18 May 2012 | 10:23:59

Login Register
?


Search our site
HomeMasonry First News ArchiveIndustry ProductsEventsCode for homesPresssustainabilityLinksAsk the ExpertResourcesLinksSelf Build Hub
 
 
LATEST NEWS
Call to Get Britain Building as dismal housing starts figures released General

Call to Get Britain Building as dismal housing starts figures released

17/05/2012 - 15:36:31
Government gives councils three years to use right to buy cash General

Government gives councils three years to use right to buy cash

17/05/2012 - 10:10:18
Bovis Homes 2012 sales rise by a third General

Bovis Homes 2012 sales rise by a third

16/05/2012 - 16:54:28
Building jobs needed to combat UK shift to part-time working General

Building jobs needed to combat UK shift to part-time working

16/05/2012 - 11:21:47
Steve Morgan builds stake in Redrow General

Steve Morgan builds stake in Redrow

15/05/2012 - 15:59:12

INDUSTRY HEADLINES

Housing Design Awards 2012 Entry Information
Click Here to See Details...
Cut the VAT Campaign November 2011
Click Here to See Details...
HCA development and land disposal strategy
Click Here to See Details...
Government Construction Strategy May 2011
Click Here to See Details...

 Advertising campaigns

Built to Last 150 Years

BBC NEWS

Plaque to IRA bomb victims stolen

Fri, 18 May 2012 08:23:58 GMT
Thieves steal a metal plaque erected in memory of two young boys killed by IRA bombs in the Cheshire town of Warrington in 1993.

Search for missing fishing boat

Fri, 18 May 2012 09:02:22 GMT
A major search is under way to find a fishing boat which has disappeared without trace with a crew of three off the Dorset coast.

'Escalator tore off my big toe'

Fri, 18 May 2012 05:13:17 GMT
A man learns to walk again after an escalator ripped off his big toe in a Nottingham shopping centre.


BUILDING FIRES NEWS

Firefighters battle blaze on Green Island in Poole Harbour
Click Here...
Fire reveals dangers of terraced timber framed homes
Click Here...
Fire Performance of new residential buildings
Click Here...
Risk seminar press article
Click Here...
Fire in timber frame buildings A review of fire statistics from the UK and the USA
Click Here...
Fire safety report into timber-framed buildings get responses
Click Here...
Family flee home after heater starts fire
Click Here...
Elderly residents rescued from Inverness care home fire
Click Here...
Blaze destroys building site in County Durham
Click Here...
Show more

BBC WEATHER




MET OFFICE WEATHER WARNINGS!

There are currently no weather warnings


H+H CELCON VIDEOS

Rå Build Method Video
Click Here to View...
H+H Thin-Joint System Video
Click Here to View...

Top Story
Call to Get Britain Building as dismal housing starts figures released

The Government is failing to tackle the worsening housing crisis, leading housing groups have warned. Latest Government figures out today show annual housing starts totalled 104,970 in the 12 months to March 2012, down by 6% on the same period a year before.

The number of homes built is now running at less than half the number even the Government admits is needed to meet demand.

Seasonally adjusted starts are currently 50% below peak output in December 2005. Completions are 36% below their March quarter 2007 peak.

The poor quarterly figures show house building starts in England fell by 11% to 24,140, compared to the previous three months.

Private housing starts fell 8% as house builders remain focused on restoring balance sheets rather than building at higher volumes.

Public spending cuts are also starting to bite with housing associations starts slumping 21%, despite the raft of Government measures to stimulate the market.

The new figures coincided with the release by the National Housing Federation, Shelter and The Chartered Institute of Housing of their second Housing Report.

It warned that the government is not delivering on five out of ten key housing indicators.

These include housing supply, affordability of the private rented sector and homelessness.

The report calls on the Government to make good on its promises, in particular to ‘Get Britain Building’, which as well as providing much-needed homes for thousands of families, will also deliver new jobs and economic growth.

The report also warned ministers of the urgency of meeting the nation’s housing needs as pressures, such as falling incomes and a growing and ageing population, intensify over the coming years, putting an increasing strain on Britain’s broken housing market.

David Orr, chief executive of the National Housing Federation, which represents housing associations, said: “Much more needs to be done to tackle this country’s dire housing crisis. Unless we build significantly more homes, it will only get worse.

“Building new homes will help fix our broken housing market and, with rising unemployment and living costs, spur economic growth by creating jobs and supporting small businesses. It’s a win/win for the taxpayer and for the millions stuck on waiting lists.'

Grainia Long, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing, said: “The Housing Report shows the Government’s progress in addressing our national housing crisis is limited.

'With the economy now in double dip recession, the pressures on the housing system will only increase and the Government needs to step up its efforts in response and be more ambitious in its strategy to boost housing supply and activity in the wider housing sector.

“Addressing the housing crisis in this way would also be a much-needed and powerful stimulus to economic growth.”

Mortgage Indemnity Scheme




Mortgage scheme offers buyers help up the property ladder
Watch and read more on the BBC website


The Futures Group
New homes "Think Tank", The Futures Group, details how to rise to the challenge of delivering better homes for the consumer.
Contributors to The Futures Group include leading experts from national house builders, manufacturers and regulatory bodies.

