The paper points out that whichever political party had been succesful at the UK General elction they would have been faced with the twin challenges of tackling fuel poverty whilst simultaneously driving down CO2 emissions from the domestic sector.

He concludes that significant technical, regulatory and commercial issues still remain in tackling hard to treat homes (eg solid walls) and hard to reach communities (eg off grid). These problems are likely to get worse unless there a more  consolidated mechanism for the delivery of the basics can be delivered: insulation, reliable and efficient heating, low energy lighting and sound energy advice.

A full copy of the paper can be downloaded (PDF) here.

The full interview is available here.

Further information on our  Stakeholder Engagement & Communication services can be found here.

Wood Holmes was selected based on our expertise in key areas of renewable technologies and marine developments.  Specifically, our involvement in a number of novel projects and concepts linked to renewable energy, project delivery and uses of offshore structures, has been highlighted as attractive to DECC.

Wood Holmes will be leading any projects under this framework with support from engineering consultancy RMEC Ltd and archaeological consultancy MA Ltd.

The Framework commences in June 2010 and will run for a period of 37 months.

For any further information on our marine, and broader sustainability services, please contact Dr Craig Rose at craigr@woodholmes.co.uk

Interestingly, the Wikipedia page on localism cites E.F.Schumacher and Alan Milburn as influences so not natural bedfellows for Grant Schapps and Eric Pickles.?!

The message from government was (predictably) that the cuts are coming and housing must accept its fair share, the spectre of Britain becoming the next Greece was used to frame all discussions on spending priorities.

Other discussion themes in the UK Housing model included affordability, proximity to employment, worklessness, quality, sustainability and the elephant in the room of the two tier system in the private sector where those that own houses can’t afford values to drop and those that want to get on the ladder cant afford to buy unless values drop.

Grant Schnapps, in both his speech at the CIH presidents reception on Wednesday evening and his main conference speech on Thursday afternoon, reiterated that he was in “listening mode”, was committed to the sector, wanted a bottom up approach that included and empowered tenants, reduced regulation with the TSA (possibly) going. He saw the HCA’s role reduced and reframed as a facilitator and to reward work rather than worklessness and of course Eric pickles cry of localism framed the message being transmitted.

What was missing was the ‘how’ part of this conversation and also the expectations that government had for the businesses and institutions currently involved in housing, would this really mean central targets and control of funding and spending would be removed and will a government department really cede power to local institutions and delivery bodies?

The only new money that appeared to be on the table was the council tax multipier on new homes that would be kept by councils – how this would assist the social housing sector where tenants on housing benefit don’t pay council tax was unclear to say the least.

The CIH’s response to the emergency budget and also the emerging policies of the coalition was the CIH Housing Pact which highlights the vast areas of public policy that Housing covers and underlines how difficult prioritization and cost cutting will be.

The nine points of the Pact are:

1) That the government continues to invest in the building of new affordable homes with long term and flexible funding packages. In return the housing sector pledges to help make the local incentives model work, to be more innovate in pursing new partnerships and new delivery models

2) That the government acts quickly to set out how we move from national targets to localism.  In return the housing sector pledges to play a key part in helping make the local incentives model work.

3) That the government anchors its reform of housing benefit in the work of the Poverty Commission and supports wider reforms of the housing system which promote mobility and real choice. In return, the housing sector will promote employment and do everything it can to tackle worklessness.

4) That the government gives housing providers more flexibility to set rents, to sell or buy the houses they need and to manage their assets in the best interests of their local communities. In return the housing sector will make the best use of their asset base.

5) That there is a housing presence on the Long Term Care Commission and that the housing minister makes a clear case to the Treasury for the continuation of Supporting People funding. In return housing professionals offer will use this money to deliver preventative support that saves precious NHS resources.

6) That the government reforms the council house funding system so that local authorities can spend their tenant’s rent money in their local area. In return housing professionals will provide supporting arguments to help to make this happen and then use the additional investment to deliver more and better homes in line with local priorities.

7)That the government prioritises retrofitting, offering incentives to encourage investment by households and private industry.  In return the sector will help government reduce the 27 per cent of emissions coming from housing.

8)That government departments stop working in silos and adopt the ‘total place’ approach. In return housing professionals will do the same and use the significant efficiency savings that result to do more for less.

9)That the government recognise the work of the Tenant Services Authority (TSA) and proceed with an open mind in reviewing regulation, in particular preserving the standards approach and ensuring economic and consumer regulation continues in some form. In return the housing sector promises to drive forward continuous improvement.

In the face of the fundamental changes in the residential property landscape, with low credit availability and low house price inflation, there were signs of innovation being developed and considered, in terms of Financial, Planning Policy and Sustainability; examples being discussed and launched were Gentoos Genie – a new financial model for shared ownership,  speakers at the Joseph Rowntree Trust daring to say that Brownfield targets drove the wrong market dynamics and in overall terms, greening brownfield land for beneficial use and building homes on marginal Greenfield land where people want to live and of a type they want to live in is how we will progress.

The focus on technical fixes to our energy and carbon imperatives was palpable and it was interesting that none of the vendors of the technologies on show were at the discussion on how peoples behaviours and interactions will bring the largest impact to these, and all of the challenges set out in Grant Schapps positioning statements and the CIH pact.

