Housing Industry Leaders July Edition by Peloton Events

How to Leverage Technology in the Face of Looming Biodiversity Targets

A New Report Highlights Guiding Principles for Successful Repurposing in Britain’s Town Centres

How to Deliver Procurement Frameworks for Local Communities

The Untapped Potential of Biomass in Construction The Link Between Accessibility and Sustainability

FOREWORD

Welcome to the latest edition of Housing Industry Leaders Magazine, a premier source of insight and innovation for professionals shaping the future of the housing sector. As we navigate a rapidly evolving landscape, marked by technological advancements, shifting economic conditions, and changing consumer preferences, our industry stands at a pivotal crossroads.

This issue delves into the themes that are redefining our field. From sustainable building practices and smart home technologies to urban development trends and policy changes, we aim to provide a comprehensive overview that equips you with the knowledge to stay ahead in this dynamic environment.

The housing market has always been a cornerstone of economic stability and social well-being. Today, it faces unprecedented challenges and opportunities. The global push for sustainability urges us to rethink our approaches, integrating green technologies and eco-friendly materials into our projects. Smart homes, once a futuristic concept, are becoming mainstream, driven by the Internet of Things (IoT) and advancements in home automation. These innovations promise to enhance living standards while also demanding new skills and strategies from industry professionals.

Floyd March Editor

Paul Rose Graphic Designer

Hannah Wintle Multi Media Journalist

GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR SUCCESSFUL REPURPOSING IN BRITAIN’ S TOWN CENTRES

A new report by national planning and development consultancy, Lichfields, sheds light on the future of UK town centres, presenting a roadmap for the revitalisation and repurposing of vacant or underutilised buildings.

Entitled “Out with the Old, In with the New”, the report arrives at a critical juncture for high street retailing, offering essential insights for landlords, investors, and local authorities grappling with the challenges of envisioning the future of the nation’s high streets.

Key findings reveal the profound impact of economic, social, and technological changes on department stores, with a staggering 85% of stores formerly operated by Debenhams, House of Fraser, and John Lewis, among others, disappearing over the past decade.

Shopping centres have also faced significant challenges, with higher vacancy rates compared to high streets and retail parks. Footfall remains persistently lower post-pandemic, emphasising the urgent need for innovative solutions.

The report highlights a shifting perspective among property stakeholders towards repurposing vacant buildings. It stresses the importance of cost-effective and environmentally sustainable development, tailored to meet evolving market demands.

The report highlights a shifting perspective among property stakeholders towards repurposing vacant buildings.

INTERVENTION THROUGH THE PLANNING SYSTEM

The need to help businesses respond more easily and readily to changing demand through the planning system has long been highlighted. One of the recommendations set out in the Portas Review of 2011 was that restrictive aspects of the use class system must be addressed to make it easier for businesses to change the use of high street properties.

Partly in response to this - and the general need for greater flexibility - the Government introduced changes to the Use Classes Order in September 2028. The new Class E (Commercial, Business and Service uses) allows buildings to be used more flexibly with a wider range of permitted usesincluding not only retail, but also food and drink, financial and professional services, indoor sport and recreation, medical services, creches/nurseries and offices.

Alongside the changes to the Use Classes Order, permitted development rights were broadened through amendments to the General Permitted Development Order (GPDO) in 2019, thus aligning with the use class amendments. Together, these changes make it easier and simpler to deliver changes of use - particularly from retail to residential.

THE UK IS LEGALLY COMMITTED TO DECARBONISATION WITH A TARGET OF ACHIEVING NET ZERO BY 2050

One of the key drivers for this will be the need to decarbonise new development across its whole lifecycle. Indeed, the World Green Building Council estimates that buildings are responsible for 39% of global carbon emissions and decarbonising the built environment sector is seen as one of the most cost-effective ways to mitigate the worst effects of climate change.

Historically, planning policy has sought to reduce carbon emissions during the operational stage of development, for example by encouraging energy efficiency and now zero carbon development.

However, this has ignored the CO2 impacts arising from the end of life and construction phases of development, including the manufacturing and transportation of materialsotherwise known as ‘embodied carbon’.

When considering options for redevelopment of an existing building/development, demolition and re-build can create a big carbon footprint and this is something that will be of increasing importance when making investment decisions.

