Blogs

You will have read a lot about modern methods of construction (MMC). You may have even investigated where you can incorporate it into your plans. But if you haven’t introduced it to any of your projects yet, now’s the time, thanks to a significant development in government policy.

John Skivington, Group Director of LHC

What is a DPS (Dynamic Purchasing System), how does it differ from a traditional framework, and how it can be used to keep work local?

Launched at the end of last year, the eighth edition of the Energy Efficiency Framework (N8) couldn’t be more timely. As we get closer to COP26 and the Government makes more concerted noises than ever over decarbonisation, social housing providers have a huge role to play.

The Local Authority Delivery Scheme, part of the Government’s Green Homes Grant initiative, is driving energy efficiency upgrades for thousands of low-income, low-EPC homes across the country, providing local authorities with up to £500m to help bring residents out of fuel poverty, while moving the country towards its net zero target.

Gary Cawley, director of CPC, offers advice on how to weigh up the options, based on the funding streams currently available and the experience of social housing clients in the North working with CPC to meet their decarbonisation goals.

With a quick PR picture on the stairs of 11 Downing Street and an hour-long speech in the Commons, Rishi Sunak delivered his much-anticipated Covid-recovery budget.

This was going to be the Big One. The budget that laid out the path to economic recovery for the UK, that would leave us encouraged that everything really is going to be alright in the end.

In the run up to COP26 at the end of this year, a raft of Building Regulations changes, updated energy standards and other policies are driving us further and faster than ever before towards the UK’s net zero carbon targets. Some of the discussions are getting very technical and very complex. Some of the demands that will be made on the development of new homes in the North are also not yet well understood.

There is a growing body of experience of MMC in the social housing sector now, with a number of Registered Providers in the North having conducted pilot projects, large and small. LHC has worked on hundreds of projects for social landlords all around the UK, totalling more than 5,300 homes to date.