Latest news with #HomeBuildersFederation
BBC News
an hour ago
- Business
- BBC News
Tandridge council warns over trees cut down for developments
Developers and landowners could face "serious financial and legal consequences" for cutting down trees on sites being considered for new homes, a Surrey council has laws, which mean builders must compensate for the loss of any nature on housing developments, came into force last District Council (TDC) said there had been a number of recent incidents where trees were felled to clear areas for planning applications.A spokesperson for the Home Builders Federation said it can be "necessary to remove trees to allow a development to take place." The Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) requirements mean that sites now have to be assessed before bulldozers can enter and developers have to commit to delivering a 10% net improvement in biodiversity that lasts over a 30-year period. 'Environmental vandalism' The leader of TDC, Catherine Sayer, said: "We have had incidents where 300 year-old oak trees have been cut down because they are in the way of development. "In one instance, the developer withdrew the planning application when they realised the cost of replacing the lost biodiversity would be tens of thousands of pounds."Sayer said the council wanted to raise awareness that this "environmental vandalism has serious financial and legal consequences and [we] hope it acts as a deterrent". Resident Terry Morgan, who lives near land where a tree was cut down ahead of a development taking place, told BBC Radio Surrey he was "angry.""It's not a single tree, it is part of a long line of trees marking ancient boundaries, home to wildlife and so on," he said."To simply, for convenience, cut that tree down rather than make a planning application which is more appropriate to the site - that's the key thing I'm angry and annoyed about." The developer has been approached for comment. Sayer said she thought it was a "great shame" that ministers were looking at changing environmental rules to make it easier to build homes on smaller week, Housing Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said the changes would "simplify" the planning denied environmental protections were being compromised.A spokesperson for the Homebuilders Federation said: "Clearly in some instances it is necessary to remove trees to allow a development to take place. "In those cases developers are required to abide by all the relevant rules and regulations in place."Separately, TDC said it was investigating the felling of woodland on land near Lingfield a few weeks ago as alleged criminal activity.
The Herald Scotland
3 days ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Housebuilding giant purchases 91 acres of land for new homes
Miller Homes said it has secured the purchase of land totalling 91 acres across the east of Scotland, to bring 676 'much-needed' new homes to popular towns and communities. The homebuilder which, for over 90 years has helped build and shape communities across the UK, will now begin work on new developments at East Calder Oaks, East Calder, West Craigs Mews, Edinburgh, Miller Homes at Shawfair, Midlothian, and Avonside Wisp, Whitecross. The developments follow the successful launch of Dalhousie Gate in Bonnyrigg, Midlothian last year, which marked the first in the series of strategic land acquisitions. The four new developments will feature homes in a range of styles and sizes, meeting the needs of people moving to already vibrant communities or local people who are looking to either up or downsize. The East Calder Oaks development will feature 67 four and five-bedroom detached properties, and 23 affordable homes. West Craigs Mews will comprise 92 homes, including two and three-bedroom terraced, three and four-bedroom townhouses, and four and five-bedroom detached homes, as well as 49 affordable homes. Miller Homes at Shawfair will feature 176 two and three-bedroom terraced, semi-detached and detached properties and four and five-bedroom detached homes, plus 44 affordable options. Avonside Wisp in Whitecross, Falkirk will comprise 169 three, four and five-bedrooms styles, and 56 affordable homes. The sites are near Edinburgh. (Image: Stewart Attwood) The award-winning homebuilder, which was founded and is headquartered in Edinburgh, will deliver energy efficient homes while working considerately with the natural environment and local communities. The four new developments are expected to support approximately 2,349 jobs, according to the Home Builders Federation*, demonstrating the wider economic benefits of Miller Homes' investment in the east of Scotland. READ MORE: Longstanding Scottish housebuilder purchases major English player Each of the developments will feature homes from Miller Homes' latest portfolio, all of which are built in compliance with modern building regulations. Gary Heaney, regional operations director at Miller Homes, said: 'The acquisition of these four sites marks a significant step in our long-term commitment to creating sustainable, thriving communities across the East of Scotland. By investing in areas where people genuinely want to live, we're striving to shape integrated neighbourhoods that our buyers will be proud to call home for generations to come. 'With continued strong demand for high-quality new homes in and around Edinburgh, we're looking forward to playing a part in the next chapter of these already thriving local communities.' The first homes at Miller Homes at Shawfair will be ready by October 2025, followed by East Calder Oaks and West Craigs Mews in February 2026 and Avonside Wisp in March 2026. Airline adds more flights between Edinburgh and Orlando Passengers looking to go on the holiday of a lifetime will now have more options as more flights are added between Edinburgh and Orlando for 2026. Virgin Atlantic will extend is current summer seasonal route next year by adding an additional twelve rotations – the equivalent of almost 5,000 seats. It means next summer the service will operate from April to the end of October, with up to three flights per week, marking further growth for Virgin Atlantic at Edinburgh Airport, its home in Scotland. Gordon Dewar, Chief Executive of Edinburgh Airport said: 'We know Orlando is a bit of a bucket-list destination, so this is fantastic news for families in Scotland who have long wanted to experience everything Florida has to offer. AROUND THE GREENS ⛳ The 'wealth' of Scottish links courses overlooked by golfers This article appears as part of Kristy Dorsey's Around the Greens series Owned and operated out of Dunfermline, Scotland Golf Tours was established in 1997 by managing director Ronnie Pook. Its team of eight plan and execute trips for approximately 100 groups annually which vary in size from couples and groups of friends and family up to large associations of 32 people or more.
