Latest news with #Glenigan
Telegraph
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Telegraph
Most new homes in London have no car parking
The majority of new London housing projects approved this year will essentially provide no parking for residents, as Sir Sadiq Khan is accused waging a campaign against motorists. Some 62pc of housing developments involving 10 or more homes that have been approved so far this year have been 'car free', according to Glenigan, a construction data company. This means the number of parking spaces planned account for 5pc or less of the number of homes under development, suggesting most residents will not be able to park their cars there. Major new developments with only scarce parking include Asda's proposal for a 1,600-home development in west London, which will include only disabled parking; and a 1,500-property plan for Limmo Peninsula in Newham, east London, which Sir Sadiq's Transport for London last year boasted was 'effectively car-free'. So far, 2025 has seen the highest proportion of 'car-free' housing projects approved in London on record. It is also the first time in eight years that essentially parking-free housing projects have accounted for the majority of approvals. The milestone follows a series of policies introduced by the Mayor of London that have made it more expensive to own a car in the capital. This includes the ultra-low emissions zone (Ulez), which was expanded two years ago to cover the whole of the capital, and the congestion charge, which is rising by 20pc to £18 next year. Sir Sadiq's development strategy drawn up in 2021, known as the London Plan, also mandates car-free developments for swathes of the capital. The Mayor of London's policies are designed to improve London's air quality, with Sir Sadiq claiming that toxic air pollution kills an estimated 4,000 Londoners each year. However, critics say Sir Sadiq's policies are punishing residents who rely on cars, and argue that the parking plans are unrealistic. Andrew Boff, London Assembly member and the City Hall Conservatives' representative on planning matters, said: 'Parking is infrastructure, and by removing parking from developments you simply move the issue to other parts of the local area rather than remove the problem altogether.' Mr Boff said the Mayor had 'made it clear how little he thinks of those who need to rely on their motor, despite his dependence on vehicles to get around'. He said: 'The London Plan requiring developments to be car-free is only going to make this issue worse: as we've been saying, making something 'car-free' only realistically means it will be 'parking space free'.' Last month Sir Sadiq faced claims he was waging a fresh war on drivers in the capital, after an official accidentally leaked a document containing a series of anti-motorist proposals. Measures included cutting the number of car parking spaces available in the city, painting more double yellow lines and expanding controlled parking zones. Allan Wilén, the economics director at Glenigan, said: 'Congestion charge and Ulez have added to motoring costs and particularly for frequent short journeys around town. 'This may be reducing the attraction of car ownership for some households, especially in areas with good transport links and access to car clubs, prompting developers to downgrade parking provision as a selling point on new developments. 'In addition a 'car-free' design for a development will free up space, allowing more homes on the site or the inclusion of more green space and other amenities.' He added that the higher number was 'in part a response to residents' concerns that new developments will exacerbate traffic congestion locally'. The 62pc 'car-free' figure compares with 45pc of housing projects in the first half of 2024 and 40pc during the first six months of 2023. The last time car-free developments edged into the majority during a comparable period was in 2017, when they amounted to 51pc of all new-build residential projects in London. A spokesman for the Mayor of London said: 'The Mayor is committed to making the best use of land to ensure we can build the affordable homes Londoners need. 'Developments that are not dependent on cars can deliver significantly more homes on the same area and help create genuinely liveable, sustainable neighbourhoods.'
Telegraph
06-03-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Rayner's housing dream dealt setback as planning approvals fall to 10-year low
Planning approvals for new homes have dropped to a decade low amid the steepest slump in housebuilding since the financial crisis, dealing a significant blow to Angela Rayner's promise to build 1.5m new homes this parliament. Approvals for new homes fell to 242,610 in England last year, according to the Home Builders Federation (HBF) and data provider Glenigan, marking the lowest total since 2014. Separate figures showed residential construction slumped at its fastest pace since early 2009 last month, according to S&P Global UK. Development declined steeply for the fifth month in February and deep into contraction territory, according to the construction purchasing managers' index (PMI). S&P's measure of activity fell from 44.9 in January to 39.3 last month. Any figure below 50 signals contraction, meaning that the sector's slump in activity has worsened. The findings are a blow for the Government, which has vowed to build 1.5m homes during this parliament.
