Member News Subjects

Manningham Housing Association lauded at national awards ceremony

Manningham Housing Association (MHA) has received warm praise from judges at the Housing Executive Awards. In their formal adjudication, the judges said: “Manningham Housing Association stood out among the other strong finalists for its digital innovation and community involvement, earning Highly Commended recognition.” The BME organisation, which manages more than 1,400 homes for over 6,000…

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Professor’s vision for future cities inspires international award

The next generation of architects and urban planners will be honoured through an international award created in memory of a University of Bradford academic.   ‘The City of My Future – Professor Claudia Trillo Award’ will promote the work of young researchers in the field of sustainable urban regeneration.    The award celebrates the work…

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New 1.5-acre park opens next to 78 new Passivhaus homes

A new green space for all to enjoy has been opened as part of work to build 78 ultra low-energy homes at Burnholme Green. A 1.5-acre park has been opened with play and exercise areas, meadows and coppices of trees, connected to the local communities by a network of paths dotted with benches. Across the…

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Equans to deliver Leeds warm homes boost

Energy and regeneration expert Equans has secured a contract with Leeds City Council to make over 270 council-owned homes in Seacroft more affordable to heat. Equans will install insulation to external walls and some lofts, proving an extra layer of protection from all types of weather. The new insulation will also prevent heat escaping from…

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Outstanding student achievements recognised at Leeds College of Building Awards

Leeds College of Building (LCB) students and apprentices from the 2024/2025 academic year have been honoured at the annual BIG (Building Industry Greats) Awards. More accolades than ever before were handed out, including 44 trophies, seven Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) QUEST Technician Scholarships, and one medal from the British Tunnelling Society Young Members. Virgin…

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MP officially opens brand-new housing development in North Yorkshire

Member of Parliament for York Outer, Luke Charters, has officially unveiled a brand-new housing development in Copmanthorpe. The constituency MP joined Barratt Homes to celebrate the launch of the 75-home development, named Russet Park. Set to deliver a selection of one to five bedroom properties, the growing community offers house hunters a village retreat only…

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Topping out ceremony marks milestone in multi-million-pound Bradford College building project

Bradford College marked a significant milestone as governors and special guests gathered at the £19.3 million Junction Mills development for a commemorative topping-out ceremony. The college event celebrated the highest point of the building’s structure being put in place, signalling the next phase of work to create a cutting-edge training facility for automotive, digital, and…

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Manningham Housing Association up for three national awards

Manningham Housing Association (MHA) has been named as a finalist in three categories at the Housing Executive Awards, including Housing Association of the Year. The recently completed £4.3million Odette’s Point development at Shann Lane in Keighley – delivered in partnership with Avant Homes, Homes England and Bradford Council – has also been shortlisted for Best…

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North Yorkshire housebuilder and RSPB working together for five more years

Local housebuilder Barratt and David Wilson Homes and the RSPB, the UK’s largest nature conservation charity, are extending their partnership for another five years. The two organisations have agreed to work together for another five years, with parent company Barratt Redrow investing over £1m in the new partnership, on top of what it spends supporting…

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Secure a move this weekend at housebuilders event in North Yorkshire

House hunters in search of a quick move to a brand-new home are being encouraged to attend David Wilson Homes’ Instant Part Exchange event at its Bramble Wood development in Wheldrake this weekend. The event, taking place on Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th September between 10:30am and 5pm, will present the opportunity for home buyers…

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Home buyers invited to first look at new Copmanthorpe community

Property seekers in North Yorkshire are being invited to an exciting pre-launch event to take a first look at a brand-new housing development. Ahead of the imminent launch of Barratt Homes’ Russet Park development in Copmanthorpe, prospective purchasers are being encouraged to attend a preview event on Thursday 4th September between 4pm and 7pm. Taking…

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Council’s Passivhaus homes launched

Duncombe Square is the first phase of one of the country’s largest Passivhaus schemes, and sales will begin of shared ownership and open market houses and apartments on 12 September. Duncombe Square is City of York Council’s first Passivhaus development of 34 high quality, zero carbon-in-use homes, built to an award-winning design. It is part…

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Details of Council’s first Passivhaus homes for shared ownership released

Details of shared ownership homes at Duncombe Square have been released today (27 August), meaning that the 200 people who have expressed an interest in them can consider taking the next step towards buying a home. Duncombe Square is City of York Council’s first Passivhaus development of 34 high quality, zero carbon-in-use homes, built to…

