming urban living across the globe, offering a unique approach to residential development and housing. As interest and investment in the sector grows in Australia and New Zealand, we compare the early chapters of BtR projects in these countries with the UK's more mature sector and note some of the factors influencing the sector across the globe. To read more, click the link below. #BuildToRent #RealEstate #Dentons

Well-written explanation from George Monbiot as to why building 1.5m new homes won’t solve the housing crisis; as I have also written about before in the Architects’ Journal, the crisis is far more to do with inequality than it is to do with real lack of supply. But the Government’s proposals simplify it to an answer which benefits housing developers without solving affordability. The one aspect George doesn’t mention is the huge climate cost of this proposal: 1.5m new homes, with no regulations to limit their embodied carbon, would cost us our remaining carbon budget before they are even occupied. Martha Dillon Saul Humphrey 🌍 Francesco Pomponi Jannik Giesekam Aoife Houlihan Wiberg Stephen Allen https://lnkd.in/ew7NVA23