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Greener neighbourhoods: a good practice guide to managing green space
Posted on: 16 November 2011
By: mackene
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High quality housing green spaces have proven to make a huge impact on the lives of tenants, residents and other people living in local neighbourhoods, according to a new good practice guide from Neighbourhoods Green, a national partnership initiative to champion the importance of social housing green space and to help social landlords and communities raise the quality of their design, management and safe use. This practical resource outlines the evidence base that will support managers to make the case for investment. It builds on the 10 principles of the Decent homes need decent spaces action plan developed by the Neighbourhoods Green partnership in 2010 and provides illustrative case studies and links to further good practice, useful websites and publications.
Building in a small island? Why we still need the brownfield first approach
Posted on: 14 November 2011
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Research by lobby group the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) challenges government claims, set out in the impact assessment for the draft National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), that there is a shortage of brownfield land suitable for housing development. The research claims that there is enough brownfield land available and suitable for residential development for 1.5 million new homes. This is equivalent to around six years’ supply at the building rates the government claims we need, CPRE argues. The research also concludes that the supply of brownfield land is growing at a faster rate than it is being used up, with only three out of every five suitable plots being used for housing between 2000 and 2009.
Zero Carbon Compendium 2011
Posted on: 10 November 2011
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Produced with Zero Carbon Hub and PRP Architects, this extensive update of the Zero Carbon Compendium (NF17) aims to create a better understanding of the issues surrounding the achievement and delivery of zero carbon housing and sets out a basis for international comparison and collaboration. The 2011 Compendium includes new exemplar projects, updates of national targets and further assessment of programmes, government policy and incentives, plus an additional 5 countries – Brazil, India, Russia, Singapore and South Africa. Registration required to access document.
Pulling up the ladder 2
Posted on: 10 November 2011
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A year ago, DTZ’s first Pulling up the Ladder report highlighted the housing crisis facing the nation, and the fundamental problem to be faced, namely the availability of long term finance to fund the development of new housing. This second report reviews the ongoing challenges and the progress made in establishing a new financial framework for the UK housing market.
Affordable housing for all: policy implications of shrinking budgets
Posted on: 9 November 2011
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The European Housing Forum (EHF), co-chaired by RICS, organised a second lecture series in 2001 on the topic of affordable housing. The following presentations are available online:
Good housing for all: cities as frontrunners, or under pressure?
Heidrun Feigelfeld, lead expert of the Urbact II SUITE project, presented the recommendations of this project in terms of EU policy in the field of housing. The SUITE project, launched in January 2009 and ending in July 2011, aims to optimise a sustainable and affordable supply of housing and to assure social cohesion through social mix and sustainable housing. It focuses on the integration of the three pillars of sustainability in the field of housing: environmentally sound, economically viable and socially inclusive.
Housing policy, shaping or shadowing the market?
Professor Ian Cole from Sheffield Hallam University discussed whether public policy can shape housing market outcomes to achieve social and economic goals, or whether policy merely shadows the process of change and responds belatedly. Professor Cole’s paper has suggested that the ‘shaping’ mode of state interactions with the housing market tends to be provisional, time limited and partial. In considering the balance between ‘shadowing’ and ‘shaping’, three developments seemed especially relevant in recent British housing policy: the shift from tenure-centred to market-centred policy approaches; the use of new forms of market intelligence to guide policy measures, and the assembly of more flexible forms of intervention, steering a course between direct provision, on one hand, and light-touch strategic steer, on the other.
Home owning or renting? The role of policy
This lecture discussed the role of policy in choosing living arrangements. Professor Marja Elsinga of the Delft University of Technology discussed the pros and cons of both owning and renting, as well as the influence policy measures have on the decision people make.
Tenure-neutral policy for stable housing markets
The final lecture, in which Vincent Gruis, Professor of Housing Management at the Technical University of Delft, addressed the implications for policy decisions of recent development in housing systems and markets that have led to significant challenges concerning the management of the European housing stock.
From self-financing to self-determination: Local authority housing self financing in London
Posted on: 8 November 2011
By: mackene
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From April 2012 councils will be able to keep the rental income from their properties in return for taking on more debt under reform of the housing revenue account. The reforms will see £21 billion of debt transferred to 171 stock-owning councils nationally and £7.2 billion transferred to 29 boroughs in London. According to a new report from London Councils, the new system of self-financing for councils could enable authorities to build more homes and improve services for tenants,. It considers options which councils could use individually or collectively to improve the performance of their HRA under the new system.
The housing sector: Consumption of households from a European perspective
Posted on: 3 November 2011
By: mackene
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This report, published by RICS, provides a detailed Member State (macro) level overview of consumer spending, with a specific focus on housing related items. This report looks into more detail at the main components that make up housing consumption: owner-occupied expenses, rents, energy consumption and maintenance.
The Rational House
Posted on: 2 November 2011
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A prototype home for urban development has been built on a site in Fulham, west London. The Rational House is designed to Code for Sustainable Homes level 4, complies with the new London Housing Design Guide and is constructed using precast concrete. The house has been originated by architect Robert Dalziel and engineer Tim Battle, directors of Rational House, to provide high density, low rise, sustainable homes with design and quality at an affordable cost. The prototype, which is being marketed through estate agent Jackson-Stops & Staff, is already generating interest and the design has been included in Barratt East London’s bid to develop a legacy site from the London 2012 Olympics in Stratford, east London.
Housing: Creating designs for life. Cambridge, 13 October 2011
Posted on: 31 October 2011
By: mackene
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While housing policy affects us all, it is argues that architects play a singular role in delivering quality, creativity and sustainability in the housing sector. This event brought together new opinion, research and policy to consider emerging themes in a changing marketplace. Workshops covered: creative housing development solutions; self-build opportunities; and flexible housing. Presentations are available online.
Posted on: 27 October 2011
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Providing the evidence base for local housing need and demand assessment
This research was commissioned and conducted while housing and planning policy was going through a significant amount of change. As yet, there are no statements on whether new guidance will be issued to ensure consistent assessments of housing need, on the new areas of neighbourhood planning or on the duty to co-operate. The research captures a ‘snapshot’ of time and aims to feed into how future guidance on estimating future housing requirements might develop to support local authorities in their duty to assess housing need and demand within the new policy context. In light of this research, the housing charity Shelter has linked with the Town and Country Planning Association, Home Builders Federation and many others to establish the Local Housing Requirements Assessment Working Group to work with practitioners to demystify estimating local housing requirements and is calling on the government to work with them in doing so. The group aims to produce a toolkit in Spring 2012.
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