Housing – Feb 20 Summary

  • Westminster Hall debate on Flats and Shared Housing – Fire Risk: Labour MP Matt Rodda (Reading East) held a debate in Westminster Hall on the fire risk in flats and shared housing, particularly focusing on cladding, fire doors, other fire safety measures and problems with flats under 11 meters tall. Participants were critical of the lack of urgency in improving fire safety measures following the Grenfell tragedy. The following additional MPs contributed to the debate: Clive Betts, David Linden, Esther McVey, Jim Shannon and Sarah Jones.

There is clear cross-party support for tighter regulations of housing in the wake of the 2017 Grenfell Tower Disaster. While there has been a lot of debate around cladding on high-rise buildings in the last couple of years, this debate was focused around the fire safety measure on all buildings (fire doors, fire extinguishers, escape routes etc.) and it looks likely that all aspects of fire safety will be regulated tighter in the future.    

Property and Planning (including listed buildings) – Feb 20 Summary

  • Aluminium composite material cladding: MHCLG has published information and advice for building owners, landlords and leaseholders where aluminium composite cladding is present on their building.
  • BT Openreach accelerates full-fibre coverage: BT Openreach has announced that it will accelerate full-fibre build to 227 “harder to reach” market towns, villages & rural areas, with building to commence within the next 14 months. The portion of this build plan completed by March 2021 is within Openreach’s previously stated target to reach four million homes and businesses with “full fibre” technology by March 2021.
  • Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission report: The Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission has published its report, titled Living with Beauty: Promoting health, well-being and sustainable growth. The report proposes a number of changes to the National Planning Policy Framework to encourage quality design and the rejection of poor design. It also encourages local authorities to plan further into the future than the current 5-year supply and recommends reviewing the speed at which Local Plans can be put together. Additionally, it suggests that the method in which land is designated for development (the “call for sites” process) should be revised.
  • Value of the heritage sector: New research published by Historic England on behalf of the Historic Environment Forum, shows the value of heritage to England’s economy. Heritage is an important sector which contributes to economic prosperity and growth through jobs in the heritage and construction sectors and from tourism. This new report has a focus on skills, examining the skills needs and gaps in the heritage sector.
  • Social rent: Only 2.6% of the 131,000 homes set to be built on public land released by the government will be for social rent, according to the New Economics Foundation (NEF).

Adult social care and support for tenants – Feb 20 Summary

  • Welsh Government: Independent report on accommodation for older people: The Welsh Government has published a report on accommodation for older people. The report assesses the housing and accommodation needs of older people up to 2035.

This report did not include the role of almshouses within the Welsh Governments assessment of the future of housing for elderly people within Wales. The Almshouse Association plans to contact the Welsh Government to discuss further the role that almshouses can play in Welsh housing policy.

  • COVID-19 guidance: Public Health England has published guidance that provides advice about the novel coronavirus, COVID-19. Guidance for employers and businesses and for social or community care and residential settings, can be viewed via the links. See also Almshouse Association FAQs
  • Care Quality Commission: The House of Commons Library has published a briefing on the statutory role and powers of the Care Quality Commission (CQC). The CQC is responsible for the registration, inspection and monitoring of health and adult social care providers, including independent providers, under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.
  • Universal Credit:
    • Delay in roll-out: The BBC has reported that full rollout of universal credit is being delayed again, adding £500m to its overall cost. Officials say not enough people are moving to the benefit as they are “scared” to move to universal credit. The system was meant to be fully live by April 2017, but the new delay will push it back to September 2024. The welfare delivery minister, Will Quince, said claimants would not lose money as a result of the change.
    • Call for evidence: The House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee has published a call for evidence on the economics of Universal Credit. The inquiry will investigate:
      • the economic impacts of Universal Credit
      • whether Universal Credit is meeting its original objectives
      • whether the policy assumptions reflected in its design are appropriate for different groups of claimants
      • the extent to which Universal Credit meets the needs of claimants in today’s labour market and changing world of work.
  • Joseph Roundtree Foundation UK Poverty Report 2019/20: The Joseph Roundtree Foundation has published its UK Poverty Report 2019/20. The report highlights the nature and scale of poverty across the UK and its affect, how poverty has changed in society, and overall changes to poverty, with chapters examining:
    • the impact of work
    • the social security system
    • housing
    • how carers and people with disabilities are affected by poverty.
  • Loneliness and social work: The Department of Health and Social Care has published a report focussed on the evidence around the role of social workers in preventing and reducing loneliness and isolation.
  • Mental Health: The Chartered Institute of Housing has launched a new guide to help housing organisations raise their game on mental health. The guide, developed with support from the mental health charity Mind, sets out six things we can all do to make everyone who works in housing more aware and supportive of other people’s mental health issues – and better supported to look after their own.

Environment and Energy – Feb 20 Summary

  • Adapting heritage buildings: To meet the government’s target of being carbon neutral by 2050, we must recycle, reuse and responsibly adapt our existing historic buildings, according to this year’s Heritage Counts report, by Historic England. 
  • Air quality – using cleaner fuels for domestic burning: DEFRA has responded to its consultation on using cleaner fuels for domestic burning in relation to air quality. The Government has announced that it plans to introduce the following, one year from now:
    • a ban on all pre-packaged traditional bituminous house coal
    • a ban will apply on loose sales via coal merchants at a later date
    • wood sold in single units under 2m3 (loose stacked) must have a moisture content of 20% or less
    • a national requirement for certified controlled sulphur content and a smoke emission limit on manufactured solid fuels (currently applies in Smoke Control Areas).

Taxation – Feb 20 Summary

  • VAT and retrofit: Historic England has called on the government to slash VAT on renovation in a bid to remove a major brake on retrofit work. Just weeks before new chancellor Rishi Sunak announces his 2020 budget, the government’s heritage watchdog and adviser has made a public demand for the tax on refurbishment, currently set at 20 per cent, to be reduced. The plea and follows a similar call from the RICS. Historic England announced the demand alongside the release of ‘game-changing’ new research into the embodied carbon of the nation’s existing built heritage.

Miscellaneous – Feb 20 Summary

Political update

  • UK Cabinet reshuffle: Following a Government reshuffle, the Prime Minister has confirmed his ministerial appointments, which include a new Housing Minister. Simon Clarke (Minister of State) and Christopher Pincher (Minister for Housing) are the only new additions to MHCLG. Likewise, Helen Whately is the only new addition to the Department for Health and Social care – her responsibilities include adult social care. You can track all the appointments here.

Due to the size of the Conservative Party majority within the House of Commons it is likely that we will be in a period of relative political stability. As a result of this ministerial appointments are likely to change less frequently than in recent years.

Click here for Policy and Governance – Jan 2020 Summary

Click here for Policy and Governance 2019 Summary