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The Housing and Planning Minister has lately stated a ?83 million Government initiative to complete 5,700 homes, the constructing of which was stalled as a result of the recession. Affordable housing across the country will receive funding as part of the so-called HomeBuy scheme - which has already helped over 130,000 social tenants, key workers and first-time buyers to gain a foothold on the housing ladder. However, a condition of the funding is the creation of apprenticeships and opportunities for local workers. This means that the scheme will not only safeguard over 1,700 existing jobs, but also give up to 100 young people an opportunity to learn the building trade. That said, there was some surprise expressed that London, which has 355,000 households on council waiting lists, according to the London Housing Federation, would receive just ?5 million, enough to complete 141 houses on three sites. Elsewhere in the UK, Birmingham City Council has recently said that it will apply for funding from the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), through the Public Land Initiative, for 200 new homes. The Council is contributing its own land, worth ?4.3 million and hopes to complete construction by 2012, if funding is approved. In Scotland, seven property development companies have successfully bid to participate in a ?2.5 million joint venture with the Scottish Government, whereby first-time buyers can buy a home for between 60% and 80% of the purchase price and share the equity with the Government and the developer. Mr. Healey also provided a fillip for councils tackling climate change when he announced the overhaul of three planning policies: Climate Change, Natural Environment and Coastal Change, granting nearly ?10 million for sustainable development with the aim of reducing carbon emissions. Sustainable development has, of course, been a recurring theme in the building industry in recent years. Natural, renewable, materials, such as wood, have become increasingly en vogue and many building components including doors and door hardware, for example, are constructed from renewable or recyclable materials and manufactured using environmentally friendly processes and finishes. Generally speaking, consumers are becoming ever more aware as to the materials used to coat, for example, garage doors or door hardware, such as hinges and handles. Awareness is also growing as to the environmental record of manufacturers, with regard to waste management. Buyers are thus increasingly basing purchasing decisions on environmental factors. Energy efficiency is similarly important to the modern consumer who may well be aware, for example, that Part L of Building Regulations 2006 states that the U-value - a measure of thermal conductance, expressed in units of W/m2K - must be a maximum of 2.2 W/m2K for doors with a glazed area occupying over 50% and 3.0W/m2K for other doors. With consumers becoming better informed in environmental and regulatory matters, the trade will need to be seen to explicitly address these.
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Tom Smith - Product Information Manager - www.IronmongeryDirect.co.uk/Products/Door_Furniture Get a Unique Version of this Article Article Marketing
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