In other research, a government think-tank has found that moves towards sustainable energy in the UK are being hampered by old ways of thinking. Foresight looked at how the country’s buildings and spaces will need to evolve to help cut carbon emissions and argues that the UK is ‘locked in’ to using certain forms of
Four leading organisations have called on the government to spend £6.35 billion in the next two years to create 100,000 new social rented homes, which would give an ‘immediate social and financial return’ to the economy. Shelter, along with the Local Government Association, National Housing Federation and the TUC, are arguing that housing provides an
Pressure is growing in the European Parliament to allow billions of pounds to spent on housing, reports Inside Housing. The magazine also reports on concern that housing association mergers are leading to a free-for-all in the market to build new homes. London mayor Ken Livingstone is looking at ways to stop new homes being snapped
The National Trust has scored its first success against the government in its bid to preserve greenbelt land. The Trust has purchased 470 acres of land for £1 million on Divis and Black Mountain near Belfast. Yesterday, the Charity Commission announced it would investigate claims that the Trust is abusing its charitable position by entering
The Olympic village in London will be publically owned after the government put in an extra £324 million in public funds when no private investors were found. Originally the £1 billion village, to include 2,800 flats, was to be entirely privately funded, but Olympics minister Tessa Jowell said private finding had been rejected as it
The Office of Fair Trading has criticised three ex-directors of Fasttrack for misleading council tenants in a right to buy scheme. The directors persuaded tenants to make right to buy applications and, as part of the deal, the buyers were required to sign up to a credit agreement with finance provider FAI. The OFT found
A study found that children who had moved house were more than three times more likely to have suicidal thoughts. Usually feeling ignored during the decision to move, and losing contact with friends and uprooting them from familiar surroundings meant that they were more likely to attempt suicide than those who hadn’t moved as much.
The House of Lords upheld a Court of Appeal decision that a local authorityâs childrenâs service unit had not fulfilled its duty of care to a homeless child, just by referring him to a homeless personâs unit. The claimant had presented himself to Southwark councilâs childrenâs services department asking for urgent assessment under section 17
Just a few days after the National Housing Federation warned the government will miss its house building target by up to nine years, the Town and Country Planning Association has also said that three million new homes will not be enough to meet the expected growth in the number of elderly people and young families.
Treasury plans to let the Financial Services Authority (FSA) regulate the sale and rent back sector could save consumers up to £1.4 billion over a 10-year period. Regulation could offer consumers considerable savings because the prices some sale and rent back firms offer are ‘significantly below what would be offered in a functioning market.’ Anecdotal