by Kim Pidgeon | Apr 30, 2025 | News
When complete the Friary Park development will comprise of 1,345 homes
Planning permission has been granted for the third and final phase of transformation at the Friary Park estate in Acton.
The development is a joint venture by housing association Peabody and developer Mount Anvil.
The completed first phase of the regeneration saw 135 affordable homes built, of which 85 homes were provided to residents already living on the estate, while 50 were allocated to people from Ealing council’s housing waiting list.
The construction of the second phase is already underway.
Designed by housing architects HTA Design, the updated plans for the third phase of the scheme will comprise 693 homes, equivalent to 32% of Ealing’s annual housing target.
The plans take the total number of homes across the wider development to 1,345, of which 470 are affordable.
As a result of the transformation of Friary Park, 325 full time jobs will be created.
Peabody and Mount Anvil undertook extensive community engagement throughout the process, including more than 400 community events totalling 700+ hours, with existing residents, all of whom were given the option of moving into a new home on the estate.
The final plans also include a new 450 square metre Community Centre, co-designed with existing users, as well as an increased amount of public open space, a community square, play area and a new community kitchen and allotments for gardening.
“I’m delighted that Ealing Council has approved the third and final planning application to deliver more affordable homes in our new Friary Park community”, said Sofia Fernandes, member of the Friary Park Residents’ Steering Group.
“This regeneration is a chance to improve the lives of all residents, and to give them a better future.
“It hasn’t been easy. Change can be hard. There has been opposition from people who don’t live here, saying these homes aren’t needed. I’m grateful to Peabody and Mount Anvil as they’ve taken the time to understand us and to respond to our feedback- I’ve seen a real willingness to listen.
“As a Friary Park resident of 19 years, we’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time. Thank you to those who have made it happen.”
Phil Jenkins, Chief Investment Officer at Peabody, added: “Friary Park has already come a long way, and this decision from Ealing Council is another big step forward.
“With new social homes, a fantastic community centre, and big improvements to the estate, it’s clear the regeneration is having a positive impact – not just for existing residents but for the wider community too.
“The response from residents has been really encouraging. People are happy in their new homes and feel safe, supported and heard. We’re truly grateful for their trust and input, and we’re excited to get started on this final phase.”
The Friary Park estate is the latest in Peabody and Mount Anvil’s growing joint venture pipeline, which includes the transformation of the 266-home Watermeadow Court estate; the delivery of 307 new homes at One Clapham on the St John’s Hill estate; and 327 homes at their Three Waters scheme in Bromley-by-Bow.
by Kim Pidgeon | Apr 11, 2025 | News
Buckinghamshire housing association acquires 319 homes from Riverside
Red Kite Community Housing has completed the purchase of 319 homes from Riverside Housing Group.
The homes, based on estates in Windsor and Maidenhead, are made up of general needs houses and flats, plus an opportunity to develop some land in the future.
Trevor Morrow, Red Kite’s Group Chief Executive, said: “The homes have been the subject of a previous transfer from another housing association, so we want to ensure tenants feel confident they now have a long-term local landlord who wants to bring them into the heart of our community.
“The purchase of these homes offers us an excellent opportunity to grow by boosting the number of homes within Red Kite, thereby spreading our cost base.”
Red Kite Community Housing owns and manages more than 6,600 homes.
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Two Rivers Hosing secures over £4m in government funding for warmer homes
Two Rivers Housing will receive a £4.56m grant to help improve the energy efficiency of hundreds of their tenant’s homes in the Forest of Dean and across Gloucestershire.
The grant comes from the government’s Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund.
Two Rivers will use the grant over the next three years to partially fund upgrades to more than 750 of its homes, including energy saving fittings such as solar panels, loft insulation and improved ventilation systems to homes that have low energy ratings.
“This will make a huge difference for families in Gloucestershire and the Forest of Dean who have been affected by the cost-of-living crisis and are struggling to heat their homes’, said Jonny Jones, Executive Director of Homes at Two Rivers Housing.
“It will help us deliver on our promise to do everything we can to make sure that our homes are modern, warm, safe and affordable for our tenants to live in.”
The housing association has also received grants from previous waves of the Social Housing Fund (formerly called the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund or SHDF) as well as the government’s ECO4 scheme.
That funding helped install air-source heat pumps in 225 of its tenants’ homes over the past two years.
The government’s Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund is allocated to local authorities and housing associations for work to improve the energy performance of homes currently rated below EPC Band C.