Click here to read the report

NEW ... Thermal Performance Part L1A ... NEW
In accordance with current Government policy, by 2016 all new homes must be zero carbon

Thermal Performance Part L1A, download the document here

Award Winners 2011



Find out the winners of the Brick Development Association Award 2011 Click here


 
Mike Leonard speaking about the Spending Review cuts on the Phil Upton Show - BBC Radio WM

SOCIAL BUILDING UPDATE
Shapps consults on bringing private cash into social housing Shapps consults on bringing private cash into social housing

04/04/2012 - 17:39:04
Call for social house building drive as homelessness spikes Call for social house building drive as homelessness spikes

08/03/2012 - 14:51:35
Social landlords waste £1.8bn that could build new homes Social landlords waste £1.8bn that could build new homes

10/06/2011 - 14:13:11

EU and International Masonry News

www.concreteproducts.com

www.icsc.org

Environmental Product Declarations

REGISTER NOW ON MASONRYFIRST.COM


USEFUL PUBLICATIONS

Tackling Fire A call for Action
Click Here...
Sustainable masonry construction explored
Click Here...
Rå Build Costing Factsheet 11
Click Here...
Important new guidance on 106 Projects
Click Here...
Meeting the Requirements of the Code
Click Here...

MASONRYFIRST.COM FOUNDER MEMBERS

Aggregate Industries
http://www.aggregate.com
Hanson
http://www.hanson.co.uk
H+H Ltd
http://www.hhcelcon.co.uk
Ibstock Brick
http://www.ibstock.com
Wienerberger Ltd
http://www.wienerberger.co.uk
Aircrete Products Association
http://www.aircrete.co.uk
Brick Development Association
http://www.brick.org.uk
British Precast
http://www.britishprecast.org
Concrete Block Association
http://www.cba-blocks.org.uk
Mortar Industy Association
http://www.mortar.org.uk
Home Builders Federation
http://www.hbf.co.uk
Builders Merchants Federation
http://www.bmf.org.uk/
Federation of Master Builders
http://www.fmb.org.uk/
Precast Flooring Federation
http://www.precastfloors.info/
United Kingdom Quality Ash Association
http://www.ukqaa.org.uk/
United Kingdom Quality Ash Association
The Association of Brickwork Contractors

T-ZERO


T-ZERO is a non-profit project initiated by some of the UK's leading energy conservation and housing charities, housing associations, architects and buildings performance specialists, together with English Heritage and the Housing Corporation. It is supported by the Technology Strategy Board (formerly DTI) and its brief is to develop novel ways to reduce environmental impacts from existing housing, working towards a future goal of a zero carbon built environment.

T-ZERO is developing an interactive web-based tool that puts energy and environmental performance expertise in the hands of the householder, housing stock manager, designer or builder.

Visit www.tzero.org.uk to register for more information


 
What House Awards 2012
Entry Deadline

16th July

A prospectus inviting house builders' entries to the 2012 What House? Awards is now available here


FEATURED EVENTS

PRECAST2012
Click Here to See Details...
Greenbuild Expo
Please visit us on stand F39

Click Here to See Details...

GREEN DEAL UPDATE


Find out more about the Government’s Green Deal and how it will work.
Click here for more info.


AIMC4 Objectives


The AIMC4 project is developing homes that deliver to Code for Sustainable Homes Level 4 energy standards with a fabric-first solution.
Click here for more info.


Get Britain Building

 

 
 
Make a difference!Plan B Press Advert

Create two and a half million real jobs
Read more

 
 
Make a difference!Get Britain Building Plan B

If politicians want jobs & growth, they need a PLAN B
Read more

 
 
Make a difference!Plan B - Because there is always another way.

Read more

 
 
Make a difference!Wolseley joins the Get Britain Building coalition

Read more

 
 
Make a difference!Biggest Construction Coalition Calls on Scottish Government to Prevent 16,000 Scottish Job Losses

Read more
 
 


Make a difference! Make a difference!
Support our campaign now.
Lobby your MP directly

Download draft letters here

 
   
   
 

Heading: BBC Radio WM interview with Mike Leonard, Modern Masonry Alliance Director.BBC Radio WM interview with Mike Leonard, Modern Masonry Alliance Director.

Listen here
 

Get Britain BuildingWe call on the Government to Get Britain Building now.
   
 

Get Britain Building Get Britain Building vehicle stickers.
Show your support

Car sticker 95x245mm – 7p each
Van sticker 255x260mm, 13p each
Lorry sticker 305x325mm – 20p each
Plus postage.
To order, email info@britishprecast.org or call 0116 253 6161

 
     

Event Presentations

HBF Policy Conference 2011 downloads

Listed events on MASONRYFIRST.COM

The Institute of Concrete Technology and Cement Admixture Association
12/06/2012


Housing 2012 Conference and Exhibition
12/06/2012


Celebrating Construction 2012
06/07/2012


Annual Conference and Social Housing Exhibition 2012
17/09/2012


Brick Awards 2012
13/11/2012


more...


The Human cost of the building crisis

Are you in the Building Industry?


Recently lost your job?
Click Here to Tell us Your Story
’’...
Click Here to Read More...
View all Stories....

ZERO CARBON HUB


The UK Government has set out an ambitious plan for all new homes to be zero carbon from 2016. The Zero Carbon Hub is here to help you understand the challenges, issues and opportunities involved in developing, building and marketing your low and zero carbon homes.
www.zerocarbonhub.org


 
 
  Contact MASONRYFIRST
Report a fault | Website content is copyright by MasonryFirst.com, its sponsors and partners | Privacy Policy