Bricklayer it like Beckham

How the construction industry helped inspire Sir Alex Ferguson's young Manchester United team in 1992, including David Beckham, to become the greatest footballers of their day. Ironically, given its apparent reluctance to inspire young people, it was to the construction industry that sports psychologist Bill Beswick turned when working with Sir Alex Ferguson’s young Manchester United team in 1992, among them David Beckham. Beswick asked the players to imagine three bricklayers, each with a different attitude. When asked what they were doing, the first said: 'Laying bricks'; The second replied: 'Earning £10 per hour', while the third said: 'I’m building a cathedral and one day I will bring my kids here and tell them that their dad contributed to this magnificent building.' He then asked them to think about which attitude they would apply to the training session they were about to start. Would they be 'just practising', 'earning £1,000 an hour' or 'helping to build the best team ever so that they would be proud to tell their grandchildren that they had been part of it'. When Beckham scored during the session, he celebrated with outstretched arms, shouting 'Cathedral 1 – Bricklayers 0'. Just think what the analogy could do if applied to the industry it was borrowed from. Robert Mallett Editor, Construction Journal and Building



Conservation Journal

Bedsit on market at £810 a month

A bedsit in Notting Hill, which features a living area directly under a bed just 1m from the “kitchen” – there is a microwave under the sink and two electric hobs – and shared shower and toilet facilities has been placed on the market for £810 a month. Single people looking to rent their own place in London for less than £1,000 a month can start to expect a lot less for their hard earned cash, if this property listing is anything to go by. The room is for single renters only as the ad specifies 'no couples' The pictures on the ad show a shabby room with a microwave placed underneath the sink and next to a small fridge, while the old-looking, elevated bed frame houses some form of living area underneath it, where an arm-chair is sat. The landlord boasts that the “very well located bedsit” is “in the heart of Notting Hill, less than five minutes walking distance to Bayswater station and Notting Hill station” and is “surrounded by lots of shops and amenities”.

Construction sees fall in apprenticeships

The latest figures reveal that there has been a sharp fall in the number of apprenticeships in the construction sector over the past five years. There were 16,890 construction, planning and built environment apprentices in 2009-10, but this had more than halved to 8,000 by 2014.

What homes men and women want

A survey by OnePoll for Strutt & Parker's Housing Futures, reveals that there is a marked split between the genders when asked to rate their motivations for moving house. Women looked for better schools, access to public transport or amenities, being close to work, a larger home and a property that suited their personal finances and brought them closer to family and friends. Men were more likely to be influenced by tax changes, impending retirement, pension support and moving to a smaller home. When it came to dream home items, the survey revealed that 14% of men wanted a cinema/screening room and 12% wanted a wine cellar.

Green Belt builders get more green lights

The number of new homes approved in the green belt has more than doubled in a year, and is up 430% since 2010, according to Glenigan, which provides data on the construction industry. Planning permission was granted for 11,977 homes in England’s 14 green belts in the year to the end of March, up from 5,607 in the previous 12 months. Paul Miner, planning campaign manager at the Campaign to Protect Rural England, called the figures: “Very worrying.” Leonie Oliva, at Deloitte Real Estate, said developers were working harder to unlock undeveloped sites: "It's always going to be a somewhat subjective judgment as to whether there are 'very special circumstances that outweigh harm to the greenbelt' as the law dictates," she said. "The 2012 planning reform may have shifted perceptions somewhat."

Construction confidence at 9 year high

The Markit/CIPS UK Construction Purchasing Managers' Index rebounded in May from a near two-year low in April. The Index rose to 55.9, from 54.2 a month earlier, as confidence levels hit a nine-year high. Markit's Tim Moore said that result meant a "period of policy uncertainty was no longer on the horizon." He also noted that: "Additionally, construction firms experienced an upturn in new business growth from April's near two-year low and job creation was the fastest recorded so far in 2015."

Barratt aiming to bee better

Responding to the fact that bees are threatened in many parts of the UK, Barratt Homes, working with the British Beekeepers' Association, says it will plant bee-friendly shrubs in the gardens of its sales centres and show homes across Lincolnshire

Henry Boot expects election boost

Henry Boot says the outright win for the Conservatives at the election will see a return to normal activity after a slowdown as the election approached. The construction and property firm’s chairman John Brown told shareholders at the annual general meeting that trading had been encouraging in 2015 and that the pace of transactions is expected to pick up now uncertainty over the government had been resolved.