Two Rivers Housing manages more than 4,600 homes in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire and nearby Herefordshire.
by Kim Pidgeon | Mar 31, 2025 | News
New research looks into government house building targets and the skills and workforce needed to supply it
Only a quarter of construction students are entering the house-building workforce, according to a new report.
The publication from the Home Builders Federation (HBF) – ‘A Hard Hat to Fill’ – looks at the skills gap in the construction industry and the impact on meeting government housing targets.
The report looks at why the home building sector is – and has been – facing a significant skills shortage and the exacerbating factors:
- just 25% of those entering current construction related higher education courses are going onto a career in house building
- a shortfall in the number of recruits being attracted into the sector
- a severe loss of skills during the previous recession – 40% to 50% of skilled labour left the industry
- increases in demand – the industry has delivered an increase in supply over the past decade
- an ageing workforce – 25% of the homebuilding workforce is aged over 50 meaning the sector is facing an impending retirement cliff edge.
240,000 people will need to be recruited across a broad range of roles and skills to deliver on the Government’s housing targets, according to the report.
To meet those targets, home building needs to increase by 80,000 units a year, based on the most recent net additions figures. Research undertaken by the (HBF) has found that for every 10,000 new homes the industry builds, 30,000 new recruits are needed.
In addition, the transition to the Future Homes Standard will involve significant changes to the design and construction of new homes, which will require further training and skills.
The HBF says closing the skills gap requires a long-term plan for the future of apprenticeships, further education, and supporting the students and businesses which make up the workforce.
Work done in this area by the Government so far includes the replacement of the Apprenticeship Levy with the new Growth and Skills Levy, and the establishment of Skills England as a body to oversee the reforms and to identify and monitor gaps in the country’s workforce.
Apprenticeships
It’s estimated around half of the onsite workforce in the UK have undertaken an apprenticeship for the trade they were working in, making apprenticeships one of the most popular routes into a construction role.
However, in recent years, the ability for businesses to recruit and train apprentices has waned, the HBF says, due to reasons including:
- employer perception of the quality of apprenticeship courses is variable
- there are not enough apprenticeship positions available for everyone in further education courses to progress to one leaving students unable to advance into their chosen industry
- The Apprenticeship Levy has mostly been used for higher level qualifications but has seen a reduction in the number of apprentices at Levels 2 and 3, meaning it is not addressing the lack of newer entrants into the industry
- Apprentices pay during the first year of training is simply not an option for young people, particularly those who live in London or the South East.
Further Education
Around 100,000 students are enrolled in further education (FE) construction courses at any one time, but, according to the HBF, the courses are not producing work-ready potential recruits.
The report states that just 25% of FE learners gain employment in construction within six months of finishing their course with 60% leaving the industry completely shortly after finishing their training.
T Levels
T Levels were introduced in September 2020 as an alternative to A Levels (Level 3) for those seeking a technical qualification. Since 2021 there has been a T Level in onsite construction available, which focuses on practical skills in areas like bricklaying, carpentry and joinery, plastering, and painting and decorating.
In the 2022/23 and 2023/24 academic year, over 10,000 students undertook a T Level qualification. However, only 213 of these were in the onsite construction course – just 2% of the student base.
In conclusion the HBF report says the key changes the home building industry needs to see include:
- As the Growth and Skills Levy is being developed, the Government should consult with the home building industry to ensure that it will support developers to recruit the broad range of skills needed to increase housing delivery.
- Reform the apprenticeship training model which is out of step with employer needs
- Simplify the End-Point Assessment (EPA) process
- Ensure FE colleges are properly funded and resourced.
- Restructure and reform FE construction courses to put a greater emphasis on the development of practical skills.
by Kim Pidgeon | Mar 15, 2025 | News
The plans for the new stadium encompass the surrounding area of Old Trafford
Manchester United has announced its intention to build a new 100,000-seat stadium as part of the regeneration of the area surrounding the world famous football club.
Conceptual images and scaled models of what the new stadium could look like have been unveiled by Foster + Partners, the architecture group appointed to design the stadium district.
These will provide a masterplan for more detailed feasibility, consultation, design and planning work as the project enters a new phase.
The club calculates the new stadium, and wider regeneration project, have the potential to deliver an additional £7.3bn per year to the UK economy. It says the project will bring large-scale social and economic benefits to the community and wider region, including the possible creation of 92,000 new jobs and more than 17,000 new homes, as well as driving an additional 1.8 million visitors annually.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe, co-owner of Manchester United, said: “Today marks the start of an incredibly exciting journey to the delivery of what will be the world’s greatest football stadium, at the centre of a regenerated Old Trafford.
