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Home Information Pack trials (November 2006)

In September 2006, the Department for Communities and Local Government pledged £4 million of funding for Home Information Pack (HIP) trials.  The trials will be conducted by the Association of Home Information Pack Providers (AHIPP) in partnership with the Government and are due to begin on 6th November in the cities of Bath, Cambridge, Huddersfield, Newcastle, Northampton and Southampton.  Sellers will be encouraged to implement voluntary HIPs and the process will be independently monitored.  Free HIPs are currently being offered to sellers participating in the trials.  Home Information Packs, including Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs), searches and other legal documents, will become mandatory across England and Wales on the 1st June 2007.  Currently, industry bodies including estate agents, conveyancers, solicitors and mortgage lenders are preparing their systems, whilst potential Home Inspectors are gaining the necessary qualification.

 

More stringent flood risk laws (October 2006)

New Government consultation standards came into effect on October 1st regarding planning applications on sites at risk of flooding.  Previously, the Government’s policy for managing flood risk was set out in planning policy guidance note 25, PPG25 where it was advised that the Environment Agency should be consulted on areas at risk of flooding; however, not all Local Planning Authorities did so consistently.  Now, Local Planning Authorities must consult with the Environment Agency when a planning application is submitted for sites in flood risk areas, before making any decisions.  The Environment Agency must also be consulted on all developments larger than a hectare in size, therefore ensuring that surface water run-off will not cause flooding elsewhere.  This new legislation has made the Environment Agency a statutory consultee for all significant applications, which involve flood risk.  The new PPS25 on “Development and Flood Risk” is due out later this year.

 

Compulsory Home Condition reports scrapped (July 2006)

The Housing Minister, Yvette Cooper, stated that she would not require the Home Information Packs (HIPs) to include a Home Condition Report (HCR), when they come into effect next June.  The HCR will remain part of the Home Information Pack but as an authorised document rather than a mandatory item.  A spokesman for the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) said that making HCRs compulsory was still an option, “The first stage is to see how they work on the ground.  This is not a u-turn.  We are bringing them in on a phased basis”. 

 

Government panel enlists Barratt’s Chief Executive (April 2006)

Barratt’s Chief Executive, Mr David Petty, will represent the house building industry on the advisory panel set up to assist the Government’s shared equity taskforce.

 

The taskforce, led by Housing Minister, Ms Yvette Cooper, and Treasury Minister, Mr John Healey, will identify the long term potential of shared equity products and if they can be opened up to more people.

 

David Wilson Homes Limited’s new small homes range (March 2006)

David Wilson Homes Limited will launch a new range of smaller homes, the i-Life range, this Spring.  Construction has begun on sites at Balderton, Nottingham and Wootton, Northamptonshire with several other sites in for planning approval.  The i-Life range will eventually be rolled out across the whole country. 

 

Although not confirmed, selling prices are expected to start at around £65,000.  The range will consist of one-bedroom studio houses, two and three bedroom mews houses and studio, one and two bedroom apartments, ranging from 300-677 sq ft.

 

Barratt Homes Limited’s new range of affordable homes (March 2006)

Barratt Homes Limited has also launched a new range of smaller homes - the iPad range.  On the similarities of the range to David Wilson Homes’ i-Life range a spokesperson for Barratt Homes said, “We registered iPad in March 2005 and it is in no way linked to the DWH range”.

 

The first development, in Middlesbrough, where all 30 units have been sold, is nearing completion.  Another 170 homes on six sites will begin construction shortly and another 1,600 homes on 40 sites are planned.