Telegraph
25-05-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Rayner's housing target at risk from crumbling water system
Britain's crumbling water system has left Angela Rayner at risk of missing her own housebuilding targets as sewage networks struggle to cope with new developments. Utility companies and local councils have put the Housing Secretary's ambitions in jeopardy as they struggle to connect new homes to creaking waste water infrastructure. James Stevens, a director at the Home Builders Federation, said there is 'increasingly this question being raised by some councils and some water companies over whether they can provide the water infrastructure necessary to meet the Government's housing targets'. In a letter to Matthew Pennycook, the housing minister, the Home Builders Federation warned the situation left housebuilding plans 'at significant risk', adding: 'Confidence in the planning system will continue to erode, threatening future investment in land and subsequent housing supply.' Ms Rayner said the UK must build 370,000 homes each year, with the Government aiming to complete 1.5m homes by the end of the parliament. But water companies, which have a statutory duty to provide a connection for customers, have indicated they could delay developments with objections over the scale of sewage work required. Anglian Water, which operates in the East of England, advised developers that it may object to several housing schemes until additional sewage capacity has been constructed. A spokesman said: 'In order to ensure we're protecting the environment, we do need to take into account the capacity we have available in growing areas. 'In locations where additional homes would exceed existing capacity and be a risk to the environment, we may put an objection or condition to the planning application.' Troubled operator Thames Water is objecting to new connections requested by Welwyn Hatfield borough council. The local authority has a target of constructing 834 homes each year. However, councils have also opposed schemes over concerns about the scale of sewage connections. Wealden Council denied planning permission for several residential schemes citing concerns about water capacity. This was despite reassurances by Southern Water that it can supply new developments in the area. The local authority in East Sussex has delayed at least six housing developments over water supply concerns, totalling 819 homes. Wealden Council has a house building target of just over 1,400 homes a year. The delays to residential schemes by the council come despite national planning policy stating that local planning authorities should not use sewage and water capacity concerns as a reason to block residential schemes. Wealden district council spokesman said: 'It is our responsibility to ensure that these developments do not result in sewage spills into our environment or our communities.' The authority in charge of house building in Cambridge City, which has a combined housing target with South Cambridgeshire of 2,309 new homes per year, said it had put 'significant focus' on resolving issues over sewage connections. Greater Cambridge Shared Planning said that planning decisions 'can progress with the confidence that both water supply and treatment capacity is available to meet the needs of the area'. The Government is currently carrying out a review into the water companies and their regulators which is due to be completed in June. A government spokesman said: 'We are clear that all areas must play their part and help to deliver 1.5m homes as part of our Plan for Change. 'Development should not be blocked if the right water infrastructure is in place, and we expect councils and water companies to work together to ensure this is the case so we can turn the tide on the housing crisis we have inherited.' A Thames Water spokesman said: 'We look at each development case by case and where needed will request that conditions are added to planning applications, so for example new homes are not occupied until the necessary upgrades to our water infrastructure have taken place.'
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Why is demand for property in Norfolk booming?
Alison Page, sales director at Barratt and David Wilson Homes Anglia, looks at what's behind the increase in interest in Norfolk property. The Norfolk property market, particularly in and around Norwich, is experiencing a notable surge in demand as we progress through 2025. This growth is driven by a combination of affordability, lifestyle appeal and a robust local economy. Norwich continues to attract a diverse range of buyers due to its relative affordability compared to other parts of the UK. As of February 2025, the average house price in Norwich was £232,000, according to the Office of National Statistics, making a 2.1pc increase from the previous year. For first-time buyers, the average price stood at £210,000, highlighting the city's accessibility for newcomers to the property market. The city's blend of historic charm and modern amenities contributes to its growing appeal. Norwich has been recognised as one of the best places to live in the UK in 2025 by The Times, celebrated for its thriving arts scene, presence of a growing tech and life sciences sector, culinary offerings, and strong educational institutions. Alison Page, sales director at Barratt and David Wilson Homes Anglia (Image: Barratt and David Wilson Homes Anglia) Nationally, brand-new homes remain a key driver of property demand. According to the Home Builders Federation (HBF), 94pc of homeowners in a newly-built property would recommend their builder to a friend, underlining the value placed on modern layouts, energy efficiency and low-maintenance living. We have been awarded the HBF's five-star builder accreditation – meaning more than 90pc of home buyers would recommend us to a friend – for 16 successive years, which is more than any other housebuilder. Sustainability is becoming a significant focus in the Norwich property market and beyond. Buyers are increasingly interested in eco-friendly homes that offer energy efficiency and lower environmental impact. Our homes combine modern design with energy efficiency and are situated in well-connected communities, providing residents with a fine balance of urban and rural living. With the market showing strong signs of growth and stability, securing a property in Norfolk represents not just a lifestyle choice, but a sound investment for the future. For more information about the new homes available at our Norfolk developments, visit and or call Barratt Homes on 03301 735749 or David Wilson Homes on 03308 187788.