The potential for further regulation and more stringent planning policy requirements, together with heightened expectations from occupiers, means that repurposing suitable buildings, rather than demolishing them, is likely to become increasingly attractive.

Embodied carbon within the whole lifecycle of buildings is being given increased consideration in building rating systems. For example, the Building Research Establishment (BRE) is set to introduce Version 7 of BREEAM in 2024, which will strengthen the role of embodied carbon in its sustainability performance assessments. It will focus on updating its assessment methodologies for whole-life carbon and energy credits, which will apply to in-use and refurbishment schemes as well as new construction and fit-out.

The upshot of this is that greater consideration will need to be given to the use of materials and products based on embodied carbon, which will serve to further incentivise investors and developers to repurpose suitable buildings, instead of demolishing them in order to meet environmental targets.

REAL WORLD CASE STUDIES CAN HELP PUSH FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS FORWARD

After being given what proved to be a five-year grace period following its originally intended closure in 2018, the House of Fraser store in Cardiff - formerly Howells - finally closed its doors in April 2023.

The store’s closure typified the decline in department store retailing, evident by a general lack of investment and a deterioration in the general condition of the building.

In 2022, Thackeray Group appointed Lichfields as part of a wider team, including Patel Taylor and Purcell, to develop a masterplan for the redevelopment of the site. At its heart would be the retention of and enhancement of the principal building - Grade II* listed and dating to 1865 - and a series of interconnecting buildings of various quality, significance and age. Given its statutory listed status and high architectural quality, the appointed project team embarked on a thorough process of heritage assessment and design, collaborating with Cardiff Council and Cadw, to develop a sustainable vision for the building and a framework masterplan to deliver it.

Local knowledge and extensive experience in the planning of city centre redevelopment was imperative, as was the ability to work closely with the Council to bring to fruition a shared vision for the former store, and an effective site-wide masterplan.

The subsequently agreed masterplan reimagines the former department store as a new destination, comprising a vibrant mixture of retail, leisure, office and residential uses within an attractive public realm.

The first phase, approved in 2023 and comprising the development of a roof terrace on the iconic Percy Thomas building, will see the delivery of 25,000 sq ft of office and leisure-use space.

The second phase - concentrating on the former department store building itself - will see the partial demolition of some elements and upward extension of the building to deliver 61 studio apartments and a flexible commercial floor space.

Embodied carbon within the whole lifecycle of buildings is being given increased consideration in building rating systems

Whilst delivering an expansive re-use of the former department store building, the masterplan-led approach has enabled careful consideration to be given to how the repurposing of the building will be used to enhance the setting of buildings around it.

In particular, the scheme will open up views of the neighbouring Bethany Chapel and Sunday School buildings - engulfed for decades by the department store - to once again stand independently, delivering additional leisure or retail uses and contributing positively to the public realm.

The former store building is to form part of a series of interconnected buildings, which are to be delivered in a phased manner. The masterplan-led approach provided a firm foundation upon which to secure planning permission and Listed Building Consent for relevant phases of the scheme.

Subsequent phases of development will see interventions being made to the St Mary Street block and the buildings fronting Trinity Street, which shall in turn provide a mixture of other retail, leisure, hotel, office and residential uses.

TEN GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR SUCCESSFUL REPURPOSING

1 Viability is key 2 A bespoke approach is needed

6 A holistic approach 7 develop a shared vision and get others’ buy-in to the overall vision

3 Need for a broad mix of uses

4 Flexibility and adaptability are key

8 Don’t forget about placemaking 9 Heritage can be an asset

5 Making a robust case for development

10 Re-using buildings is inherently sustainable and this is widely understood and supported.

The Untapped Potential of Biomass in Construction

The housing sector faces a colossal task to decarbonise its housing stock in the pursuit of ambitious net zero targets, but determining how to best tackle this challenge to maximise the end results with the least carbon expenditure possible, presents a host of additional considerations.

One such issue is around construction material, as concerns arise around carbon-intensive materials such as concrete and steel. Increasingly, the benefits of biomass materials are being explored as an answer to the sustainable housing question.

Alongside her research into finding use and value in organic waste products including paper and food, Dr Ana Winters, a Research Scientist in the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences at Aberystwyth University, also explores how crops may be utilised to create fossil-fuel-displacing products in sectors such as construction.