The end of rogue tradesmen

A new government approved scheme has been made available to home owners which could see an end to cowboy builders and rogue tradesmen. Under The Home Improvements Guarantee a builder is unable to lay hands on any money until the customer is completely happy. Instead of upfront fees, the customer will put enough money to cover the work in a secure "holding" account. Once the work is complete, the homeowner must sign off payment to the builder. In case of a dispute an independent surveyor will give a final verdict on whether the contract has been fulfilled satisfactorily.

Avocado bathroom suites the biggest turn-off

According to a new poll, avocado coloured bathroom suites are the feature most likely to put people off buying a home. The Barclays Mortgages poll, also found that woodchip wallpaper and stone cladding, were big turn-offs. The poll also found that two out of five feel a designer kitchen is the most desirable home improvement.

Knotweed problem

The Mail on Sunday notes that many lenders will baulk at providing loans for houses that have gardens infested with Japanese knotweed. Barclays, for example, demands buyers call in an expert who is a member of the Property Care Association - and who offers a ten-year insurance-backed guarantee against its return if the plant has been discovered within seven metres of the home. Leeds Building Society goes further; it will not lend money when knotweed is present in the garden and a valuer concludes it offers a significant risk either to the property or the chances of selling it in the future. Other lenders make decisions on a case by case basis but most have some associated restrictions and conditions.

Factory planning applications increase

Planned investments in land and property from manufacturing companies are continuing to grow, providing a clear sign of longer term optimism, according to Barbour ABI. Its latest report showed that planning applications for floor space for factory construction increased by 50% in 2014, and the figure is on track to increase by a further 40% growth in 2015. Total planned floorspace in the manufacturing sector was 2.2m sq metres in 2014, with a growth of 50% from the previous year.

Election uncertainty impacts construction activity

Britain’s construction industry experienced a sharp slowdown in activity last month, with output and new orders growing at their slowest rates since June 2013. The Markit CIPS UK Construction PMI dropped to 54.2 in April, down on March’s 57.8 and below analysts’ projected 57.4. The sector’s rate of hiring also slowed, falling below the long-term average witnessed through 2014. "A number of survey respondents suggested that uncertainty related to the forthcoming general election had contributed to delays in clients’ spending decisions,” said Tim Moore, senior economist at Markit. The survey’s data, however, painted a “brighter picture” than official data which showed that construction had declined 1.6% in the final quarter of 2014, noted Markit’s chief economist Chris Williamson, who added that many construction firms remain optimistic about the outlook for the year ahead, citing data from surveys by RICS and Markit/Savills. Think tank the National Institute of Economic and Social Research predicts growth will rebound through the remainder of this year.

Election caution weighs on homes

Demand for homes has slumped to the lowest level in a year, say agents. The National Association of Estate Agents blamed uncertainty over next week's general election for the drop in would-be buyers. Just 343 house hunters registered with the average estate agency branch in March, down from 366 in February and a peak of 406 recorded last September. Nearly two thirds of estate agents reckon buyers are holding off to see what happens on May 7. Mark Hayward, NAEA managing director, said: "The outcome will impact first, second, third and last time buyers." Elsewhere, the Times’ Bricks and Mortar lays out what the outcome of the election could mean for your home. Savills’ Lucien Cook says the worst outcome would be if a long time is taken to form a coalition as it would lead to further uncertainty in the market.

Historic pub bulldozed by developers must be rebuilt brick by brick

Council orders developers to rebuild the Carlton Tavern in west London after it was leveled just days before it was due to become a listed building The Carlton Tavern was the only building in its street not destroyed during the blitz and was considered an important historical building. But without warning developers brought in bulldozers earlier this month and had it razed to the ground. For more on this story follow this link: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/environment/11571257/Historic-pub-bulldozed-by-developers-must-be-rebuilt-brick-by-brick.html

UK economic growth slows to 0.3%

The rate of economic growth halved in the three months to the end of March, according to official figures from the ONS. The UK economy grew by 0.3% in the quarter, which compared to 0.6% in the last three months of 2014. The ONS said the economy was 2.4% larger than the same period a year earlier. Growth of 0.5% in the services industry was offset by a 1.6% fall in the pace of economic output in construction. Vicky Redwood, chief UK economist at Capital Economics, said the slowdown in the economy "should just be temporary" and that quarterly economic growth should return to between 0.7% and 0.8% later in the year.

