Tag Archives: homes

Broadband, News

Homes and businesses turning to independent providers for broadband connectivity, new report reveals

More than 5.5 million homes and businesses in the UK can now connect to an independent fibre broadband network, according to new figures published today. For the first time, the total number of live connections provided by the ‘alt nets’ is above 1m.

Compiled for the Independent Networks Co-operative Association (INCA) by Point Topic using data provided by independent network operators across the country, this year’s ‘Metrics for the UK independent network sector’ report shows that the sector has again doubled in size over the previous year.

The independent sector continues to pull in significant sums of private funding with investment and expenditure commitments predicted to reach £17.7bn by the end of 2025. When combined with the £12bn announced by BT Group, the £5bn announced by government, and £2bn planned by VM02, investment levels will exceed the previous estimates of £30bn for bringing next generation networks to every property in the UK.

INCA’s Chief Executive, Malcolm Corbett said: “This continued high level of investment, coupled with commitments from others in the private sector like BT and Virgin Media, and the money being put in by government, shows that the UK is on track, for the first time in its history, to have proper broadband infrastructure competition. Independent network operators are a key piece of this connectivity jigsaw which will offer consumers real choice and drive innovation in the broadband services they consume.”

The report also details operators’ concerns, which include;

  • planning and streetworks delays
  • the threat of overbuild from taxpayer-funded, Project Gigabit procurements
  • delivery times for services from Openreach or other operators (e.g., EAD circuits, PIA)
  • getting wayleaves
  • the impact of BDUK’s pause on community-led ISPs Gigabit Vouchers; and
  • access to skills and labour.

“This report shows the increasing maturity of the independent broadband sector”, commented INCA Chairman, Alex Blowers. “It is now transitioning from fundraising and planning mode to delivery and execution stage and is undeniably a key partner in the delivery of a 21st century digital UK. It is now crucial that the government and Ofcom ensure momentum is maintained, by evolving the underlying policy and regulatory framework in support of the infrastructure competition that has now arrived in the UK,” Mr Blowers continued.

The full report can be viewed at- https://www.inca.coop/2022-altnet-metrics.

For more information about their work or of INCA in general, please visit: https://www.inca.coop/.

News, Property, Property Buyer News, South East

Professionals find a new home and a better life in Ewell

A professional couple are enjoying more space and a better quality of life after moving from the busy streets of South London to a quiet village in Surrey.

Malcolm Scott, 39, and his wife Eashani, 38, have purchased a new two-bedroom house at Bellway’s Buckthorn Grange development in Ewell.

The couple, whose employers are both based in the capital, were previously renting a one-bedroom flat in Tooting.

Malcolm is a civil servant based in Whitehall, while Eashani is a data analyst who has been working from home since March 2020.

Malcolm said: “It has been a thrilling experience to buy a new house in such a beautiful location, especially for Eashani because this is the first time she has had the joy of owning a home.

“We have everything we need and more at this development because the house came with a garage and a private garden.

“Having lived in a one-bedroom flat for quite a while, we can really appreciate how spacious the rooms are at our new home. And it is so nice to have a house all to yourself.

“Eashani has been working from home since the beginning of the pandemic and now she has a lot more space to make that more comfortable for her. Since she works as a data analyst, it also helps that the broadband speed is much faster here than it was in Tooting.”

As professionals working full time, both Malcolm and Eashani agreed that purchasing a newly built property would be a sound investment.

Malcolm said: “Buying a house is probably one of the best ways to invest your money because the value of the property grows much faster than a bank deposit.

“My father told us never to buy an old house because that would cost more money to make it ready for us to move in. The best thing about buying a newly built house is that it is like a blank slate you can turn into you own.

“The place we were renting in Tooting was an old school that had been converted into a flat, and the energy bills were unreasonably high because the building was that old. We are now saving money on our bills because we bought a new build which is far more energy efficient.”

The couple decided to buy at Buckthorn Grange after visiting the showhome at the development, which is located off Scotts Farm Road, in July last year. They said the fact the house they bought came with a private garage set it apart from the other properties they looked at slightly closer to the capital.

Malcolm added: “In terms of customer support, the sales advisors from Bellway were fabulous from day one. They really cared and worked hard on ensuring that the house was as good as it could be.

“It is amazing how many aspects of the house we were able to customise, and Bellway were very helpful with all the work we wanted to have done before we moved in. They let us choose the oak flooring, the grey tiles, and pretty much everything they fitted in the kitchen.