ORGANIC MATERIALS REPRESENT POTENTIAL FOR CONSTRUCTION APPLICATIONS

Plenty of organic materials can be and are used in construction practices around the UK today, such as timber frames due to their sturdy and durable nature.

Other materials haven’t been explored in much depth but possess properties which demonstrate potential for future use cases in construction. Seaweed, for example, is currently used in packaging and fertilisers, but its high levels of bromine mean it could be explored as a fire retardant.

Dr Winters detailed how a current focus of the team’s research has been around bioenergy: “We have been working on a biomass crop, mainly for bioenergy, called miscanthus.

“It’s a sort of tropical grass and it comes from Asia. It grows very rapidly and it can grow on very marginal land. So, it’s just a way of growing biomass very rapidly.”

While bioenergy is the primary focus around the university’s work with miscanthus, the crop’s use is also viable in a similar vein to how hemp is utilised in construction, and its use as an insulation material has returned good results to date.

THE HISTORY OF HEMP: A VERSATILE CROP AND RESOURCE

The benefits of hemp itself are no secret, but its long and complex history mean its use today is far scarcer than it once was.

While the university have only been growing and testing licensed varieties of hemp since 2020, thanks to its rapid growth rate and suitability to various applications, hemp has historically been widely grown across the UK.

So important was this crop that in the Tudor period, when Henry VIII and Elizabeth I sat the throne and oversaw the wider exploration of the seas and early days of colonialism, laws passed mandating farmers to devote a certain amount of their land to its cultivation.

With strong fibres and salt-resistant properties, its use particularly took off within the Navy, where it was woven into ropes, nets, and sails. Despite its practicality, it’s use in the UK began to wane with the importation of foreign fibres such as jute, and the production of synthetic materials.

By the 1900s, with the increase of cannabis consumption and subsequent drug reform laws, growing the crop became outlawed, essentially eradicating its material uses.

It’s a very high quality fibre, and it’s a very resilient.

However, in the last two decades since the legalisation of hemp cultivation in 1993 and the development of low THC – the chemical compound that makes the plant attractive as a narcotic – strains, somewhat of a resurgence is being observed, and its use in sectors such as construction and housing is open to further exploration.

“Hemp grows very, very rapidly, and it basically captures and traps carbon dioxide. If you use it for materials like construction materials, you’re using it like a carbon sink,” Dr Winters explained.

“It doesn’t require herbicides because it can outcompete other weeds because it grows so rapidly, and it has its canopy so it’s blocks out the light. It produces a lot of secondary metabolites, and it has fairly good pest resistance.”

When used in housebuilding, developers such as Wales-based Wellspring Homes are reporting benefits such as temperature and humidity control, reduced risk of damp and mould, and improved energy efficiency.

Made

from a mixture of hemp and lime, Hempcrete is breathable, insulating & mould proof; a revolution in sustainable living.

Wellspring Homes

THERE ARE CHALLENGES TO OVERCOME TO FACILITATE THE USE OF BIOMASS IN CONSTRUCTION

Despite the attractive properties of these biomass materials, the lack of supply chain means that uptake is slow.

In order to harvest and process these crops, specific technologies must be in place which don’t exist at present in the UK, and so special attention must be paid to building the appropriate infrastructure.

“That’s what’s missing,” Dr Winters said. “It needs investment, really. You need somebody to take a risk.

“There’s a lot of interest. There’s a lot of people out there that are very, very keen to drive hemp and to create an industry, and that’s growing all the time. It’s expanding, it’s gathering momentum.”

Specifically, Dr Winters cited East Yorkshire Hemp, who have been cultivating the crop since 2002, as an example of the upwards trajectory the hemp industry in particular is observing.

“They were really the first ones to create a business around hemp in the UK, I would say. For many years, you just had a few niche buyers that would use this material for very specific applications like making mattresses and things.

“But now there’s the growing demand from construction, builders, and I think it’s getting harder and harder to meet that demand. So obviously that’s a sign that things are on the up.”

While the current upwards trend is a positive sign, more needs to be done to upscale the industry and bring the benefits of biomass materials to the housing sector.

If the use-cases of crops such as hemp can be embraced, perhaps pathways will be opened to investigate the further potential of lesser-explored biomass materials, and unlock sustainable progress for construction going forward.

The Link Between Accessibility and Sustainability

The conversation around building sustainability, while nuanced, often skews towards environmental considerations. Ensuring the longevity and suitability of housing throughout its occupants’ lifetimes, however, is another important element that could coalesce with the sector’s net zero efforts.