Homebuilding targets ‘unachievable’

A survey by Knight Frank reveals that 67% of housebuilders think that the maximum sustainable annual delivery of new homes is 180,000 or less, below the figures that all the main parties have promised. More than half of all respondents added that a rise in the delivery of affordable homes over the next year was unlikely.Justin Gaze, joint head of residential development at Knight Frank, said: “The inability to create the necessary number of new homes is being driven primarily by a skills shortage in the development sector, limited development funding and the lengthy mortgage approval process, which is delaying purchasers.” Another issue weighing on housebuilders, is that of the new community infrastructure levy, implemented by the government this month. More than half of the builders surveyed said that they were concerned by the new levy. The reservations of housebuilders come at the same time as Ed Miliband pledged to start construction on 1m new homes by 2020. The Financial Times asks economists and academics for their views on the political parties’ plans for dealing with the housing crisis. The experts regard many of the proposals as counterproductive, arguing that they show a lack of understanding of the industry. They also wonder where the funding is going to come from to fulfil all the plans.

Across China by wheelchair

A globetrotting wheelchair user on the frustrations - and surprises - of travelling across China in a wheelchair. James Ballardie is a wheelchair user who has been travelling the world without planning an accessible path through it. And it was all going pretty well until he reached China. For more information on this story follow this link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-ouch-31923342

Impact on value warning

Lauren Thompson in the Times looks at things that can devalue a property following reports of a house in Kensington which has been painted in red and white stripes, a move Ed Mead of Douglas & Gordon says could knock up to 10% of its value. Things to be aware of include: derelict homes nearby, Japanese knotweed in the garden, subsidence, flight paths overhead, flood potential and nightmare neighbours.

Savills buys Smiths Gore

Savills has announced a £40m deal to buy Smiths Gore, the rural specialists, which operates as a partnership with 532 staff across 45 offices. All of the offices will transfer into Savills rural energy and projects division or its country residential agency business. Savills said the acquisition complements its existing rural business.

Small but well proportioned

A two-bedroom home in Barnsbury, North London that measures just 8ft wide has been put up for sale for £750,000 via Foxtons, which describes it as “well proportioned”.

Deflation looms

Energy price cuts and a supermarket war have pushed Britain to the brink of deflation. Economists have already said that it was a close call as to whether inflation remained at zero in March or dipped to -0.1%. Alan Clarke, an economist at Scotiabank, said subdued price increases by high street stores had weighed down on price growth, while a 5% price cut by British Gas in March would also help tip Britain into deflation. The Bank of England has said that it is likely that Britain will enter a period of mild deflation in the first half of this year, driven by a collapse in the oil price. The Office for Budget Responsibility, the Government's independent forecaster, predicted last month that inflation will not rise to 2% until 2019.

Ruling could lead to property sales

In a case that could have implications for thousands of homeowners in Britain, a woman may be forced to sell her childhood home to fund her elderly mother's care. Glen Walford has been told by judges that the house was not her home at the time when her mother went into care because she rents a flat in London. As a result, the council has won the right to force Miss Walford to use the equity in the house, where she intended to retire, for care home fees for her mother.

Appetite for mortgages lacking

The Bank of England has reported that Britons have pursued significantly fewer mortgages in the first quarter of 2015 than they did last year. The Credit Conditions survey showed that, by a balance of -40.8%, lenders experienced a fall in demand for home loans between January and March. However, respondents forecasted a rise in demand over the next three months, despite unexpected declines in the past three quarters. The research also found that while mortgages had become less available to borrowers with deposits over 25%, those worth more than 90% of a property value had become more available for the first time in nine months – as banks became increasingly willing to sign over risky loans. “Weak supply of, and demand for, mortgage credit is acting as a brake on housing activity. Mortgage supply remains under pressure and, in the last three quarters, consumer demand for mortgages has fallen at the fastest rate since the crash in 2008,” remarked Ian Stewart, chief economist at Deloitte

Parties’ property promises compared?

The Independent’s Emily Dugan examines election pledges that parties have made in regard to housing. She says the Conservatives have vowed to build 200,000 new properties for first-time buyers in the next five years. They will also expand the Help to Buy scheme until 2020 and used the budget to launch the Help to Buy Isa. Labour said it would build 200,000 new homes, scrap estate agents charges for renters, cap rent increases and make three-year tenancies standard. The Liberal Democrats intend to create 300,000 new homes by 2020 and introduce a Rent to Own scheme. Labour, Ukip, the Green party, the Scottish National Party and Plaid Cymru have all said they’ll remove the Conservative-launched “bedroom tax”. Ukip will give social housing priority to ex-service men and women and will end Right to Buy for foreign nationals. The paper’s James Moore calls on the sector to give “generation rent” a helping hand, saying if people cannot buy, they should at least find renting easier, suggesting rental increase caps and tax breaks for landlords.

