Friday, 25 May 2012

Inside Housing
Repairs and maintenance

Stories with this category.

  • DECC cuts penalty for multiple solar schemes

    25/05/2012

    Housing providers who install photovoltaic panels could be in line for higher than expected payments following changes to government plans.

  • A healthy home

    25/05/2012

    Good green housing schemes promote mental and physical well-being - and help save the planet, argues Bill Randall

  • Guarding empty homes

    25/05/2012

    Landlords should seek legal advice before hiring ‘guardian’ services to protect their property, says Ben Halsey, senior associate at Lewis Silkin

  • Landlords fear lenders could scupper green deal

    25/05/2012

    Landlords fear the government’s flagship retrofit scheme could be derailed by lenders because it might reduce property values.

  • New powers

    25/05/2012

    Squatting in residential properties is now a criminal offence, says Joanne Young

  • Winning ways

    25/05/2012

    The winners of this year’s Housing Heroes awards are the finest teams, tenants and staff in the social housing sector. Chloë Stothart finds out how they became the best

  • Southwark Council agrees to first self-financing TMO

    23/05/2012

    A tenant management organisation in London is set to become the first to keep its rental receipts following council self-financing reforms.

  • Social landlords sign up with retrofit finance body

    23/05/2012

    A host of social landlords have joined the Green Deal Finance Company which has now doubled its membership since it was incorporated in March.

  • Gateshead ALMO assesses gas explosion damage

    22/05/2012

    Gateshead Council residents living next door to a flat where an explosion injured six people are waiting to see when they can move back to their homes.

  • Energy provider offers fuel poverty training

    22/05/2012

    One of the UK’s leading energy suppliers is offering free training to housing association staff in combating fuel poverty.

  • Builder wins first stand-alone repairs deal

    22/05/2012

    A house builder has won its first stand-alone social housing responsive repairs contract as it seeks to diversify its business.

  • Wales plans to end family homelessness

    21/05/2012

    The Welsh Government has unveiled plans to end family homelessness by 2019 in its housing white paper published today.

  • Mitie's turnover increases 6%

    21/05/2012

    Mitie has announced turnover of more than £2 billion and increased operating profit.

  • The big picture

    21/05/2012

    Arguments over elements of the government’s drive to improve home energy efficiency risk overshadowing the goal of ending fuel poverty, argues Duncan Price

  • Sound off: slow progress

    18/05/2012

    Will the delay to the renewable heat incentive be a major setback for social landlords’ plans for renewable heat? Two experts give their views

  • The final countdown

    18/05/2012

    The government’s green deal retrofit programme is due to launch in just a few months. So, is it a good deal for social landlords and their tenants? Sustainable Housing conducted an exclusive survey and gathered a round table of industry experts to find out. Keith Cooper reports.Photography: Jonathan Goldberg

  • Landlords feel unprepared for the green deal

    17/05/2012

    The majority of social landlords feel unprepared for the government’s flagship programme to carry out energy efficiency refurbishments of Britain’s housing, despite it kicking off in just five months’ time.

  • Kier on track following contract wins

    17/05/2012

    Kier has reported it is on track to meet its 2012 expectations after securing more than £400 million of construction work over the past five months.

  • Councils will need more green deal incentives

    17/05/2012

    Additional incentives will be needed to encourage local authorities to adopt the green deal, according to a report commissioned by the government.

  • Government policies 'are failing housing'

    17/05/2012

    The government’s housing policies are failing to mend Britain’s ‘broken housing market’, according to a damning report from three leading housing bodies.

  • London mayor sets up procurement panel

    16/05/2012

    Social landlords will be able to use a procurement panel set up by the Mayor of London.

  • Fatal Derby house fire was started with petrol

    16/05/2012

    The fire in a Derby council house in which six children died was started by petrol below the letterbox in the hallway.

  • Housing stalwart gets policy review brief

    16/05/2012

    Housing stalwart and former Inside Housing columnist Jon Cruddas is to co-ordinate Labour’s policy review.

  • Accord appoints Lovell for £50m repairs contract

    16/05/2012

    Midlands-based housing association Accord has awarded a £50 million repairs contract to Lovell.

  • Councils seek partner for green deal roll out

    14/05/2012

    A group of local authorities in north east England is looking for a delivery partner to help it take advantage of the government’s green deal energy efficiency scheme.

  • Mears' social housing business going strong

    14/05/2012

    Mears has today announced strong social housing revenues after starting eight new contracts since the start of the year.

  • Housing Heroes Award winners unveiled

    11/05/2012

    The winners of the 2012 Housing Heroes Awards have been announced at a ceremony in London.

  • A burning issue

    11/05/2012

    In the wake of several tragic fatalities, an Inside Housing investigation reveals social landlords are receiving fire safety enforcement notices at a rate of one a week. Martin Hilditch finds out what is going wrong

  • Danger signs

    11/05/2012

    Social landlords have improved fire safety since the Lakanal House tragedy, but there is still more work to be done

  • Is anyone there?

    11/05/2012

    Large housing associations offer a number of ways for tenants to contact them but in practice it’s not always easy to get through, says Lara Oyedele

  • Landlords sceptical about green deal

    11/05/2012

    Social landlords believe the government’s flagship retrofit scheme will be unpopular with their tenants.

  • Outsourcing model to fund new build

    11/05/2012

    A new repairs outsourcing model has been developed that could increase the borrowing power of councils and finance new house building projects.

  • Social landlords handed one fire notice every week

    11/05/2012

    Social landlords are being served with an average of one enforcement notice a week by fire brigades across England.

  • NIHE stock needs £1bn

    10/05/2012

    Housing belonging to the Northern Ireland Housing Executive needs at least £1 billion of investment to bring it up to standard, according to the organisation’s chief executive.

  • PM under pressure to boost green deal incentives

    10/05/2012

    Officials preparing a briefing for the prime minister on the government’s green deal energy efficiency scheme have been urged to consider further incentives to encourage take up.

  • Scottish councils to get £582m to build green homes

    08/05/2012

    The Scottish Government has today pledged £582 million to councils to build affordable homes, with those producing greener homes receiving larger subsidies.

  • Ex-Westminster housing boss takes Camden post

    04/05/2012

    Westminster Council’s former director of housing has moved over to Camden to become its new director of housing and adult social care.

  • Labour victory in Wales

    04/05/2012

    Labour has made big gains right across Wales, emerging as the only major winner of the night.

  • Boris wins second term as mayor of London

    04/05/2012

    Boris Johnson has won the London mayoral election after a close run fight with Labour’s Ken Livingstone.

  • In at the deep end

    04/05/2012

    What lessons must be learned from the past, as landlords take the plunge on ECO funding? Nick Duxbury and Madeleine Cuff report.

  • Making it pay

    04/05/2012

    Procurement red tape is costing the housing sector dear

  • MPs to seek clarification over £43bn historic grant

    03/05/2012

    MPs will next week call for clarification on the status of historic government grant as a potential means to free up billions of pounds worth of investment in social housing.

  • Community groups could get extra green deal cash

    03/05/2012

    Groups of tenants who sign up for work to improve the energy efficiency of their homes could get cash payments from the government.

  • Power players join forces to ‘stress test’ green deal

    03/05/2012

    Landlords, energy companies and major retailers have joined forces to provide the first comprehensive stress test of the government’s flagship retrofit scheme.

  • Contractor reports 'solid start' to 2012

    03/05/2012

    Morgan Sindall has reported a ‘solid start’ to the year, ahead of its annual general meeting today.

  • ALMO to review safety measures after fire

    02/05/2012

    An arm’s-length management organisation is considering putting smoke alarms in the communal areas of a 12-storey block after a fire broke out in a children’s play area.

  • Housing organisations prepare for flooding

    01/05/2012

    Housing providers are gearing up to deal with flooding problems as 130 areas across England and Wales are put on flood alert.

  • Contractor sheds 200 jobs through £1bn merger

    01/05/2012

    The merger of two housing contractors has resulted in 200 job losses.

  • One week left to complete assaults survey

    01/05/2012

    Frontline housing professionals have a week to complete Inside Housing’s survey on assaults against housing staff.

  • Landlord and contractor scrap £45m repairs deal

    27/04/2012

    Notting Hill Housing Trust and Willmott Dixon Partnerships have agreed to end a five-year repairs and maintenance deal worth £45 million after just eight months.

  • A vote for housing

    27/04/2012

    Housing finally ignited as a major political issue in the run-up to the London mayoral elections this week. Carl Brown investigates how some of the main contenders plan to tackle the issue

  • Greg Barker brokers retrofit cash crisis talks

    27/04/2012

    Climate change minister Greg Barker is brokering crisis talks between council bosses and energy companies to save a flagship £350 million sustainability programme.

  • LGA criticises ‘unrealistic’ and ‘restrictive’ right to buy plans

    27/04/2012

    The government’s proposals on how councils can keep and use receipts from future right to buy sales in the local area have been labelled ‘unnecessarily restrictive’ by the Local Government Association.

  • SNP and Labour battle over Glasgow’s housing problems

    27/04/2012

    Glasgow’s housing crisis has become a key battleground as the Scottish National Party bids to end 31 years of Labour Party rule in Scotland’s biggest city.

  • Report: ‘Build rules must be simplified’

    26/04/2012

    Procurement processes in the housing sector are ‘onerous and costly’, thanks to overzealous interpretations of European Union procurement rules, according to a report.

  • Builder proposes retrofit alternative to zero carbon

    26/04/2012

    A leading house builder has called on the government to scrap plans to make homes zero carbon from 2016 in favour of a levy to improve existing stock.

  • Survey to investigate assaults against housing staff

    23/04/2012

    Inside Housing has launched a survey on assaults against housing staff.

  • Acis creates repairs joint venture

    20/04/2012

    A 5,500-home landlord has launched a joint venture with Willmott Dixon that could see it sell repairs and maintenance services to other social housing providers.

  • Cold cottage rescue

    20/04/2012

    Isolation from mains gas can spell financial hardship. Alex Turner investigates how Cornish landlords are exploring renewable energy solutions to rural fuel poverty

  • Contractor refutes sell-off rumours

    20/04/2012

    The chief executive of Morrison has launched a robust defence of the repairs and maintenance contractor, quashing reports that a string of worries over poor performance and a £12.7 million loss in the first half of the financial year had seen the company put up for sale.

  • Landlords get option of free solar panels

    20/04/2012

    A contractor and supplier have developed the first model to allow social landlords to install photovoltaic panels on their tenants’ roofs for free under the government’s reformed solar subsidy system.

  • Numbers of unfit homes rises again

    20/04/2012

    The number of Northern Irish homes in an unfit state has risen for the first time since the Northern Ireland Housing Executive was established, a report has found.

  • Coalition ministers split over green initiative

    19/04/2012

    A rift has opened up between ministers at the helm of the Communities and Local Government department over plans to require households to carry out energy-efficiency work if they extend their home.

  • Conservatory conundrum

    19/04/2012

    From the extraordinary manner in which the government has aborted its plans for consequential improvements as part of the changes to building regulations, one could be forgiven for assuming the proposals were toxic to the electorate.

  • Landlord wins tribunal over £5m repair row

    19/04/2012

    Leaseholders of eight blocks of maisonettes which underwent a £5 million repair and refurbishment have lost their bid to avoid paying thousands of pounds towards the cost of the work.

  • Contractors chosen for £300m framework

    18/04/2012

    A housing partnership has appointed a series of contractors to a £300 million maintenance framework.

  • Council brings 2,000 empty homes back into use

    17/04/2012

    An empty homes initiative in Kent has brought more than 2,000 empties back into use in seven years.

  • Grand Designs presenter attacks green deal row

    17/04/2012

    Celebrity green architect and TV presenter Kevin McCloud has waded into the row over reports the government will scrap plans to link building regulations with the government’s flagship energy efficiency programme, the green deal.

  • Shapps refutes claims he wants green deal ditched

    16/04/2012

    Housing minister Grant Shapps has rejected claims that he wants the government to abandon its multi-billion pound flagship energy efficiency scheme.

  • Landlords pick contractor for £12m improvements

    16/04/2012

    A contractor has won a bid to improve more than 1,000 homes in a deal worth £12 million.

  • Contractor denies takeover talk

    13/04/2012

    A leading repairs firm has scotched rumours that it is on the brink of being sold following the loss of a major London contract and concerns over its performance.

  • Intricate network

    13/04/2012

    Social housing providers spend billions of pounds outsourcing services, so how can they be sure their chosen sub-contractors won’t run into trouble? Simon Brandon takes a crash course in supply chain risk management to find out

  • Landlords win access to £190m fuel poverty fund

    13/04/2012

    Government responds to Inside Housing’s Green Light campaign by redesigning the energy company obligation

  • More work to be done

    13/04/2012

    We are not yet proclaiming victory in our Green Light campaign to allow social landlords full access to £1.3 billion in annual funding to help tackle fuel poverty, but this week marks a big step forward.

  • Personal shopper

    13/04/2012

    Housing association Orbit’s in-house procurement team has found itself in demand as other social landlords seek its expertise. Jess McCabe finds out the secrets to its success

  • Plans to raise £200m for energy-efficiency fund

    13/04/2012

    The Housing Finance Corporation is in talks with the European Investment Bank to create a £200 million investment for up to 20 housing associations to carry out energy-efficiency works.

