News
The FirstPort Group Appoints Head of RMC Services
The FirstPort Group, the UK’s leading provider of residential property management services, has appointed Carina Paine as its Head of Resident Management Company Services, a pivotal new role introduced to enhance FirstPort’s commitment to the growing consumer-led market.
Carina’s primary focus will include overseeing the operational delivery and strategic direction of FirstPort’s RMC services, ensuring a consistent and high standard of service to both residents and RMCs. Carina joins FirstPort from Barratt Redrow, where she was Estates Manager at their Southern Counties division. During her time at Barratt, Carina worked across estate management and led on RMC transitions.
Commenting on her appointment, Carina said:
“I am excited to join FirstPort at a time of significant change in the property industry. We continue to improve how we listen to our RMC clients to meet and exceed our customer expectations. I will be working on shaping our service offerings to meet those needs.
“It is vital we take a collaborative and tailored approach to our RMCs, as no two will be the same. By nurturing strong, transparent relationships with our residents and delivering a professional, simplified and effective service to our RMCs, we will ensure the long-term success of their schemes.”
“This partnership empowers homeowners, ensuring they are well informed about how their developments are managed, as well as creating a clear and simple process for developers,” Carina added.
Commenting on her appointment, Carina said:
“We are delighted to welcome Carina to FirstPort. Her experience of the RMC and developer landscape will be instrumental as we continue to adapt and innovate in response to the evolving needs of our RMC clients. Carina will assist us in delivering a collaborative approach for our Resident Directors to ensure long-term success and satisfaction for both residents and clients.”
Up to 170,000 Homes to Get Energy Saving Upgrades
Earlier this month, the government announced that up to 170,000 homes in England will benefit from energy efficiency upgrades under the Warm Homes Plan.
In a statement, the housing department said that £1.8 billion in government support had been allocated to local authorities and social housing providers.
This funding will be targeted towards low-income households and tenants living in social housing and will be spent on improvements such as insulation, solar panels and heat pumps.
Minister for Energy Consumers, Miatta Fahnbulleh, said: “Living in a warm, comfortable home should not be a luxury. Itis a right that has been out of reach for too many people for too long. By giving this funding to local authorities and social housing providers we are delivering on our promise to improve the homes of thousands of people across England.
The Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund will deliver up to £1.29 billion of funding to 144 projects across England, with the Warm Homes: Local Grant allocating £500 million to 73 projects across 270 local authorities over the next three years.
The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) will receive an allocation of this funding as part of the Warm Homes and Public Sector Decarbonisation Devolution Programme.
Kate Henderson, Chief Executive ofthe National Housing Federation, said: “We welcome this funding allocation to help decarbonise England’s social homes; a crucial step towards the government’s commitment to tackle fuel poverty.
“With the fund oversubscribed, itis clear that there is both momentum and appetite among housing associations to upgrade their homes at scale and pace. The sector is working hard to ensure all their homes meet EPC C by 2030, in line with the government’s net zero target.”
Gavin Smart, Chief Executive of the Chartered Institute for Housing (CIH), added: “The strong demand for this funding highlights how vital energy efficiency investment is for the social housing sector. CIH will continue to work with government and our members to support the effective rollout of this funding and advocate for the long-term investment needed to make all homes warmer and safer.”
Funding Granted to Improve Heat Network Efficiency at London Residential Development
Residents at Capital East Phase II in London have secured funding through the Government’s Heat Network Efficiency Scheme (HNES) to improve the development’s communal heat network.
Property management company FirstPort applied to the HNES to improve the efficiency of the heat network at Capital East Phase II. The development was selected to receive funding as part of the seventh round of the programme.
The £489,900 in funding for Capital East Phase II will go toward improving efficiency and identifying areas that may reduce future energy costs at the development, with the heat network supplying heating and hot water to more than 380 residents.
The HNES funding, which is in place to support residents living in developments with district and communal heat networks, is split into two groups. One funding pot is available to support the improvement of the building’s heat network, which Capital East Phase II has been awarded with. For residential buildings with underperforming heat networks, another funding pot is available to undertake a study to determine why the heat network is not performing effectively.
Last year, two FirstPort developments were allocated funding to complete an Optimisation Study to review the current performance of its heat network and identify measures that could be implemented to improve its efficiency.
Stuart Wilcox, Head of Critical Infrastructure at FirstPort, says these studies have enabled FirstPort to identify critical areas for improvements to the communal heat networks across its developments.
Stuart added: “We are delighted that Capital East Phase II has received funding through the Heat Network Efficiency Scheme, and we will ensure the knowledge gained from our recent studies is utilised during the improvement of Capital East's heat network. This investment will have a direct benefit for our residents, contributing towards improving the efficiency of their heating system.”
Louise Singleton, HNES Programme Manager at Gemserv, said: “We are delighted to see that heat networks awarded HNES revenue grant funding are being able to utilise the insights provided in their optimisation studies to inform capital applications to implement these suggested improvements.
“It is great to know that HNES support provided to FirstPort today will help the organisation to create a more efficient and reliable heat network for hundreds of their residents.”
Must See Sessions at TPI Annual Seminar 2025!
The Property Institute (TPI) Annual Seminar 2025 is right around the corner, and the programme is shaping up nicely! Get ready for an outstanding lineup of keynote speakers, poised to deliver engaging and insightful sessions. Featuring…
- TPI Update: Hear the latest insights from Andrew Bulmer, CEO.
- TPI Policy Update:Jaclyn Mangaroo, CCO, will explore how upcoming legislative changes could significantly impact the profession, tenures and businesses. She'll cover the Renters Rights Bill, Building Safety (Wales) Bill, Housing (Scotland) Bill, Remediation Bill and Draft Commonhold & Leasehold Reform Bill, plus the latest on TPI's policy news and engagement.
- Building Safety: Featuring four unique and thought-provoking sessions by Peter Apps, Kate Lamble, Sandra Ashcroft (HSE), and Mark Snelling. These sessions will dive into critical topics such as competency, compliance, culture change and procurement.
- Wellbeing - Protect Your Peace: Adam Laidler will be delivering one of his signature engaging and insightful talks, offering a fresh perspective on conflict and practical strategies to help stay calm under pressure.
- Leasehold & Freehold Reform Act: Cassandra Zanelli, PMLS, will share her thoughts on the latest LFRA information released by the Government.
- Legendary Legal Update: Roger Hardwick and Emma Bush, Brethertons, will once again deliver their unmissable session, uncovering the latest legal challenges shaping the industry.
Watch this space for more speaker and session announcements!
When & Where: Thursday 15th May 2025 at QEII London