To explore the link between accessibility and sustainability, and how the concepts can be jointly implemented into housing going forwards, Housing Industry Leaders spoke to Vaila Morrison RIBA, Inclusive Design expert at stairlift and homelift company Stannah.

With over 15 years’ experience as an architect on small and large-scale housing developments, including social housing, Vaila developed a keen interest in sustainability, though her focus shifted somewhat after she had children.

“My daughter has a rare condition and she’s a wheelchair user, so that turned my focus to campaigning for more awareness about the impact of inclusive and accessible design.”

Her desire to encourage the inclusive design of all kinds of homes led her to team up with Stannah in a bid to inspire others to think about how to futureproof their own homes by integrating accessibility where possible.

There’s much more awareness within the social housing sector for getting accessibility and inclusive design built in than in the private sector.

INCORPORATING INCLUSIVITY INTO DESIGN IS INHERENTLY SUSTAINABLE

Vaila highlighted that under the triad of sustainability, which considers financial, environmental, and social factors, inclusive design falls under the latter concept, and as such she expressed the importance of building for people.

She said: “If we were going to be completely environmentally sensitive, we’d stop building altogether. We have to accept that our buildings are for people, so we shouldn’t be discriminating which people those buildings are for.

“As part of being sustainable and future-thinking, we should make sure all of our buildings are as accessible as they can be.”

To do this, making adaptations to housing may be an option in the interim, but future buildings, or extensions onto existing ones, should factor in accessibility from the outset.

“My daughter has a rare condition and she’s a wheelchair user, so that turned my focus to campaigning for more awareness about the impact of inclusive and accessible design.”

Even if [accessibility] is not something you need right now, in the same way as you’re thinking about energy efficiency and just general upgrades to your house, you might as well think about inclusive and accessible upgrades as well.

Vaila referenced Habinteg’s 16-point Lifetime Homes Standard, which was published in 2010. It covers a comprehensive list of considerations ranging from car access to the house, ease of access to bathroom facilities, the ability to install stair lifts and through-floor lifts, and the potential to create downstairs bedrooms if necessary. What the checklist demonstrated, Vaila explained, was that accessibility doesn’t have to encroach upon the way inhabitants use the house; a large cupboard downstairs that coincides with a large cupboard upstairs can be used as extra storage space until such a time when a lift is installed, which then doesn’t interfere with any other rooms. It also illustrated that inclusive design doesn’t require a larger footprint, or a severe cost increase. “However,” Vaila added, “it would be a huge cost if you didn’t think about those things, and then you try to adapt it later, so it’s that balance of doing it now so that you don’t have to pay more later.”

Good natural lighting is something that we’ve all been talking about in sustainability for a long time because obviously natural lighting allows for some solar gain

ACCESSIBILITY CAN ALSO HAVE POSITIVE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS

If these accessibility considerations were incorporated into the fabric of the building, it would eliminate the need to adapt the house later on, something which could lead to negative impacts for the environment.

For instance, a house designed with a ramp up to the front door would eventually become invisible to its inhabitants due to the nature of it being there permanently, while also preventing them from going online to purchase a plastic ramp when it is needed.

If they did, a carbon intensive manufacturing process is followed by more emissions being released during the shipping of the product. When the plastic ramp is no longer required, it becomes waste that could end up in landfill. The implications of this one plastic ramp could all be avoided through inclusive design.

Inside the house, lighting is another factor that plays an important role in sustainability and inclusivity. More or larger windows, for example, allow natural lighting in, which comes with a multitude of benefits.

“It helps with heating, it helps with mood, it just lifts people. It also helps to ground you in seeing the passage of time, so natural lighting is good for people with neurodiverse conditions and dementia, just because it helps them gauge the passage of time.”

A brighter home also means a lessened need for artificial lighting, which is both better for carbon emissions and energy bills, an increasingly important consideration against the backdrop of a cost of living crisis.

Where artificial lighting is necessary, smart home upgrades mean that lights automatically come on at predetermined times or when a sensor is activated, but also turn off when not in use.

The same can also be true for heating, demonstrating that accessible improvements can promote desirable environmental outcomes, too.