  • Up on the roof

    13/04/2012

    Councils must consider the impact of photovoltaic panels on right to buy sales, says Linda Storey

  • Landlord uses government cash for empty homes

    12/04/2012

    A landlord has been awarded a government grant to increase the number of affordable homes in Herefordshire and the Forest of Dean.

  • Contractor has repairs deal extended

    12/04/2012

    Hexagon Housing Association has extended its repairs contract with property maintenance provider, MHS Commercial, who will now provide responsive repairs across all of Hexagon’s 3,500 properties in South East London. 

  • Government amends fuel poverty subsidy funding

    11/04/2012

    The government has amended its flagship retrofit policy so that social landlords are no longer entirely excluded from fuel poverty subsidy funding.

  • Construction firm in bid to buy house builder

    11/04/2012

    Construction firm Bouygues has signed an agreement to buy house builder Thomas Vale subject to approval from the European Commission.

  • Government appoints empty homes champion

    11/04/2012

    TV presenter George Clarke has been appointed as independent adviser to the government on bringing empty homes back into use.

  • Contractor agrees £28m regeneration deal

    11/04/2012

    A contractor has agreed a £28 million deal to deliver more than 200 new homes across regeneration projects on three estates.

  • Landlord renews maintenance deal

    06/04/2012

    Knowsley Housing Trust has renewed its contract with its in-house maintenance service provider.

  • A chilling legacy

    05/04/2012

    The UK’s drafty Victorian housing stock contributes to fuel poverty and the ill health of the nation but it could be insulated using local government pension funds, says Bill Randall

  • Social landlord among group of green deal leaders

    04/04/2012

    A housing association and two leading social housing contractors are among 22 organisations that have signed up to pioneer the government’s flagship energy efficiency scheme.

  • Solid wall insulation could benefit 1m homes

    04/04/2012

    Around 12 per cent of homes in England and Wales could qualify for unsubsidised solid wall insulation under the terms of the government’s green deal, research has found.

  • Construction firm sees turnover pass £1bn

    04/04/2012

    A house builder has seen its turnover surge beyond the £1 billion mark after a strong performance in 2011, according to its latest set of results.

  • Council takes back housing as ALMO closes

    03/04/2012

    A council has taken back responsibility for managing its housing stock after deciding to scrap its arms-length management organisation.

  • Four firms shortlisted for £1.55bn retrofit deal

    03/04/2012

    Birmingham has shortlisted four firms for a £1.55 billion contract to improve the energy efficiency of homes and businesses in the city.

  • £250,000 damage arson tenant jailed

    02/04/2012

    A tenant who set fire to the flat he privately rented above a petrol station following a row with his landlord has been jailed for four-and-a-half years.

  • London council axes contractor

    02/04/2012

    A London council has cancelled a multi-million pound repairs and maintenance deal, two months after the contractor was handed a warning to improve its service.

  • Tenants banned from moving if home is damaged

    30/03/2012

    A local authority is cracking down on tenants who trash their council homes before moving on to a new one by forcing them to pay before they leave.

  • 4.7% of Scottish homes to miss decency target

    30/03/2012

    More than 24,000 homes in Scotland will fail to meet a decency standard by the 2015 deadline, the regulator has said.

  • Ruling hands ALMO £10m

    30/03/2012

    A landmark legal ruling on solar subsidies will result in a £10 million profit for an arm’s-length management organisation.

  • Unlocking the green code

    30/03/2012

    Green leases are becoming more common for social landlords with commercial property, says Ben Halsey, senior associate at Lewis Silkin

  • Man injured as council flat explodes

    29/03/2012

    A man was injured and residents evacuated following an explosion at a council flat in Cardiff yesterday.

  • Contractor cancels £3.8m deal with TMO

    29/03/2012

    A contractor has terminated a deal to provide repairs and maintenance to a tenant management organisation.

  • Lovell wins £5.6m affordable homes contract

    29/03/2012

    Lovell has won a £5.6 million contract to build a 68-home development for Parkway Green Housing Trust in Wythenshawe, south Manchester.

  • Pig sick

    28/03/2012

    Seasoned journalists at Inside Housing were momentarily caught up in something a little less cerebral than the goings-on in the housing sector this week.

  • Council gives housing stock a £75 million boost

    28/03/2012

    A council has pledged to invest £75 million in improving its housing stock over the next 10 years.

  • Investigation into flat explosion ongoing

    28/03/2012

    An investigation into an explosion and fire in a council flat where a woman was found dead has yet to reveal a cause.

  • Landlord secures £100m management contract

    27/03/2012

    Housing association Plus Dane has won a £100 million contract to manage housing stock for Cheshire West and Cheshire Council.

  • Landlord signs £7m deal to improve homes

    26/03/2012

    A contractor has won a bid to refurbish more than 600 homes in a deal worth up to £7 million.

  • Contractors merge to create £1bn company

    26/03/2012

    Contractors have merged to create a regeneration and repairs company with a turnover of £1 billion.

  • ALMO kicks out tenant for keeping pig

    26/03/2012

    An arm’s-length management organisation has kicked out one of its tenants after he was found to have kept a pig in his home.

  • Government loses appeal over FIT rate

    23/03/2012

    The Supreme Court has today rejected the government’s attempt to appeal against two previous court rulings that it acted unlawfully in cutting solar subsidies retrospectively in December.

  • Cash boost for councils adapting homes for soldiers

    23/03/2012

    Councils which have adapted the homes of wounded soldiers will receive a share of more than £200,000.

  • Contractor chosen for £1.5m repairs deal

    23/03/2012

    A housing provider has appointed a contractor to provide painting and repairs services to its homes in a £1.5 million deal.

  • Landlord tackles crowding with loft conversions

    23/03/2012

    A housing provider has launched a pilot scheme to ease overcrowding in council homes by converting lofts into bedrooms.

  • A welcome delay

    23/03/2012

    There have been lots of headlines about delays to the green deal in the past few weeks.

  • Hoard times

    23/03/2012

    Hoarding is a little-understood issue. Nonetheless, we must work together to develop solutions

  • Man charged with stealing his own water tank

    22/03/2012

    A man is due in court accused of stealing a copper water tank from his own council flat and selling it for scrap.

  • Government lowers bar for green deal providers

    20/03/2012

    The government is lowering the requirements for organisations that want to become providers under its green deal energy efficiency scheme.

  • Woman found dead after council flat explodes

    20/03/2012

    A woman has died and a man is fighting for his life following an explosion and fire in a council flat.

  • Contractor reveals increase in turnover

    20/03/2012

    Mears has today reported a nine per cent increase in turnover in its social housing business.

  • Court told poor work led to carbon monoxide death

    16/03/2012

    ‘Sub-standard and badly-managed work’ contributed to the death of a young woman who died after being overcome by carbon monoxide fumes, a court heard today.

  • Empty homes get boost from landlord

    16/03/2012

    A housing association is planning to invest £175,000 in bringing empty homes back into use after dozens of landlords showed interest in working with them.

  • Construct a greener future

    16/03/2012

    Building regulations are being tightened in a bid to protect the environment, says Catherine Parker, solicitor at Trowers & Hamlins

  • Landlord warned of fire risk a year before blaze

    16/03/2012

    A social landlord which saw a fire rip through the roofspace of a large sheltered housing scheme was warned one year ago firestopping in the roof was not good enough.

  • Labour claim green deal to be hit with delay

    15/03/2012

    Climate change Greg Barker has admitted that secondary legislation attached to the green deal will not emerge until after parliament’s spring recess, contrary to previous government statements.

  • Contractor awarded £11m of work

    15/03/2012

    A housing contractor has managed to secure a series of new deals worth more than £11 million since the beginning of the year.

  • An explosive crime

    14/03/2012

    There are occasions when damage to a house cannot be said to have been the fault of the tenant, landlord or contractor.

  • Contractor and landlord agree to cancel repair deal

    14/03/2012

    A contract between a repairs firm and housing provider has been cancelled following reported complaints from residents.

  • Ujima profit plan attacked as 'nonsense' in court

    14/03/2012

    An agreement to remove profit from a maintenance company after just six months was branded ‘nonsense’ by a witness in a court trial.

  • What does the green deal mean for social housing?

    13/03/2012

    Sustainable Housing and Willmott Dixon are offering the chance to win £500 of Marks & Spencer vouchers in return for filling in our green deal survey.

  • Bungalow explodes after copper pipe theft

    13/03/2012

    A housing association bungalow has exploded after copper thieves stole piping used for the property’s gas supply.

  • Contractor wins £10 million deal

    13/03/2012

    A leading repairs and maintenance provider has won a five-year council contract worth £10 million.

  • Stuck in the starting gate?

    12/03/2012

    It’s the only game in town, but will it be a success? MP Alan Whitehead assesses the green deal’s chances.

  • Empty homes cash to help the homeless

    09/03/2012

    Homelessness organisation St Mungo’s has been awarded £240,000 to bring empty homes back into use, and will employ homeless people to do the work.

  • East midlands landlords join forces in £40m plan

    09/03/2012

    Councils and housing associations in the east midlands are banding together to carry out at least £40 million in energy efficiency work under the green deal.

  • Green Deal Finance Company loan imminent

    09/03/2012

    The Green Deal Finance Company expects the government’s £3 billion Green Investment Bank to approve a loan within the next two months.

  • Investigation into sheltered housing blaze

    09/03/2012

    An investigation has been launched into the cause of a fire at a social landlord-run sheltered accommodation block.

  • A high price to pay

    09/03/2012

    The government is legally obliged to do all it can to eradicate fuel poverty by 2016. But there are growing fears that its plan to meet this target could actually make the problem worse in the short term. Nick Duxbury investigates

  • A problem shared

    09/03/2012

    Sharing views on retrofit with a group of landlords across Europe has been invaluable, says Richard Baines

  • Cheaper by the Durkan

    09/03/2012

    The contractor charged with giving an east London estate a facelift also threw in comprehensive energy retrofitting - at no extra cost. Jess McCabe finds out more

  • Circle to slash repairs cost

    09/03/2012

    Circle is finalising a trimmed down roster of repairs and maintenance contractors that will produce £120 million of savings as part of a business transformation programme.

  • Deal breaker

    09/03/2012

    The government must make major changes to the green deal if it is to help people out of fuel poverty, cut emissions or boost the economy

  • Foreign intervention

    09/03/2012

    The threat of climate change may not be a big enough priority in most countries, but going green can help to tackle other, more pressing, socio-economic problems, as demonstrated by a retrofit project in South Africa, says Jane Henley

  • He who Adairs, wins

    09/03/2012

    Lord Adair Turner caused a ruckus by criticising the government’s green deal. Here the Climate Change Committee chair tells Jess McCabe why he spoke out and what his legacy will be

  • Seven steps to the green deal

    09/03/2012

    As the launch of the UK’s national retrofit programme edges closer, social landlords should be ticking things off their green deal to-do list. Jess McCabe reports

  • Prime location

    08/03/2012

    So Edinburgh has won ownership of the Green Investment Bank.

  • Former Ujima boss in court as £3.5m trial begins

    08/03/2012

    The former chief executive of Ujima Housing Association, Keith Kerr, has appeared in Southwark Crown Court, charged with three counts, ‘a theft, a fraud and a forgery’ amounting to £3.5 million.

  • Government allocates £3.5m to green deal training

    08/03/2012

    The government is making £3.5 million available to train assessors and installers for its flagship green deal energy efficiency scheme.

  • Union claims cashback scheme is danger to tenants

    07/03/2012

    A government scheme to encourage tenants to carry out their own repairs has been branded ‘dangerously flawed’ by trade union Ucatt.

  • Council completes 3,000 home stock transfer

    06/03/2012

    The transfer of more than 3,000 homes from South Lakeland District Council to South Lakes Housing went through yesterday.

  • In house grounds team to save landlord £1.2m

    06/03/2012

    A housing association has launched an in-house grounds maintenance service in a move which it believes will allow it to save £1.2 million over five years.

  • Government allocates £70m of empty homes cash

    05/03/2012

    The government has allocated £70 million of funding to 95 projects to bring more than 5,600 empty homes back into use.

  • Catch the pigeon

    02/03/2012

    Landlords face tough penalties if they fail to deal thoroughly with infestations by insects or animals, says Giles Peaker

  • Fighting his corner

    02/03/2012

    New Labour’s former housing supremo talks house building, localism and ‘that egg’. Lydia Stockdale enters the ring …

  • Fuel poverty to rise by 38% despite green deal

    02/03/2012

    The number of fuel poor households living in English social housing is expected to soar by 38 per cent by 2016 as the government’s flagship energy efficiency policies fail to tackle the problem, exclusive figures show.

  • Council targets 10 estates for PV panels

    01/03/2012

    A council and its arms-length management organisation have joined together to put almost 120 photovoltaic solar panels on roofs on estate as part of a £1.5 million project to make ten estates more eco-friendly.

  • Kicking off with a bang

    01/03/2012

    It’s funny how rhetoric changes.

  • The lost art

    29/02/2012

    Innovate or die. It is a statement which resonates in almost all industry and is surely apt for repairs and maintenance.

  • Contractor wins deal with potential value of £190m

    29/02/2012

    A housing association has awarded a contractor a deal which could be worth up to £190 million over 20 years.

  • Green deal to get 'soft launch' in October

    29/02/2012

    The introduction of the government’s flagship energy efficiency scheme in October will be a ‘soft launch’, the climate change minister has said.