The Guardian
06-03-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
UK construction plunges to lowest level of activity in nearly five years
Steep declines in housebuilding and engineering work plunged the UK's construction sector to its lowest level of activity since May 2020, according to a survey of building companies. After one of the steepest monthly declines in housebuilding activity, the latest S&P Global construction purchasing managers' index (PMI) slumped to 44.6 in February – a sharp drop from 48.1 in January. Most economists had expected activity to rebound to 49.7 in February, just below the 50 mark that separates growth and contraction. S&P said residential building work, which lies at the heart of the government's growth agenda, suffered a dramatic slump. The index for residential building sank to 39.3 – the fifth decrease in a row – and the weakest-performing area of construction activity in February on record. 'Aside from the pandemic, the rate of decline was the fastest since early-2009,' the data compiler said. 'Survey respondents often cited weak demand conditions, headwinds from elevated borrowing costs and a lack of new work to replace completed projects.' The government wants housebuilders to construct 1.5m homes by the end of the parliament. Many of the UK's largest housebuilders welcomed plans by Labour ministers to speed up applications for new private housing estates and push ahead with plans for new towns in a boost to the sector's prospects. Last year construction industry data provider Glenigan said that many schemes were under way and predicted 2025 would see a 13% increase in private housing starts. It said private housing projects jumped by 31% from November 2024 to the end of January this year, signalling a resurgence in building under the new Labour government. Official figures showed housing starts up 10.9% overall to 37,030 in the UK in the fourth quarter of 2024 compared with the previous quarter. However, Glenigan reported a slowdown across several sectors in February, in line with the S&P survey. Figures this week showed project starts in the leisure and office sectors were being mothballed as the construction sector waited for clarity on spending plans. Meanwhile, uncertainty over public spending on infrastructure and the location of new housing has also slowed activity across the UK. In another blow to the government's long term plans, the firm said the number of homes given planning permission in England last year fell to 242,610 homes – down 2% from the year before and the lowest since 2014. While the data also shows permissions picked up in the final quarter of the year, permissions will need to rise by 53% to hit the 370,000 target outlined in Labour's national planning policy. A separate study by Building magazine in December 2024 found that the average operating profit made from housebuilding activities in the UK had fallen by 36% in 2024 from the previous year. The fall translated into a drop in pre-tax profits of 31%, the magazine's research found. Tim Moore, the economics director at S&P Global Market Intelligence, said: 'Sharply declining order books rippled through the UK construction sector in February, which led to accelerated reductions in output volumes, employment and input buying. Sign up to Business Today Get set for the working day – we'll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morning after newsletter promotion 'Weak demand conditions were attributed to entrenched caution among clients, against a backdrop of subdued consumer confidence and lacklustre economic performance.' Matt Swannell, chief economic advisor to the EY Item Club, said the PMI may be overstating the fall in activity. 'The decline may reflect changes in business sentiment rather than a genuine shift in activity.' He said the consumer would come to the rescue of the housing sector as an expanding economy, lower interest rates and steady wages growth increased demand for homes, offsetting tighter government spending.
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘They've picked a fight with the wrong community': Nimbys go to war against the German discounters
When Suzanne Benjamin moved to Stanmore 10 years ago, she told people it was because the area, on the outskirts of north-west London, was 'quiet'. 'I wanted to move to a nice, clean residential neighbourhood,' Benjamin, now 62, says. With its tree-lined avenues and nearby nature trails, what she found in Stanmore was a strong local community full of young families, city commuters and empty nesters. 'The reason we all live here is because it is quiet,' Benjamin says. 'That is the way we want it to stay.' The arrival of a new supermarket might seem like an unlikely disturbance of the peace. Yet plans for a new Aldi in the area have met with opposition from locals. In recent weeks, Stanmore residents learnt that their neighbourhood was among the hundreds of locations where the German supermarket is planning to open a new store. 'There are loads of supermarkets around,' says Fiona, another local who has lived in the area for 20 years. 'It's quite ridiculous, actually. There's only so much shopping one person can do, so it is probably overkill.' Already, more than 800 people have signed a local petition against the project, demanding that Aldi be stopped from 'transforming the neighbourhood into even more of a chaotic traffic hub'. A WhatsApp group has also been assembled where residents discuss their objections. 