FACILITATING DIALOGUE COULD BE KEY TO POLICY REFORMS

The climate crisis is actually about how we keep our society healthy and sustained

Now, Vaila is keen for conversations around accessibility and inclusive design to reach policy makers, so that these considerations may start becoming more commonplace.

She said: “In policy terms, I think we need to make sure that the social sustainability point of the triangle is all about access and inclusion, because that’s what society needs to suit everyone from babies to older people and disabled people in between. That social point of the triangle has to be as inclusive and accessible as possible.”

Where there is overlap between social sustainability and environmental sustainability, the link could be further exploited to ensure that where improvements are being made in one area, the knock on effects are felt in the other.

As Vaila concluded: “I think people understand the climate crisis and worry about that and that’s fine, but actually the climate crisis isn’t a crisis for the planet. It’s a crisis for humans on the planet because the planet’s going to survive even if life all dies. It’ll be fine. It’ll just fly around the sun.

“The climate crisis is actually about how we keep our society healthy and sustained, and in that case, we need to make sure that we’re as inclusive as we can be, and as accessible as we can be.”

How to Leverage Technology in the Face of Looming Biodiversity Targets

As one of the most nature depleted countries in the world, the UK faces a pressing challenge to gain back some of its lost biodiversity. With many developers factoring this important issue into their plans, AI technology could be on hand to offer intuitive solutions.

One such company offering services of this nature is AiDash, a satellite and AI company that has partnered with housing developer Barratt Homes to implement biodiversity net gain (BNG) action plans on their housing development sites.

To gain an insight into how technology can be utilised in the mission to reclaim biodiversity in housing developments throughout the UK, Housing Industry Leaders spoke to Shashin Mishra, VP of EMEA at AiDash about the company’s offerings in this area.

THE CHALLENGE: WHY IS BIODIVERSITY SO IMPORTANT?

Earlier this year, the UK Government introduced BNG legislation. The new law, which forms part of the government’s Environment Act, seeks to ensure that ‘wildlife habitats are left in a better state than before development, and in doing so make a significant contribution to nature’s recovery’.

Its introduction was deemed necessary due to the decades of biodiversity degradation, which is laid out in research published in last year’s State of Nature report. It states that since 1970, UK species have declined by an average of 19%, and nearly 1 in 6 species (16.1%) are at risk of going extinct.

The BNG legislation introduced in February seeks to turn the tide of biodiversity degradation by requiring developers to create a net gain of 10%, calculated through standardised biodiversity units, which can be lost through development and created through enhancement works.

Achieving this 10% increase in biodiversity will prove a challenge, and one that AiDash see as unattainable without the implementation of AI technologies

Enhancing biodiversity is vital not only for its environmental implications such as reducing CO₂, but also in its underpinning of the UK economy through agriculture, population health, and the reduced impact of climate damage such as flooding.

Achieving this 10% increase in biodiversity will prove a challenge, and one that AiDash see as unattainable without the implementation of AI technologies such as their own, due in part to their calculation of a 40% shortfall in qualified ecologists, as well as ‘inadequate and unreliable’ data through using ‘outdated’ habitat mapping methods.

LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IS A MODERN ANSWER TO NATURE’S STRUGGLE

In an attempt to provide the solution to this urgent challenge, AiDash this year launched BNGAI, a piece of software which leverages AI and satellite technology in its habitat mapping, with the abilities to detect invasive plants that pose a risk to native species, as well as providing insights into the health profile of trees and other plant populations.

In an attempt to streamline the habitat mapping process, the technology can provide detailed insights into all manner of habitats in a timely manner, and with $50 million in funding behind it, the company seeks to scale BNGAI at the rate required to meet BNG targets.

Through their work with Barratt Homes, the UK’s largest housing developer, the aim is not merely to meet these targets, but to exceed them. Explaining how the technology works for housing developers such as Barratt Homes, Shashin said: “The first thing that it does is look at the land and identify all the habitats that live on the land.

“We use high resolution satellite images combined with some other datasets like soil information, and we run our algorithms that are able to identify habitats as defined in the statutory metrics.”

Despite their current partnership with Barratt Homes, Shashin expressed that this technology can work equally as well for smaller developers.

With this information, the software is able to create a detailed and labelled map of the land in question, and identify what kind of habitats exist there. Further algorithms then estimate the condition of these habitats, providing users with an accurate representation of the baseline biodiversity levels without them having to step foot into the land.

