Homes England has completed a £74 million deal that will unlock the next phase of development at Ebbsfleet Garden City in Kent – funding a range of infrastructure works that include earthworks to fill in a lake to prepare the land for the development of more than 5,000 new homes.

The infrastructure works will unlock 657 acres of land that will be used to develop up to 5,290 new homes – accounting for around a third of the total Ebbsfleet Garden City housing development – as well as around 180,000 sq ft of commercial development.

The Homes England supported enabling works through a loan deal to Henley Camland include preparing land for the development of housing on both the Castle Hill site and the Eastern Quarry at Ebbsfleet. Henley Camland, the residential infrastructure and place-making firm which recently purchased the Eastern Quarry site from Landsec, has simultaneously agreed land deals for 2,900 homes to be developed. 2,600 of these homes will be delivered by Countryside Properties and Clarion Housing Group in a new joint venture, while and Barratt Homes will built 300 homes on this part of the wider site as a direct result of the works funded by Homes England.

Representing one of Homes England’s largest deals of the past 12 months, the £73.97m loan is being made through the Home Building Fund (HBF). The HBF helps unlock or accelerate the delivery of residential and mixed-use housing developments through both development loans and loan funding for the infrastructure needed to prepare land for development.

More than 1,000 of these new homes at Ebbsfleet will be provided by 2021, with the full scheme due to be completed over the next decade.

Nick Walkley, Chief Executive of Homes England, said: “At Homes England we’re using our land, finance and expertise to speed up the delivery of new homes. The vital infrastructure works that we’re funding in Ebbsfleet will bring forward the development of many new homes by around four years overall and, importantly, will mean many more homes can be built in the earlier phases of the development as a result of our support with the significant infrastructure costs.”

The HBF loan will also mean other important services to support the housing development, such as a new secondary school, can be delivered much sooner than would have been possible without Homes England’s support. A ‘fast track’ route through the site connecting Bluewater to Ebbsfleet International Station will also be created.

Ian Piper, Chief Executive of Ebbsfleet Development Corporation who oversee Ebbsfleet Garden City, said: “This from Homes England, when combined with the investments already made by Ebbsfleet Development Corporation in key utilities infrastructure, is key to delivering the new homes that are required to create our vision for the Garden City. It is a good example of public bodies working together to deliver great places”.

Ian Rickwood, CEO of Henley, which has secured the delivery of 2,900 homes through a series of simultaneous deals commented: “Following Homes England’s investment and our quick succession of deals with various housebuilers, £1bn worth of quality homes will be delivered at a time when the UK is in dire need of them. We’ve worked hard alongside our partners to unlock these homes, as well as the new senior school and remain committed to bringing forward more homes and infrastructure at Ebbsfleet Garden City.”

Ends

For further information please contact Lisa Cattanach, Communications Manager at Homes England on 0115 852 6904 / 07880 475445 / email: lisa.cattanach@homesengland.gov.uk

A PIONEERING scheme to inspire a new, diverse generation of young people into property and regeneration has been backed by Homes England.

The organisation has become a trustee of the Regeneration Brainery, an immersive experience that pairs 16-21-year-olds with well-known mentors from across the industry.

Following a successful pilot last summer, Homes England have sponsored 2018’s programme, with the first week-long Brainery taking place in Manchester this Easter. It will be followed by two further events in other city centre locations later this year.

The Brainery is completely free for young people to take part and features a mix of visits to construction sites; interactive workshops; visits to workplaces; and practical tips and skills to get ahead in the industry.

It is part of a drive to challenge perceptions of regeneration, promoting people from a diverse array of backgrounds to play a role in shaping our towns and cities.

The brainchild of Manchester-based property developers CAPITAL&CENTRIC, the Regeneration Brainery could become a blueprint for encouraging ambitious young people into other industries across the UK, in turn creating inclusive communities.

Mentors include property developers; investors; local authority figures including Chief Executives; project managers; agents; planners; designers; architects; and marketers.

More trustees are to be announced soon.

Nick Walkley, Chief Executive of Homes England, said:

“Creating vibrant new places and providing quality homes for people should be hugely inspiring career choices. Unfortunately, the opposite is true and as an industry we’re really struggling to attract young people to replace those who are retiring in the next few years. The housing crisis is as much a skills crisis.

