26 industry news; appointments & news NATIONAL AUDIT OFFICE Disposal of public land for new homes T


he National Audit Office (NAO) has published the findings from its investi- gation into the previous government’s


progress in meeting its target “to release enough land to build as many as 100,000 new, much- needed, homes and support as many as 25,000 jobs by 2015”. The key findings of the investigation are:


•The target measured a notional number of expected homes, not actual homes built.


•The NAO found no supporting documentation or economic evidence behind the target or how it was allocated to departments.


Departmental progress in disposing of land was slower than expected and government had to take action to increase land sales. It closely mon- itored progress and took various approaches to increase delivery, such as transferring land to the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) for disposal, increasing central support for difficult sites and providing financial assistance to depart- ments to help with the cost of preparing sites. By the end of March 2015, government had


disposed of enough land with capacity for an expected 109,950 homes. In total, the land dis- posed of comprised of 942 sites. The Department for Communities and Local


Government (DCLG) applied a wide interpreta- tion of the land that could be counted towards the target. The total notional 109,590 homes fig- ure included 15,740 homes on land that the public sector disposed of before the target was set. Land sold for the 15,740 homes was counted because it was expected to be built on during the programme, however this is inconsistent with the scoring of land sold during the course of the pro- gramme, where homes will be built long after the programme closed in March 2015. And, in addi- tion, surplus land was categorised as sold when the organisation owning the sites moved outside the public sector even if the sites were not devel- oped: e.g. sites owned by Royal Mail (2,584 homes) and British Waterways (8,199 homes). Government recognised that disposal of


surplus land, at an accelerated rate, would not necessarily lead to increased home building. Departments used a range of disposal methods


Workers warned of invisible UV risk 


contractors as part of its 12th annual Safe in the Sun campaign. Overexposure to ultraviolet rays, is the biggest cause of skin cancer and the rays cannot be seen or felt but can still pass through light cloud.


Construction workers are putting themselves at risk if they do not protect themselves from the sun on cloudy or overcast days, according to roofing and facades manufacturer Marley Eternit. To encourage safer behaviour on site and highlight the dangers of invisible UV radiation, it is giving away a supply of UV colour changing wrist bands to 


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01283 722 588 www.marleyeternit.co.uk


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    Enq. 108 Air quality linked to cardiovascular disease


Vent-Axia has welcomed new research highlighting the dangers of poor indoor air quality. The study shows that exposure to indoor pollutants is linked to reduced life expectancy and disease. “This new research reveals the real risk to health through indoor air pollution. The research confirms exposure to indoor pollutants is linked to reduced life


expectancy and burden of disease,” says Lee Nurse, Marketing Director at Vent-Axia. “With many people spending the majority of their time indoors, improvements in indoor air quality must be seen as a priority.”


0844 856 0590 www.vent-axia.com respond online at www.hbdonline.co.uk Enq. 110         


and partnering approaches with developers with the aim of ensuring homes were built and profits shared. Departments do not routinely monitor what


happens to a site after disposal so there is no information on how many homes have been built on sold land. The NAO is unable to report the actual number of homes built to date as the infor- mation is not collected. The DCLG does not collect information on


the amount of money raised from the sales. Without data on the number of homes or sales proceeds, it is difficult to assess if departments obtained good value from their disposals and, more broadly, if government secured value for money from the programme as a whole. There is a new process for land disposals from


2015-16 with new targets for central government and associated bodies to deliver at least £5 billion of land and property sales between 2015 and 2020 and an ambition to release land for up to 150,000 homes in the same period.


Conference puts weeds under the spotlight


National trade body the Property Care Association (PCA) is holding a specialised conference, dedicated to the subject of non-native invasive plants. ‘Understanding Invasive Weeds: Japanese Knotweed, Fact and Fiction’ takes place on 23 September at The Vale Resort, Hensol, Cardiff. As well as seeking to promote a level-headed and evidence based approach to Japanese


Knotweed, there will be a focus on other invasive weeds such as Himalayan Balsam and Giant Hogweed which are increasingly under scrutiny, following the issue of new EU regulations.


0844 375 4301 www.property-care.org Enq. 109 Howarth’s York branch joins in celebrations


Five employees at Howarth Timber’s York branch are celebrating 175 years’ combined service – in the same year the company celebrates its 175th anniversary. David Marshall, Steve Winters, Chris Peart, Kevin Robertson and David Fogg have all clocked up more than 30 years’ service each with the company. Chris recently celebrated 30 years with the


branch, while David is the longest serving employee with 44 years under his belt. For more information on Howarth Timber and its plans for the rest of its 175th anniversary year please visit the website.


01469 535314 www.howarth-timber.co.uk Enq. 111


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