Brickonomics

Is this Government ignorance which I see before me?

The latest report from the House of Commons Communities and Local Government Committee called Housing and the Credit Crunch is well worth a read for a run through of the current travails of the industry. It seems broadly to "welcome"...

Posted by Brian on February 24, 2009 9:31 AM

Forecast puts construction recession on par with 1990s - so expect 600,000 job losses

The rapid deterioration in confidence in the construction industry is amply illustrated by the latest prognostication of the Construction Products Association forecasters. The industry trade body has massively downgraded its expectations for construction output over the next six years, despite...

Posted by Brian on January 12, 2009 8:34 AM

Why record low interest rates will fail to ease house building woes

The Bank of England's decision to cut interest rates to just 2% today, the lowest in its 300 plus years, will come as a relief to some. But in reality the Bank is near powerless to influence the direction of...

Posted by Brian on December 4, 2008 1:47 PM

Houses set for a revival as flats wane in the wake of credit crunch

If one thing epitomised the boom years in the housing market it was the building of high-density blocks of apartments that were sucked up off plan by eager investors. The credit crunch has changed all that. Outside of London dense...

Posted by Brian on October 7, 2008 7:36 PM

Media plays down housing crisis - 160,000 house building jobs to go

Not a headline you might expect. And let's hope the house building industry doesn't shed 160,000 jobs, but it is looking ever more likely. First let's get one thing out of the way. The media is blamed for hyping the...

Posted by Brian on July 9, 2008 12:22 PM

Housing rescue plan? What housing rescue plan?

Caroline Flint has just announced the much talked of rescue plan for the housing market - couched in terms of affordable housing, but in essence an attempt to bolster the crumbling house building sector. It has been welcomed by the...

Posted by Brian on July 2, 2008 12:22 PM

We still need 3 million homes by 2020, says official adviser

The National Housing and Planning Advice Unit (NHPAU) set up to provide advice on making homes affordable today released its latest advice on how many homes England needs by 2020. The range of extra homes the unit says are needed...

Posted by Brian on June 26, 2008 2:53 PM