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Morning Briefing: barbecue ‘may have been cause of Barking flat fire’
The BBC sheds some light on the cause of the Barking flat fire and construction firm order books seem to be shrinking
In the news
The BBC reports that a barbecue on a balcony may have been the initial cause of the flat fire in Barking, east London, on Sunday.
Inside Housing has also revealed the type of cladding used on the building, including the fact the material had a Class D fire rating – lower than that usually recommended by the government for buildings above 18 metres. It has been reported by the Barking and Dagenham Post that the Barking block was below this threshold.
Subcontractors are reporting having a smaller amount of work to fall back on than previously, according to a survey reported by Reuters.
The survey, by funder Bibby Financial Services, also said that Brexit was the most commonly cited threat on the horizon for construction firms.
The Guardian is reporting that housing secretary James Brokenshire has been accused by a Grenfell survivor of not doing enough to prevent another tragedy.
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Website Scottish Housing News runs a report about Ofcom and its plans to ensure widespread affordable broadband accessibility.
Permitted development and the relaxed rules on office-to-residential development have been a thorny issue for a few years now. News Shopper has a report about what a London Assembly member has called “rabbit-hutch” flats in a development in Lewisham.
Local news site Newbury Today runs a story about West Berkshire’s investments in commercial property and opposition from councillors, who feel that money should be invested in social housing stock instead.
Where in the UK are rents rising the fastest? The answer is Northern Ireland, where rents have risen 4.9% over the past year, according to HomeLet. The Belfast Telegraph reports on the figures here.
Research has found that the UK could see more people renting than owning their home by 2039 if current trends continue, PropertyWire reports.
To reverse this trend towards renting, James Brokenshire last week floated the idea of allowing people to use their pension pot to get on the housing ladder. His idea was criticised strongly in Inside Housing by our blogger Jules Birch.
However, website Mortgage Strategy has published a piece arguing that the idea has merit. The piece is written by Paul Bamford of mortgage insurance firm Amtrust Mortgage & Credit.
The East Anglian Daily Times reports plans for a 630-home development on land “previously earmarked for employment”.
On social media
The Scottish Federation of Housing Associations’ (SFHA) Housing Scotland conference is under way in Glasgow:
Looking forward to an interesting couple of days at the SFHA conference....#HousingScotland19 pic.twitter.com/cRsdFBLIey
— Gillian Anderson (@gillych1ck)Looking forward to an interesting couple of days at the SFHA conference....#HousingScotland19 pic.twitter.com/cRsdFBLIey
— Gillian Anderson (@gillych1ck) June 11, 2019
What’s on
- The SFHA’s two-day Housing Scotland conference takes place today and tomorrow
