“A bright new start for housing in UK.” That was the message from the Government, as it announced its latest plans to continue with policies of social reform. At the root of this initiative is a desire to bring security to families in what will hopefully become a ‘turnaround decade for Britain’. Whenever issues relating to housing hit the headlines those involved in the fenestration industry start counting all of the holes that need filling with windows and doors. The additional mention by the Government of a policy of ‘ten of thousands’ of new homes as part of the Housing Zone funding scheme also represents a good opportunity for the supply of a significant number of windows and doors. Cameron and his Government have pledged to turnaround the many ‘Sink Estates’ that have littered the landscape of this country for too many years. They acknowledge lessons need to be learnt from numerous failed attempts to regenerate estates, characterised by pointless planning rules and local policies. The solution has been met with mixed emotions, with many saying the £140m fund which has been set aside to contribute to the early construction costs will only be able to ‘scratch the surface’. Despite this pessimism, the initial plan to work with 100 housing estates with the aim to transform them, is a step in the right direction. There is no ‘one-size fits all solution’ and the Government acknowledges that it will mean knocking some estates down and rebuilding them, whilst some will need upgrading. On the issue of funding, there is hope it will be bolstered with investment from the private sector and the all important pension funds.
Our own industry is integral to helping Britain to improve the living environment. We often focus on the higher end of the housing ladder with luxury, aspirational fenestration products, but it is important to remember we also offer a plethora of products that can enhance and secure social housing. Security is the key consideration in many of these instances and this has become a key issue in social reform. It has many connotations, but when it comes to housing, windows and doors are always top of the list of measures to improve security in the home. For this reason, the latest ‘turnaround’ pledge from David Cameron should be welcomed by the window and door industry, as any news regarding more holes to fill should be treated as a new opportunity.