So overall more questions than answers. Can Government let go of control, can local institutions be given the autonomy and capacity to deliver local solutions that suit their communities? Does the grant funding and target culture of much of the Social Housing sector stifle innovation and delivery of really beneficial outcomes for tenants and the communities they live in.?

Interesting times ahead.  Onto the World Sustainable Cities Summit to see if the challenges across the globe are similar.

For more information on Wood Holmes Housing and Urban Regeneration services contact paulc@woodholmes.co.uk

Talks from Prof Cowling the Crown Estate’s Chief Scientist, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, FRM, and SAMS were followed by group discussions between the 25 invited attendees.

Overall, the day was proactive and practical, and we look forward to contributing to the developments going forward.

Professors William Gartner and Per Davidsson will give keynote addresses opening the workshop, and twenty leading entrepreneurship scholars will present papers. A link to the conference is here.

More news will follow over the next two days.

Now in its seventh year the Blueprint competition promotes and recognises the best in student and graduate businesses at each of the regions universities with a grand final being held in October. TLC aims to tackle the increasing problem of obesity in children through a mixture of innovative residential and community based programmes. TLC will start delivery courses this summer.

“The quality of the entries into the competition seems to get better every year and helps demonstrate that there are alternate career routes for graduates as well as helping keep talent in the region” said Paul.

The Northern KM Network event will take place on the 24th May 2010 at Gentoo Group in Sunderland. The aim of this event is to provide an informal networking, good practice and knowledge sharing opportunity for those engaged in Knowledge Management across the North of the UK and (of course) beyond.

For this event we are very pleased to have secured Dave Snowden as our keynote speaker.

Dave needs no introduction in KM cirlces and is considered to be one of the foremost theorists and practioners in the field.  He will update the audience on the latest trends, as he sees them, in KM and also be available to take part in a Q&A session.

Aside from Dave, practioners attending will get the opportunity to hear from and share experiences with others in similar roles.

We hope to make this a regular event and want to encourage other KM practioners to host the event at their organisations in the future.This event will be held at Gentoos Houghton-le-Spring Offices in Sunderland.

Kick off will be 10.00am and the event will formally finish with lunch being provided at 1pm.

This is a free event but unfortunately, places are limited.

If you wish to attend please  email your details to stuarts@woodholmes.co.uk as soon as possible.

Based upon specific responses provided by each party to ten key business topics, the event discussed ways in which these policies would support or hinder the development and growth of enterpise. The outcomes from the event are being profiled in the Sunday Telegraph in the run-up to the election.

Read Sunday Telegraph Business Editor, Kamal Ahmed’s comments here, and his summary of the findings. You can also download the full report on the Blind Policy Taste Test from the eBay Media Center.

Craig Rose’ of Wood Holmes commentary on the key policies of the main parties with links to their manifestos can be found on this link

Labour Party

• Establish a £4 billion Finance for Growth Fund that will provide equity investment to high-growth potential firms.
• Introduce a Growth Capital Fund focusing on SMEs requiring investments ranging from £2-10 million.
• Create an Innovation Investment Fund that will target developing high-tech firms.
• Support R&D and university spin-out ventures through a Higher Education Innovation Fund and a new University Enterprise Capital Fund.
• Encourage the Regional Development Agencies to introduce a series of “regional growth funds”.
• Set up a Green Investment Bank to support low carbon infrastructure development and renewable energy projects.
• Provide incentives for companies to invest through R&D tax credits.
• Increase the capital allowances for “key growth sectors” such as manufacturing.
• Continued investment in skills and workforce training through initiatives like Train to Gain and the Future Jobs Fund.

Conservative Party

• Scrap the Government’s planned National Insurance increase for employers.
• Create a new “Work for Yourself” programme that will give unemployed people mentoring and loans to start a new business.
• Focus R&D tax credits towards hi-tech companies, small firms and start-ups.
• Replace Train to Gain with a new skills development programme that will create 400,000 training places and apprenticeships over two years.
• Offer SMEs a £2,000 cash incentive for every apprentice they recruit.
• Set up a Green Investment Bank to fund low carbon industries and cleantech start-ups.
• Axe Regional Development Agencies in favour of council and business-led local enterprise partnerships.
• Open up government’s £200 billion a year procurement market and make it easier for SMEs to win public sector contracts.
• Cut the headline rate of corporation tax to 25p and the small companies’ rate to 20p.
• Make small business rate relief automatic.
• Ensure new businesses don’t pay any National Insurance on the first ten employees they hire during their first year of trading.
• Refocus UK Trade and Investment’s support and funding towards high priority sectors.

Liberal Democrats

• Launch a one-year £3.1 billion job and green stimulus package with the aim of creating 100,000 new jobs.
• Set up a Creative Enterprise Fund offering training, mentoring and small grants to get creative sector firms off the ground.
• Use government procurement power to expand markets for green products and technologies.
• “Break up the banks” and develop a diverse range of local and regional sources of business finance.
• Fund a work placement scheme to ensure up to 800,000 young people can develop their skills and gain work experience.
• Reform Regional Development Agencies so that they focus solely on economic development.
• Establish an Infrastructure Bank to directly fund key transport projects and support the shift to a low carbon, sustainable economy.