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Morning Briefing: government ‘warned on fire safety two years before Grenfell’
A government report shows officials warned of fire safety issues two years before Grenfell, and the Liverpool Echo reports US investors are “propping up” the city’s property market
In the news
The Guardian is reporting that civil servants warned about the risks of fire spread through tower blocks in 2015, two years before the Grenfell Tower disaster.
The reports from officials have been made public ahead of a review of fire safety regulations, the newspaper reports.
The Guardian’s report contains reaction from survivors’ group Grenfell United.
The Liverpool Echo has an interesting report on US investors spending hundreds of millions “propping up” Liverpool’s property market. It reports figures from property website Datscha showing investors spent £835m on properties in the year to November, up 13% annually.
It cites a number of examples of recent housing investments from US forms, including Barings Real Estate’s purchase of The Keel housing development in Queen’s Dock for £47.8m and an investment by Chicago-based Heitman in two housing developments in Liverpool and Manchester.
The Stoke Sentinel has a piece looking at the first year of Stoke Council’s repairs and maintenance company Unitas, and whether it has been a success. In November, Inside Housing ran a piece looking at the company and explaining why it could herald a new dawn in asset management.
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House builder group Homes for Scotland is calling for a different approach to measuring effectiveness of the planning system, reports website Construction Index.
Construction growth is “close to stalling” The Guardian also reports, flagging a report by data provider IHS Markit and the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply showing that growth is at a 10-month low.
However, construction activity is “booming” in regional cities, according to Deloitte.
Carlisle City Council will hold a consultation in May on the second phase of a 10,000-home development billed as the UK’s “largest garden village”, reports website Place North West.
The Evening Times in Glasgow has a report on the latest plans and funding to regenerate the Govan area of the city.
The average age of first-time buyers continues to increase due to concern over housing costs, reports website Money Expert using figures from the English Housing Survey.
Finally, website Essex Live has published an article titled ‘Universal Credit: The 10 things you will only know if you’re living on the benefit system’. This highlights the difficulties for people claiming benefits.
On social media
Paul Hackett, chief executive of Optivo, calls for investment in social housing to counteract weak growth in the economy:
Time for counter-cyclical investment in #SocialHousing to compensate for weak growth in commercial development. #ukconstruction activity slowing to its weakest level in 10 months, with employment growth at its lowest level since July 2016. #ukhousing t.co/lBdIWYLiEl
— Paul Hackett (@PaulHackett10)Time for counter-cyclical investment in #SocialHousing to compensate for weak growth in commercial development. #ukconstruction activity slowing to its weakest level in 10 months, with employment growth at its lowest level since July 2016. #ukhousing https://t.co/lBdIWYLiEl
— Paul Hackett (@PaulHackett10) February 5, 2019
What’s on
- The Chartered Institute of Housing’s event The Big Conversation takes place in London
- The Building Safety Learning Forum, organised by the National Housing Federation and the Local Government Association, is also on in London today
