果冻影院

聽Barking & Dagenham鈥檚聽Beacontree Heath development. Image Source: Stitch Architects

Local authorities will get a 拢2 billion boost from government changes to funding arrangements aimed at reviving dwindling council housebuilding.

The government has increased its affordable homes programme from 拢7.1 billion to 拢9.1 billion, which it claims will create spending of 拢5 billion on housebuilding from councils and housing associations.

鈥淲ith a typical 拢80,000 subsidy, this 拢2 billion investment can supply around 25,000 more homes at rents affordable for local people,鈥� explained the Ministry of Housing in a statement

In the last two decades the number of council houses in Britain has halved according to government statistics released in November 2017, which show total stock in Britain of two million homes.

In 果冻影院鈥檚 ranking of the construction industry鈥檚 top 100 clients, 22 entries are local authorities but residential work is having little impact.

Leeds City Council is the highest ranked local authority after awarding 拢272 million-worth of construction work in the 12 months to Q3 2018.

Nearly three quarters of this spending is for the 拢120 million Leeds Public Transport Investment Programme and the 拢80 million East Leeds Orbital Road. The biggest housing project identified by 果冻影院鈥檚 construction market research is for 27 houses.

Dundee City Council features amongst the top 100 clients, but due to a 拢100 million energy from waste plant, while the West Midlands Combined Authority鈥檚 appearance is down to the Midlands Metro project.

London leads the way

Unlike the provinces, social housing work in London is booming. In the three months to August 2018, housing starts in London surged 145% as work began on 5,774 units according to the National House-Building Council.

NHBC Chief Executive Steve Wood put this down to 鈥渋ncreased activity by housing associations and the continued flow of inward investment on for-sale and private rental developments.鈥�

However, councils in the capital are also pressing on with work. There are 10 London boroughs in 果冻影院鈥檚 ranking of the top 100 clients.

The London Borough of Barking & Dagenham has let 拢185.9 million-worth of construction work in the last year, while Hackney鈥檚 construction programme is worth 拢177.4 million. Both feature council house projects.

Barking & Dagenham council is building a 拢39.8 million apartment scheme in Wood Lane, while 果冻影院鈥檚 construction market research identifies more than 300 units starting in Hackney鈥檚 housing programme.

Countryside鈥檚 design and build contracting division is working on Barking & Dagenham鈥檚 Wood Lane development (果冻影院 Project ID 15335982) and Hackney鈥檚 拢80 million Clapton Common scheme, which features 132 flats (果冻影院 Project ID 16237786).

Emerging trends in the capital

In the capital, an emerging trend is seeing big commercial housebuilders to form joint ventures with councils to develop unused land. This gives housebuilders access to land and local authorities a share of profits.

Housebuilders are increasingly willing to accept this arrangement as these agreements unlock large sites, where their JV partner is also the local planning authority.

Affordable housing completions have leapt 66% to 1,073 units in the last year at Countryside, which has 29,878 social housing plots under its control. This land is not all in the capital but most of the group鈥檚 exposure is in London, the Home Counties and the North West and other housebuilders are increasingly changing their working models to access land.