Fast track planning urgently needed, says FMB

Government proposals to offer a fast track planning process for house building are needed urgently, according to the Federation of Master Builders (FMB). Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB, said: “It’s very welcome news that the Government has listened... View Article

New SDLT rules a ticking time bomb, says lawyer

A leading residential property lawyer in the Midlands has claimed residential property purchasers are confused and panicked as the new Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) rules are set to be introduced in April. “Confusion, and panic, amongst residential property owners... View Article

kbb back at Birmingham

Celebrating an impressive 30 years, kbb Birmingham, the UK’s largest gathering of the world’s best kitchen, bedroom and bathroom brands, returns to the NEC, Birmingham from 6 – 9 March 2016. Since the recession, which caused many businesses in the... View Article

Modern design houses stories from deep time

The Jurassic Coast is getting its first dedicated fossil museum thanks to National Lottery Funding and one collector’s generosity, reports Steve Menary. Over the past four decades, Steve Etches has collected more than 2,200 fossils from along the area of... View Article

Y:Cube: Rogers’ return to the prefab home

Sir Richard Rogers’ innovative offsite housing concept has been held up as a potential solution to the housing crisis, providing compact and affordable flats for sites not normally suitable for development. Stephen Cousins reports. The UK housing crisis, that so... View Article

Timber cladding secrets explained

Timber cladding has boomed in recent years. However, as early installations now mature it’s time to reflect on what has and hasn’t worked. Tom Barnes of Vastern Timber reflects on the ways to ensure cladding installed today looks good and... View Article

Repairs, refurbishment and water ingress by the sea

Stuart Hicks, from cold liquid-applied wet-on-wet waterproofing specialist, Kemper System, discusses the problems caused by a failed waterproofing system at a luxury residential development near Brighton and outlines the project undertaken to replace it. You only need to see a... View Article

How to rapidly meet environmental standards

Jim Gowan, design manager at Actavo | Building Solutions, explains how to rapidly meet environmental standards using modern construction methods. He has worked in the offsite and modular sector for over ten years. Back in 1998, a government report ‘Rethinking... View Article

Improve the build quality with glue-less flooring

Between 50-75 per cent of traditional vinyl installations in new housing developments require remedial work, which is costly to housebuilders and tiresome for home owners. However remedial work can be dramatically reduced if housebuilders opt for loose-lay rather than glued... View Article

Talking tiles

Martin Currell, Sales Director at Domus Residential, discusses the benefits of using tiles in a bathroom, the options available and the trends for 2016 There are numerous benefits with tiles: they are modern, easy to clean and compatible with underfloor... View Article

Alternative paints can tick all the boxes

What do you look for in a paint? Performance and aesthetics, for sure. But what about sustainability? Environmental and health benefits? Is it possible to tick all the boxes? Until relatively recently, the answer was no. But a new generation... View Article

Council Tax misuse hitting SME house builders, warns FMB

Central Government must prevent local authorities from hindering SME developers with unfair Council Tax burdens, the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has warned ahead of the Budget Statement. Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB, said: “If the Government is... View Article