  • Electrical safety warning to private landlords

    29/02/2012

    Private rented sector tenants are being exposed to serious electrical dangers through confusion over responsibilities on the part of landlords, a group has warned.

  • Council awards contractor £56 million deal

    28/02/2012

    A contractor has won a £56 million deal to provide repairs and maintenance to 4,500 homes.

  • Getting radical

    27/02/2012

    As the extent of fuel poverty become clear serious questions have to be asked of the tools for tackling the problem

  • Study finds green deal will not address fuel poverty

    27/02/2012

    Fuel poverty in the UK is set to increase by 40 per cent by 2016 despite the introduction of government energy efficiency schemes, according to research.

  • Contractors begin consulting on redundancies

    24/02/2012

    Contractors which are due to merge have launched a consultation looking into the possible redundancy of hundreds of support staff, it is understood.

  • The big bang theory

    24/02/2012

    As local authorities prepare for the brave new world of self-financing, we gather some council heavyweights for a round table discussion on what the future holds. Gavriel Hollander reports.

  • London co-op issues shares to fund PV

    23/02/2012

    A Brixton-based co-operative has launched a share issue, to fund the installation of solar photovoltaic panels on a Lambeth estate, using an innovative model which it hopes to roll out to social housing across south London.

  • Supreme Court appeal puts FIT rates at risk

    23/02/2012

    The government will be able retrospectively change tariffs for already installed solar schemes if it wins a legal battle over the cutting of solar subsidies, campaigners have warned.

  • FIT and proper

    23/02/2012

    The news that the government registered an appeal at the Supreme Court over the High Court’s ruling that it acted unlawfully in cutting the feed-in tariff, was barely news.

  • Kier revenues hit by local authority cut backs

    23/02/2012

    Kier has seen a 22 per cent drop in revenue for its maintenance business, which provides services to local authorities and housing associations.

  • Landlord seeking new contractors

    22/02/2012

    A 34,000-home landlord is looking to appoint a series of new contractors for responsive, planned and cyclical repairs.

  • Where next for the green deal?

    22/02/2012

    As the government ponders its response to the green deal consultation, Bill Hull, from law firm TLT, examines the key areas of interest for registered providers

  • Kier launches repairs reporting app for tenants

    22/02/2012

    A contractor has launched a free smartphone app which enables tenants and companies to report repairs to the company through a mobile phone.

  • Council to take 42,000 home ALMO back in house

    21/02/2012

    Tenants of the largest arm’s-length management organisation have voted for the body to be scrapped and the running of their homes taken back in house.

  • HMR transition fund to be spent on demolition

    21/02/2012

    Councils are spending around 98 per cent of funding designed to ease the end of the housing market renewal programme demolishing homes.

  • Welsh government launches empty homes fund

    21/02/2012

    Plans to return some of Wales’ 22,000 empty properties to use were boosted with £5 million of funding from the Welsh government today.

  • Lovell profits boosted by Connaught contracts

    21/02/2012

    Lovell has reported a significant increase in profits, which it says has been driven by the transfer of contracts formerly held by stricken rival Connaught.

  • Tenants block transfer of 10,980 council homes

    20/02/2012

    Tenants have voted against plans to transfer homes to a housing association by 65 per cent to 35 per cent.

  • Accentuate the positive

    17/02/2012

    Time for some positivity I think.

  • Big win for Green Light campaign

    17/02/2012

    Social landlords are set to be exempted from an extra 20 per cent cut to the feed-in tariff as part of a government overhaul of the solar subsidy system unveiled last week.

  • FIT for success

    17/02/2012

    Last Thursday Inside Housing’s Green Light campaign enjoyed its biggest success since launching in November.

  • Liverpool opts for mayor to boost city's housing

    17/02/2012

    The leader of Liverpool Council has pledged to replace and refurbish homes that lost out after the government axed market renewal funding, as he launched his bid to become the city’s mayor.

  • Pinnacle and Mansell in £60m deal

    17/02/2012

    Woking Council will outsource its housing management to a joint venture between Pinnacle and Mansell Construction.

  • See the light

    17/02/2012

    The Department of Energy and Climate Change’s latest announcement doesn’t mean the end of solar schemes in social housing

  • Strike while the iron’s hot

    17/02/2012

    Landlords have until 12 December to deliver carbon emission and energy savings targets. Christopher Paul, partner at Trowers & Hamlins explains

  • Landlord pushing through solar installations

    16/02/2012

    A housing association is fitting solar photovoltaic panels onto homes and offices to help reduce tenants’ energy bills.

  • Council awards £60 million repairs contract

    14/02/2012

    A contractor has been awarded a £60 million deal to provide repairs to thousands of homes.

  • £300m investment pledged to council housing

    14/02/2012

    A council has given the go-ahead for a three-year housing investment programme worth £297 million.

  • Housing association joins forces with landlord

    10/02/2012

    A housing association has agreed to become a subsidiary of one of the UK’s largest landlords.

  • Landlord planning to be first green deal provider

    10/02/2012

    A small south west housing association is looking to become one of the first landlords to set up as a provider under the £14 billion green deal plan.

  • No magic solution

    10/02/2012

    Proposals to make it easier to evict anti-social tenants are unlikely to work, says Angela Jack, barrister at Five Paper

  • The home MOT test

    10/02/2012

    A Dutch landlord is reducing maintenance costs by giving its homes regular check-ups. Chloë Stothart finds out how it works

  • Up to scratch

    10/02/2012

    Duties around property maintenance have now been enshrined in Scottish law, says Ruth McNaught

  • Pros and cons

    09/02/2012

    This morning climate change minister Greg Barker announced a fundamental overhaul of the feed-in tariff.

  • Social housing could be saved from extra FIT cut

    09/02/2012

    The government is consulting on plans to protect social housing solar photovoltaic panel schemes from an especially heavy cut to solar subsidies as part of an overhaul of the feed-in tariff system.

  • Flint: ban benefit payments for substandard homes

    09/02/2012

    Private landlords whose homes do not meet minimum energy efficiency standards should be not be able to house tenants on housing benefit, the shadow energy secretary has argued.

  • Solar subsidy to be linked to PV panel costs

    09/02/2012

    The government will today move to shore up the future of the bruised solar sector by announcing an overhaul of the way renewable subsidies are paid.

  • Isolating a problem

    08/02/2012

    A BBC programme looking at the role of coroners brought up some interesting and timely topics.

  • Contractor wins 8,000 home repairs deal

    08/02/2012

    A contractor has won a bid to provide responsive repairs to 8,000 homes in a £10 million deal.

  • Council planning to freeze rent and service charges

    07/02/2012

    The largest council landlord in England is planning a freeze on rent and service charges until 2013.

  • Volunteers to get new skills with contractor deal

    07/02/2012

    A training programme has been set up to provide users of a supported living scheme with new skills to find work and live independently.

  • New energy secretary urged to resolve FIT row

    06/02/2012

    Friends of the Earth has called on the newly installed energy secretary to step up and sort out ‘the mess’ over solar subsidies.

  • Cash questions

    03/02/2012

    All week Inside Housing readers have been debating the virtues of the tenant cashback scheme. Jess McCabe picks out some key themes.

  • Local firms net Merseyside repairs contracts

    03/02/2012

    Fifteen Merseyside repairs and maintenance firms have secured contracts worth more than £43 million from a local provider.

  • Carbon cut targets slashed for house builders

    03/02/2012

    The government has scaled back carbon reduction targets for house builders that will come into force ahead of the move to ‘zero carbon’ in 2016.

  • Window of opportunity

    03/02/2012

    Last month’s court ruling means landlords may have a few weeks to claim the pre-cut feed-in tariff rate, says Rob Beiley, partner at Trowers & Hamlins

  • High rents prompt concerns over HRA debt figures

    02/02/2012

    Councils have objected to the rent figures used in the final calculations for the payments they will have to make or receive as part of the move to self financing.

  • Out of the woodwork

    01/02/2012

    I have had the joyful tones of Jimmy Cliff reverberating around my head all day.

  • Landlords to be forced to improve energy efficiency

    01/02/2012

    The government is planning to use building regulations as a means of increasing take-up of its flagship retrofit scheme, the green deal when it is introduced in October.

  • Commission to assess future of council housing

    01/02/2012

    An independent commission on the future of council housing in a local authority has been launched.

  • £10m boost for affordable housing in Scotland

    31/01/2012

    The Scottish Government has announced an extra £10 million for affordable housing this financial year.

  • Contractor targets growth thanks to order book

    31/01/2012

    A major contractor has reported that its revenues and earnings are progressing as expected following a good start to the year.

  • ALMO teaches tenants to maintain their homes

    30/01/2012

    An arm’s-length management organisation is offering DIY training to tenants to help them improve their homes.

  • Landlord agrees 1,000-home PV scheme

    27/01/2012

    A landlord has appointed contractors to install solar photovoltaic panels on the roofs of 1,000 tenants’ homes.

  • Strong interest reported for landlord's £88m JV

    27/01/2012

    A landlord has reported strong interest from potential partners to create an £88 million joint venture company.

  • Power to the people?

    27/01/2012

    Is tenant cashback empowering for tenants, or an attempt to paper over the cracks in professional services? Our panellists go head to head

  • A valuable lesson

    27/01/2012

    The green deal consultation has now closed. So has the government made the grade? Nick Duxbury gives ministers their marks

  • Along for the ride

    27/01/2012

    Contractor Kier offers customers the chance to shadow a maintenance worker for a day. Here, Sheffield Homes tenant Yvonne Collins, 71, explains how the scheme is improving tenants’ understanding of repairs and their satisfaction with the service

  • Associations sign £32m repairs deal

    27/01/2012

    A consortium of housing associations has signed a landmark agreement to procure repairs and maintenance services across Scotland.

  • Falling through the cracks

    27/01/2012

    A large amount of tenant complaints to the housing ombudsman are related to repairs. So what is going wrong? Jess McCabe investigates

  • Forward thinking

    27/01/2012

    This year’s UK Housing Review by the Chartered Institute of Housing takes a look at how coalition government policies are affecting housing trends. Here, Hal Pawson, Steve Wilcox and John Perry give the lowdown on the report

  • Landlords dust off PV schemes

    27/01/2012

    Social landlords are moving to capitalise on a brief window of opportunity, in which cuts to the feed-in tariff could be reversed, by kick-starting abandoned schemes.

  • Repairs revolution or DIY disaster?

    27/01/2012

    In two months’ time the government plans to roll out a scheme which pays tenants in England to carry out their own repairs. Here, Simon Brandon examines the tenant cashback pilot projects to find out what lessons have been learned

  • Same day delivery

    27/01/2012

    A new pilot scheme modelled on the emergency services aims to help tenants within hours of reporting repairs. Alex Wellman finds out how the scheme works in practice.

  • The apprentices: hired or fired

    27/01/2012

    Many social landlords are helping young people get into employment by offering them apprenticeships. But should these opportunities guarantee them a job at the end? Not necessarily, as Lydia Stockdale finds out

  • The repairs rule book

    27/01/2012

    Contractor Forrest launched a code of conduct for its repairs and maintenance workers last summer, improving customer satisfaction as a result. Here Sally-Ann Smith explains how it works

  • The transfer window

    27/01/2012

    Be aware of employees’ rights when a change of service provision occurs, warns Marc Long, partner at Clarke Willmott

  • Trapped in their own home

    27/01/2012

    Delays to home adaptations are leaving older and disabled tenants living in unsuitable and often degrading conditions for years at a time. So is the disabled facilities grant failing vulnerable people? Martin Hilditch investigates.

  • Fool's gold

    26/01/2012

    Call me old fashioned, but I think there is something to be said for at least trying to be the bigger person in an argument.

  • Morrison under pressure as councils criticise

    26/01/2012

    Repairs and maintenance provider Morrison is facing the threat of losing two major council contracts amid concerns about its performance.  

  • Huhne defends Supreme Court appeal bid

    26/01/2012

    The government has defended its challenge to a High Court ruling that a decision to reduce payments to the feed-in-tariff was ‘legally flawed’.

  • Councils back green deal efficiency scheme

    26/01/2012

    Most local authorities are keen to get involved in the government’s green deal energy efficiency scheme, research has suggested.

  • Cause for concern

    25/01/2012

    All you lucky readers of Inside Housing are getting a repairs and maintenance special this Friday.

  • Government to take FIT fight to Supreme Court

    25/01/2012

    The government is seeking to take the fight over cuts to the feed-in-tariff all the way to the Supreme Court after losing an appeal against a High Court ruling that the deadline was ‘legally flawed’.

  • Judges reject government’s solar cuts appeal

    25/01/2012

    The government has lost its appeal against a High Court ruling that an earlier than expected cut to solar subsidies is illegal.

  • Landlord and contractor agree to end repairs deal

    25/01/2012

    A contractor’s 10-year deal to provide responsive repairs to a major landlord has been stopped just two years into the agreement.

  • Community groups to bid for empty homes cash

    24/01/2012

    Community groups will be allowed to bid for money to refurbish empty homes on government and public land, the communities minister said today.

  • Minister to reveal empty homes fund

    24/01/2012

    A government minister is expected to announce a fund for communities to bring empty homes back into use today.

  • Institute warns green deal won't tackle fuel poverty

    20/01/2012

    The government’s flagship energy efficiency scheme won’t tackle fuel poverty, the Chartered Institute of Housing has warned.

