Sales and house prices continue to decline across the residential market in January

THE January 2023 RICS UK Residential Survey results continue to highlight a muted market, with new buyer demand, sales, fresh listings, and prices all reported to be on a downward trend. Near term expectations suggest this picture is likely to remain in place for a while longer as the market adjusts to a higher interest rates in the UK. At a national level, the latest net balance for new buyer enquiries slipped to -47%, down from a reading of -40% last month. This continues to signal a decline in demand, with the January return marking the ninth successive negative monthly reading for new buyer enquiries.

Respondents to the survey in all parts of the UK saw either a fall in demand or a stagnant trend over this latest survey period. Alongside this, respondents continue to see a pull-back in the volume of fresh listings coming onto the sales market, with a net balance of -14% of contributors reporting a decline in new instructions over January 2023.

Looking at the next 12 months, the sales outlook does not appear to be quite as downcast as before, with the net balance moving to -20% compared to a much weaker reading of -42% seen in December.

The latest feedback on national house prices points to another monthly decline, with the January net balance softening further to -47% compared to a reading of-42% beforehand.

All Regions of England are seeing house prices retreat at present, with the sharpest declines (in net balance terms) coming across the East Midlands and the South East.

Looking across to the lettings market, tenant demand continues to increase according to a net balance of +43% of respondents nationally. At the same time, landlord instructions fell once again, with the latest net balance reading of -14% representing the tenth straight quarter in which a decline has been reported.

On the issue of supply across the rental market, around 64% of survey participants are of the opinion that Build to Rent will play a bigger role in the product mix brought to market going forward.

That said, the largest share of respondents (48%) perceive that Build to Rent will only be somewhat successful in filling the supply shortfall in the market longer term.

Simon Rubinsohn, Chief Economist, RICS, said:- "Although some respondents to the January RICS survey have noted a little more interest in the housing market as the new year got underway, the overall tone of the feedback still remains subdued which is not altogether surprising given the jump in mortgage rates since the autumn. Prices, meanwhile, are now beginning to reflect the shift in balance between demand and supply. However, it is questionable how much downside to pricing there is likely to be given that recent macro forecasts from the Bank of England and others are now envisaging a less harsh economic environment this year. Meanwhile the rental market continues to show strong interest from tenants and limited stock available which is keeping a firm momentum to rental growth. While Build to Rent clearly has a role to play in helping to fill this gap, the insights from the latest survey suggest that this is not going to be sufficient, at least in the near term, to address the challenge in this market."

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D'Vine Catering reveals mouth-watering line up of events from Lancashire Country Cricket to the Lord Mayor's Ball

AN acclaimed North West catering firm is looking forward to an exciting year of bowling over thousands of hungry diners at top events including Southport Flower Show and Lancashire County Cricket matches. No 2 days are ever the same for D'Vine Catering, which has been growing steadily ever since it was founded 14 years ago. During peak times there is a well trained team of around 60 people coming in to bat for D'Vine, with 10 full-time employees joined by 50 part-time colleagues. They are looking for more people to join them with a variety of roles available. Today the firm is based at the Southport and Birkdale Sports Club, in Birkdale.

D'Vine also operates at a number of other top venues across the North West, including:- St George's Hall in Liverpool; Liverpool Town Hall; The Bombed Out Church in Liverpool; Victoria Park in Southport; West Lancashire Yacht Club in Southport; Houghton Tower Preston, Hobbit Hill in Clitheroe; The Tipis at Riley Green in Preston and several others.

The company has built a reputation for creative, affordable catering for a variety of clients. That includes:- many weddings each year, numerous bespoke corporate events, birthdays, celebrations, summer garden parties, plus top North West events such as:- Southport Flower Show and The Yabba Dabba Doo.

D'Vine is excitedly looking forward to Lancashire County Cricket bringing a 4 day match against Hampshire to S&B on Trafalgar Road over:- 1 June 1 to 14 June 2023, in addition to a couple of 2nd team fixtures and a much-anticipated 1 day game between:- England and Australia's Over 60's teams, on:- 19 July 2023.

The firm always goes the extra mile to create the perfect menu and atmosphere for whichever event it serves, creating menus tailored to suit each client's taste and style of entertaining.