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Law firm advises on sale of Chapel Sands Caravan Park

Regional law firm Andrew Jackson Solicitors LLP announces that it has recently advised Woodthorpe Leisure Park Ltd on the sale of Chapel Sands Caravan Park, a prominent mixed holiday and residential park in Chapel St Leonards, Lincolnshire, to a local family business. Chapel Sands Caravan Park has long been a staple of the local tourism…

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Leeds College of Building named one of first ‘technical excellence colleges’ in £100m construction skills drive

Leeds College of Building (LCB) has been named one of the first ever ‘construction technical excellence colleges’ (CTEC) and will receive a share of £100 million in government funding to tackle construction skills shortages. Only 10 colleges across England have been given the status for the 2025 to 2026 academic year, with LCB selected to…

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‘Intense competition’ for UK power connections creating uncertainty despite growing infrastructure opportunities

Turner & Townsend is advising clients to focus attention on navigating the impacts of a lengthening ‘connection queue’, as electricity grid reform and investment simultaneously create infrastructure demand and market uncertainty. The global professional services company’s Summer 2025 UK Construction Market Intelligence report (UKMI) predicts infrastructure tender values will rise at a faster pace than…

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Celebrations in Bradford as £5m affordable homes development reaches completion

Special guests including Manningham Housing Association (MHA) residents, project partners, board members and staff joined together at Eccleshill in Bradford for the official opening of the BME organisation’s stunning new £5 million affordable homes scheme. The ribbon was cut by MHA Chair Rupert Pometsey, supported by Councillor Ian Paterson, who represents the Eccleshill ward in…

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Leeds College of Building competes at ‘The Big Construction Diversity Challenge’

A team of Leeds College of Building (LCB) staff have competed in ‘The Big Construction Diversity Challenge’ for the first time. The annual event, held at Newark Showground, promotes the importance of equality, diversity, and inclusion in the construction industry today. Twenty teams participated, including prominent industry names such as Axis CLC, Worcester Bosch and…

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Leeds College of Building Principal attends Construction Skills Mission Board at Westminster

Senior leaders from across construction and Government Ministers will launch the construction sector skills mission this week, to ensure the sector has the workforce it needs to deliver. The Construction Skills Mission Board will meet today, 26 June, to set a strategy for recruiting an additional 100,000 workers a year by the end of the…

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Manningham Housing Association secures ownership of £5m affordable homes scheme

Manningham Housing Association (MHA) has acquired five new build detached houses in Eccleshill, Bradford in a £1.1 million deal. With the addition of these two three-bed and three four-bed properties, MHA now owns all 24 homes in the recently completed One Meadow development on Victoria Road. This represents a total investment of £5 million, delivered…

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Planning approved for student accommodation at the Merrion Centre

Major milestone reached in the next phase of the Merrion Centre’s evolution Leeds-based property investor and developer, Town Centre Securities PLC (TCS), has received planning approval from Leeds City Council for a landmark student accommodation scheme at the Merrion Centre, further cementing the centre’s position as a dynamic, mixed-use city destination. The approved plans will…

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Spending Review can be transformative for new homes and Bradford – housing association CEO

The chief executive of Bradford-based Manningham Housing Association has backed the Chancellor’s commitments to a £39 billion Affordable Homes Programme and a 10-year rent settlement announced in today’s Spending Review. In a statement, Lee Bloomfield said: “For far too long, housing associations have faced an impossible task in trying to provide enough decent homes for…

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Plans to transform York city centre come under the spotlight at York Festival of Ideas

York Festival of Ideas in partnership with LNER is offering York residents and visitors an exciting opportunity to find out more about the major developments taking place in the city centre. The free event York: A 21st-century rail hub on Saturday 7 June will turn the spotlight on the York Station Gateway project, which is…

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College’s £17m building hits milestone as steel frame completed

The four-storey steel frame of Bradford College’s new £17 million building is now in place—marking a key step in transforming the Thornton Road site. Led by Morgan Sindall, the new Junction Mills building will offer students specialist training in motor vehicle, advanced electrical, hybrid and hydrogen technologies, vital in supporting the growth of low-carbon skills…

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£5m scheme improves the energy efficiency of West Yorkshire homes

