You are viewing 1 of your 1 free articles
Morning Briefing: house builders issue immigration warning
Strict migration rules after Brexit would make the government struggle to reach its target of building 300,000 homes a year, house builders have warned.
In the news
The Federation of Master Builders said tough immigration laws risk “pulling the rug out” from beneath the construction industry, according to The Telegraph.
It called on ministers to ensure European builders can continue to come to Britain after we leave the EU, as 44% of small and medium-sized house builders told the body that a shortage of skilled workers was one of the main obstacles to building more homes.
In other news, MPs have criticised the government’s efforts to tackle illegal gypsy and traveller sites, the BBC reports.
During a debate in parliament yesterday, Conservative MP Mark Francois said ministers should make deliberate trespass a criminal offence to deter travellers from using land they do not have permission to be on.
Jim Davies of the Traveller Movement said criminalisation was “unhelpful”.
Elsewhere, The Guardian claims to have seen a document showing that Southwark Council assumed all the financial risk on a huge estate regeneration scheme, while the housing association leading its redevelopment has a guaranteed return.
The south London borough is demolishing more than 2,000 council homes on the Aylesbury Estate, with Notting Hill Genesis building up to 3,575 new units.
READ MORE
Down on the South Coast, The Argus reports that more than 2,000 fire doors of the type used in Grenfell Tower – which were found to fail the required 30-minute fire resistance standard – are still fitted across Brighton and Hove City Council’s housing stock.
The authority has stopped replacing the doors as it awaits advice from government regarding new products.
In market-related news, The Telegraph claims that Multifamily Housing REIT, the first listed investment vehicle focusing solely on pre-built private rent homes, will launch £175m of purchases today, buying 650 flats across 22 blocks around the country.
And Bath & North East Somerset Council is hoping to use its housing company, Aequus Developments, to enter a joint venture with neighbouring authorities Mendip, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire, per the Bath Echo.
In a surprising bit of news, Labour-run Darlington Borough Council has said the roll-out of Universal Credit across the town in June has “gone really, really well”, according to the Northern Echo.
The Guardian’s Aditya Chakrabortty has written a good piece about Housing First, while Labour MP Emma Reynolds has called on her party to have a “relentless focus on increasing the supply of homes” in Politics Home.
And finally, City Metric runs a piece from community campaigner Pilgrim Tucker about what she sees as a “fundamental problem” with the government’s Social Housing Green Paper, published last month.
On social media
Communities Secretary @JBrokenshire spoke at the 20th anniversary of the Residential Landlords Association tonight on our shared agenda to drive up housing standards across the country @RLA_News pic.twitter.com/zim1FBGCn0
— Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Govt (@mhclg)Communities Secretary @JBrokenshire spoke at the 20th anniversary of the Residential Landlords Association tonight on our shared agenda to drive up housing standards across the country @RLA_News pic.twitter.com/zim1FBGCn0
— Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Govt (@mhclg) September 11, 2018
The RLA has published a collection of essays on the future of the PRS.... to read what @The_CIEH @crisis_uk, @IPPR, @Shelter @BritProp, @CIHhousing @RLA_News and more have to say .... t.co/9zDDp3G6sK pic.twitter.com/Mt2g4doq5R
— RLA Landlord News (@RLA_News)The RLA has published a collection of essays on the future of the PRS.... to read what @The_CIEH @crisis_uk, @IPPR, @Shelter @BritProp, @CIHhousing @RLA_News and more have to say .... https://t.co/9zDDp3G6sK pic.twitter.com/Mt2g4doq5R
— RLA Landlord News (@RLA_News) September 11, 2018
What’s on
- Prime Minister’s Questions will take place in the House of Commons at 12pm
- The Grenfell Inquiry continues today with more evidence about events on the night of the fire