Young people giving up on home ownership

The number of young people saving toward deposits has fallen, with many in their 20s and 30s resigning themselves to not getting onto the property ladder. Halifax's Generation Rent report shows that only 43% of renters are currently saving toward a property purchase, while 57% are planning to rent long-term. This resignation comes despite the level of first-time buyers climbing to its highest rate in eight years in 2014, reaching 311,500 new buyers, with an improving economy and Government schemes helping people onto the property ladder. London has the lowest rate of young homeowners, with only 39% of 25-45 year-olds in property they own, with 82% of the capital’s renters expressing a fear that they will never own a property. Halifax data shows that those planning to buy are willing to wait an average of 5.35 years to get on the property ladder, where recent homebuyers spent an average of 3.6 years saving. The Times suggests the number of people planning on staying in the rental sector for an extended period means the assumption that “Britain is obsessed with home ownership” may require re-evaluation.

Outstanding Woman in Construction named

Louise Brooke-Smith, founder of Brooke Smith Planning and the global president of the RICS, has been named the Outstanding Woman in Construction in this year's Women in Construction Awards. Ms Brooke-Smith said: “I am honoured to have taken this award, not just for me but for the whole of my teams both at Brooke Smith Planning and at the RICS.” The awards are supported by industry names including Taylor Woodrow, Mace and Laing O'Rourke.

Beatles-inspired hotel for sale

CBRE has brought the Beatles-inspired Hard Days Night Hotel to market and is seeking offers in excess of £11m on behalf of the hotel’s private owner. The 110 bedroom, 4* hotel is situated on the corner of North John Street and Mathew Street where the new Cavern Club is located.

Nine facts about Rightmove

Anna White of the Telegraph runs down nine facts about Rightmove. They are: 1. Rightmove is a more popular search term than pop band One Direction 2. The website was originally going to be called Doorknob 3. Its first ad featured footballer Ian Wright 4. The most viewed property online was an all purple home with 3m hits 5. There have been eight weddings between Rightmove colleagues in 15 years 6. All employees of over 10-years receive a personalised garden gnome 7. 3,711 pubs have been put on sale via the site 8. The average price of a home in England and Wales hit £281,752 this year 9. Monday and Tuesday nights are the busiest times for the website in traffic terms.

Falling bolts cost £1m

Steelwork firm Severfield has seen costs from replacing bolts that fell from London’s Cheesegrater building reach £1m. Bolts breaking and falling saw British Land fence the building off last year and the developer, alongside Severfield and contractor Laing O’Rourke, are carrying out programme to rectify the issue that is likely to be finished by year end.

Downsizing decision a big one

The Times carries several letters in response to a report from the RICS which detailed the role a reluctance to downsize by homeowners has played in the housing shortage. One letter says that property is a popular form of wealth but an apprehension over capital gains tax sees people prefer one larger property over two smaller ones that sees one rented out. Another says that calling on older homeowners to move to smaller property will not work unless the stresses associated with the sale and purchase of property are eased. Another claims that the Conservatives’ decision to remove many main residences from inheritance tax will encourage older owners to hold onto large properties.

RICS’ budget wishlist

The Government should use the budget tomorrow to announce measures to encourage baby boomers with too many rooms in their homes to downsize and free up space for families, according to RICS. It said that Britain was experiencing the lowest level of housebuilding in peacetime since the 1920s and that owner occupancy was at a 27-year low. RICS added that 8m homeowners over the age of 60 could be interested in downsizing, bringing potentially 3.5m homes back on to the market, of which about 2.3m would be family homes of three or more bedrooms. "Many older homeowners are over-spaced, while their children face a lifetime of renting cramped accommodation in an increasingly unaffordable market," it said. It also warned that legacy of home ownership was at risk, with younger generations being unable to afford to follow in their parents' footsteps, and called on the Chancellor to use the budget to commit to a review of inheritance tax and its role in the housing market in the next parliament. It suggests that the Government should consider waiving inheritance tax and stamp duty on a property if the seller is above a certain age and specifically looking to downsize, and that measures should be introduced to remove the myriad obstacles to the building of new homes on brownfield sites.

