This month, we’ve continued to explore many of the key themes currently influencing the built environment, from sustainable drainage and climate resilience through to structural efficiency, site disposal and long-term project performance. A particular highlight from the past month was the publication of our new report, written in conjunction with the Home Builders Federation (HBF), examining Sustainable Drainage Systems and the opportunities we’ve identified in Wales to support greater consistency, certainty and efficiency ahead of guidance becoming legislation across England. This month, we also shared some exciting leadership news as we continue to grow and evolve following our recent partnership with CBPE. Plus, read on to take a look back at our latest thought leadership article covering development viability, as well as three podcast episodes from the past few weeks.
This month, we were pleased to publish a new report in partnership with the HBF, exploring Sustainable Drainage Systems for residential developments.
Drawing on industry experience and engagement with stakeholders from across the development sector, our report looks at key themes emerging from the current Welsh SuDS framework and highlights opportunities to support greater consistency, certainty and efficiency throughout the approval and delivery process.
Whilst focused on Wales, many of the solutions explored will play an increasingly important role in shaping successful developments as guidance transforms into legislation, and is rolled out across England and beyond.
You can read more about it here
Richard Moorcroft and Lee Witts recently hosted a bonus webinar session exploring the potential implications of the most recent political changes on the development sector.
They talked through how the changes could potentially influence policy, investor confidence and market activity, as well as what practical steps developers should be looking at, as the wider political and economic landscape continues to shift.
If you missed it, watch back now via our YouTube channel to learn more about what the changing UK political landscape means for those across the industry.
We’ve released more new podcast episodes this month, covering topics including site disposal and building for climate resilience.
In episode one, Site Disposal: Getting it Right and Locking in Value, Lee Witts and Adam Melia were joined by special guest Ruth McKeown, Executive Director at Hallam Land. They explored the importance of planning, technical and commercial preparation, and how a coordinated approach can help create confidence, demonstrate development potential and support successful site disposal outcomes.
During episode two, Climate Change Adaption, Katie Glaze was joined by two special guests, Mark Standen of BRE and Pantelis Lavantis of Ecoveritas. The three of them discussed how rising temperatures and changing weather patterns should be informing the way new buildings are designed, operated and maintained for long-term performance. They also covered practical retrofit opportunities to help improve the resilience of existing buildings, with lessons learned from developments across Europe.
Catch up on all episodes of the Brookbanks Podcast via our YouTube channel for more expert insights across planning, engineering, development and infrastructure delivery.
Following our recent partnership announcement with CBPE, we are pleased to share some recent promotions within our leadership team, that reflect the continued growth of Brookbanks and the next stage in our journey. If you would like to learn more about this, read our update here.
Andrew Thorley has taken on the role of Chief Executive, Richard Moorcroft has become Chief Technical Officer, and Rachel Appleby has been appointed Group Operations Director.
These changes support our continued focus on technical excellence, operational performance and delivering exceptional outcomes for our clients. Andrew, Richard and Rachel will continue to work closely with our wider leadership team to support our people, strengthen our multidisciplinary offering and guide the direction of Brookbanks.
If you would like to find out more about our new partnership, please see our news article below. Alternatively, if you have any questions, please email Rachel Appleby, at rachel.appleby@brookbanks.com or reach out via LinkedIn.
In this webinar we explore where the two disciplines of acoustics and sustainability intersect in the healthcare sector. Using practical examples, Tom Quaife-Jones and Katie Glaze explain how early co ordination can improve improve performance, protect patient wellbeing and keep projects moving.
In September, we’ve continued to share our thoughts and expertise on the key themes currently influencing the built environment. In our podcasts, we covered the current policy initiatives HBF are in conversation with the government about as well as light gauge steel frame design and its differences and advantages over traditional structural materials. For our monthly webinar, Tom Quaife-Jones and Katie Glaze shared their knowledge on the growing challenge of reducing carbon and energy consumption while supporting wellbeing in healthcare environments.
The Government's announcement of the new Your First Home scheme has understandably attracted attention for its potential to help first-time buyers onto the property ladder. However, the most significant impact of the policy may lie elsewhere. The bigger question for the development industry is whether it can restore confidence across the housing delivery pipeline and provide a stimulus for new housing supply at a time when viability pressures continue to constrain development activity.