  • Firms line up with green deal concerns

    20/01/2012

    A group of leading companies including major high street retailers Marks & Spencer and Homebase have called on the government to amend its flagship retrofit scheme so social landlords are not excluded from subsidy to tackle fuel poverty.

  • Morrison in £12.7m loss

    20/01/2012

    Housing repairs and maintenance contractor Morrison suffered significant losses in the first six months of the 2011/12 financial year, after seeing a sharp downturn in its high-value work.

  • Reaching critical mass

    20/01/2012

    Next week is a big one for social landlords across the UK and also for two Inside Housing campaigns.

  • Scrapheap challenge

    20/01/2012

    The price of metal has risen sky high making pipes, railings and even boilers an irresistible target to thieves. Chloë Stothart finds out how one housing association is tackling the growing problem of metal theft

  • Green around the gills

    19/01/2012

    You can spot them a mile away.

  • Government proposes new FIT cut date

    19/01/2012

    The government has moved to address the uncertainty surrounding the feed-in tariff by proposing a cut from 3 March if the government loses its legal battle.

  • Co-operative solutions

    18/01/2012

    The ringing in of the New Year does little if anything for the same old problems.

  • Housing co-op planning to tackle empty homes

    18/01/2012

    A housing co-operative is looking to remedy the problem of empty houses in its area by transforming unused buildings into affordable housing.

  • KPMG defends earnings from Connaught collapse

    18/01/2012

    An accountancy firm has defended itself after it was reported to have earned £6.4 million from the collapse of failed contractor Connaught.

  • Government warned green deal is at risk of failure

    18/01/2012

    Housing and building groups have warned the government the green deal is in danger of not succeeding unless a series of obstacles are dealt with.

  • Merger set to go-ahead in February

    16/01/2012

    A merger between two contractors is expected to take place in February after it was given the green light by the Office of Fair Trading.

  • Group to call on Cameron to resolve FIT row

    13/01/2012

    An environmental campaign group will call on prime minister David Cameron to personally intervene to resolve the ongoing legal clash between the government and solar bodies over its early cut to solar subsidies.

  • Wise old owls

    13/01/2012

    Friday 13: a diary date that is usually associated with colossal misfortune.

  • Landlord starts crackdown on metal theft

    13/01/2012

    Housing associations in Bury have been furnishing properties with a DNA tracking substance in an attempt to tackle on metal theft.

  • Social housing PV unviable unless FIT rates double

    13/01/2012

    Incentive payments for electricity generated from solar panels need to be set at nearly double the proposed rate for installations to remain viable for social landlords, according to research.

  • Welsh social housing standards 'will not be met'

    13/01/2012

    The Welsh Government will not meet its target for improving the quality of social housing, according to a report.

  • Landlords await feed-in tariff ruling

    13/01/2012

    Social landlords and solar lobbyists will today find out whether the government has successfully appealed a High Court ruling that an early cut to solar subsidies was illegal.

  • Organisations agree to end 'who you know' culture

    12/01/2012

    A group of leading organisations in the housing sector have signed up to the government’s pledge to end the culture of ‘who you know, not what you know’.

  • Merger talks to create 26,000-home landlord start

    11/01/2012

    A merger between two housing associations which could create a 26,000-home landlord and create savings of £8 million is currently under discussion.

  • Contract wins boost 2011 trading for Mears

    10/01/2012

    Mears has announced £156 million of social housing contract wins, and said trading for 2011 was as expected.

  • Efficiency concerns prompt calls for testing

    09/01/2012

    A housing body is calling for post-construction checks of the energy efficiency of new homes after tests showed designed levels are not being achieved.

  • Can we fix it?

    06/01/2012

    One thorny issue that seems certain to generate a few headlines in 2012 is the introduction of the government’s ‘cashback’ scheme for tenants in England who carry out their own repairs.

  • FIT ruling ‘too late’ for sector

    06/01/2012

    Most abandoned social housing solar photovoltaic schemes are unlikely to be revived even if a legal battle leads to government solar subsidy cuts being reversed until April.

  • Insurance concerns threaten cashback scheme

    06/01/2012

    Questions over liability for injury or damage are threatening to derail a government scheme to reward social tenants who carry out their own repairs.

  • Light switch

    06/01/2012

    Social landlords should not abandon their solar plans because of the cut to the feed-in tariff

  • FIT fight

    05/01/2012

    Hold the front page: the government disagrees with the High Court’s ruling that early cut to the feed-in tariff was illegal. Wow. So no one saw that coming?

  • Council plans ALMO as self financing approaches

    05/01/2012

    Shropshire Council is considering setting up a new arm’s-length management organisation in response to the move to self financing.

  • House in order

    04/01/2012

    As nice as the festive break was, there is one strong reason to be happy to be back at work.

  • Government lodges appeal against solar cut ruling

    04/01/2012

    The government has lodged an appeal against last month’s High Court ruling that an early cut to solar subsidies was illegal.

  • National Trust and CofE oppose FIT cuts

    23/12/2011

    The Church of England and National Trust have added their voices to those opposing cuts to payments for solar power as a consultation on the plans closes.

  • Government seeking to appeal FIT ruling

    22/12/2011

    The government has said it will appeal a High Court ruling that its consultation into reduced payments to the feed-in-tariff was legally flawed.

  • Mears funds growth plans with £120 million loan

    21/12/2011

    Mears Group has agreed a £120 million refinancing with two of its major relationship banks to support its growth plans.

  • Humbug

    21/12/2011

    How many days left are there until Christmas?

  • Campaigners claim FIT legal victory

    21/12/2011

    Campaigners fighting government plans to slash solar subsidies are claiming a major victory in court.

  • Housing estate art gets listed status

    21/12/2011

    A piece of public art on a Durham housing estate has been awarded grade II-listed status.

  • Charity wants new tax to renovate empty homes

    21/12/2011

    A homelessness charity has called on the Scottish Government to bring in a new tax to fund the renovation of empty properties.

  • Legal challenge to FIT cuts begins

    20/12/2011

    A challenge to government plans to slash payments to the feed-in-tariff has begun in the High Court.

  • Christmas decorations banned by council

    20/12/2011

    A council has banned Christmas decorations from communal areas in all its housing blocks over fears of fire safety.

  • ALMO in race to fix fire block by Christmas

    16/12/2011

    A landlord is ‘doing all that it can’ to ensure that residents of a fire-hit tower block are back in their homes in time for Christmas.

  • Legal showdown over proposed cuts to FIT

    16/12/2011

    Friends of the Earth and two solar companies are set to clash with the government over its cut to the feed-in-tariff in a legal showdown next Tuesday.

  • Sale of homes in mixed tenure sites 'subdued'

    16/12/2011

    Constraints on mortgage availability are hitting the sale of homes in mixed tenure sites, a contractor has announced.

  • Fuel for doubt

    16/12/2011

    The government won’t win round environmental sceptics until it clarifies its messages, says Nick Duxbury

  • 38,000 households denied energy savings

    16/12/2011

    More than 38,000 social households across Britain will miss out on energy savings worth an estimated £7.2 million a year as a result of this week’s cut to the feed-in tariff.

  • A wasted chance

    16/12/2011

    The impact of the government’s decision to halve the feed-in tariff was revealed this week and the figures are startling.

  • Review of the year

    16/12/2011

    What a year. From the economic doom and gloom to the summer’s riots, social landlords have had their work cut out over the past 12 months. Here, Inside Housing looks back at the highs and lows

  • FIT cuts prompt ‘gold rush’ for PV panel maker

    15/12/2011

    Cuts to payments for electricity generated through solar panels have proved ‘perversely helpful’ according to one housing association-owned business.

  • What's in a name?

    14/12/2011

    Ok, it is time to get up on my high horse, ride it to the top of a soapbox and have a moan about something that really bugs me.

  • Contractor planning continued used of PV schemes

    14/12/2011

    A contractor has pledged to continue working with housing providers in the solar photovoltaic market despite cuts to the feed-in-tariff.

  • The answer to empty homes

    13/12/2011

    The right approach can turn empty homes from a blight into an opportunity, says Will Nixon

  • Landlords rush to finish PV schemes

    13/12/2011

    Social housing providers have rushed to finish fitting photovoltaic panels to homes before government cuts take hold.

  • FIT cuts deadline approaches

    12/12/2011

    Solar panels installed on homes across the country from tomorrow will receive reduced rates of money through the Feed-in-Tariff.

  • Landlord offers tenants cash incentive to downsize

    12/12/2011

    Tenants living in under-occupied homes are being offered cash incentives to downsize by a housing association.

  • £103m contract win for repairs team

    09/12/2011

    A contractor has won a bid to provide refurbishment work to 15,000 homes in a £103 million deal.

  • Stunell welcomes drop in number of empty homes

    09/12/2011

    The number of long-term empty homes in England has fallen by more than 21,000, according to the latest figures.

  • Out of the ashes

    09/12/2011

    For most landlords, installing photovoltaic panels after the 12 December is off the cards.

  • Solar firm makes PV viable despite FIT cut

    09/12/2011

    A solar firm has worked with lenders, accountants, lawyers and a housing association to develop a lease model to work with the new, low-rate feed-in tariff.

  • Euro Commission could hit UK over FIT cuts

    08/12/2011

    The European Commission has confirmed that the UK government could face legal action over plans to halve solar subsidies.

  • No more excuses

    07/12/2011

    I have something terrible to admit.

  • Empty promises

    07/12/2011

    So is The Great British Property Scandal a fantastic exposé or a dangerous over-simplification? Or both?

  • Court warning for private landlords over safety

    07/12/2011

    A council has warned private landlords to ‘follow the rules’ after one was fined for putting a tenant’s life in danger.

  • Contractor has £10m pot to deal with redundancies

    07/12/2011

    A contractor which recently announced 4,500 jobs were under threat due to cuts to the feed-in-tariff, has put aside £10 million to deal with the ‘downsizing.’

  • £60m redevelopment of 200 homes

    07/12/2011

    Architects practice Conran and Partners has won a competition to design a site for more than 200 new homes in Lambeth in south London.

  • Real alternatives

    06/12/2011

    The government must unlock the door on 350,000 empty homes, says Phil Spencer

  • The real property scandal

    06/12/2011

    The Great British Property Scandal is good knockabout TV, but it fails to get to the heart of the housing crisis, says Colin Wiles

  • Empty homes campaigner attacks squatting plans

    06/12/2011

    The presenter of a Channel 4 programme highlighting the ‘scandal’ of empty homes has slammed government plans to criminalise squatting.

  • TV show highlighting empty homes begins

    05/12/2011

    Channel 4 is beginning a series of programmes to highlight the housing crisis facing the UK this evening.

  • State intervention

    02/12/2011

    The ambiguous status of housing associations and whether they should be classified as public or private bodies was in the spotlight again this week.

  • Council to bring 3,000 empty homes back into use

    02/12/2011

    A Yorkshire council is planning to use its new homes bonus to bring as many as 3,000 empty homes back into use.

  • Green deal ‘won’t work’ for social housing

    02/12/2011

    The government’s flagship green deal retrofit scheme will fail to achieve national carbon reduction targets and exacerbate fuel poverty in social housing unless it is amended, experts have warned.

  • Solid offer

    02/12/2011

    Social landlords must be quick off the mark to capitalise on energy company obligation funding

  • Transfer approval raises threat of legal action

    01/12/2011

    Wycombe District Council has approved the transfer of its homes to a community housing association, raising the prospect of legal challenge to the move.

  • Expert warns new homes breach fire standards

    30/11/2011

    A leading expert on fire safety in social housing has questioned whether new build properties are meeting sufficiently high standards.

  • Government confirms £200m green deal sweetener

    30/11/2011

    The government has confirmed plans to put £200 million into encouraging take up of its green deal energy efficiency scheme.

  • Non-decent homes fall by 26 per cent

    30/11/2011

    The number of non-decent local authority homes in England has fallen 26 per cent in the last year, according to government figures.

  • Housing services hit by public sector strike

    30/11/2011

    Housing offices across the UK are set to close or offer reduced services today as staff join around two million public sector workers who are striking over pensions.

  • Campaigners secure £18m for Welsh homes

    28/11/2011

    The Welsh Government will spend an extra £18 million on housing after sector representatives successfully campaigned for greater investment.

  • Victims panel warns riots could happen again

    28/11/2011

    Urgent action is needed to prevent a repeat of the riots that swept England during August, according to the independent panel investigating the unrest.

  • Last chance to register for safety webinar

    28/11/2011

    There is still time to register for Inside Housing’s fire and gas safety webinar, which is taking place tomorrow.

  • Fed demands changes to green deal design

    25/11/2011

    The government needs to do more to make its flagship green deal energy efficiency scheme work for social tenants, the National Housing Federation has said.

  • Filling the void

    25/11/2011

    The housing strategy sets out firm plans to bring empty homes back into use

  • Green monster

    24/11/2011

    When you are on press deadline on a Wednesday afternoon, how do you start to get your teeth into a 238 page document?

  • Welsh associations increase investment in homes

    24/11/2011

    Welsh housing associations have increased their investment over the last year by more than 15 per cent, according to a study commissioned by Community Housing Cymru.

  • Huhne hints at rethink for social housing FIT cuts

    24/11/2011

    The energy secretary has suggested the government will consider putting in place special feed-in tariff rates for social housing providers, but that is not currently able to do so.

  • Greater incentives needed to boost green deal

    24/11/2011

    The green building sector has called for greater incentives to encourage take up of the government’s green deal, after details of the energy efficiency scheme were released yesterday.