Business rates review on Budget agenda

The Treasury will today launch a review of business rates, raising the prospect of a new system for levying a tax paid by 1.8m properties in England. Danny Alexander, Treasury chief secretary, will consider a move away from a tax based on property values, seen as a burden on high street traders that face intense online competition, ahead of this week's Budget. The Chancellor will use his Budget on Wednesday to announce a wide-ranging review of the business rates system. The review is expected to examine whether business rates could in future be raised in line with the consumer prices index measure of inflation, rather than the retail prices index. The idea of taking small firms out of the rates system altogether has been mooted, and it is noted that small firms represent half of all commercial properties but yield only 6% of the tax. The BCC and the CBI both welcomed news of a review but urged for any reform to be “root and branch”.

Bank of Mum and Dad lending less

New research reveals that the number of first time buyers relying on the Bank of Mum and Dad for support has dropped. Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks' Annual First Time Buyers Survey has revealed that less than half (46%) of the nation's first time buyers needed help in saving for their deposit in 2014. This compares with 63% in 2013.

Strong pound could keep UK in deflation

Martin Weale, a member of the Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), has warned that a strengthening pound could deliver a shock to the economy and drive inflation even lower. Mr Weale argued that a strengthening pound could result in a rise in imports and fall in exports, that would feed through into lower price growth. The Bank's latest update on the health of the economy stated that it was more likely than not that inflation would fall below zero in the coming months, well below the central bank's target of 2% price growth.

Troops to retrain as builders

Several schemes have been set up to retrain returning soldiers as construction workers. Persimmon Homes is just one firm that has its own dedicated ex-military personnel recruitment programme, which is aiming to sign up hundreds of new trainees every year from the Armed Forces. The initiative, which was launched in December, aims to recruit as many as 500 ex-Service personnel each year. Group chief executive officer Jeff Fairburn explained: "We worked hard over the course of 2014 to develop this programme to help us meet a shortage of much-needed skilled tradesmen across the UK.”

Poundland gives biggest discount

Poundland founder Steve Smith has reduced the price of his Shropshire mansion by £750,000 to £5.75m after failing to find a buyer since last year. Mr Smith bought the property for £2.2m a decade ago.

Stamp duty exemption could encourage downsizing

An alliance of pension groups, insurers and retirement home builders has written to the Telegraph to argue that older people should be given stamp duty exemptions to encourage them to move into retirement homes. Organisations including Legal and General, the Civil Service Pensioners Alliance and the National Federation of Occupational Pensioners say financial incentives such as stamp duty exemptions and extending the Help to Buy scheme could ultimately free up homes for younger people and reduce the pressure on the public purse. Around 60% of older people in Britain say they want to downsize. The Scotsman sees things differently, arguing that first-timers could be priced out of the market if the older generation benefits from regulatory changes and embarks on a “grey pound” spending spree.

Mapping UK house prices

The ONS has created an interactive map, using house price data, to show the most and least expensive parts of the country to buy a property at a local level. While the average price of a home in the UK is now £272,000, up 9.8% over the course of last year, regionally this figure rises to £502,191 in London and falls to £142,195 in Northern Ireland. The five most pricey areas in the UK are all found in London – Kensington and Chelsea, Westminster, the City of, Camden and Hammersmith and Fulham. ONS analysis shows the average price for properties bought by first-time buyers last year rose by 10%, down on the 11% rise the previous year. Separately, property sales fell in January, dropping by 6% compared with a year ago. Transactions totalled 97,320 in January, according to the latest seasonally-adjusted figures from HMRC. That is the lowest level since October 2013, and the fourth consecutive monthly drop in sales. Peter Rolling’s of Marsh & Parsons, said that buyer demand was "still rosy" so he expected activity to pick up again. "January has seen a boost in agreed sales, which has firmly set the ball rolling for 2015, and this will only gather faster momentum during the spring - typically one of the most popular times to move house - when these completions come to fruition," he said.

A new company given the contract to assess disabled people for a sickness benefit has told the BBC it will do one million assessments this year.