A £5.8million project to reduce the energy usage and carbon emissions of over 440 homes in Leeds and Harrogate has led to warmer living and lower bills for residents across the region, thanks to energy and regeneration specialist Equans and Leeds Federated Housing Association. Retrofit work carried out to the homes – a mix of…

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Sycamore Square Group celebrates five years of strategic growth and social impact

Established in 2020, Sycamore Square Group (SSG) is celebrating five years of delivering strategic estates management and building consultancy across Yorkshire and the UK. Founded by Debbie Lewis FRICS, MCIOB, MAPM, AaPS and Will Roberts MAPM, AaPS, the business was born from a shared vision and a long-standing professional partnership formed over 7 years working…

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Iconic Meltham café business goes up for sale

A unique café and events business in Meltham, near Holmfirth, has been put up for sale with a guide price of £175,000 with commercial property estate agent Ernest Wilson, which is part of Eddisons. Launched in 2020, Lu’s Place, on the edge of Meltham and adjacent to open countryside and woodland, has built a reputation…

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This weekend: Fast-track a move with housebuilder’s events in North Yorkshire

House hunters looking to secure a brand-new home are invited to Barratt and David Wilson Homes’ Instant Part Exchange events at its Harclay Park and Manor Chase developments in Boroughbridge this weekend. The events, taking place from Friday 9th to Sunday 11th May, will offer those looking to move home the chance to arrange a…

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Bradford’s historic Little Germany sets its sights on a new chapter

Following the completion of a successful round of funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, a team led by Impact Hub Bradford has revealed plans to regenerate the city’s historic mercantile quarter, Little Germany. Home to 55 Grade 2 Listed buildings, the area is home to one of the most remarkable heritage destinations in the…

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Schofield Sweeney supports ‘home city’ again with Bradford Showcase partnership

Leading commercial law firm Schofield Sweeney will play a key role in showcasing the Bradford district’s planning and investment potential at an event alongside the UK Real Estate Investment & Infrastructure Forum (UKREiiF), in Leeds from May 20th-22nd. Working in partnership with Bradford Council, Schofield Sweeney, which has one of the region’s largest and most…

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Manningham Housing Association achieves Northern Housing Awards double

Manningham Housing Association (MHA) has triumphed in two categories at the Northern Housing Awards 2025. The BME organisation – which manages more than 1,400 homes for over 6,000 residents in Bradford and Keighley – won the blue riband Landlord of the Year award at a prizegiving ceremony at Emirates Old Trafford in Manchester, with MHA…

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North Yorkshire builders spill the tea: coffee is site favourite ahead of National Tea Day – and a hobnob to dunk in it

Builders at Barratt and David Wilson Homes in North Yorkshire have given their hot take on hot drinks for National Tea Day (Monday 21st April) in an exclusive survey revealing their drinking preferences. The survey of more than 200 Barratt and David Wilson Homes builders confirmed that a good brew is still an important part…

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Manningham Housing Association retains world-leading position on diversity and inclusion

Manningham Housing Association (MHA) has again met the global Standard for Diversity and Inclusion in HR Management – building on its unique status as the first housing association in the world to achieve it. ISO 30415 is an internationally recognised certification that endorses exemplary practices in diversity and inclusion within organisations. The accolade is awarded…

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Aysgarth Falls Hotel to launch stunning individual luxury garden suites in late Summer 2025

Aysgarth Falls Hotel is delighted to announce the upcoming launch of its new individual luxury Suites under the stars, a collection of 14 exquisitely designed stand-alone retreats nestled within the national park’s charming landscape. Each Suite off ers a perfect blend of contemporary luxury and natural beauty in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales. The…

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North Yorkshire homebuilder awarded five stars by customers for 16th consecutive year

Leading housebuilder Barratt and David Wilson Homes has once again received the maximum five-star rating in the new Home Builders Federation (HBF) annual New Homes Customer Satisfaction Survey. This is the sixteenth year in a row that Barratt and David Wilson Homes has achieved the top five-star rating – far longer than any other major…

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Leeds confirmed as UKREiiF 2026 host city

Following on from many successful years, The UK’s Real Estate Investment & Infrastructure Forum (UKREiiF) has announced it will remain in Leeds for a fifth consecutive year, for 2026. Formed in 2022 UKREiiF has quickly become the UK’s leading platform in the regeneration, development and property sectors – bringing together investors, developers, housebuilders and end-users…

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Leeds flats enter a low carbon future

