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📰 The Robbins Construction Ltd Blog: Building Better, Together
Welcome to the Robbins Construction Ltd Blog—your essential read for insights, analysis, and expert opinion from the forefront of the London and Essex residential construction industry.
In today's volatile environment, building a high-quality extension, loft conversion, or new home is more complex than ever. From navigating sudden material shortages and soaring labour costs to meeting the ambitious standards of the new Building Regulations (Parts L, F, and O), the landscape is constantly shifting. That’s why we’re committed to doing more than just building your project; we will endeavour to keep a track of industry news and offer our opinion on these critical developments, translating the often-complex headlines into actionable insights for our clients.
Here, we will share our decades of experience, dissecting key issues like the impact of rising interest rates on project viability, the long-term changes introduced by the Net Zero strategy, and how emerging technologies can deliver a smoother build process. Our goal is to ensure you are fully informed and confident in the process, allowing us to build a successful future, together.
Ready to dive into the latest industry challenges?
⚖️ Community Tension: The Hendon Hub Debate
Sunday 25th September 2022
The Burroughs, Hendon, NW4 Hendon Hub Battle Lines: Civic Regeneration vs. Heritage Preservation in NW4 The Hendon Hub proposals—a major redevelopment of the historic civic centre site on The Burroughs (NW4) by Barnet Council and Middlesex University—dominated local news in 2022. While…
📝 The Planning Crisis
Sunday 21st August 2022
High Road West Planning Approved: Slow Motion Regeneration in Haringey A small but significant step was taken in Tottenham when Haringey Council granted hybrid planning permission for the High Road West regeneration scheme in August 2022. This project targets over 2,600…
🚨 Compliance Crisis: The New Build Cost Challenge
Wednesday 15th June 2022
Albert Road, New Barnet, EN4 9SH The EN4 New Build: How the Part L Rules Added Thousands to the Build Cost on Albert Road The area around New Barnet, particularly sites like those near Albert Road (EN4 9SH), has seen significant residential…
♻️ Design Compliance: The Part L/F/O Upheaval
Wednesday 15th June 2022
The Fabric First Future – New Building Regulations Make Homes 31% More Efficient (and Complex) The new Building Regulations (specifically Parts L, F, and the new Part O) came into force on June 15, 2022, as an interim step towards the…
📝 Infill vs. Community
Wednesday 4th May 2022
The Crouch End Planning War Ramsey Court, Park Road, N8 8JU The N8 Infill Challenge: When Garages Become Houses on Park Road The area around Crouch End (N8), known for its Victorian and Edwardian character, faces enormous pressure for housing delivery. Haringey Council…
🏦 Monetary Shock: The Interest Rate Crunch
Thursday 16th December 2021
The End of Cheap Money – Base Rate Hikes Put the Brakes on Buyer Confidence. The Bank of England announced its first increase in the Base Rate since 2018 on December 16, 2021, raising it from 0.1% to 0.25%. This marked…
🌍 Future Obligation: The Net Zero Challenge
Tuesday 19th October 2021
The Net Zero Strategy – Today’s Cost Hurdle is Tomorrow’s Compliance Reality The UK government published its official Net Zero Strategy: Build Back Greener on October 19, 2021, outlining the policies needed across all sectors, including the built environment, to meet…
📈 Supply Chain Meltdown: Materials Price Surge
Thursday 23rd September 2021
The Price Shock – Steel Up 75%, Timber Up 74%... Can We Still Trust Fixed-Price Contracts? The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) released figures in September 2021 confirming year-on-year price rises of imported sawn wood at 74.0% and fabricated structural…
📈 The Last Hurrah - Case Study 1:
Wednesday 30th June 2021
The SDLT Holiday Gold Rush Mill Hill East, NW7 2 The NW7 Dash to Completion: When Flipping Truly Peaked The deadline for the £500,000 Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) nil-rate band on June 30, 2021, marked the end of the most profitable window…
⛓️ Fintech Frontier: Crypto and Smart Contracts
Monday 24th May 2021
The Digital Ledger Arrives: How Blockchain Could End Construction’s Late Payment Curse! On May 24, 2021, news broke that a forward-thinking UK contractor had become one of the first in the country to accept major cryptocurrencies as payment for construction projects.…