“Our current stadium has served us brilliantly for the past 115 years, but it has fallen behind the best arenas in world sport. By building next to the existing site, we will be able to preserve the essence of Old Trafford, while creating a truly state-of-the-art stadium that transforms the fan experience only footsteps from our historic home.
“Just as important is the opportunity for a new stadium to be the catalyst for social and economic renewal of the Old Trafford area, creating jobs and investment not just during the construction phase but on a lasting basis when the stadium district is complete. The Government has identified infrastructure investment as a strategic priority, particularly in the north of England, and we are proud to be supporting that mission with this project of national, as well as local, significance.”
Lord Norman Foster, Founder and Executive Chairman, Foster + Partners, said: “This has to be one of the most exciting projects in the world today, with incredible regional and national significance.
“It all starts with the fans’ experience, bringing them closer than ever to the pitch and acoustically cultivating a huge roar. The stadium is contained by a vast umbrella, harvesting energy and rainwater, and sheltering a new public plaza that is twice the size of Trafalgar Square. The outward-looking stadium will be the beating heart of a new sustainable district, which is completely walkable, served by public transport, and endowed by nature. It is a mixed-use miniature city of the future – driving a new wave of growth and creating a global destination that Mancunians can be proud of.”
Andy Burnham, mayor of Greater Manchester, said: “Our common goal on the Task force has been to try to unlock the full power of the club for the benefit of its supporters and for Greater Manchester as a whole – creating thousands of new homes and jobs. If we get this right, the regeneration impact could be bigger and better than London 2012.
“Manchester United could, and indeed should, have the best football stadium in the world. To me, that means a stadium that is true to the traditions of the club, affordable to all, with nobody priced out, and a stadium that sets new standards in the game globally. I believe this vision can be realised, and if so, the benefits for Greater Manchester, the north west and the country will be huge.”
by Kim Pidgeon | Feb 27, 2025 | News
Deputy PM provides update on Grenfell Tower
The Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Raynor, has met with bereaved families and survivors of the Grenfell Tower tragedy, and written to both them and residents in the immediate community, to share her decision that Grenfell Tower will be carefully taken down to the ground.
Raynor has been meeting with those affected by the tragedy since her appointment in July.
In November last year, Raynor explained to families that she would listen to their views and consider expert information before making a decision on the future of the Tower in February.
She has since met in person or online with the bereaved and survivors and has also spent time with representative groups, residents’ associations, schools and faith leaders.
72 people lost their lives in the Grenfell Tower fire in June 2017 – a tragedy which has forever changed the lives of the survivors and their loved ones.
Following the Deputy PM’s meetings with the community, a publication from Raynor’s office says ‘it is clear from conversations it remains a sacred site. It is also clear that there is not a consensus about what should happen to it.’
‘For some, Grenfell Tower is a symbol of all that they lost. The presence of the Tower helps to ensure the tragedy is never forgotten and can act as a reminder of the need for justice and accountability.
‘Being able to see the Tower every day helps some people continue to feel close to those they lost. For others it is a painful reminder of what happened and is having a daily impact on some members of the community. Some have suggested that some floors of the Tower should be retained for the memorial, others have said that this would be too painful.’
The Deputy PM has also considered independent expert advice.
Engineering advice says that the Tower is significantly damaged. It remains stable because of the measures put in place to protect it but even with installation of additional props, the condition of the building will continue to worsen over time.
Engineers also advise it is not practicable to retain many of the floors of the building in place as part of a memorial that must last in perpetuity.
Taking the engineering advice into account, the Deputy Prime Minister concluded that it would not be fair to keep some floors of the building that are significant to some families, whilst not being able to do so for others and knowing that, for some, this would be deeply upsetting.
The government is committed to taking the next steps respectfully and carefully. There will be continued support for, and engagement with, the community throughout the process. There will be no changes to the Tower before the eighth anniversary.
In the coming months, the government will confirm the specialist contractor that will develop a detailed plan for taking the Tower down.
It will likely take around two years to sensitively take down the Tower through a process of careful and sensitive progressive deconstruction that happens behind the wrapping.
The Deputy PM’s office says they will continue to support the independent Grenfell Tower Memorial Commission as the community choose a design team to work with them on designing a memorial.
Raynor will also ensure that materials from the site, communal areas of the Tower, or parts of the Tower can be carefully removed and returned for inclusion as part of the memorial, if the community wishes.
The department has regularly consulted the Metropolitan Police, HM Coroner and the Grenfell Tower Inquiry to ensure decisions about the site do not interfere with their work in pursuit of justice and accountability. The Police and HM Coroner have again recently confirmed they have everything they need.
