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The National Federation of Builders (NFB) has claimed that government policy is causing its members severe damage.

There are currently 4.5 million people on the English council housing list yet only 120,000 new properties were built in the last year. To ease the housing shortage, the UK government has announced a New Homes Bonus scheme to incentivise English councils to up the ante on the building front. For every new house built, the coalition government has offered to match the council tax for six years.

As development increases around England, the amount of building on garden land has tripled and created the term “garden-grabbing.” The Department for Communities and Local Government presented figures that showed 25 percent of new homes were built on previously residential land, including back gardens.

Mayor Boris Johnson and the London Homes and Communities Agency have given a £52 million funding boost to more than 500 affordable homes.

The HCA London Board, which is chaired by the Mayor, has approved investment for 16 housing and regeneration schemes and will deliver a total of 518 affordable homes to help meet London's housing needs; this was originally included as part of the previous Government's Housing Pledge.

The housing market is looking up with rises in house sales for a UK construction group.

The irregular looking building in Leeds, United Kingdom was named Europes best tall building and among the four "best" buildings in the world. The Building, which has a side looking like precariously stacked blocks, was built to "optimize daylight and reduce solar penetration." Through analysis of the building's facades, the builders were able to make sure there would be high levels of natural daylight without overheating.

The families of two workers killed at the Olympics site in Stratford are planning a protest to call for better health and safety in the industry.

Both Shaun Curry, 39 and Harry Sheridan, 58 lost their lives in accidents on Olympic-related projects. Workers will on Thursday stop work and march from Pudding Mill Lane, Stratford, to the Stratford City site, where a commemorative event will take place.

Building regulations in the UK are set to be changed in October this year to improve the energy efficiency of new build and refurbished homes.

The following changes to building regulations will be made to Parts L, F and J to make homes 25% more efficient:

The Homebuilding & Renovating show is Britain's number one self build show and takes place at the NEC Birmingham from 18-21 March 2010. ProblemSolved is offering it's readers complimentary tickets (usually £10) for the event.

A builder from Northumberland has received 90 letters from the Inland Revenue saying he owed £100 - and 90 more saying he didn't.

Trevor Bell, of Bedlington, Northumberland said: "They would not fit in the postman's bag." The Revenue is said to be investigating the mix up.

Related articles:

A builder from Yorkshire has been jailed for four years after conning homeowners out of tens of thousands of pounds.

Darryl Glynn from Selby managed to get customers to hand over £54,990 for work that was left undone, leading to rain-damaged houses that had to be vacated and bills of at least £34,000 to fix.

If ever you needed a reason to find a reliable tradesperson, here it is...

Shocking new figures have revealed that there are 210,000 out-of-work builders in the UK applying for just 300 building jobs.

Manchester United footballer Gary Neville is set to build a new zero-carbon "home of the future" in the Bolton cou

A remodelled 1970s property in Lancashire has been announced as the winner of for the Daily Telegraph Homebuilding & Renovating Awards 2009. Shaun Beverley saw the potential of the 1970s detached home on a secluded plot that no-one seemed to be interested in buying.

With everyone bigging up their green credentials, ProblemSolved members are following suit.

Horsley-based building firm Surrey Traditional Builders is launching a new range of eco-friendly extensions and garden buildings. The good news is that not only do the projects cut your carbon-footprint, but the reduced materials and labour keeps costs down as well.

Apprentice contestant Lorraine Tighe (she's the boring one who looks like Alan Carr in drag) is reported to be being questioned by Revenue and Customs officials as part of an investigation into an alleged £8m fraud at her father's construction company.

Britain's largest privately-owned construction company has announced that it will recruit 1,000 apprentices in 2009 an artical in The Times has reported. Laing O'Rourke, which leads the consortium responsible for the venues for the 2012 Olympics, will create 200 "specially tailored" schemes with its chain suppliers accounting for a further 800 places.

The UK Government will now have the option to reduce VAT from 15% to 5% on building and construction work after EU financial chiefs gave the OK to the proposal aimed at easing the burden on the property market.

We could be into 2011 before the building trade shows any signs of recovery according to The Construction Skills Network.

The training body predicts that the sector faces another 2 years of decline before it turns a corner. It also predicted that 5,000 fewer new jobs would be available in 2009.

According to a report by Building.co.uk, construction output has hit a 30 year low, with further falls predicted into 2010 to mark the largest fall since the 1980s. The Construction Products Association (CPA) predicted a decline of 10% in new construction work and 15% in residential maintenance before the end of 2009.

Home maintenance group Homeserve said Ian Carlisle, CEO of Emergency Services, is to quit the company next year.

The Emergency Services division will focus on responding to insurance claims and commercial partnerships. The management of claims and service delivery will switch to the UK Membership business.

Carlisle leaves the company on 31 January 2009.

www.homeserve.co.uk

Ailing house builder Persimmon has announced that its profits for the first half of 2008 have fallen by 87% or over £244 million compared with 2007. The York-based business saw sales fall by 31% with house price drops and falling demand for new builds further eating into its numbers.

The building and construction sector has been hit by the highest increase in insolvencies of any industry sector - a jump of 35% in the past 12 months. A total of 449 building and construction campanies became insolvent between April and June 2008 according the PWC, whose spokesperson cited a drying up of work as a result of falling housing prices as the main cause of the rise.

Building materials group Saint Gobain has announced that it will cut 4,000 jobs worldwide, including 1,100 in the UK.

One of the leading Scottish home builders, Homes for Scotland, was called for action from the Scottish parliament as it faces the highest volume of job losses "since Ravenscraig in 1992." Chief executive for the Edinburgh-based form, Jonathan Fair was quoted in the Scotsman s

Government proposals published today (25 February) would require Lifetime Homes for all new homes by 2013 to “future proof” them and meet the needs and aspirations of Britain’s ageing population.

But professionals from HBF’s Retirement Housing Group (RHG) say that this exclusive focus on a “bricks and mortar” solution is misconceived.

The provision of support and companionship is a critical element in the quality of life of many older people.