Latest News

From complaints to opportunities

The first customer satisfaction survey results are due this month, underlining how important it is for housebuilders to keep customers happy. Phillip Cooke, ma…

Asking the big question

John Stewart looks at why we need a top-down planning system and argues that housing provision can not be left to local authority discretion.

PPG3 - obstructive and permanent

Design myths debunked

In a lively and highly entertaining presentation, Robert Adam, chairman of the Popular Housing Group, debunked many of the architects' myths concerning urban a…

Westbury boss calls for product review

Westbury chief executive Martin Donohue told the conference that a fundamental review of the way housebuilders use products was overdue.

Analyst warns of investors' reservations

Housebuilders are undervalued by the City because investors feel that the sector let them down in the past by the inefficient use of capital. As a result many …

Kyoto forced DETR's hand

Paul Everall, head of building regulations at the DETR, admitted to the conference that he had not originally been planning to change Part L on energy efficien…

Part L set for delay

Radical changes to Part L of the building regulations may be delayed because the government now plans to co-ordinate them with proposed amendments to sound ins…

Sharp downturn

The downturn in housing demand has been earlier and sharper than forecasters expected - transactions and mortgage approvals in August are down 10% on a year a…

EU blow to Gap funding

Britain's hopes of renewing its decaying inner cities and preserving its countryside has been dealt what housebuilders describe as "a crushing blow" by the EU.