Surveyor Link Limited

Housing starts on the up! Latest officia

surveyorlink Construction, news, Planning, surveying, technical auditing

Housing starts on the up! Latest official figures on housing starts in England show that construction began on six per cent more dwellings during the second quarter of 2013 compared to the first three months of the year. Ministers say these figures show that Government action is bringing confidence back into the housing market. Communities Minister Brandon Lewis said: “We’ve already delivered over 330,000 new homes over the past three years, and 150,000 affordable homes. There is more to do, but these figures reinforce the momentum towards getting Britain building again.” The figures published by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) showed an estimated 29,510 seasonally adjusted house building starts in the quarter from April to June. DCLG said that the increase was spread across the country, with 178 of the 326 councils in England reporting an increase in house building starts over the year. Seasonally adjusted completions in the second quarter of 2013 were estimated at 27,270 according to the figures, a nine per cent increase on the previous quarter. Annual housing starts came to a total of 110,530 in the 12 months to June 2013, up by seven per cent compared with the year before. However, the number of annual housing completions in England, which came to a total of 106,820 in the 12 months to June 2013, was nine per cent lower compared to the previous year. http://ow.ly/oajFG Continue Reading

Self Build on a shoestring competition

surveyorlink Construction, Planning, Self-Build, surveying, technical auditing

Have you entered the Self Build on a Shoestring competition?

The National Self Build Associated has announced a major new competition which is open to everyone.

Trying to showcase designs for clever sustainable homes, the NASBA competition is trying to prove that a low cost home can also be a very attractive one too.

A unique ideas completion, the aim is to design an innovative ‘self-build friendly’ home that can be constructed for less than £50,000.

The design must be a simple self-build home for a family of four; and all entrants will have to include a detailed cost report that itemises the materials used and their costs – as well as meeting UK Building Regulations.

The winners will win a prize fund of £5,000 and will be showcased at Grand Designs Live 2014.

Think you’ve got the winning idea? Visit the NASBA website to enter.

Submissions must be received by 5pm on Friday 20th September 2013.

Surveyor Link Limited provides a code for sustainable homes consultancy service for self-builders and their design teams with regards to meeting the specified code level requirement. The code for sustainable homes is essential for social housing and increasingly for private developments as a planning condition. Surveyor Link Limited gives you the support you need whether you are tackling the code for the first time, or experienced and looking for ways to achieve the higher levels. Continue Reading

High Street Hopes…?

surveyorlink Construction, High Street, Planning, Shopping

It seems pretty clear to me that socially we are destroying the trade on our high streets and as a country that survives on consumption it’s pretty worrying. However I was heartened this morning to learn that a Green Grocer (remember those?) was starting up in my local town located in an extended part of the high street with a small pull in area for passing customers to be able to park and shop. It got me thinking…will they survive and why did they choose that spot when half the main high street remains empty? I think it was the proximity of the parking. I think it’s true to say that many high streets are simply viewed as a route through a town these days which is actually causing the High Streets demise. Sure, rent and rates play a key part – but if the high street remains an inhospitable rat run we will never be able to revive them and a town centre should really be the hub of a community.

Some high streets fair better than others and they seem to have this magic quality of a small amount of on street parking within the high street or dedicated parking immediately adjacent to a pedestrianised high street.

Planners need to consider the long term future of the high street and create vibrant high street areas rather than worrying specifically about traffic flow. Making a high street one way and utilising an alternative route may upset some people – but those people wont have a nice town to live in if we don’t address the problem now.

I wish the green grocer the best of luck!

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