Like most of those who study history, Napoleon III learned from the mistakes of the past how to make new ones. Pop Quiz hot shots: What had an investment of £1bn, yet in the first eight months has only achieved less than 1% of its stated aim. Go on I bet you can’t. …
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Homes England is to pilot selling parcels of land for SMEs to build new homes in the Southeast and the Midlands. Housing and levelling up secretary Michael Gove announced the initiative earlier this week in a statement to parliament outlining his plans for long-term housing. Gove said: “”We are determined …
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The UK has entered a recession with gross domestic production (GDP) shrinking by 0.3% in the final three months of 2023, which followed a 0.1% contraction in the July-September period – according to the Office for National Statistics. The news comes at bad time for builders’ merchants as construction output …
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The government has announced that every council in England will be told that they will need to prioritise brownfield developments and instructed to be less bureaucratic and more flexible in applying policies that halt housebuilding on brownfield land. The bar for refusing brownfield plans will also be made much higher …
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The Builders Merchants Federation (BMF) has called on the chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, to invest in property repair, maintenance and improvement to create purposeful jobs in every region and boost much-needed local growth across the country. The government has previously announced increased spending on energy efficiency for homes, businesses, and public …
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Travis Perkins has revealed it axed jobs at the end of last year and stated it plans to make further cuts as a result of a slowdown in construction. The Group, which also own Toolstation, mainly cut jobs at its Northampton headquarters and its central support teams – some of …
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S&P Global/CIPS UK Construction PMI data for December 2023 has once again shown a fall in UK construction output. However, with the latest figures indicating that the rate of decline is easing, there is renewed positivity that 2024 may see some improvement in conditions, stated the Federation of Master Builders …
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The Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) has urged the UK government to help accelerate growth in the number of whole building retrofit projects carried out during 2024. The Association believes only “a holistic approach to building performance” will unlock the full potential of the building services industry to cut carbon …
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Solar panels on the roofs of all new homes will add millions to the cost of housing developments, warns the National Federation of Builders. The trade body is unhappy with a proposal that they could become mandatory under the Future Homes and Building Standards consultation. NFB head of policy and …
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Michael Gove has unveiled his plans to reform housing and planning; the Builders Merchants Federation’s (BMF) CEO, John Newcomb, was in attendance to listen to the Secretary of State for Levelling up, Housing and Communities at the RIBA head office in London. In his speech Gove said he was “confident” …
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