  • FIT cuts threaten wider energy efficiency work

    23/11/2011

    Cuts to payments for electricity generated from solar panels will have wider implications for energy efficiency in the social housing sector, Caroline Flint has claimed.

  • Huhne promises further green deal incentives

    23/11/2011

    The energy secretary has announced consumers who take up the green deal efficiency scheme will receive £150 payments and promised further incentives.

  • Empty strategy

    23/11/2011

    The government’s housing strategy for England was released on Monday with much fanfare.

  • Social landlords cut off from £1.3bn energy fund

    23/11/2011

    Social landlords look set to be excluded from the bulk of a £1.3 billion a year fund to improve energy efficiency and target fuel poverty.

  • Government to set out details of efficiency scheme

    23/11/2011

    The long-awaited consultation on the government’s green deal energy efficiency scheme is expected to be published later today.

  • Contractor seals 6,500-home repairs deal

    23/11/2011

    A contractor has won the right to deliver responsive repairs to 6,500 homes in a deal worth £15 million.

  • Procurement alliance for 1,000 landlords launched

    23/11/2011

    Three social housing buying consortia have joined forces to launch a strategic procurement alliance for more than 1,000 landlords.

  • Video: Tower block demolished

    22/11/2011

    A tower block which was an ever-present part of the Motherwell skyline for more than 40 years was turned to dust in just five seconds.

  • Council views sought on £29bn debt hand out

    22/11/2011

    The government has launched a consultation with councils ahead of the introduction of controversial self-financing reforms.

  • Further £50 million to address empty homes

    21/11/2011

    The government has announced an extra £50 million of funding for empty homes in areas where it is a particular problem.

  • Cash for communities that approve development

    21/11/2011

    Communities which accept house building will be held up as an example of government plans for localised development, according to the housing strategy.

  • Landlord picks contractor for £98m repair work

    18/11/2011

    A contractor has won a seven-year multi-million deal to provide repairs and maintenance to a major housing association.

  • Danger zone

    18/11/2011

    Landlords reveal this week how they are getting their businesses in shape as part of our refurbishment and retrofit special.

  • Deadly dust

    18/11/2011

    The death of John Shiers from asbestos-related cancer raises worrying questions for housing providers. Martin Hilditch kicks off our refurbishment and retrofit special by investigating what landlords should do to protect their tenants from a similar fate

  • Fond memories

    18/11/2011

    A pioneering scheme which furnishes dementia sufferers’ homes with familiar objects from their past is being trialled in north west England. Simon Brandon finds out how the project could assist independent living and cut care costs.

  • Maintenance spend drops by £4 billion

    18/11/2011

    Repairs and maintenance spend by social housing providers fell by £4 billion last year, according to research

  • Panel priorities

    18/11/2011

    Landlords must act fast to salvage what they can from photovoltaic deals before the feed-in tariff is cut, says Rob Beiley

  • Shining stars

    18/11/2011

    We reveal details of the winners of the 2011 UK Housing Awards

  • The sustainability race

    18/11/2011

    Green energy installations were meant to be the future but how much will it cost to get there? And will the race to fit photovoltaic panels before the feed-in tariff is cut lead to a bumpy ride? Jess McCabe investigates.

  • Tooled up for success

    18/11/2011

    Social landlords could save thousands of pounds and boost tenant satisfaction by improving their repairs services. Here, Debbie Larner explains how a new campaign aims to help them do just that

  • Working it out

    18/11/2011

    Landlords must sweat their assets if they are to get best value from their housing stock but, as Gavriel Hollander learns from a round table of industry experts, there’s more than one way for providers to get financially fit for the future

  • Green dealing

    17/11/2011

    I will endeavour not to mention our Green Light campaign in this week’s blog.

  • Homeowners to be offered improvement loans

    17/11/2011

    Leicester is considering setting up a £500,000 scheme to help homeowners on low incomes improve their properties.

  • Landlords awarded cash for renewable heat

    17/11/2011

    The first wave of winners to share in a £4 million fund to install green heating systems in tenants’ homes has been revealed.

  • Research uncovers green deal limitations

    17/11/2011

    The government’s flagship energy efficiency scheme will only fund a small proportion of work to improve homes without subsidy, according to research.

  • Private solution

    16/11/2011

    Leeds Council has taken a huge step in the right direction.

  • Contractor on track to deliver predicted results

    15/11/2011

    Construction and maintenance firm Kier has announced that it is on track to deliver trading results in line with expectation.

  • Register for free fire and gas safety webinar

    15/11/2011

    Inside Housing is running a free webinar on improving fire and gas safety on 29 November.

  • Legal challenge to FIT cuts to go ahead

    14/11/2011

    A campaign group has confirmed it will take the government to court over cuts to financial incentives for solar energy.

  • Industry chief attacks government FIT 'own goal'

    11/11/2011

    The government’s decision to cut solar feed-in tariffs has been branded an ‘own goal’ by an industry body.

  • Retail repairs

    11/11/2011

    As Inside Housing reported this week, Spectrum Housing Group has had early discussions with major retailers B&Q and Argos about potentially doing work for them through its in-house repairs subsidiary.

  • Fighting FIT

    11/11/2011

    You can imagine that Greg Barker had been dreading today for some time.

  • Building the future

    11/11/2011

    There may be dark times ahead but the sector is determined to come out on top. Simon Brandon asks some top housing bosses what they think the coming years hold

  • Counting the costs

    11/11/2011

    Just because you are successful at trial doesn’t mean you will recover all your legal costs, says Dan Butler

  • Labour ministers back fuel poverty campaign

    11/11/2011

    Senior Labour politicians have pledged their support for Inside Housing’s campaign to ensure social landlords can access vital green subsidies to combat fuel poverty.

  • Landlord in talks with retailer over repairs service

    11/11/2011

    A housing group is looking to expand its repairs and maintenance arm by working for private businesses, including major high street retailers.

  • Last rent-a-roof PV scheme?

    11/11/2011

    Westcountry Housing Association has become the first, and possibly the last, social landlord to complete a rent-a-roof solar photovoltaic scheme on its properties.

  • The final countdown

    11/11/2011

    Last week the government placed a stick of dynamite under social landlords’ sustainability plans with a shock cut to the feed-in tariff. Nick Duxbury examines the fallout

  • Councils call for Huhne to delay cuts to FIT

    10/11/2011

    Councils are calling on Chris Huhne to delay planned cuts to the feed-in-tariff warning that they will have to drop thousands of solar photovoltaic panel installations.

  • Contractor announces halt to PV work

    10/11/2011

    A contractor has decided stop working on solar photovoltaic schemes after the government revealed plans to cut payments made through the feed-in-tariff.

  • Council PV plans under review after FIT cut

    09/11/2011

    A council which was planning to put solar photovoltaic panels on 3,000 homes is ‘reviewing its position’ after the government announced cuts to feed-in-tariff payments.

  • Green light for £130m housing plan

    09/11/2011

    A council has given the green light to £130 million plans to build 2,000 new houses and bring empty homes back into use.

  • MEP calls for Europe to investigate FIT cut

    09/11/2011

    An MEP has called on the European Commission to investigate whether the government’s proposal to slash the feed-in-tariff will damage the UK’s ability to meet EU targets on renewable energy.

  • Mitie to provide security to thousands of homes

    09/11/2011

    A contractor has been picked to provide out of hours mobile caretaker service to 32,000 homes.

  • Contractor reveals Connaught recovery work ongoing

    09/11/2011

    Morgan Sindall has said progress on recovering work from stricken contractor Connaught is proceeding in line with expectations.

  • Solar rules to exclude 86% of UK homes

    09/11/2011

    Just 14 per cent of UK homes would be eligible for incentive payments for generating electricity from photovoltaic panels under government proposals.

  • Ladder video lands safety officer in trouble

    09/11/2011

    Housing contractor Morrison has suspended one of its health and safety officers after he was filmed falling off a ladder.

  • Best behaviour

    08/11/2011

    Increasing energy efficiency isn’t just about fitting the latest technology, says Professor Elena Gaura, landlords must also examine patterns of use

  • Loss of Commission could harm empty homes

    07/11/2011

    The scrapping of the Audit Commission will lead to fewer councils tackling empty homes, a consultant has warned.

  • Government issued with legal threat over FIT cuts

    07/11/2011

    The government has been warned to change its plans to cut feed-in tariff payments or risk being taken to court.

  • Landlord reducing PV investment due to FIT cuts

    07/11/2011

    Peabody is hacking back its multi-million investment in solar panels by half as a result of the government’s cuts to the feed-in tariff.

  • Green light

    04/11/2011

    ‘Apocalyptic’. That is how one major PV provider described the news of the government’s cut to the feed-in tariff.

  • Contractor lands £11m of refurbishment work

    04/11/2011

    A contractor has been chosen by two separate social landlords to refurbish hundreds of homes in London in deals worth £11 million.

  • Contractors split £1bn housing framework

    04/11/2011

    Almost 100 contractors have been picked by a social housing consortium to undertake maintenance and improvement work on thousands of homes.

  • Botch jobs ‘likely to rise’ as insulation deadline looms

    04/11/2011

    The risk of botched energy efficiency retrofits is likely to rise as energy suppliers rush to meet targets for insulating cavity walls and lofts before the end of next year, a housing body has warned.

  • Call for 5% VAT on green deal energy efficiency works

    04/11/2011

    A sustainable housing body has called on the government to introduce tax breaks for energy-efficiency measures undertaken through the green deal.

  • Energy performance certificate overhaul

    04/11/2011

    Energy performance certificate assessors will have to complete extra training and tests under government plans for an overhaul of the system ahead of the launch of its flagship retrofit scheme.

  • Fight fuel poverty

    04/11/2011

    The number of social tenants in fuel poverty could rise to 2.5 million across Britain if expected government sustainability reforms proceed.

  • First word

    04/11/2011

    The Energy Act doesn’t go far enough to reduce fuel poverty and that means tenants will be trapped in sub-standard homes, says Caroline Lucas

  • Health check

    04/11/2011

    Can living in an energy-efficient home improve residents’ well-being? Gentoo’s latest retrofit pilot aims to find out. Martin Hilditch reports

  • How to...

    04/11/2011

    Social landlords can play a big role in improving the energy efficiency of the nation’s homes. But they must lobby hard to ensure ministers understand that they will need support to do so, says Martin Wheatley

  • Tariff cut leaves solar plans on the scrapheap

    04/11/2011

    The sun set on landlords’ solar ambitions this week as an unexpectedly savage cut to a subsidy payment for solar photovoltaic panels left the majority of social housing PV schemes unviable.

  • Multi-million pound repairs contracts issued

    03/11/2011

    A major housing provider has awarded its contracts for repairs and maintenance work in a deal worth £630 million.

  • Out of charge

    03/11/2011

    A housing association recently lost a court case it brought against owner-occupiers who were refusing to pay a service charge for the upkeep of green areas on estates.

  • Housing department accused of maladministration

    03/11/2011

    A council’s housing department has been accused of maladministration and asked to pay £5,000 after it was deemed to have wrongly refused a grant to adapt the home of a disabled man.

  • Council reveals £130m housing plan

    03/11/2011

    A council is planning to build 2,000 new homes over the next three years and bring empty homes back into use as part of a £130 million investment in housing.

  • DECC could rethink fuel poverty plans

    03/11/2011

    The government may be prepared to back down on plans that would have excluded social landlords from funding to alleviate fuel poverty.

  • Landlord loses grass cuttings fee case

    01/11/2011

    A housing association has lost a court case which it brought against a group of home owners who refused to a pay service charge.

  • Landlords face extra pain as solar incentive slashed

    31/10/2011

    Social landlords are facing an extra cut to payments for electricity generated from renewable sources on top of the 51 per cent reduction announced today.

  • Sharp cuts expected from solar payment review

    31/10/2011

    Proposed cuts to payments for using domestic solar panels are to be outlined today with rumours suggesting the incentives could be halved.

  • Thousands of homes destroyed by fire each year

    31/10/2011

    More than 2,000 homes across London are being lost to fire each year, according to the London Fire Brigade.

  • Sustainable spin?

    28/10/2011

    Welcome to the week of green smoke and mirrors.

  • Renewable heat budget increased by a third

    28/10/2011

    Funding available for social landlords to install renewable heating equipment has been increased by a third, to £4 million.

  • Another law bites the dust

    28/10/2011

    EU rules are forcing a rethink on asbestos regulations, says Claire Gregory, associate at Brabners Chaffe Street

  • Knock down prices

    28/10/2011

    Thousands of residents across England have had a surprise over the past few months.

  • Landlords reluctant to sign green deal pledge

    28/10/2011

    The social housing sector is holding back from signing a pledge of support for the government’s flagship retrofit scheme because of fears it will be excluded from millions of pounds of subsidy funding.

  • Whose mess is it anyway?

    28/10/2011

    Lack of homeowner pride isn’t the only reason behind unkempt social homes, says Inside Housing’s anonymous columnist

  • Feed-in tariff link to encourage use of green deal

    27/10/2011

    Incentive payments to encourage the use of renewable energy generation are to be dependent on making homes energy efficient.

  • Spending to save

    27/10/2011

    The Scottish Government has been accused of short-sightedness this week by a housing body.

  • Residents slam ALMO safety after fire

    27/10/2011

    Tenants of a block of flats hit by fire have accused their landlord of ignoring recommendations to improve safety measures.