The Guardian
01-04-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
UK housebuilders ‘very bad' at building houses, says wildlife charity CEO
Housebuilders in the UK are failing to supply much-needed new homes not because of restrictive planning laws, but because they are 'very bad' at building houses, the head of one of the UK's biggest nature charities has warned. 'There's planning permission today for a million new houses,' said Craig Bennett, chief executive of the Wildlife Trusts. 'So why aren't they being built? Why is it that volume housebuilders in this country are actually very bad at building houses, even when they've got planning permission?' Ministers have boasted of their swingeing reforms to the planning system – in a bill that passed its second reading last week – claiming they will clear the way for the 1.5m new homes promised in the Labour manifesto. But Bennett believes this hope will be in vain because the government is missing the point. '[The reason so few homes are built] is because they [the large housebuilders] love to hold land and wait for the prices to up. A lot of the way that a lot of housebuilders in this country make money is through speculation around land prices, as much as it is about building houses.' Housebuilders rejected Bennett's analysis. Steve Turner, an executive director of the Home Builders Federation, said: 'Housebuilders deliver a range of high-quality environmentally friendly house types to meet all budgets, and customer satisfaction levels are at an all time high. The myth of land banking has been demolished time and again by independent experts. Housebuilders' only return on investment is selling homes, and having purchased land and navigated the costly and bureaucratic planning process there is absolutely no reason not to build and sell.' Bennett will mark five years in April as head of the Wildlife Trusts, a confederation of 46 independent organisations which together boast 2,600 nature reserves ('about 1,000 more than McDonald's has restaurants') and 944,000 members. Before that, he headed Friends of the Earth. The Wildlife Trusts, as a charity, are careful to avoid being party political, but within Charity Commission guidelines there is still scope for civil society groups to take issue with the politicians of the day. And planning regulation – and the supposed conflict between development and environmental protection – has become a political flashpoint. Green groups have accused the Labour government of 'scapegoating' nature and fomenting culture wars, after Rachel Reeves, chancellor of the exchequer, called for businesses to 'focus on getting things built, and stop worrying about the bats and the newts'. The prime minister, Keir Starmer, has also weighed in, ridiculing the presence of 'the distinguished jumping spider' for allegedly halting new homes in Kent. The government's combative rhetoric has been informed, Bennett believes, not by careful consideration of the UK's infrastructural deficits, but by a mixture of a 'misinformation bubble', in which top ministers have absorbed some prejudices of the previous Conservative government, and a belief that they need to set up an enemy to fix on. Reeves was sounding 'more Liz Truss than Liz Truss' on the growth issue, he added, referring to the former Tory prime minister who espoused anti-green rhetoric more often heard from US rightwing politicians. He blames Morgan McSweeney, the prime minister's chief adviser, for a fixation on the Reform party, which threatens Labour in seats across the 'red wall'. Reform's leaders, Nigel Farage and Richard Tice, have been vitriolic in their condemnation of environmentalists, green concerns over nature and 'stupid net zero', as described by Tice. But Bennett pointed to a survey of 4,000 people's attitudes towards green issues, which found that Labour voters who were thinking of switching to Reform were overwhelmingly positive towards the Wildlife Trusts. 'There's a lot of the kind of Reform voters who care passionately about this. People who live in the Westminster bubble assume that what the party leadership are doing is what the voters are doing. It's quite different.' He has extended invitations to Farage, Tice and the Reform party to meet and discuss these issues. So far, they have not been taken up. Bennett argues that new housing could sit alongside nature, if housebuilders were given greater direction by the government and built affordable homes instead of the larger and more expensive 'executive' homes that deliver higher profits. But he said the poor construction of many new houses, and the failure of developers to build in harmony with nature and incorporate green space, were among the reasons people rejected them. Bennett added that charities such as the Wildlife Trusts create economic growth while improving society. 'We're now employing 3,700 people across the UK in those communities,' he said. 'I get a bit fed up at times when politicians talk about charities as if we're just like small little things. We are actually really significant employers.' Bennett added that in many areas, wildlife charities 'underpin the local economy', providing tourism opportunities, flood management and employment. Labour disparages nature at its peril, Bennett said, arguing that all voters care about nature on their doorstep. He said: 'I see people from every demographic, political [party] or age. The one thing that unites us is how much we care about our local environment, and care about local nature, and want to see it in a better state.'