“Once they decide to do a full construction on it,” Shashin continued, “it takes the developer through the whole journey of getting ready for that planning application for biodiversity. So all the rules, all the data sets for that, there is a full workflow for everything.”

Despite their current partnership with Barratt Homes, Shashin expressed that this technology can work equally as well for smaller developers.

INCREASING BIODIVERSITY CAN UNLOCK COMMERCIAL BENEFITS

While the enhancement of biodiversity is now a government sanctioned initiative, developers can work within the regulations to create the best commercial outcome, as well as creating opportunity for future revenue.

“I think one very simple reason why it has to be a forethought when commencing on new housing is because it is a regulatory obligation for every development,” Shashin said.

“If they start planning for it from the beginning, it’s going to be possible to make a plan that is likely to work. If you are constructing on a site that is more or less biodiversity rich already and you have more than one way of placing your construction within the site, one choice might be more optimised than the other choices.

“You may need to go back and forth with your architects a couple times in terms of design, but ultimately you may have a site or design that works commercially as well as helping you achieve BNG targets.”

Creating a biodiversity rich environment, rather than finding the cheapest route to purchasing biodiversity credits, could also facilitate further economic benefits in terms of increased property prices, compared to a less biodiverse development.

The role that technology plays in enabling these benefits and opportunities, as well as the wider impacts of biodiversity in general, paints an efficient picture of the future of BNG efforts throughout the country.

As the UK strives forwards in its net zero efforts, biodiversity and wider environmental considerations are becoming increasingly important, and where technology is aiding in the reduction of carbon emissions, so too does it have a part to play in the wider journey to a greener nation.

Creating a biodiversity rich environment, rather than finding the cheapest route to purchasing biodiversity credits, could also facilitate further economic benefits

How to Deliver Procurement Frameworks for Local Communities

As procurement bodies across the country seek to help social landlords deliver their housing targets, how can their solutions best serve the regional communities they operate within?

Efficiency North Holdings are a not-for-profit consortium made up of 54 members across northern England that provide services across three key areas: procurement frameworks for social housing, employment and training, and land development and funding.

Their procurement solutions include improvement repairs and maintenance programs, newbuild housing, compliance solutions, consultancy, and retrofit.

Since their establishment in 2006, the consortium has grown from a publicly funded project hosted in Sheffield City Council, to an incorporated company with a turnover of £350 million a year in procurement frameworks.

Housing Industry Leaders spoke to Chief Executive Lee Parkinson, to learn how the consortium’s approach to procurement, knowledge sharing, and skills, is benefiting northern communities.

INNOVATIVE PROCUREMENT SOLUTIONS ARE INTEGRAL TO SUCCESS

Since 2016, when Efficiency North introduced their first new build housing procurement solution, close to 3000 homes have been delivered, though Lee highlighted the complexities to navigate within the landscape, especially since the pandemic.

He said: “It’s a very complex landscape. When you think about new build housing post-pandemic, we had the government pressing down on building, which is great news for the sector, but what that led to was unprecedented levels of demand, price increases like we’ve not seen in many years, and a real scarcity of skilled resources.”

Against this backdrop, other challenges including inflation, a complex planning system, and competition with other sectors over land, have made supplying new housing a complex undertaking.

To address this, Efficiency North turned their focus towards early contractor involvement schemes, and structuring commercial arrangements in the procurement process to enable the engagement of contractors much earlier on.

This allows contractors to assist in the design and delivery process to better mitigate risks and bring certainty over supply and demand. Importantly, it also facilitates the earlier validation of a scheme, rather than the social landlord having to go through the lengthier process of designing, understanding the specifications, and putting out to tender, only to eventually realise it’s out of budget.

“To do that it needs trust,” Lee highlighted. “It needs the right commercial infrastructure. It needs the right skills in our organisation to properly manage those processes and make sure they work well because as good as they are, they can go wrong, so you’ve got to make sure that you manage them in the right way.”

FORTIFYING SKILLS MEANS FACILITATING APPRENTICESHIPS

In addition, Efficiency North seeks to tackle the skills challenge through the formation of EN:Able Futures, an entity dedicated to the delivery of apprenticeships throughout the region.

As one of only 28 organisations in the UK that is registered by the government to deliver flexi-job apprenticeships, EN:Able Futures has delivered over 500 apprenticeships since its inception in 2013.