  • Tower blocks to get £9m revamp

    27/10/2011

    Hundreds of residents are to get their homes revamped in a £9 million project to upgrade five tower blocks.

  • Council seeks transfer to dodge £145m bill

    27/10/2011

    A council is seeking to transfer its stock to a housing association to avoid taking on £145 million of debt through reform of the housing revenue account.

  • Europe approves renewable heat scheme

    27/10/2011

    The European Commission has approved a UK government scheme to give financial rewards for the generation of heat from renewable sources.

  • Scottish Govt misses home adaptation 'open goal'

    26/10/2011

    Cutting the budget for specialist home adaptation means the Scottish Government has missed an ‘open goal’ for money saving, according to the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations.

  • Landlords told to get ‘head start’ on green deal

    25/10/2011

    Grant Shapps has urged social landlords to get on with improving the energy efficiency of their homes rather than waiting for next year’s green deal scheme.

  • Willmott Dixon wins major repair contract

    25/10/2011

    Wilmott Dixon has won a £147 million repairs and maintenance contract with Home Group.

  • Construction firm faces safety probe

    25/10/2011

    A construction and maintenance firm will have its employees surveyed over safety fears.

  • Housing PFI scheme given green light

    24/10/2011

    A multi-million pound regeneration scheme is a step closer after the government gave it the green-light to move forward.

  • Feed in tariff fears freeze £175m investment

    24/10/2011

    The social housing sector could be the biggest loser in a rumoured shake up of a scheme to incentivise the installation of solar panels, a social enterprise has warned.

  • The colour code

    21/10/2011

    The housing sector has appraised the government’s performance to date. Rhiannon Bury investigates the key findings

  • Council pledges £20m for decent homes

    20/10/2011

    North West Leicestershire District Council has pledged to meet the government’s decent homes standard for every one of its homes by 2015 after outlining a £20 million investment programme.

  • Power to the people

    20/10/2011

    The procurement of contracts for repairs and maintenance work is often fraught with difficulties.

  • Regeneration of hostel gives tenants new skills

    20/10/2011

    A landlord is using the redevelopment of a former convent to teach residents new skills and keep them informed of what is going on.

  • ECO subsidy threat to low-income tenants

    20/10/2011

    Money raised from energy bills to subsidise the government’s national retrofit programme could exacerbate fuel poverty for thousands of low-income households, an independent report has warned.

  • Contractor buys heating specialist

    19/10/2011

    A contractor has acquired a heating specialist for an undisclosed sum.

  • Tenant evicted for gas safety check snub

    18/10/2011

    A social housing tenant has been evicted from her home for not allowing maintenance workers to carry out gas safety checks.

  • Contractors' pay linked to tenant satisfaction

    14/10/2011

    A pair of contractors could be hit with financial penalties if tenants are not satisfied under a new agreement with a housing organisation.

  • Contractor wins place on £500m framework

    14/10/2011

    A contractor has won a place on a framework worth up to £500 million with a major housing provider.

  • Contractor reveals big loss on interest payments

    14/10/2011

    Social housing contractor Keepmoat has recorded a loss of £88 million for the last financial year as a result of interest paid on its debt pile.

  • A big deal

    14/10/2011

    It has been yet another week of grim economic news. Unemployment is at its highest level since 1994 and even if you are in work the flagging economy means real incomes are set to have fallen by 7 per cent by 2013.

  • Landlords to be blocked from fuel poverty funding

    14/10/2011

    The government is planning to exclude social landlords from accessing millions of pounds of funding to tackle fuel poverty.

  • Sun block

    14/10/2011

    New guidance issued to lenders will make rent-a-roof schemes much more complicated for landlords, warns Richard Brooks

  • Hit the roof

    12/10/2011

    Who would have thought it would be this difficult to get solar panels on roofs?

  • Private landlords face tougher efficiency rules

    07/10/2011

    Rules forcing private landlords to improve the energy efficiency of their homes could be introduced earlier if progress is not made voluntarily.

  • £100m to bring homes into use

    07/10/2011

    A housing charity is launching a scheme to help community groups access a share of the £100 million pot of government cash available to bring empty homes back into use.

  • Contract renegotiations put solar deals at risk

    07/10/2011

    Housing associations are facing the prospect of eleventh-hour renegotiations over photovoltaic panel ‘rent-a-roof’ deals worth hundreds of millions of pounds, following guidance published this week.

  • The right combination

    07/10/2011

    Landlords should ensure the benefits of combined heat and power systems outweigh the burdens, says Nnenna Morah, senior associate in the housing team at Lewis Silkin

  • Contracting a solution

    06/10/2011

    A housing association was this week fined £100,000 for breaching the health and safety at work act.

  • Landlord fined £100,000 after man dies from burns

    06/10/2011

    A housing association has been fined £100,000 and ordered to pay £35,000 costs after a man died from burns received from a scalding hot bath.

  • Bureaucracy and planning hurting empty homes

    05/10/2011

    A high-profile architect has called on the government to slash red tape and planning constraints to tackle the 350,000 long-term empty homes in Britain.

  • Boris in pledge to build larger affordable homes

    04/10/2011

    Boris Johnson has pledged to build larger affordable homes and improve the environment as part of a strategy to ‘bring the village green’ to London.

  • Overspent or overspun?

    30/09/2011

    When is an overspend not an overspend? Answer: When it is an ‘underbudget’.

  • Circle 33 under watchdog’s eye

    30/09/2011

    The social housing regulator is monitoring a subsidiary of one of England’s largest housing associations after a major overspend on repairs and maintenance.

  • Extra tax plan is ‘too vague’

    30/09/2011

    Government plans to increase tax on empty homes have been criticised as ‘vague’ by a campaign group.

  • Synergy at work

    30/09/2011

    The wait is almost over. When moving jobs, you’re as professional as you can be out of respect to your colleagues and those who’ve paid your salary, but it’s only human to think of the future.

  • Welsh AMs unveil housing reforms

    30/09/2011

    The Welsh Government plans to provide financial incentives to encourage councils to bring up to 12,000 empty homes back into use by 2016.

  • Labour backs call for housing investment

    29/09/2011

    The Labour party has passed a motion which calls for investment in house building and attacks the government for failing the social housing sector.

  • Flint: social housing should be a ‘positive choice’

    29/09/2011

    The shadow communities secretary has said social housing should return to being a ‘positive choice’ for families.

  • Empty homes business buys up rival

    28/09/2011

    Vacant Property Services has bought rival firm Sitex Orbis for an undisclosed sum.

  • Lib Dems seek green homes tax for nuclear firms

    27/09/2011

    The Liberal Democrats have approved a policy motion that calls for the operators of nuclear power stations to pay a tax to improve home energy efficiency.

  • Balls calls for tax on bankers to fund new homes

    26/09/2011

    A tax should be levied against bankers’ bonuses with the money put towards building 25,000 affordable homes, the shadow chancellor has said.

  • Green team

    23/09/2011

    Empty homes, housing revenue account reform and evictions were the headline housing issues at this week’s Liberal Democrat conference in Birmingham.

  • Empty gesture?

    21/09/2011

    The great empty homes debate has come crashing back onto the news agenda this week.

  • Council hit by corruption claims

    21/09/2011

    A council repairs department is under investigation by police and an auditing firm following allegations of corruption.

  • Cornwall approves plans for 10,000-home ALMO

    21/09/2011

    Councillors in Cornwall have approved plans to create a single arm’s-length management organisation covering the whole county.

  • Carrot and stick

    20/09/2011

    With the green deal proving a harder sell than expected there are indications the government may take a tougher line in its quest for carbon cuts.

  • Stunell to set out empty homes plans

    20/09/2011

    The communities minister is expected to outline government plans for tackling empty homes when he addresses the Liberal Democrat conference later today.

  • Interest cut to deliver £100m boost for housing

    18/09/2011

    Councils leaving the housing revenue account subsidy system are to receive a £100 million a year boost due to a cut in interest rates.

  • Banks block landlords’ solar plans

    16/09/2011

    Social landlords’ plans to install photovoltaic panels on their homes are being blocked by banks refusing to sign off hundreds of millions of pounds worth of ‘rent-a-roof’ deals.

  • Don’t bank it

    16/09/2011

    The feed-in tariff has been perhaps the most successful ‘green’ government initiative ever.

  • Kier profits rise by almost a quarter

    15/09/2011

    Construction and services firm Kier has reported a 24 per cent rise in pre-tax profits to £68.9 million.

  • Profit and revenue up at Apollo

    15/09/2011

    Apollo has increased its operating profit by 66 per cent from £7.5 million last year to £12.4 million.

  • Council plans PV panels for 1,600 homes

    14/09/2011

    Brighton & Hove Council is planning to install photovoltaic solar panels on 1,600 homes across the area.

  • Campaigners demand green deal VAT cut

    12/09/2011

    Campaigners are calling for tax breaks to support the government’s green deal as the Energy Bill enters its final stages.

  • Brokerage to allocate ECO funds

    09/09/2011

    The government is planning to introduce an independent brokerage to allocate energy company obligation funding to ensure equal access for green deal providers in its flagship retrofit scheme.

  • Cleaning up the mess

    09/09/2011

    A year ago this week the collapse of social housing contractor Connaught caused panic, leaving landlords struggling to maintain services. Here, Carl Brown asks whether landlords and contractors have learned their lesson

  • FIT for future investment?

    09/09/2011

    Is it worth installing photovoltaic panels after 1 April 2012 when the feed-in tariff is due to change?

  • Green deal Q&A

    09/09/2011

    Securing finance from banks is vital to the green deal’s success. Here, Conor Hennebry reveals the sector’s appetite for green investment

  • Green guru

    09/09/2011

    Social landlords must ask themselves now how they will access green deal cash and whether energy company obligation funding can help, says Sally Hancox

  • Landlords team up to save water

    09/09/2011

    A consortium of midlands-based landlords has joined forces with water companies to launch an efficiency project across 11,100 social homes.

  • Last-minute deal

    09/09/2011

    The government plans to reduce the feed-in tariff next year, so social landlords must act now if they want to cash in on the sun’s rays, says Emily Rogers

  • No deal?

    09/09/2011

    With just 12 months to go until the green deal kicks off, landlords are struggling to convince tenants that warmer homes and lower fuel bills outweigh the inconvenience of having their homes retrofitted. Nick Duxbury reports

  • Proceed with caution

    09/09/2011

    One year on from the collapse of Connaught, the obvious conclusion is that lessons have not been learned.

  • Sound-off

    09/09/2011

    Opening up on mistakes could save the building industry £5 billion by 2050, argues John Doggart

  • Testing technology

    09/09/2011

    The government spent £17 million testing cutting-edge green technology in preparation for widespread retrofitting of the UK’s homes under the green deal. So what did it learn? Mark Wilding reports

  • The Godfather of green

    09/09/2011

    A seasoned and outspoken environmental campaigner, Jonathon Porritt is credited as a major force behind the eco-movement. So does he think the government’s green deal is doomed to failure or an offer residents can’t refuse? Nick Duxbury finds out

  • Time for change

    09/09/2011

    The government must do all it can to make the green deal work and save our planet for future generations, says Anne Power

  • In the line of fire

    07/09/2011

    Social landlords often assume they have sole responsibility for fire safety in their properties, but the legal picture is not so straightforward. Ashley Borthwick from law firm TLT explains

  • Ministers to set out empty homes plans

    07/09/2011

    The communities minister has promised to do more to ensure empty homes are brought back into use.

  • Durham plans 3,000 home solar project

    07/09/2011

    Durham County Council is considering plans to fit photovoltaic panels to 3,000 of its homes.

  • British Gas begins smart meter roll out

    06/09/2011

    British Gas is to start rolling out smart meters to its customers’ homes this month.

  • Fit for the future

    06/09/2011

    Lessons must be learnt from Affinity Sutton’s green deal pilot if the wider scheme is to be made to work, says Nick Duxbury

  • Council to retain ‘poorly performing’ ALMO

    02/09/2011

    A London council plans to retain its arm’s-length management organisation despite its history of poor performance.

  • Green deal faces ‘carbon black hole’

    02/09/2011

    The government’s flagship retrofit scheme could fail to meet national carbon reduction targets, leaving a 26 per cent ‘carbon black hole’, a housing association has warned.

  • Mind the gap

    02/09/2011

    The warning from Affinity Sutton this week of a ‘carbon black hole’ in the government’s flagship green deal should set alarm bells ringing.

  • The technology test

    02/09/2011

    Finding the right IT solution for your organisation can be a minefield. Lydia Stockdale discovers how it can be done

  • The ALMO question

    01/09/2011

    The subject of arms-length management organisations is becoming ever more important for local authorities up and down the country.

  • Council to become first to enter bond market

    01/09/2011

    Wandsworth Council is set to become the first local authority to tap into the bond market with a £250 million issue to fund a major housing stock improvement project.

  • Council agrees to rent 3,000 roofs for PV

    31/08/2011

    A council has joined forces with an energy provider to fit solar photovoltaic panels to some of its housing stock.

  • ALMO faces axe as council seeks savings

    31/08/2011

    A council is set to bring its arms-length management organisation back in house in a bid to save £400,000.

  • New deal

    30/08/2011

    After a year of writing about cuts in housing benefit, investment and supporting people, rising rents and homelessness and falling housebuilding, it makes a pleasant change to report some good news.