“We knew we made the right choice as soon as we moved in. You could see that the build quality of the house was excellent, and it had a very nice feeling as you went from one room to the next.”

After moving to Buckthorn Grange, the couple have been enjoying the many advantages of living in Surrey.

Malcolm said: “The location is ideal for going on walks because there are two different parks on either side of our development. It is also much safer to go for a run since there is very little traffic on the streets in comparison to Tooting.

“It is also a lot easier for us to travel now because we can simply bypass the traffic of London which used to add at least two hours to our journey every time we drove somewhere outside the city.”

Malcolm, who commutes to work four days a week from Ewell West station around a 30-minute walk away, added: “The train to London takes around 40 to 50 minutes. The commute may be longer now than it was when we were in Tooting, but it is less difficult and the money we save on the rent makes up for the train fares.

“There is also the better quality of life that comes with the location. Tooting was not just busy in the evenings on Fridays and Saturdays – it was always busy. It’s wonderful to live away from all that road noise because now I can instantly relax as soon as I come home.”

A selection of one and two-bedroom apartments, as well as three-bedroom houses, are currently available at Buckthorn Grange, with prices starting from £310,950.

For more information, call 01737 749667 or visit https://www.bellway.co.uk/new-homes/south-london/buckthorn-grange.

Captions:

  • Malcom and Eashani living in their new home at Bellway’s Buckthorn Grange development, in Ewell
News

Haddonstone Originals: 50 years on, the cast stone company celebrates with its original collection

To celebrate its 50th anniversary, Haddonstone is recognising its original product range.

The Haddonstone Originals collection brings together the original six designs that launched the company,, all created from Haddonstone’s high-quality, cast stone. 

Originally designed in 1971, the Haddonstone Originals feature some of the company’s most popular designs – the Straight 51” Bench Seat, Regency Urn and Elizabethan Jardiniere, in particular.

With each of the six products crafted at Haddonstone’s premises within the beautiful Northamptonshire countryside, this robust and frost-proof collection is designed to weather over time and last for years and years.

David Barrow, Managing Director of Haddonstone, said: “We’re delighted to celebrate our 50th anniversary with the Haddonstone Originals collection. Haddonstone was created by my father, working out of our garage with these original garden designs. Now, 50 years later, we’re an international company with over a thousand designs and with clients around the globe. I’m exceptionally proud of Haddonstone; not only of what we’ve achieved over this time, but of the fantastic people who’ve made this company what it is and of what we’ll achieve together in the years to come.”

Clients can shop the Haddonstone Originals collection from the 19th August via https://www.haddonstone.com/en-gb/celebrating-50-years/ 

News

The Bridgerton Effect: 200% increase in searches for orangery extensions following series launch

It was the Netflix series set in Regency London where an estimated 82 million people worldwide tuned in to watch its (slightly racy) love story. 

For Bridgerton, the eight-episode first season was met by praise from both fans and critics alike, but it wasn’t just the TV series that grew in popularity: it seems as though it sparked the next big garden trend, too.

Since Bridgerton was released on Christmas Day 2020, Google Trends data has shown a rise in orangery-related searches, including a 200% rise over the last 12 months for “orangery extension” and 170% rise in “do I need planning permission for an orangery”, with 33,100 searches for “orangery” in the UK alone. 

Alongside this, #orangery currently has over 79,000 uses on Instagram with Pinterest also reporting a surge in searches since the series launch.

Toby Marlow, Building and Construction Director at Haddonstone, said: “Over the last 18 months, we’ve seen a gradual upturn in the amount of orangery enquiries we’ve received, along with our traditional stonework sales. With fewer people venturing abroad and with people spending more time at home, we’ve seen a significant increase in customers wanting to invest in their homes and gardens. Orangeries have proved very popular as they offer customers additional living space, without the need to move”.

Orangeries came into fashion between the 17th to the 19th centuries and offered a dedicated building where plants such as orange where fruit trees, such as oranges, could grow and be protected during the colder winter months. 

Coming in both stone and brick versions, they’re similar in design to conservatories and help to add both light and value to homes.

Sara Galbiati , Senior SEO Consultant at Hallam, explained: “Whilst the data suggests that there was a spike for garden products at the start of last year’s lockdown, there was another clear spike at the end of December 2020. With not many people gardening in the winter months, there’s a strong suggestion that Bridgerton has played a role in encouraging more traditional gardening products such as orangeries and traditional stonework. Impressions (how many times a website has appeared in search results) has certainly increased – specifically over the last 6 months – showing further demand for orangery products.”