Residents in three blocks of flats in Leeds now have warmer, cheaper to heat homes as a result of a project to drive down costly energy use and reduce carbon emissions. Through the project, carried out by energy and regeneration specialist Equans and social housing provider 54North Homes, 98 homes have been improved, making them…

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Manningham Housing Association shortlisted for four Northern Housing Awards

Manningham Housing Association (MHA) has been shortlisted in four categories for the Northern Housing Awards 2025, including Landlord of the Year. Other prizes the Bradford-based BME association is in the running for include its Neighbourhood Services team making the cut for Northern Housing Team of the Year, and MHA Customer Panel member Tausif Mohammed being…

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Andrew Jackson advises the Kexgill Group on £58.5 million refinance facility for student accommodation expansion

Andrew Jackson Solicitors LLP is delighted to have advised the Kexgill Group, a leading provider of student accommodation across the north of England, on a £58.5 million refinance facility provided by Aldermore Bank. The transaction will support Kexgill’s growth plans for newly developed student accommodation, including a further 170 new bedrooms in prime city locations…

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Housing association CEO concerned over Spring Statement welfare cuts

The Chief Executive of Bradford-based Manningham Housing Association has spoken of his concern following the Chancellor’s decision to cut welfare spending in her Spring Statement. Lee Bloomfield commented: “I was delighted to hear the Government’s announcement earlier in the week to provide £2 billion of new funding to build 18,000 much needed affordable homes. “Manningham…

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Major Bradford affordable housing scheme reaches completion

Manningham Housing Association (MHA) has announced the completion of a £3.9 million affordable homes development in Eccleshill, Bradford. The One Meadow Victoria Road scheme comprises 19 properties – a mix of two, three and four-bed detached and semi-detached houses for social rent. The newly constructed homes have been delivered through a partnership with Zentra Group…

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Senior promotions at Lichfields’ Leeds office drive continued growth

UK planning and development consultancy Lichfields has announced the promotion of Emma Gomersal and James Cox to Planning Directors in its Leeds office as its Yorkshire team continues to grow. Emma has a strong background in strategic land, specialising in the promotion of residential and employment sites. She has worked extensively with landowner and developer…

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North Yorkshire developer calls out to key workers

Barratt and David Wilson Homes is shining a spotlight on its Harclay Park and Manor Chase developments in Boroughbridge, which have proven popular with key workers across North Yorkshire. The developments, located on Stump Cross, are conveniently positioned with five hospitals less than 18 miles away, including Ripon Community Hospital, Harrogate District Hospital, and York…

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Council secures more than £3.4m funding for warmer homes

Council leaders have confirmed that City of York Council will receive more than £3.4m of funding thanks to two separate grants. The funding, announced this week by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, will be used to upgrade around 280 homes over the next three years, to reduce carbon emissions and fuel poverty…

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YBS Commercial grows balance sheet to more than £2bn in 2024, lending close to £500 million to commercial investors and landlords

YBS Commercial Mortgages, the commercial lending arm of Yorkshire Building Society, has revealed it had another strong year in 2024, as commitment to broker relationships and personalised service catalysed the growth of its balance sheet to £2.2bn. The commercial lender completed £0.453bn of commercial mortgage loans during the year; £377m of which went into servicing…

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Yorkshire & Humber Construction Market poised for growth, driven by private housing boom

The latest Construction Market Intelligence (CMI Q1 2025) report from Yorkshire & Humber-based construction and property management consultant, Rider Levett Bucknall (RLB UK) forecasts a positive outlook for the region’s construction sector, with private housing emerging as the fastest-growing sector. Key Regional Developments Regional market sentiment remains generally optimistic, with significant development activity across the region’s larger…

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‘Iconic’ tenant thanks Unity Enterprise team for special business adventure

A longstanding tenant of a prominent Leeds enterprise hub has expressed her gratitude to the not-for-profit organisation that helped her business thrive. Corinne Lapierre has been making high-quality craft kits and textile accessories at Unity Business Centre (UBC) in Chapeltown for over 12 years. UBC is one of three centres managed by Unity Enterprise (UE),…

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Work to protect key heritage building uncovers unique history

A renovation scheme to secure the city’s historic Mansion House for years to come has uncovered some unique history. Over £1.3m is being invested in a range of essential repairs and improvements, including re-roofing the building, repairing its windows and ensuring it is health and safety-compliant. As part of the renovation, a new glimpse of…

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