Maximus is being paid £595m over three years to carry out work capability assessments for people applying for employment and support allowance. The Department of Work and Pensions cut short a contract with Atos last year after "significant quality failures". Maximus is promising to clear a backlog of around 600,000 claims. It is also planning to reduce the time people wait for their results from at least 120 days to the recommended 90 days. President of health services, Leslie Wolfe, told BBC Radio 4's You and Yours programme: "Part of what Atos didn't have was a [big] enough team to keep up with the wait times. "That's one of our first priorities. We need to clear about one million [work capability assessment] claims this year. "We'll actually need hundreds of new healthcare professionals across the UK in order to clear the backlog that's there, which is about 500,000-600,000 people, and also to keep up with the ongoing new volume of claims that customers are putting in." Read the rest of this article here.

Guidance on CDM Regulations 2015

Draft Guidance on The Construction (Design and Management),Regulations 2015 These new regulations which come into force on the 6th April have prompted much discussion in our office. It would be interesting to have yours too. I've attached the latest HSE draft guidance for your use. Click HERE to download the draft document.

Leeds best value

New research by DTZ suggests that commercial property in Leeds is the most under-priced in the country. David Thompson, retail director in DTZ's Leeds office, said: "The Leeds retail market looks particularly good value at the moment, as yields have not compressed as much as in other, larger, markets…in addition there are some good buying opportunities available now, before the whole retail market benefits from the opening of the Victoria Centre with a new John Lewis store in 2016." We are currently involved as the Access Consultants on this develop and have recognized a real buzz in the economy since works began on site.

Hammerson doubles profits

Hammerson has reported that pre-tax profits more than doubled last year due to revaluation gains. For the first time since the financial crash, Hammerson is able to charge higher rents across its £6.7bn portfolio as retailers’ battle for space in the best shopping centres. Profit before tax at the firm more than doubled from £341.2m a year earlier to £703.1m for the year ended 31 December 2014. Net asset value jumped 11.3% to £6.38m. Net rental income - comprised of income from rents, car parks and commercial sales - rose 8.1% to £305.6m from £282.8m a year earlier. The number of people visiting Hammerson’ s malls actually fell 1.3% last year as the popularity of online shopping increased. But the firm said: “Consumers are spending more time and money during each visit to our centres.” The FT’s Lex column admits that things are looking rosy for Hammerson, but points out that property is a cyclical business so it might not pay to hang on to shares too long. Elsewhere, the Evening Standard notes that Hammerson may have to revise its plans for an £800m overhaul of Bishopsgate Goods Yard in Shoreditch due to local opposition.

TV homes unaffordable for shows’ characters

Halifax has published a “light hearted look at house prices” which ranks the cost of residential property in a number of areas home to TV soaps. The average price of a home in Albert Square, home to EastEnders, is up 923% since the show began 30 years ago. A home in Coronation Street, on the other hand, has risen from £19,097 in 1984 to £128,626. The research also considered whether characters featuring on the shows would be able to afford a modern home on their salaries, finding that in most cases they would find it extremely difficult.

Output falls in December

ONS figures reveal that UK industrial output fell 0.2% in December, partly hit by maintenance work on North Sea oil and gas fields. However, year-on-year industrial output was up 1.7% and manufacturing growth of 0.1% in the month surprised economists, who had forecast a 0.1% decrease. Meanwhile, the National Institute of Economic and Social Research has predicted that construction growth went into reverse between October and January, and that only the services sector expanded.

The first straw houses in the UK to be offered on the open market are on sale.

Though straw walls might be most readily linked to a story of pigs making questionable construction choices, the team behind these homes says the material could help to sustainably meet housing demand. The homes are the result of an engineering research project led by the University of Bath. The researchers worked with specialist architectural firm Modcell. The team says this development should move building with straw from a niche technique for the ecologically minded to the wider market. Prefabricating straw bale walls (c) Modcell A typical three-bedroom house would use about seven tonnes of straw. The houses, on a street of traditional brick-built homes in Bristol, are clad in brick to fit in with the surroundings. But their prefabricated walls are timber framed, filled with straw bales and encased in wooden boards. Prof Pete Walker from the University of Bath, who led the project to develop and test this construction method, told BBC News: "I think there's a lot of misconception about using straw - stories about the three little pigs and the big bad wolf, concerns about fire resistance." As part of this EU-funded project, Prof Walker and his colleagues have systematically tested and refined the technology - including testing its structural and weight-bearing properties, and its thermal insulation. "Our testing over a number of years, and our research has demonstrated that it is a robust and safe form of construction." He added that, since straw absorbs carbon dioxide as is grows, using it as a building material actually "locks carbon into the walls" of a building

Sean Lennon sued over invading tree

John Lennon's son Sean is being sued for £6.6m by his Manhattan neighbours who claim a rotting tree on his property is invading their home.