Other regency garden trends, such as stone planters and other stone garden products, have also seen a rise in searches, seen in the graph below, along with over 12,000 searches for “stone bird bath” within the UK.

News

First residents move into new Stafford housing development

The first residents have moved into their homes at Bellway’s Berswick Manor development in Stafford.

Five houses are now occupied at the site off Baswich House Way in the Weeping Cross area of the town, where Bellway is building 30 private homes for sale.

Berswick Manor is part of a wider development which also includes Bellway’s neighbouring Baswich Grange. Between them, the two sites will provide a total of 146 new homes, including 36 affordable properties for rent or shared ownership.

The development features a collection of premium four and five-bedroom homes, with prices starting at £443,995 for a four-bedroom detached house.

Marie Richards, Sales Director for Bellway West Midlands, said: “It’s always nice to welcome the first residents to a new development and see a brand-new community beginning to take shape.

“Berswick Manor is proving particularly popular with families who have been attracted by the wide selection of well-rated schools in the area, notably Stafford Grammar School, which is one of the most highly rated in the county.

“As well as being just over two miles from the town centre, residents will benefit from having many local amenities on their doorstep. There are a number of supermarkets within a mile of the development and Queens Shopping Park is just a 10-minute drive away.

“Berswick Manor’s location, on the edge of the Cannock Chase Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and within a short drive of the M6, means it also has strong appeal for both commuters and lovers of the great outdoors alike.”

For more information about the homes available at Berswick Manor, visit bellway.co.uk or call the sales office on 01785 891379.

CAPTIONS –

  • Images of The Alder showhome at Baswich Grange, next to Berswick Manor
News

Lockdown triggers UK boiler breakdown surge 

Hometree – a UK-wide boiler, heating and home cover specialist – has reported a 12% increase in year-on-year boiler breakdowns over the winter.

The most common complaints were a lack of heating, low boiler press and leaks. During colder snaps frozen condensate pipe issues peaked.

More than 50%¹ of boiler breakdowns occur in the winter, which usually equates to just over 2.5m² UK households suffering a heating failure. But if the Hometree increase was representative across the UK that would account for almost 3m households this past winter. If the average cost to get a boiler back up and running is £200, those additional households will have paid around £60m in repairs.

Hometree has stated the rise is because, over the winter, more people kept their household heating on throughout the day. A spike in working from home, coupled with the number of people on furlough and lockdown increasing overall time spent indoors, have led to the nation’s boilers being put to the test like never before.

The figures are likely to similarly represent a 12% increase in overall heating use, so the average household will see their bills increase by the same amount. With a typical mid-sized home ordinarily using 12,000 KWh of gas per year, that figure increases to around 13,440KWh – an extra £55.

Kemley Sellars from Hometree said: “With the boiler being a crucial component in ensuring that homes are kept comfortable during the coldest months, the additional usage whilst working from home has meant increased wear and tear. It really highlights the importance of having your boiler serviced in the coming months, ensuring that it’s working for next winter where many may have transitioned post-Covid to working from home more often.”

To prepare your boiler for next winter, Hometree recommends the following:

  • Check your radiators. To begin, you should switch on your heating as normal. Once your home is fully heated, you can start to check each of your radiators for cold spots, which is normally caused by trapped air. If you feel that your radiator is cold towards the bottom, you may have to bleed them to remove this trapped air.
  • Service your boiler. An annual boiler service conducted by a Gas Safe engineer is crucial to ensure your boiler is in full working order.
  • Insulate your pipes. The increasingly low temperatures in the winter months can cause any standing water in your pipework to freeze. It’s important to use the months outside of winter to ensure all your pipework is insulated.
  • Check your boiler pressure. If your boiler pressure drops, you could suffer from a loss of hot water in your home. Your boiler’s pressure should always stay within the green zone on its pressure gauge once your system is switched on. To avoid a pressure drop, it’s recommended that you check and use the filling link/loop, and bleed your radiators if the pressure is too high.

Hometree provides homeowners across the UK with a range of policies that cover breakdowns and repairs to heating, electrics, plumbing, drainage and gas fires. Homeowners and landlords sign up for a monthly subscription contract, and if they have any home emergencies, one of Hometree’s 2500+ nationally-based engineers will be dispatched to solve the problem.

