A recent study conducted by The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has revealed that the current planning system is a key reason for under delivery of new homes.

The study entitled Housebuilding Market Study: Final Report, has identified persistent shortfalls in the number of homes built across England, Scotland and Wales with less than 250,000 built last year across Great Britain – well below the 300,000-target for England alone.

Around 60% of all houses built in 2021 to 2022 were delivered by speculative private development which has given builders flexibility to respond to changes in the market but widened the gap between what the market will deliver and what communities need.

Concerns were also raised for homeowners who have experienced high or unclear estate management charges for maintenance of roads, drainage, and green spaces. Additionally, ‘snagging’ issues with new housing have increased over the last 10 years.

Sarah Cardell, chief executive of the CMA, said: “Housebuilding in Great Britain needs significant intervention so that enough good quality homes are delivered in the places that people need them.

Our report – which follows a year-long study – is recommending a streamlining of the planning system and increased consumer protections. If implemented, we would expect to see many more homes built each year, helping make homes more affordable. We would also expect to see fewer people paying estate management charges on new estates and the quality of new homes to increase. But even then, further action may be required to deliver the number of homes Great Britain needs in the places it needs them.”

The CMA has also opened an investigation into the suspected sharing of commercially sensitive information by housebuilders – something that was highlighted in the report and which could be influencing the build-out of sites and the prices of new homes.

Responding to the study, Richard Beresford, chief executive of the National Federation of Builders (NFB), said: “Planning should be enabling homes, better places and competition which benefits not just Britain, but the British consumer. The CMA has correctly identified that the UK planning system does the opposite.”

Rico Wojtulewicz, head of policy, and market insight for the NFB and House Builders Association (HBA), added: “The CMA report has confirmed that a broken planning process is the reason we have a lack of social housing, why big builders build too many of our new homes and SMEs are shut out, that homes are in the wrong places and too expensive, there are some issues with quality, and we don’t do placemaking.”

Laminam has introduced three new surfaces to its large format porcelain I Naturali collection: Calacatta Mediceo, Patagonia and Fusion White. They are scratch resistant, durable and hardwearing and can be used in both interior and exterior spaces.

Calacatta Mediceo has a marble effect with gold and grey veining and patterned detail on a warm cream background. It is also available in a book match finish for a symmetrical look and in a choice of polished or soft touch finish.

Patagonia is influenced by the South American stone of its name, with an ontological pattern that harnesses the natural beauty of the different rocks and minerals that artfully achieve its volcanic nature. It's available in a choice of polished or soft touch finish and also in a book match finish for a symmetrical look.

In a natural or polished finish, Fusion White is inspired by natural marble with warm shades and a beige background features grey and brown veining for a balanced and cohesive look, which will add character to any surrounding. 

Managing director for Laminam UK, Gavin Shaw says, “We are thrilled to be introducing three brand new designs to our popular I Naturali collection. Each one has its own inherent beauty and characteristics and is created to complement current design trends and interior décor. Two of the new designs can also be book matched for a symmetrical mirror image on walls or floor, adding wow factor and instant impact to any space.”

Sarah Simpson has joined Caesarstone as the new head of inventory & supply chain expanding the company's growing team. 

With more than 20 years of experience in supply chain management for leading homebuilding brands, such as Saint-Gobain, Jewson, and Stark, Sarah's skillset will guide Caesarstone in further improving service across its operations and logistics teams, within its own distribution centres in London, Manchester, and Dublin.
 
The news follows the appointment of a new managing director, Edward Smith, in September 2023 and the company is also currently recruiting for head of customer service.
 
On the new appointment, Edward said:  "We have a reputation for delivering a high level of service to our value chain partners, and we are grateful for that. Nonetheless, we think there is more we can do as we continue to grow, ultimately leading to the best possible experience for the end consumer, for whom we are all working.
 
"Sarah's appointment is just one of several moves that we are making around the business that will help us maximise our significant UK infrastructure, which includes our three owned distribution centres, and substantial field sales and support team. 
 
He continues, “Of course, exceptional service is nothing without exceptional products and I am delighted to say that alongside this work, we are also gearing up for a major Spring product launch, which will see us expand our portfolio and introduce our latest product innovations."

Organised in partnership with Historic England, Conservation Day at last year’s Stone Show provided a fascinating look at a varied range of topics spanning conservation within the stone industry, and you can now view all three sessions from the days programme online. These are:

Responsible sourcing of building stone: online tools
Introduction by chair Tim Yates, Principal Consultant, Built Environment Team - BRE
Clara Willett, Senior Building Conservation Advisor – Historic England discusses the launch of The Building Stones Database for England; Ali Davey, Project Manager, Traditional Skills & Materials - Historic Environment Scotland, and Jim Hart, Sustainability Consultant - JH Sustainability Ltd, introduce Historic Environment Scotland’s Stone Carbon Calculator; and Dr Andy King, Technical Director & Principal Geologist – Geckoella Ltd, looks at identifying and sourcing building stone on a small scale for the repair of historic buildings.
 

Understanding stone in relation to climate change: a selection of current research projects
Introduction by chair Clara Willett, Senior Architectural Conservator - Historic England
Chris McLean, Senior Works Manager - Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Jon Gedling, Director of Works - Commonwealth War Graves Commission, and Chris McLean, Senior Works Manager - Commonwealth War Graves Commission explore climate change adaptations on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission estate including enzyme cleaning trials; Dr Philip Skipper, Researcher - Lincoln University & Consultant - Philip Skipper Heritage Science Services, and Dr Lynda Skipper, Senior Lecturer & Programme Leader - Lincoln University, look at understanding and measuring how stone properties influence biological growth; Andrew More, Senior Building Services Engineer - Historic England, discusses treating organic growth using UVC light; and finally Michael Sheppard, Deputy Director - Cathedrals Workshop Fellowship (on behalf of the Institute of Conservation (Icon)), presents Conserving the past, building the future: a collaborative approach.
 