D'Vine CEO Giles Gottig said:- "Our philosophy is simple; we buy the best ingredients and combine them with a modern or classic twist. If you have a fixed menu in mind, we will cater to your wishes, however if you have absolutely no idea of what you like we will guide you in the right direction. We cover lots of different bookings throughout the year, catering for weddings, events, corporate events, funerals, birthdays, reunions, anniversaries, and more. We host a lot of events here at Southport and Birkdale Sports Club, which is a fantastic venue. It has lots of seating inside and lovely views outside, as well as lots of free parking with its large car park. We have been here for the past 8 years and we love it here. S&B is a very progressive and ambitious club, and we're excited to be working with them to host large events such as the Lancashire County Cricket fixtures. The England versus Australia Over 60s game will be exciting too, we are looking forward to seeing which players will be appearing! It is going to be really special when these cricket fixtures come to Southport this year. It is lovely to be able to give such a warm welcome to so many visitors from across the UK, and show them the best of what our Town has to offer. We are delighted to once again be providing the catering at Southport Flower Show, which we always look forward to. We have enjoyed impressing guests at lots of big corporate events over the past few months such as the ADHD Ball at St George's Hall in Liverpool, Liverpool City Council Fostering event and the Hard Hitters boxing event for ex-veterans, also at St George's Hall. We also enjoy providing our services for the NHS. Another proud moment is catering for the Lord Mayor's Dinner in Liverpool. We catered for Kingswood Homes for a charity event in aid of Derian House Childrens Hospice event of 400 people in the Walled Gardens at Hoghton Tower. That was a great event. We were also at the ball where Derian House Children's Hospice announced their "Win A House' winner. It was a really emotional evening. We provide catering at other venues across the North West, such as West Lancashire Yacht Club, St George's Hall, Liverpool Town Hall, and others across Merseyside, Lancashire, Cumbria and Cheshire. We are very busy this year! We have lots of events already booked in, particularly over the summer and during weekends, but still have some availability especially in the shoulder months and during weekdays. We are celebrating what is lining up to be a record-breaking year for us. We are already taking bookings for next year too. We are really appreciative of the superb team we have with us, who set such high standards. If anyone is interested in availability, the sooner they get in touch with us the better so we can arrange the best dates for them."

D'Vine employs a very friendly, efficient and enthusiastic team, who are always on hand from enquiry to the end of your special day. Food is freshly prepared by trained Chefs sourcing both local and seasonal produce where possible. There are catering companies and then there's D'vine. Catering your event is more than just supplying the food, drink and service. It's about sharing your passion for a celebration that will fill your memories with joy. The firm boasts a large number of employees, and is always on the lookout for more talented local people to join their team.

D'Vine Catering Officer Manager Caroline Douglas said:- "We are a Living Wage employer and a great company to work for. We offer flexible hours to suit employees and recruit heavily in the local area. We provide catering for weddings, corporate events, celebrations, and big events such as the Southport Flower Show. We have several people who have been with us for a few years, we have a great record of staff retention which is good. We would love to see anyone interested in finding out more to get in touch by caklling us on:- 01704868301 or sending us an email to:- Info@TotallyDvine.Co.UK."

Major milestone in UK's race to net zero maritime with £77 million boost

ZERO emission ferries, cruises and cargo ships will set sail in UK waters within 2 years, creating thousands of new jobs, thanks to a £77 million Government investment in clean maritime technology.  This is the 1st time in UK history the Government is intervening to specifically target this level of funding on green maritime tech which is already well developed. The funding will take the tech from the factory to the sea; identifying which projects will have a long-term impact in reducing emissions.

Successful projects must be able to show they could use this money to work with major UK ports and operators to launch a zero emission vessel by 2025 at the latest.

Examples of such technology include:- battery electric vessels, shoreside electrical power, ships running on low carbon fuels like hydrogen or ammonia, and wind assisted ferries.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said:- "When it comes to tackling climate change, we are taking action on all transport modes, which is why we're making sure our world-leading maritime sector has a greener future. This multi million pound investment will help the latest tech ideas become reality and ensure UK waters will play host to green cargo ships, ferries and cruises in the next few years. Our funding will support a cleaner freight system, a more environmentally friendly tourism industry, and a net zero maritime sector."

The multi million pound Zero Emission Vessels and Infrastructure (ZEVI) competition; launched on:- Monday, 6 February 2023, will see innovative companies apply for the funding, which must be used to decarbonise technology both on board and shoreside.

The investment demonstrates the Government's commitment to a new green age for maritime travel which is free from emissions, in line with the 1.5 degree temperature target set by the Paris Agreement. 

Defence Secretary and Shipbuilding Tsar, Ben Wallace, said:- "Our National Shipbuilding Strategy Refresh set ambitious plans to drive the green maritime revolution as a key step to reaching this Government's net zero targets. This investment is a clear statement that we are taking these plans seriously, helping to put the UK at the cutting edge of clean maritime technology while benefitting thousands of UK jobs."

The competition will be overseen by Innovate UK, which has a record of delivering similar competitions across Government successfully.

Innovate UK Executive Director for Net Zero Mike Biddle said:- "This latest £77m investment in clean maritime innovation is another major milestone in the delivery of the wider UK SHORE programme to accelerate the transition to Net Zero. Innovate UK will work closely with the Department for Transport in the delivery of the Zero Emission Vessel and Infrastructure competition which will result in multi year real world demonstrations of clean maritime technologies around the UK."

The Government is also calling on universities across the UK to join forces to establish a new Clean Maritime Research Hub, with £7.4m funding from Government and additional funding from academia and industry.

Research in the fundamental science behind clean maritime technologies will be delivered by the hub, building evidence and expertise for the maritime sector. It will also support skills development across the industry and generate knowledge for maritime decision makers.

The hub will be delivered in partnership with, and co-funded by, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

The ZEVI fund and Clean Maritime Research Hub are part of the UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions (UK SHORE) programme which was launched in March 2022 with £206 million in funding. UK SHORE aims to tackle shipping emissions and advance the UK towards a sustainable shipping future.