  • A cash incentive

    26/08/2011

    The new homes bonus gives councils a reason to work harder to bring empty homes back into use

  • Breaking free

    26/08/2011

    In just seven months councils will be freed from the shackles of the housing revenue account. So how are their self-financing plans shaping up? Jules Birch finds out.

  • Landlord makes 11th-hour bid for energy funds

    26/08/2011

    A housing association has launched a last-ditch attempt to help social landlords prise £350 million of eco-cash from the grasp of energy companies.

  • Contractors win £800m framework

    24/08/2011

    Social housing procurement consortium Cyntra has awarded an £800 million framework deal to six contractors.

  • Pay dirt

    24/08/2011

    Contaminated land is something which all local authorities across the country know only too well.

  • Charity concerned by smart meter plans

    19/08/2011

    Citizens Advice has warned proposals for the roll out of smart meters could leave consumers vulnerable to exploitation by energy companies.

  • Another piece of junk?

    19/08/2011

    Tenant satisfaction surveys are no longer compulsory. So were they a waste of paper or a vital way to measure landlords’ performance, asks Emily Rogers

  • Freedom at last

    19/08/2011

    Scrapping the housing revenue account will cut through red tape and help councils serve their tenants in the best possible way, says Grant Shapps

  • On the front line

    19/08/2011

    When riots ripped through England last week, most people watched the unfolding horror on their television screens. But for many housing professionals the sight of burning buildings, looted shops and mobs running amok was a shocking reality. Here, Alex Wellman relays their stories

  • Cash boost for contaminated land homes

    18/08/2011

    A council has been awarded £1.4 million to replace soil in two estates after potentially harmful chemicals were found in the ground.

  • Riot rewards

    17/08/2011

    Upon seeing the devastation wrought upon England after four days of rioting and the pillorying of social housing tenants by the mainstream media, you would think that estates across the land were no-go zones.

  • Riot-hit areas receive government cash boost

    17/08/2011

    An extra £20 million of government funding has been made available to clean up and improve two of the areas worst affected by the riots.

  • Landlord to test green technologies

    16/08/2011

    Greenfields Community Housing is fitting photovoltaic panels to 1,000 of its 8,000 homes and testing ways to improve the energy efficiency of the remainder.

  • Contractor issues riot rallying call to sector

    16/08/2011

    A contractor has pledged to invest in communities affected by the rioting by providing training and support to people from deprived backgrounds.

  • Mears turnover rises after market turmoil

    16/08/2011

    Mears has reported increased turnover and profits after picking up work from failed rivals Rok and Connaught.

  • Landlords invited to bid for £3m eco-heating cash

    15/08/2011

    Social landlords can bid for thousands of pounds to help them install eco-heaters in the homes of tenants.

  • Contractor secures 85 per cent of revenue

    15/08/2011

    A contractor has revealed that it has secured 85 per cent of budgeted revenues for the financial year.

  • ‘Who will want to live here now?’

    12/08/2011

    Housing professionals and their residents have watched in horror as rioters burned and looted their communities. Alex Wellman gets their reactions to the week that shook England to its core

  • Insurers call on home secretary to help curb rate rise

    12/08/2011

    Insurance companies have urged the government to extend police compensation schemes to help curb premium price rises following the estimated £100 million damage to England’s cities caused by rioters.

  • ALMO office damaged during rioting

    10/08/2011

    An arm’s-length management organisation had one of its housing offices damaged during riots in Wolverhampton last night.

  • Birmingham leading on home insulation

    10/08/2011

    Birmingham is leading the way in improving the energy efficiency of homes, according to government figures.

  • Energy efficiency arguments are ‘misguided’

    10/08/2011

    Attempting to convince households to improve energy efficiency on the basis of fuel savings alone is misguided, a government-backed pilot scheme has concluded.

  • Council set to renew contract with ALMO

    10/08/2011

    Westminster Council has agreed in principle to renew its contract with arm’s-length management organisation City West Homes.

  • Housing office set alight as violence spreads

    10/08/2011

    A disused housing office in Salford was attacked last night as rioting spread across the north and midlands.

  • Housing staff flee estate amid fresh rioting fears

    09/08/2011

    Peabody has pulled its staff from a Hackney estate amid fears of a violent rioting.

  • Landlord considering security for frontline staff

    09/08/2011

    A housing association is considering dispatching minders to protect frontline housing staff as they support tenants on an estate which was caught up in riots last night.

  • Homeless toll rises as London riots continue

    09/08/2011

    Almost 50 homes were destroyed in the rioting in Tottenham on Saturday night which sparked mass civil unrest across the rest of London.

  • Housing association homes damaged in riot

    08/08/2011

    Twenty-six Metropolitan Housing Trust leaseholder homes were among those damaged during riots in Tottenham on Saturday.

  • Payment row leaves 2,000 without TV

    08/08/2011

    Thousands of London homes have been left without television for more than a week after contractors removed aerials due to a dispute over pay.

  • Morgan Sindall reports drop in profits

    08/08/2011

    Construction firm Morgan Sindall has reported a half-yearly drop in profits of 16 per cent compared to the same time last year.

  • Landlord awards £40 million home improvement contract

    08/08/2011

    Lewisham Homes has appointed maintenance contractor Mitie to carry out a £40 million home improvement programme over the next five years.

  • The green deal stick

    05/08/2011

    Energy Bill campaigners have done well to get the government to accept regulations that will ensure properties in the private rented sector meet minimum efficiency standards.

  • Social tenants offered free energy advice

    05/08/2011

    Social housing tenants in parts of London are to be offered free advice on improving the energy efficiency of their homes.

  • Carving a new future

    05/08/2011

    Landlords in Wales have successfully helped unemployed people into new jobs. Could the government’s new work programme now thwart their efforts?

  • Home sweet home

    05/08/2011

    Welsh first minister Carwyn Jones says his government is making housing its top priority

  • Wind of change

    05/08/2011

    A host of new laws are set to change the landscape for Welsh social landlords. Michael Northcott reports

  • Work it out

    05/08/2011

    On the face of it, the £5 billion work programme sounds as though it should be tailor-made for social landlords.

  • Council decides to retain ALMO

    03/08/2011

    Lambeth Council will retain its arm’s-length management organisation after a consultation on its future.

  • HCA report backs district heating schemes

    02/08/2011

    A £26 million Homes and Communities Agency programme to evaluate the effectiveness of district heating systems has concluded they can offer a range of benefits.

  • Mears lands £20m PV deal with British Gas

    02/08/2011

    Mears has won a £20 million photovoltaic panel installation contact through its partnership with British Gas.

  • Newcastle to take on green deal role

    02/08/2011

    Newcastle is planning to set up a partnership with other local authorities to fund home energy efficiency improvements through the green deal.

  • Consumers buy in to renewable heat scheme

    01/08/2011

    A scheme offering householders funding towards energy efficient forms of heating has received 2,700 expressions of interest ahead of its launch today.

  • Council to keep ALMO following review

    01/08/2011

    Brent Council has decided to maintain its arm’s-length management organisation and will now consult with tenants.

  • Fire safety guidelines for tower blocks released

    29/07/2011

    Landlords have been issued with a new set of guidelines to minimise the threat of fire in high-rise tower blocks.

  • Date set for move to self financing

    29/07/2011

    Councils will buy their way out of the existing housing finance system on 28 March 2012, the government has said.

  • Review into service charges launched

    29/07/2011

    Social landlords are set to be grilled by politicians over service charges issued to tenants.

  • Call for new law after gas death

    29/07/2011

    A coroner has called on the government to change health and safety legislation after a social housing tenant died of carbon monoxide poisoning in a newly built block of flats.

  • Fatal flaws

    29/07/2011

    Maria Ighodalo was spectacularly unlucky. The London & Quadrant tenant died in 2007 from carbon monoxide poisoning following a highly unusual chain of events.

  • Man on a mission

    29/07/2011

    With just 12 months to go until the Olympic Games begin, mayor of Newham Sir Robin Wales tells Nick Duxbury why the host borough’s legacy is under threat and how he hopes to save it with an audacious new housing policy.

  • Landlord is third highest spender with government card

    28/07/2011

    A housing association spent more money with a government pay card than the Foreign Office, the Home Office and the BBC, a freedom of information request has revealed.

  • First among equals

    27/07/2011

    The imminent merger of contractors Apollo and Keepmoat is being portrayed as the coming together of two equal companies intent on creating a market leader in the sector.

  • Solar profits to improve housing stock

    27/07/2011

    Nottingham Council is planning to use money generated by fitting solar panels to its homes to invest in improving its stock.

  • Brand awareness

    26/07/2011

    ‘What’s in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet.’

  • Energy certificates to promote green deal

    26/07/2011

    Energy performance certificates that are required for any home being bought, sold, or rented out have been redesigned to promote the green deal.

  • £1.6 billion of repairs contracts up for grabs

    26/07/2011

    A housing group has issued a tender for repairs and maintenance work worth up to £1.6 billion.

  • Council brings ALMO back in house

    26/07/2011

    Basildon Council has brought its housing management back in house, saving £1 million annually.

  • Tenants vote to take control of estate

    25/07/2011

    An iconic council estate will be handed over to the community to run after an overwhelming majority of tenants voted to take control.

  • Social landlords get fifth of renewable heat fund

    22/07/2011

    The government has set aside £3 million of a £15 million renewable heat generation fund for social landlords.

  • Leading social housing contractors plan merger

    22/07/2011

    Two of the social housing sector’s biggest contractors are planning to merge.

  • Green bank may not fund home efficiency

    19/07/2011

    The government has refused to commit to using its £3 billion green investment bank to kick-start its flagship home energy efficiency scheme.

  • Council repair service criticised by ombudsman

    19/07/2011

    A London council offered a ‘very poor’ housing repair service to three tenants, a watchdog has found.

  • Contractor self delivers gas following Kinetics subsidiary collapse

    15/07/2011

    A contractor has taken over control of gas maintenance for a London authority after its sub-contractor went into administration.

  • DIY danger

    15/07/2011

    One of the key concerns highlighted in our ‘tenant cashback’ webinar on Wednesday was the impact on health and safety of the plan to pay tenants to carry out some of their own repairs.

  • Sounding the alarm

    15/07/2011

    New fire safety guidance is helping social landlords ensure their properties are as safe as possible. Here, Chloë Stothart finds out what they should do to minimise the risk of a blaze and how much it costs

  • Kinetics rescue plan fails

    14/07/2011

    Social landlords have been forced to draft in new contractors to keep repairs work on track after the remaining part of Kinetics went into administration.

  • Administrators appointed for Kinetics

    13/07/2011

    Social housing contractor Kinetics has entered into administration with around 550 staff across five sites affected.

  • Landlords to cut risks of tenant cashback

    13/07/2011

    Social landlords will be responsible for ensuring their tenant cashback schemes reduce the dangers of putting tenants in charge of their own repairs.

  • Contractor wins £45m five-year deal with housing association

    12/07/2011

    A contractor has won a five-year deal worth £45 million to provide maintenance for 15,000 homes.

  • Impact assessment shows health concerns with tenant cashback scheme

    12/07/2011

    The government has admitted that a new scheme to let tenants control their repairs might lead to health and safety problems.

  • Kinetics move into administration confirmed

    11/07/2011

    Social housing contractor Kinetics will go to court this afternoon to seek administration.

  • Remaining Kinetics firms face administration

    11/07/2011

    The remaining part of social housing contractor Kinetics is set to go into administration, according to one of its housing association clients.

  • Contractor posts losses of £135 million

    08/07/2011

    A contractor has posted pre-tax losses of £135 million for last year but has claimed localism and the Green Deal are opportunities to improve.

  • A nudge in the right direction

    08/07/2011

    What do you have to do to get people to accept free improvements to their home that will cut their energy bills?

  • Green deal users offered council tax holiday

    08/07/2011

    Households are to be offered a month off from paying council tax in return for signing up to the government’s green deal scheme.

  • Contractor wins work for 985 homes

    06/07/2011

    A contractor has been chosen to undertake repairs and maintenance on 985 housing association homes for a three year period.

  • Birmingham extends 40,000 home repairs contracts

    06/07/2011

    Birmingham City Council has agreed a three-year extension to contracts covering the repairs and maintenance of 40,000 homes in the south of the city.

  • Landlords admit high-rise fire risk

    01/07/2011

    Three quarters of housing providers do not think their tower blocks have been assessed correctly

  • Rok pensions threatened by £90m deficit

    28/06/2011

    The administrators of Rok have revealed the company has a £90 million deficit in two pension schemes.

  • From riches to rags and back

    24/06/2011

    A Welsh landlord took on an ambitious project to refurbish a derelict Grade II listed mansion. Katie Puckett finds out how they managed to bring it back into use

  • Pipe dream

    24/06/2011

    A new law means social landlords will no longer be responsible for repairing certain pipework but there are exceptions

  • Construction company to launch solar PV division

    17/06/2011

    A construction firm is to launch a new division which will design, fund, build and install solar photovoltaic panels to existing homes throughout the country.

  • Be more inventive

    17/06/2011

    At last year’s annual Chartered Institute of Housing conference and exhibition at Harrogate, the views of delegates were used to produce a ‘housing pact’ which was presented to housing minister Grant Shapps on the final day of the event.

  • Cracking efficiency

    17/06/2011

    It’s undisputed that housing must be provided more efficiently, but how best to do it? Inside Housing convened a round table of industry experts to find out. Caroline Thorpe reports

  • Landlords hit by Kinetics collapse

    17/06/2011

    Landlords in the north of England have been scrabbling to find cover after several subsidiaries of contractor Kinetics collapsed.