'Aldi has definitely picked a fight with the wrong community,' says Benjamin. Across the UK, there is mounting opposition to similar supermarket plans. In the coming years, Aldi hopes to open almost 500 new shops. Lidl, meanwhile, is planning more than 100 new openings. Up until now, the German discounters have largely focused their expansion plans on urban areas, where there biggest obstacle was rival supermarkets seeking to scuttle or delay their openings. But as their march on Britain continues, Aldi and Lidl are increasingly targeting leafier city suburbs and more rural locations. Aldi last year announced plans for shops in Muswell Hill in north London and Caterham, Surrey, as part of a £800m spending push. Lidl is offering finders' fees to anyone who can find it new locations in Buckinghamshire hotspots Amersham, Gerrards Cross and Beaconsfield. 'The so-called white space where stores could go is not coming to an end, but obviously the competition over it is getting more fierce,' says Ronny Gottschlich, the former UK Lidl boss. 'Ultimately it means that people living in these areas might feel like they're seeing retailers popping up, left, right and centre.' Expansion into more residential areas is proving to be arduous terrain. Over the past three years, the proportion of new-build supermarkets refused planning permission has risen every year, from 9pc to 15pc in 2024. While it is early days in 2025, so far 20pc of all applications have been refused, according to figures from Glenigan. The rise in refusal rates comes as the German discounters target areas where Nimbyism is viewed as rife. Telegraph analysis last year suggested that six of the UK's top 10 most Nimby areas were in the outskirts of the capital. In Hillingdon, west London, for example, residents putting in planning permission for minor developments to their properties had only a 59pc chance of getting their application approved. Many objections to supermarkets centre around concerns about what the new developments will mean for traffic and roads in the area. In Didcot, Oxfordshire – where locals have been accused of Nimbyism – one proposed Lidl scheme got 20 objections over traffic concerns. However, some observers believe resistance to Aldi and Lidl is particularly sharp because of the profile of their customers. 'For better or worse, there are some supermarkets which are welcomed with open arms,' says Hannah Quarterman, head of planning at Hogan Lovells. She added: 'That's partly because there is a perception around the kind of traffic' – a polite way of referring to the different class of shoppers Aldi and Lidl typically attract compared to, say, a Waitrose. Ministers may yet come to the German discounter's aid. Sir Keir Starmer has vowed to 'push past the Nimbyism' in the quest for growth. Angela Rayner, the Housing Secretary, late last year waved through a flurry of major development projects, with the Government saying it would 'unleash the biggest building boom in half a century'. Yet as it stands, the planning system remains a source of frustration. Insiders suggest that planning decisions that should take 13 weeks are currently taking between two to three years. Property experts argue that there can be legitimate reasons why people in more rural areas may oppose developments, particularly a new supermarket. 'Sometimes the concerns of the local community about increasing traffic movements are entirely understandable,' says Quarterman. 'It is often the case that there is a lack of faith that infrastructure improvement will be delivered alongside the development.' In some areas, it is simply a case of locals not wanting yet another supermarket nearby as people already having many grocery stores to choose from. One recent example is Stockport, where Lidl this year had proposals for a new supermarket rejected. 'Effectively, you'd have been looking at three major supermarkets and the highway, which would have been snarled up completely,' Councillor David Meller says. Lidl claimed it had received 'significant support' from locals. Meller, Stockport's Labour group leader, says this was not how he saw it. 'They were just being so incredibly aggressive around it. They carpet-bombed my whole ward with leaflets to try to create a veneer that there was local support, when in fact there was anything but,' he says. Resistance can be stirred up by any supermarket seeking to open up. However, Quarterman says 'there tends to be less opposition' if residents find out there is a new Waitrose or a Marks & Spencer planned for their local area. In Stanmore, Benjamin admits she does feel particularly strongly because the proposed supermarket is an Aldi. If it were M&S or Waitrose opening, she may not be as opposed. 'I know it sounds really snobbish.' Still, she says the area really does not need another German discounter. 'We've got a very big Lidl literally a couple of minutes' drive away. We've got a large Morrisons, an Aldi, a Sainsbury's. It's already incredibly busy here. 'Then, of course, there's fly-tipping, and the fact that we're also dealing with vermin in the area.' In her mind, this is about protecting the local community, rather than simply wanting to keep out the big German stores. 'We just don't want to invite more trouble,' she says. 'This will – for sure. One hundred per cent.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
15-02-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Nimbys threaten to halt Aldi and Lidl's march on the countryside
