18 News in brief


HOUSE PRICES have fallen for the third month in a row, said the nationwide at the start of February, dragging the annual rate of increase to its lowest level in more than two years. The lender said the average house price dipped 0.1% in January from December to £180,473. That followed a 0.4% drop in December and left prices 4.2% higher than January last year.


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In a recent commons announcement the Housing Minister said that details of the ten sites would soon be published. English Partnership’s regional director, John Lewis said: “The plans represent high standards in every area, including design, public


transport, cycling, employment, water and flood management, energy efficiency and extensive green open spaces.” He also added “These applications will set the standard for best practice in design, viability and sustainability.”


HOW CAN DEVELOPERS OVERCOME THE CREDIT CRUNCH?


The last few months have been turbulent times for the money markets due to the collapse of the sub prime lending market in the United States, this has had an adverse affect on financial institutions worldwide. The repercussions of these problems have impacted heavily on other sectors including retail and the property market. Virtually all UK lenders have, as a result of these problems, reduced their lending parameters to all sectors but particularly the property market. When banks lending is restricted and is accompanied by rising short term interest rates this is often referred to as a credit crunch.


The future of the UK housing market in 2008 is uncertain as confidence was damaged in late 2007 leading to a decrease in the number of new transactions. However, with a substantially growing population due to net migration and a government target to build 240,000 new homes a year by 2016 it is clear that the pace of new home construction needs to increase not decrease to ensure that the supply meets


demand. Developers are now realising the flexibility and facilities that they have taken for granted with their current lender may have eroded and they now need to work along side companies that can adapt to their circumstances and who are not affected by the lack of funding available in the money markets.


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THE WINNERS OF THE EUROPAN 9 The world’s largest housing and urban design competition for young architects – have been announced. CABE runs the UK section of Europan and the three sites in the UK – Milton Keynes, Sheffield and Stoke-on-Trent – attracted submissions from 61 teams across Europe. RCKa won for their City Slipway scheme for Stoke-on-Trent. This ambitious project – which will see up to 300 new homes being built – aims to revitalise the city centre by encouraging people back from the suburbs and surrounding towns. A central public route down to the city’s Caldon canal is proposed together with a striking apartment building and terraced housing that responds sympathetically to the site. In Milton Keynes, where the site will provide some 150 new homes, Bristol-based Tom Russell Architects won with A Forest in the City. This brings together family housing with mews housing and also successfully rises to the challenge of preserving a unique identity for the city as it continues to grow. The jury will award a winner for the site in Sheffield in Spring 08: there are two runners- up who will receive feedback from the judges and the client (Sheffield City Council) and then the opportunity to further develop their ideas.


THE HOUSING DESIGN AWARDS... are sponsored by Communities and Local Government, National House Building Council, Royal Institute of British Architects, Royal Town Planning Institute, Housing Corporation and English Partnerships.


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