Lee said: “We’re actively involved as the recruiter, the employer, the learning provider, to deliver the apprenticeships through our own procurement processes.”

SHARING KNOWLEDGE AMONGST MEMBERS IS AN ONGOING COMMITMENT

As the housing sector evolves, keeping up with changes and adaptations can become a challenge. Knowledge sharing is therefore a vital aspect of the smooth running of the housing sector, and as such, Efficiency North have developed a strong knowledge network amongst their membership.

The consortium holds monthly online sessions on topics including employment and skills, retrofit procurement, and social housing delivery. They’ve also covered the changes of the Procurement Act, and ESG.

“It’s like member and customer coaching,” Lee said. “We’re working with them to improve their skills, but equally, they’re feeding that process by saying, ‘What about this? What about that? Where do we find knowledge for this?’

“Then we go off and acquire that knowledge or that learning, we bring it in, and we feed it back into the membership. I think that being memberowned and governed means that we’ve got that very strong relationship with our members, which allows us to accurately work out what their knowledge requirements are, and then serve those knowledge needs.”

We are trying to provide that high quality environment so apprentices can succeed.”

While working closely with industry employers, apprentices are employed by EN:Able Futures, meaning that all employment responsibilities, including assessments, salary, health and safety training, and ongoing support are provided.

As well as providing a secure environment for each apprentice to develop the skills the housing sector urgently needs, this holistic approach also reduces the risk and uncertainty of apprenticeships for employers.

DELIVERING SOCIAL VALUE MEANS COMMITTING TO THE REGION

Lee argued that the idea of social value has always been an integral and inherent part of the housing sector: “It’s an industry that does well by people.

“Before social value became a thing, the industry was always doing social value because it’s a very benevolent sector and it always has been and always will be, and it’s run by some fantastically talented and really great people.”

“In the work that we do, for every pound that we’ve invested in our community investment funds, we’ve delivered £11 in social value, so you’ve got an 11-fold improvement since we were established as a not for profit entity in 2006.”

Strategies where the opposite is true could mean that organisations aren’t delivering the best for their communities as they don’t understand the regional needs.

Lee explained: “If you’re serious about making a difference through procurement and you’re based in Manchester, how can you make a real commitment to serving customers in Plymouth? You’ve got to know where you are. You’ve got to know the communities you work with. You’ve got to be committed to them. If people want to be successful, they’ve got to demonstrate through action, but also commit to your region, be part of that region, lean into it in the good times and the bad times.

We’ve ploughed 1.3 million into communities in this region of our own money. That’s real commitment, that’s real money, and that’s what it’s about.

In fact, investing in the local community is fundamental to the ethos of Efficiency North, and is a business model that Lee implored other procurement bodies to adopt.

Through their connections with local authorities, the consortium continuously engages with the regional community with the goal to deliver the best solutions for the region.

The UK at large would therefore be arguably better served through a network of like-minded procurement bodies each committed to nurturing local connections and laying down roots, serving regional needs, and developing a vested interest in the positive outcomes for the area, which ultimately promotes trust and a stronger regional presence.

As Lee concluded: “It’s not just about knocking out frameworks for people to use. It’s about being part of something. It’s about leaning into something. It’s about innovating. It’s about providing additional solutions to procurement. It’s about being part of where you are.”

Bringing together the Welsh Government, local authorities, housing associations, the wider stakeholder community and the supply chain

Housing Industry Leaders Cymru 2024 will bring together the Welsh Government, local authorities, housing associations, the wider stakeholder community and the supply chain to discuss their vision for the future and how the sector will support the needs of its citizens.

The event will provide a platform for current policies, plans, priorities and projects to be discussed in an open forum, discussing the challenges faced and the opportunities available in a thought provoking way.

ENHANCE YOUR KNOWLEDGE IN KEY TECHNICAL AREAS SURROUNDING THE HOUSING SECTOR IN THE UK.

Engaging with local authorities and housing associations delivering Scotland’s housing agenda

• Housing to 2040 – setting out the vision for housing

• Affordable home supply, continuing to work closely with partners to deliver affordable homes

• Building vibrant places, helping create places people want to live, work, and bring up families

• Reducing energy consumption in the home

• How innovative thinking and new technologies will shape the future

27 November 2024

Radisson Blu Hotel, Glasgow