Survey reveals housing to be an election issue

A survey carried out for the Generation Rent campaign found that 38% of the public would be more likely to vote for a party which put housing in its top three priorities. The poll conducted by Survation revealed that 57% of people said they, or someone they knew, was having problems buying or renting a suitable home. Asked which party had the best policies for helping homebuyers, 21% said Labour and 18% said the Conservatives.

Chancellor voices Greece-Eurozone fears

George Osborne has warned the stand-off between Greece and the Eurozone is becoming the biggest risk to the global economy. The chancellor was speaking after his meeting with Yanis Varoufakis, in which he urged the Greek finance minister to “act responsibly" in any bailout negotiations with Europe. He added the stand-off presented "a rising threat to our economy at home". Greece’s new government unveiled proposals on Monday for ending the confrontation with its creditors by swapping outstanding debt for new growth-linked bonds, running a permanent budget surplus and targeting wealthy tax-evaders.

Love is in the air in Watford

Rightmove has ranked the top areas for those looking for love, taking into account the number of people who are single, the number using internet dating and the proportion which heads out to socialise. Watford tops the tables, closely followed by Edinburgh. Slough, Sunderland and Cambridge follow in the rankings, with London sitting at ninth.

Construction job boom to continue

A new report published by the Construction Industry Training Board has estimated that 200,000 new jobs will be created within the construction sector by 2019. This means 40,000 workers will be needed to fill new vacancies each year, 8,000 more than previously expected. The report also predicts that private housing will increase by 4.6% over the next few years. Annual average construction output will rise by an average of 2.9% across the UK. A separate survey has found that the number of graduates has reached a record high, with new graduate posts within the construction industry rising by 22.1%, the third most significant growth behind the tech industry and the Teach First programme.

Bad air in over 15m British homes

A Europe-wide study by the National Institute for Health and Welfare in Finland has estimated that 15.3m homes in Britain are so badly ventilated that families are at risk of “toxic home syndrome”, which encompasses a number of allergies and illnesses caused by bad air. These conditions contribute to around 128,666 deaths in the UK each year.

“Manorial rights”

The Times reports that about 90,000 “manorial rights” claims, including rights to hunt and shoot but also mine or frack in other people's property, have been lodged with the Land Registry. Thousands of home owners could see their property values plummet as a result of the "anachronistic" legal powers, which date back to feudal times. They allow “lords of the manor” to claim rights over property even if the owner possesses the freehold. Some 84,000 manorial rights notices were registered between December 2012 and July 2014, yet only 3,200 notices had been registered in the previous decade.

Death of a salesman

Experts have predicted that estate agents, car salesmen and traffic wardens will be replaced by robots in 50 years’ time. The research has been published to coincide with the launch of a new TV series – Extant – which illustrates one scientist’s prediction that many jobs could be replaced by humans. Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock said that for many people robots would become the preferred option for interaction with services like health, leisure and relaxation as well as admin and bureaucracy.

Skills shortage reaches pinnacle

RICS has revealed that the UK’s construction skills shortage hit critical mass in the final three months of 2014, with 48% of the group’s members reporting a lack of staff across all main trades. "Labour shortages have become increasingly onerous in every area of the sector,” commented Alan Muse, director of the built environment at RICS. The Times, Page: 41

Supermarkets sitting on 1,000 acres of land

New figures from CBRE have revealed that supermarkets are building on just 6% of the land they control across the UK, underlining the problem they face with undeveloped sites. CBRE said the pipeline of new grocery stores in the UK is 46.61m sq ft, the equivalent of more than 1,000 acres. However, just 2.8m sq ft of these new stores are under construction. The land is either subject to a proposal for a new food store, or planning permission has already been granted. The Telegraph, picking up on the figures, says the news will lead to critics claiming that supermarkets are hoarding land that could be used for new homes. The paper also points out, however, that the statistics highlight the scale of the challenge grocery retailers’ face in dealing with their land. If the retailers decide they no longer want to build shops on the sites, they will be forced to book billions of pounds in write-downs. Chris Keen, director of supermarket leasing at CBRE, said “It is too early to say whether we are looking at a hiatus or the onset of an actual long-run decline in UK grocery store development activity. A sea-change in grocery markets is however certainly occurring.”