Awards, News

Apprentice site manager wins top award with National housebuilder

A 20-year-old from Enfield who is learning his trade as a site manager has been named one of Bellway’s apprentices of the year.
Raik Beyoglu, who was first based at the housebuilder’s QEII development in Welwyn Garden City, was recognised for his commitment and dedication to the role.
He was one of just five people from around 180 apprentices across the company to be highly commended in Bellway’s annual Apprentice of the Year Awards.
Raik spends four days a week on site and one day studying towards an NVQ in Construction Site Management with the National House Building Council (NHBC).
Part of his role as an apprentice involves shadowing multi award-winning site manager Mark Todd, who has received a Pride in the Job award from the NHBC for the past five years.
Raik, said: “I was very pleased to receive this commendation. A lot of hard work has gone into my time at Bellway and I am glad that it has been recognised”.
“It is a very rewarding feeling to find out that I received nominations from people outside my immediate bubble of work colleagues”.
“After finishing my A-Levels, I started working for Bellway indirectly, through labouring with an agency. This is how I met my future colleagues at Bellway, who took me under their wing and helped me get employed through the apprenticeship scheme”.
“I sort of fell into the industry, but I soon realised it was meant to be and I hope to be doing this for a long time.
“Every day on site is different, as there is always that little bit of extra progress. I leave work feeling accomplished at the end of each day, which is what I love the most about what I do.”
Rob Sapsford, Construction Director for Bellway North London said: “Apprenticeships offer young people a fantastic opportunity to have a real job and get hands-on experience, while also gaining the qualifications that employers need.
“We offer apprenticeships in a wide variety of disciplines, including bricklaying, plumbing and heating, business administration and team leadership.
“Raik has a bright future ahead of him in the construction industry and it is pleasing to see that his hard work and dedication has been recognised by his colleagues.”
Ashleigh Fenwick, Group Learning and Development Manager for Bellway, said: “We are incredibly proud of all our apprentices and trainees throughout the company, as we encourage and enable our newest recruits into a career within the construction industry.
“We currently have around 180 apprentices working at Bellway across all sectors of the business, from bricklayers to quantity surveyors, and our apprentice of the year awards celebrates each and every one of our future talents.
“This year, perhaps more so than ever, we wanted to say thank you and well done to our apprentices who had been faced with unrivalled challenges in light of the coronavirus pandemic. We received a record number of nominations and it was very difficult to choose our winners thanks to the excellent pool of talent at Bellway.
“We’d like to extend our congratulations once more to each of the winners at this year’s awards event and look forward to another 12 months of building excellence among the next generation of the housebuilding workforce.”
As a member of the 5 per cent Club, a movement of employers working to create ‘earn and learn’ skills and training opportunities, Bellway is committed to driving the recruitment of apprenticeships across the UK.
For more information about career opportunities with Bellway, please visit bellwaycareers.co.uk.

News, Property

All homes now sold at premier Nottingham development

Homebuyers have snapped up all properties at a new premium residential development in Nottinghamshire.

Situated in the desirable town of Beeston, Mulberry Close is a high-end scheme, developed by North Sands Developments and completed last year, comprising seven five-bedroom detached homes ranging from 1,850 – 2,200 sq. ft.

The development offers a tranquil location on a secluded cul-de-sac with convenient transport links to Nottingham city centre and major road routes, the three-storey properties each offer a modern twist on classic Victorian architecture.

As well as high-spec fixtures and fittings including Neff appliances, Duravit bathrooms, Porcelanosa tiles and oak internal doors, the properties also have sliding powder-coated bi-fold doors across the width of the rear of the property, and underfloor heating.

Four of the homes were sold prior to the site’s completion and an open day was held to showcase the remaining properties, attracting a flurry of interest and offers. The sale of the final property, 4 Mulberry Close, was agreed in 2019 and has now completed.

The largest house in the development, 1 Mulberry Close, attracted a high-level of interest – it occupies a prominent position on the street and boasts a large ground floor kitchen diner, open-plan living space and a detached garage, as well as front, side and rear gardens.

James Hartley, director at North Sands Developments, said:

“At North Sands Developments we strive to deliver luxury homes and prime locations. Mulberry Close has been designed with young professionals, families and downsizers in mind, the need for plenty of open living space and a stylish, premium finish.

“We are pleased to have now sold all seven of these luxury homes and I believe this success is testament to the development’s fantastic kerb appeal, the quality finish to each property and of course the excellent location in one of the most sought-after neighbourhoods in Nottingham.

“From the very beginning this development attracted a great deal of interest and we’re delighted to welcome the happy buyers into their new homes.”

Award-winning North Sands Developments, which has delivered high-spec schemes in Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire and Salcombe in Devon, worked with local contractors JRD Construction, Greenwood Architects and Grace Machin planners to complete Mulberry Close.