When Suzanne Benjamin moved to Stanmore 10 years ago, she told people it was because the area, on the outskirts of north-west London, was 'quiet'. 'I wanted to move to a nice, clean residential neighbourhood,' Benjamin, now 62, says. With its tree-lined avenues and nearby nature trails, what she found in Stanmore was a strong local community full of young families, city commuters and empty nesters. 'The reason we all live here is because it is quiet,' Benjamin says. 'That is the way we want it to stay.' The arrival of a new supermarket might seem like an unlikely disturbance of the peace. Yet plans for a new Aldi in the area have met with opposition from locals. In recent weeks, Stanmore residents learnt that their neighbourhood was among the hundreds of locations where the German supermarket is planning to open a new store. 'There are loads of supermarkets around,' says Fiona, another local who has lived in the area for 20 years. 'It's quite ridiculous, actually. There's only so much shopping one person can do, so it is probably overkill.' Already, more than 800 people have signed a local petition against the project, demanding that Aldi be stopped from 'transforming the neighbourhood into even more of a chaotic traffic hub'. A WhatsApp group has also been assembled where residents discuss their objections. 'Aldi has definitely picked a fight with the wrong community,' says Benjamin. Across the UK, there is mounting opposition to similar supermarket plans. In the coming years, Aldi hopes to open almost 500 new shops. Lidl, meanwhile, is planning more than 100 new openings. Up until now, the German discounters have largely focused their expansion plans on urban areas, where there biggest obstacle was rival supermarkets seeking to scuttle or delay their openings. But as their march on Britain continues, Aldi and Lidl are increasingly targeting leafier city suburbs and more rural locations. Aldi last year announced plans for shops in Muswell Hill in north London and Caterham, Surrey, as part of a £800m spending push. Lidl is offering finders' fees to anyone who can find it new locations in Buckinghamshire hotspots Amersham, Gerrards Cross and Beaconsfield. 'The so-called white space where stores could go is not coming to an end, but obviously the competition over it is getting more fierce,' says Ronny Gottschlich, the former UK Lidl boss. 'Ultimately it means that people living in these areas might feel like they're seeing retailers popping up, left, right and centre.' Expansion into more residential areas is proving to be arduous terrain. Over the past three years, the proportion of new-build supermarkets refused planning permission has risen every year, from 9pc to 15pc in 2024. While it is early days in 2025, so far 20pc of all applications have been refused, according to figures from Glenigan. The rise in refusal rates comes as the German discounters target areas where Nimbyism is viewed as rife. Telegraph analysis last year suggested that six of the UK's top 10 most Nimby areas were in the outskirts of the capital. In Hillingdon, west London, for example, residents putting in planning permission for minor developments to their properties had only a 59pc chance of getting their application approved. Many objections to supermarkets centre around concerns about what the new developments will mean for traffic and roads in the area. In Didcot, Oxfordshire – where locals have been accused of Nimbyism – one proposed Lidl scheme got 20 objections over traffic concerns. However, some observers believe resistance to Aldi and Lidl is particularly sharp because of the profile of their customers. 'For better or worse, there are some supermarkets which are welcomed with open arms,' says Hannah Quarterman, head of planning at Hogan Lovells. She added: 'That's partly because there is a perception around the kind of traffic' – a polite way of referring to the different class of shoppers Aldi and Lidl typically attract compared to, say, a Waitrose. Ministers may yet come to the German discounter's aid. Sir Keir Starmer has vowed to 'push past the Nimbyism' in the quest for growth. Angela Rayner, the Housing Secretary, late last year waved through a flurry of major development projects, with the Government saying it would 'unleash the biggest building boom in half a century'. Yet as it stands, the planning system remains a source of frustration. Insiders suggest that planning decisions that should take 13 weeks are currently taking between two to three years. Property experts argue that there can be legitimate reasons why people in more rural areas may oppose developments, particularly a new supermarket. 'Sometimes the concerns of the local community about increasing traffic movements are entirely understandable,' says Quarterman. 'It is often the case that there is a lack of faith that infrastructure improvement will be delivered alongside the development.' In some areas, it is simply a case of locals not wanting yet another supermarket nearby as people already having many grocery stores to choose from. One recent example is Stockport, where Lidl this year had proposals for a new supermarket rejected. 'Effectively, you'd have been looking at three major supermarkets and the highway, which would have been snarled up completely,' Councillor David Meller says. Lidl claimed it had received 'significant support' from locals. Meller, Stockport's Labour group leader, says this was not how he saw it. 'They were just being so incredibly aggressive around it. They carpet-bombed my whole ward with leaflets to try to create a veneer that there was local support, when in fact there was anything but,' he says. Resistance can be stirred up by any supermarket seeking to open up. However, Quarterman says 'there tends to be less opposition' if residents find out there is a new Waitrose or a Marks & Spencer planned for their local area. In Stanmore, Benjamin admits she does feel particularly strongly because the proposed supermarket is an Aldi. If it were M&S or Waitrose opening, she may not be as opposed. 'I know it sounds really snobbish.' Still, she says the area really does not need another German discounter. 'We've got a very big Lidl literally a couple of minutes' drive away. We've got a large Morrisons, an Aldi, a Sainsbury's. It's already incredibly busy here. 'Then, of course, there's fly-tipping, and the fact that we're also dealing with vermin in the area.' In her mind, this is about protecting the local community, rather than simply wanting to keep out the big German stores. 'We just don't want to invite more trouble,' she says. 'This will – for sure. One hundred per cent.'
