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The Week in Housing: LPS, plans to drive up development quality and G15 backs campaign

Insight11.07.252.55 PM by Martin Hilditch

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The Week in Housing: large panel systems, plans to drive up development quality and G15 backing for Housing Management Matters #UKhousing

One of the first articles I wrote as a housing journalist was about high-rise blocks built using the large panel systems (LPS) method of construction. This is the same type of construction as Ronan Point, which partially collapsed in 1968.

This week, Peter Apps brought the story right up to date, with a detailed investigation into the future of such blocks under the Building Safety Act, and why the new regulator means there is a renewed focus on them.

It’s a must-read and sums up both the need for action and the balancing act facing the sector as it looks to prioritise work.

It came as we launched our revamped building and fire safety bulletin, which will now include monthly insight and investigations from Peter, as well as a round-up of the most important building safety stories.

This all came as the Construction Leadership Council and Homes England gave evidence to the House of Lords Industry and Regulators Committee this week as part of its inquiry into the Building Safety Regulator.

In Wales, an impact assessment published as the new Building Safety (Wales) Bill was introduced to the Welsh parliament revealed the predicted cost to the sector over the next 10 years.

There was significant news in one of the sector’s biggest legal cases as the Court of Appeal dismissed build-to-rent landlord Get Living’s appeal against an £18m fire safety bill at the Olympic village. It’s a week after the government published draft regulations for residential personal emergency evacuation plans with a pledge to improve the fire safety of vulnerable residents. However, there were some concerns raised by a disability charity about whether they go far enough.

Elsewhere this week, there has been a focus on both development and quality.

The 23 social landlords that make up the York and North Yorkshire Housing Partnership laid down a strong marker for future development in the region with news that they would be laying out a new Affordable Homes Standard. This would mean they will collectively only develop and acquire homes that meet that standard.

In Scotland, a new policy paper from the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations was also talking about quality. It highlighted Scotland’s lack of accessible and adapted mainstream homes and the challenges around providing specialist housing. It suggested all new homes in Scotland should meet a common design standard for accessibility.

The UK’s biggest developing housing association, L&Q, also revealed significant news for its future delivery plans with the restructuring of its property services, development and sales directorates, with David Lewis appointed as executive group director of property and investment.

Following the excitement that greeted the government’s £39bn investment in new affordable homes, there was a note of caution this week as a credit agency said that the additional funding may not prevent around half the ratings in its portfolio from being put under pressure.

And the scale of the challenge in London was also flagged this week as the London mayor’s office revealed it had missed its housing starts target.

We also went behind the scenes with one of the UK’s biggest developers of affordable housing, according to our exclusive Biggest Builders survey, as part of our new series on Women in Development. Platform’s development directorate talks about how it has built up steam on its pipeline and how to get deals done.

Another major announcement was Brent Council looking for a development partner to build 1,600 homes, and Cheshire West and Chester Council appointing a development partner for a 500-home regeneration project.

There was significant news about seven major house builders, with the revelation that the Competition and Markets Authority is considering a £100m payment for affordable housing programmes from them, to close a probe into allegations that some developers may be sharing commercially sensitive information.

The House of Lords Built Environment Committee was occupied with the delivery of new towns this week as part of its inquiry exploring whether they are an effective way of delivering homes and longer-term stewardship issues.

Elsewhere, there was big news at Notting Hill Genesis (NHG) as it put its £1bn private rented sector business up for sale. NHG’s chief executive, Patrick Franco, had talked about why it might look to do this in an exclusive interview with Inside Housing earlier this year.

We also wrote about how the government is consulting on procurement changes that could see suppliers prevented from bidding on major public contracts if they do not pay their invoices on time.

In regulatory news, there is significant change on the way at the Scottish Housing Regulator, with the chair of its board, along with two other non-executive board members, moving on after eight years, with replacements expected later in 2025.

A Birmingham-based supported housing provider has been downgraded for financial viability after the English regulator flagged concerns that its rents were not “below market rate”. The regulator has also placed Phoenix Community Housing on its gradings under review list.

The social care watchdog has flagged learning after a man who fled his home due to domestic abuse was left homeless for five weeks by an east London council.

In sustainability news, housing association Peabody has secured a £60m loan from a major bank to retrofit thousands of social homes in London and the South East.

Ian McDermott, chief executive of Peabody and chair of the G15, also reflected on his journey from housing officer to chief executive for our sister title, Inside Housing Management, as the G15 backed the publication’s Housing Management Matters campaign.

As part of that campaign, our best practice editor, Anna Highfield, shadowed Places for People’s community housing manager, as part of a new series in which we will shadow tenant-facing staff to shine a light on some of the most important roles in housing and share learning from different providers. Drop Anna a line if you want to take part.

That follows on from a major survey of more than 200 housing officers, who wrote to tell us what their jobs really entail and why they matter.

There was significant news about the future of one organisation in the sector, as West Northamptonshire Council voted to bring its ALMO back under direct control. We also got an exclusive take from MP Clive Betts about his build-to-rent taskforce.

Finally, debarment investigations into seven organisations named in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry report have been paused to preserve the “integrity of criminal investigations”.

Have a great weekend.

Martin Hilditch, editor, Inside Housing

Say hello: martin.hilditch@insidehousing.co.uk