  • MPs’ pledges

    17/06/2011

    A year is a long time in politics. Twelve months ago this group of MPs pledged to do their bit for the housing sector, but have they delivered? Lucinda Dunseath finds out

  • Seaside slum

    17/06/2011

    New caps on housing benefit will force tenants out of higher-rent areas and into places like Margate’s Cliftonville. The area is already deprived, so how will it cope with the influx? Photography and words by Simon Brandon

  • True to their word?

    17/06/2011

    Last year the Chartered Institute of Housing’s inaugral Housing Pact asked for a series of commitments from the government and set out what the sector would do in return. Twelve months on, Sarah Davis examines which pledges were kept

  • Administrators sell part of Kinetics as redundancies hit

    13/06/2011

    The administrators for stricken social housing contractor Kinetics have sold part of the group but 273 staff have been made redundant.

  • Contractor says billions could be saved by switching outsourcing

    10/06/2011

    A contractor claims savings of up to £2.9 billion could be made by housing associations, ALMOs and councils if changes were made to the outsourcing of housing maintenance and management.

  • Minister rejects calls for green deal plan

    10/06/2011

    The government came under fire this week for failing to commit to an implementation plan for improving the energy efficiency of homes in England.

  • Feed-in tariff cuts could hit landlords

    10/06/2011

    Landlords have warned cuts to payments made for energy from solar panels will discourage the use of renewable power generation.

  • Appy days

    10/06/2011

    A fortnight ago you met them. Now it’s time to discover what they can do. We challenged the five finalists in the Rising Stars contest - Inside Housing and the Chartered Institute of Housing’s bid to find housing’s top talent - to design a phone app which would improve life for them, their employer, their residents - or all three. Here’s what they came up with.

  • Labour: coalition’s £30m is peanuts to pathfinders

    03/06/2011

    Labour has launched a campaign to secure extra cash for councils dealing with the aftermath of the axed housing market renewal programme.

  • Further details of Green Deal revealed

    02/06/2011

    Further details of the Green Deal have been released by the government including which measures are suitable for a property and plans to ensure consumers are not ripped off.

  • Contractor bought by Wates construction company

    01/06/2011

    Wates Group has acquired repairs contractor Linbrook Services for an undisclosed sum.

  • Contractor awarded £50 million work for 15,000 homes

    01/06/2011

    A contractor has won a £50 million deal to provide maintenance and refurbishment work to a housing association’s 15,000 stock.

  • Good state of repair

    27/05/2011

    Grant Shapps’ tenant cashback scheme is not a new concept. Tenants of one housing association have been conducting their own repairs for years. Simon Brandon finds out more

  • Scottish government u-turn on adaptation funding

    25/05/2011

    The Scottish government have agreed to look again at the eligibility criteria for housing adaptations after criticism from landlords.

  • Green bank is key to efficiency scheme

    25/05/2011

    The Federation of Master Builders has said the green investment bank is the only way the government can deliver its flagship green deal policy.

  • Landlord brings repairs in-house to protect jobs

    23/05/2011

    Liverpool’s biggest landlord has set up an in-house repairs service in an attempt to save jobs after cancelling its previous contract.

  • Inquest to be held into death of boy who fell from window

    20/05/2011

    An inquest into the death of a teenage boy who fell from a window in a tower block will take place in October.

  • Housing associations combine to find £60 million contractor

    20/05/2011

    Housing associations have joined together to find a contractor to undertake £60 million of work across five years.

  • Green revolution

    20/05/2011

    The Green Party this month won an historic victory to take control of its first council. Here, in an exclusive interview with Rhiannon Bury, Brighton & Hove’s new leader Bill Randall reveals his plans

  • Spreading the load

    20/05/2011

    Politicians want councils to deliver savings by sharing their services. Can it work for housing? Lydia Stockdale reports

  • Kier issues positive trading update

    18/05/2011

    Kier has issued a trading statement saying its financial performance is in line with expectations.

  • British Gas buys contractor for £30 million

    16/05/2011

    British Gas has acquired Cheshire-based central heating contractor PH Jones for £30 million.

  • Assembly Government names housing minister

    13/05/2011

    The new Welsh Assembly Government has announced that Huw Lewis, former deputy minister for children, has been appointed as minister for housing, regeneration and heritage.

  • Energy standards to enforce green deal

    11/05/2011

    The government has announced plans to ensure all landlords face minimum energy efficiency standards under the green deal.

  • Contractor defends estate regen bid

    10/05/2011

    A contractor which won a tender to improve estates in Sheffield has defended its bid after it was revealed the estimated valuation was £2 million lower than the council said.

  • Shapps announces £30 million fund for stalled pathfinder schemes

    09/05/2011

    Housing minister Grant Shapps has announced a £30 million fund to help households in blighted neighbourhoods after the premature end of the housing market renewal programme.

  • Conflict of interest

    06/05/2011

    Retrofitting can run into problems in conservation areas where planners don’t want homes’ appearances to change. Mark Wilding considers compromises social landlords are having to make

  • Green guru

    06/05/2011

    Alison Mathias explains the Homes and Communities Agency’s ‘double subsidy’ rules on claiming feed-in tariffs

  • Leading man

    06/05/2011

    How will the green deal work in practice? Nick Duxbury talks to Michael O’Doherty, the man trailblazing the UK’s first ever pilot scheme, to find out

  • Pathfinder areas plea for £60m lifeline

    06/05/2011

    The government should put up £60 million to help northern councils deal with the blight left by the now-defunct housing market renewal pathfinders, an influential group of MPs will be told.

  • Room to breathe

    06/05/2011

    House builders are developing homes to ever stricter airtightness standards. But is the health of residents at risk from the effects of inadequate ventilation? Emily Rogers investigates

  • Safety first

    06/05/2011

    New guidelines set out how social landlords should protect tenants living in tower blocks from fire. Martin Hilditch reports

  • Sealing the deal

    06/05/2011

    From the way it is funded to the technology it will use, many questions remain about how the green deal will work. Sustainable Housing gathered a group of eco-experts to work out the answers. Isabel Hardman reports on a very animated discussion

  • The right elements

    06/05/2011

    Should renewable technologies be included in the green deal? Two experts give their views

  • Contractor issues positive trading update

    05/05/2011

    Social housing contractor Morgan Sindall has issued a positive trading update ahead of its annual general meeting today.

  • Housing association resolves palm cross row

    28/04/2011

    A housing association electrician who refused to stop displaying a palm cross in his company van has agreed a compromise with his employers.

  • Open book approach

    28/04/2011

    An open book policy has allowed one landlord to cut repair costs by making them more transparent. Emily Rogers reports

  • Repair and reward

    28/04/2011

    Is it a good idea to let tenants claim cashback for doing their own repairs? Sue Chalkley and Mike Brogan square up to debate Grant Shapps’ latest innovation

  • The cost cutters

    28/04/2011

    New research shows how social landlords are pruning procurement costs. Simon Brandon kicks off our procurement special with a look at where savings can be made

  • Westminster hires Pinnacle for £22.5m

    28/04/2011

    Westminster Council will award private company Pinnacle PSG a £22.5 million contract to manage half its housing stock.

  • Tenants at risk from faulty gas fittings

    27/04/2011

    One in three UK tenants could be at risk from faulty gas fittings and appliances.

  • Investigation launched into teen death fall

    26/04/2011

    Police have launched an investigation after a teenage boy fell to his death from a sixth floor window.

  • BNP holds protest over cross ban

    20/04/2011

    The British National Party has held a protest outside the offices of a housing association which banned one of its staff from displaying a palm cross in his van.

  • MEP calls for Europe-wide home efficiency standard

    18/04/2011

    Europe is in danger of missing out on the benefits of home energy efficiency, the Green MEP for London has warned.

  • Carbon monoxide death case delayed

    18/04/2011

    A plea hearing in the case of a young woman who died of carbon monoxide poisoning in a shared ownership flat has been delayed.

  • Landlord orders removal of palm cross

    18/04/2011

    A housing association electrician is facing disciplinary action after he refused to remove a palm cross from his employer’s van.

  • Adaptations funding cut ‘short sighted’

    15/04/2011

    A Scottish housing association has spoken out against government cuts to adaptations funding.

  • Social landlords urged to embrace green deal

    15/04/2011

    The climate change minister has urged social landlords to get involved in the green deal energy efficiency scheme.

  • £168m ‘cost of bad housing’

    15/04/2011

    Poor housing in Wales costs the NHS £67 million a year, according to new research.

  • A poor trade

    15/04/2011

    ‘Bonkers’, ‘misinformed’, ‘poorly thought through’. These were just some responses housing professionals gave Inside Housing this week when asked about the proposed tenant cashback plan unveiled by the government last week.

  • Welsh Lib Dems target empty homes

    14/04/2011

    The Liberal Democrats in Wales launched their manifesto for the 5 May general election yesterday with the promise of more money for affordable housing.

  • Wates looks to expand as profits grow

    13/04/2011

    Wates Group has announced it intends to recruit 300 people during 2011, as it publishes positive annual results.

  • Residents reject stock transfer proposal

    12/04/2011

    Tenants in the Vale of Glamorgan have voted not to transfer their homes to a local housing association.

  • Scottish Labour party releases manifesto

    08/04/2011

    The Scottish Labour party has promised secure and affordable homes for tenants in its party manifesto.

  • Hanover starts co-payments

    08/04/2011

    Hanover Housing tenants will be able to fast-track major improvements to their homes if they can afford to split the cost with their landlord.

  • Tenants to get repairs cash

    07/04/2011

    Housing minister Grant Shapps is offering tenants cash to do repairs on their own homes.

  • Electrics fire in Birmingham block

    05/04/2011

    Forty residents were evacuated from a Birmingham Council tower block early this morning after a fire was started by water leaking from a roof.

  • Millions spent on homes that could be knocked down

    01/04/2011

    Almost 800 flats in an estate in London could be demolished despite £4.4 million of decent homes funding having been spend on them since 2005.

  • Campaigners demand more ambition on home efficiency

    01/04/2011

    Builders and environmental groups have joined forces to demand the government adopts a more ambitious approach to home energy efficiency.

  • A step in the right direction

    01/04/2011

    While there might not be much in it for housing, George Osborne’s Budget sets a positive mood for the economy, says Chris Blackhurst

  • Contest searches for new star

    01/04/2011

    A competition to find housing’s next leaders is being launched by the Chartered Institute of Housing and Inside Housing this week.

  • Hyde ends Kinetics deal

    01/04/2011

    Hyde Group has terminated its £3 million gas servicing contract with contractor Kinetics.

  • New chemical concern on ‘contaminated’ estate

    01/04/2011

    Toxic chemicals have been found inside homes on a Scottish estate where residents have experienced health problems.

  • Council takes ALMO back in house

    30/03/2011

    A London council is taking its arm’s-length management organisation back in house this Friday with the hope of saving more than £5 million.

  • Copper piping theft linked to gas explosion

    29/03/2011

    A gas explosion at a housing association block in Runcorn is believed to have been caused by the theft of copper piping from an empty flat.

  • Affordable rent will cause most upheaval

    29/03/2011

    Housing groups believe affordable rent will have the most significant impact of the government’s social housing reforms, a survey has found.

  • Ready for lift off?

    29/03/2011

    With a host of changes about to sweep across the social housing sector, consultancies WCL and Auxo decided to find out how prepared the sector is. Jules Bickers outlines the findings

  • Helm housing association suspended from development

    28/03/2011

    The largest housing association in Northern Ireland has been suspended from developing new homes after building a block of flats without planning permission.

  • Report questions green deal potential

    28/03/2011

    The green deal energy efficiency scheme is only likely to reduce carbon emissions from social housing by 4 per cent by 2020, a study has found.

  • A spanner in the works

    25/03/2011

    Landlords must take care when passing repair costs on to tenants, says Simon Bagg, senior associate in the property litigation team at Lewis Silkin

  • Pathfinders issue warning

    25/03/2011

    The abrupt end of funding for the housing market renewal programme risks wasting money and leaving neighbourhoods to deteriorate, pathfinder leaders have warned.

  • Residents evacuated after gas explosion in Runcorn

    24/03/2011

    Fifty people were evacuated from a housing association block of flats after a gas explosion this morning.

  • A shameful U-turn

    23/03/2011

    In its eagerness to slash red tape the government has removed one of its most laudable policies, says Darren Shirley

  • Nottingham Council signs 10-year deal with ALMO

    23/03/2011

    Nottingham Council has signed a new ten-year contract with its arm’s-length management organisation.

  • No fuel bill change after retrofits

    23/03/2011

    A quarter of social tenants who received energy efficiency improvements to their homes had no noticeable savings on their fuel bills after their homes were retrofitted, according to a survey.

  • Northern Ireland Executive completes first stock transfer

    23/03/2011

    The Northern Ireland Housing Executive has completed the first large scale transfer of its homes to a housing association after a £100 million hole in its budget delayed its maintenance programme.

  • Housing excluded from green investment bank

    22/03/2011

    The Green Investment Bank will not include any finance for energy efficiency work in housing, Inside Housing has learnt.

  • Lewisham Council served notice on fatal fire block

    22/03/2011

    Lewisham Council must improve safety at one of its tower blocks after the London Fire Brigade served it with an enforcement notice following a fatal fire.