Sustainable supply of roofing stone and slate
Introduction by chair Alison Henry, Head of Building Conservation - Historic England
Alison Henry, Head of Building Conservation - Historic England, and Ian Ramsay, Sales Manager - Burlington Slate Ltd. Ian Ramsay, Sales Manager - Burlington Slate Ltd, presents Cumbrian Slate: traditional production for heritage projects; John Owens, Technical Sales Manager - Breedon Group, presents Welsh Slate roofing: 5 million years old and still going strong; and lastly Richard Jordan, Technical Trainer/Assessor & Building Conservation Consultant - Jordan Roofing Ltd, presents Thorpe Satchville case study: Swithland Slate.

Watch all the videos now, here.

Six years after Wells stonemason and sculptor Paul Roddan staged the first Wells Stone Carving Festival, the event is returning to the Bishop's Barn (the medieval tithe barn owned by the council of the UK's smallest cathedral city) from 4-6 May 2024.

As well as being a qualified stonemason, Paul is a Yeoman of the stonemasons’ Livery Company in London (The Worshipful Company of Masons), which is once again supporting this year’s festival. There is further support from Whiteway Quarry, which is supplying the Marnhull stone the competitors will use; Toolmaker G Gibson & Co; Glastonbury Marquees, which will supply the marquee the carvers will work in; and creative street and hoarding advertising specialists Buildhollywood. Sponsorship opportunities are still available if anyone else wants to get involved.

Paul told former Stone Specialist editor, Eric Bignell: “While it's been a whirlwind getting everything together for this event there's a buzz of excitement that comes with putting on a stone carving festival. I'm really hoping we can capture the same success we had back in 2018 – the feedback then was overwhelmingly positive and the idea of hosting a second festival has always been burning away in the background.

“These events give us masons and carvers a chance to come together, sharing our passion for the craft. Carving and banker masonry can be a solitary task at times, so these gatherings are a chance to connect with peers and contemporaries. Unlike the usual straight lines of our day-to-day work, the festival lets everyone go in whatever creative direction they fancy.

“And, of course, the auction on the Bank Holiday Monday at the conclusion of the event of the works produced adds excitement for visitors, giving everyone the opportunity to own a unique piece of art crafted by some of the best stone carvers in the country at a fraction of their true worth.” The charity auction of the 16 works produced at the 2018 festival raised more than £6,000. The charity being supported this time is Young Lives vs Cancer.

Visitors to the event could also take home one of Paul Roddan’s stone carvings which will be the prize in a competition for visitors during the Festival.

For the stone masons and carvers taking part there will be three prizes: one chosen as the best piece by the competitors themselves; one judged by the organisers; and one judged by the general public who visit the event.

Any mason or carver who would like to take part should contact Paul Roddan. There is an entry fee of £60 per person. If anyone else is willing to help out, there's plenty to do in keeping the masses happy during the event – such as manning the have-a-go stand, demonstrating a different craft, giving talks, or anything else that will interest the public visiting the event. 

To find out more, visit: https://www.wellsstonecarvingfestival.co.uk/ or email Paul Roddan to register: stonecarvingfest@gmail.com

A number of British craftsmen working with stone will be involved in the inaugural Great Australian Stone Festival founded and hosted by Stone of Arc. The event which takes place in March in Wellington, New South Wales is the first traditional stone festival in the country and is the brainchild of professional waller, Emma Knowles who founded Stone of Arc in 2017.

Emma, who grew up in Yorkshire emigrated to Australia and it was there she discovered a love of dry stone walls. In fact, she is now one of only six Dry Stone Walling Association UK Advanced level female dry stone wallers in the world. In 2022, Emma joined forces with Jack McCallum a carver and waller from Yorkshire.

The festival will take place over 12 days and teams will work together constructing, instructing, sharing and socialising. Central to the festival will be the professional wallers, masons and carvers from the UK including:

• Alan Rhodes – master waller 
• Peter Isherwood, master waller
• David Griffiths – master waller and designer
• Ryan Johnson James – sculptor and carver
• Simon Lumb – waller and carver
• Jack McCallum – waller and carver 

Master waller Geoff Duggan and carver Ken Hutchinson from Australia will also join the crew.

The event will showcase traditional dry stone walling, carving and stonemasonry. Professionals and hobbyists alike will get the opportunity to work alongside the professional dry stone wallers, carvers and stonemasons in attendance, using ancient skills to construct unique dry stone sculptures that tell ancient stories of the land, all led by the Wiradjuri community.

There'll also be walling and carving competitions, and for the first time in Australia, several opportunities for aspiring and competent wallers to be examined at all four levels of the Dry Stone Walling Association (DSWA) Craftsman Certification Scheme as well as undertake professional training leading to employment.

To find it more visit: https://stoneofarc.com/events/international-stone-festival/

A new Mercers’ Maiden stone sculpture for The Mercers' Company in Frederick’s Place, London has recently been unveiled. Created by stone carver Emma Sheridan, a QEST RW Armstrong Scholar – the piece was commissioned in her final year project during her BA in Historic Carving: Architectural Stone at City & Guilds of London Art School. 

The Mercers' Company has been using the Mercers' Maiden as its emblem for hundreds of years reportedly since 1425, although the origins are unknown. 

"The project took the best part of a year - from working with an initial design on paper, to a clay maquette, to the carving in Portland stone. I feel very honoured to have been able to create this piece for the Mercers' Company that will become part of the fabric of the City of London", said Emma.