“So, we need to work much harder and smarter to change perceptions of our industry and show how we’re making it more diverse, more modern and more progressive for young people who want to build a career while contributing to society.

“I’m determined that the new Homes England will show real leadership on these issues, so we didn’t hesitate to support the Regeneration Brainery, which is a brilliant, innovative scheme with real potential.”

Tim Heatley, co-founder of CAPITAL&CENTRIC said:

“If we’re to going to push the boundaries of how our cities and towns grow in the future, we need new ideas and creative thinkers. The launch of the Regeneration Brainery is timely, given the ongoing conversations about equality and diversity across almost every industry in the UK – especially property. There’s a lot of people accepting there’s a challenge, but few practical ideas of how to bring about change.

“For me, widening the pool of talent coming into the industry is essential. Doing so will bring fresh experiences; viewpoints; ideas and solutions. It’ll mean our built environments start to better reflect the people living in their communities – and that’s to be championed.

“We’re chuffed Homes England are our first trustee. The Brainery is a practical way to fire up young people to aspiring to a career in regeneration.”

For further information, please contact:

Lewis Jones – lewis.jones@newgatecomms.com / 07779 167 422 / 0161 233 1080 Rebecca Eatwell – rebecca.eatwell@newgatecomms.com / 07827 353113/ 0161 233 1071

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We have redeveloped the electronic versions of the EC Claim1 forms for providers to use when submitting escape case claims for controlled work matters.

These forms are web based and:

• make the completion and submission process simpler and quicker
• reduce the chances of the form being rejected
• have been redeveloped to be more user-friendly

Does this affect processing of work?

There are no changes to the way this category of work is processed. The electronic forms provide a more efficient way to submit the claim, which providers should find more convenient.

Although no changes to the assessment process are being made the current Word-based versions of the form will eventually be withdrawn.

Using digital escape case claim forms will then be mandatory for submitting your claims for controlled work.

Important to learn new process

We recommend that providers begin to make themselves familiar with the process for submitting digital claims before the paper option is withdrawn.

There are separate electronic claim EC Claim1 forms for these escape case categories:

• civil

• mental health

• immigration and asylum

Once the form is completed providers should use the submit button so that the form can be assessed. You can find a link to the new forms below.

Submitting your case file

Paper case files should be submitted to the usual escape cases postal address.

The assessment will be completed and results issued to you in the same format as at present.

Electronic case files should be placed in a secure cloud based system and details of how to access the account provided with the electronic EC Claim1.

Alternatively, electronic files can be provided on compact disc and sent through the post.

Assessment of the claim will then be completed without the need for a paper case file. We will then email you with the assessment result.

Further information

Escaped cases – online portal

mhu-ec@legalaid.gsi.gov.uk – email for advice on using electronic claim forms 0151 235 6750 – urgent enquiries only

A Northumberland farmer who was fined £19,000 last year for twice polluting a protected watercourse has been ordered to pay a further £2,854.56 in fines and costs for failing to fix the source of the pollution.

John Laing, 54, of New Heaton Farm in Cornhill-on-Tweed, Northumberland, appeared at Berwick upon Tweed Magistrates’ Court on 5 April 2018 having previously admitted contempt of court.

The court heard that in January 2017 Laing was ordered by Newcastle Magistrates’ Court to repair the storage unit by 30 June 2017. Without remedial works, there remains a continued risk of silage leaking from a silo storage unit into a tributary that flows into the River Till.

The order had required Laing to carry out specific works to capture and prevent any effluent from escaping the silo, and provide written certification from a chartered engineer that the works had been completed to the required standards. Environment Agency officers made several visits to the farm before and after the deadline to check whether the works had been completed.

While Laing had enlisted the services of a builder, work had not started before the June 2017 deadline. Subsequent visits by Environment Agency officers in August and September 2017 revealed that some work had begun but not as agreed and to a poor standard.

In mitigation, Laing said he had relied on the assurances of a builder as to the quality of the remedial work and was no longer using the storage facility himself.

Neil Paisley, Senior Agriculture Officer at the Environment Agency, said:

John Laing has repeatedly shown a disregard for the law and a disregard for the environment since an initial pollution incident in 2014.

Pollution of any watercourse is a serious offence because of the devastating impact it can have on fish, wildlife and ecosystems. We will take action against anyone who fails to act in accordance with environmental laws and fails to comply with orders to ensure pollution is prevented.