{"id":7621,"date":"2025-04-17T05:41:50","date_gmt":"2025-04-17T05:41:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.locarla.com\/insight\/?p=7621"},"modified":"2025-05-15T12:06:14","modified_gmt":"2025-05-15T12:06:14","slug":"april-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.locarla.com\/insight\/monthly-briefing\/april-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"April 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Social Housing RMI Business Intelligence & other stuff <\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Hello everyone. On this National Librarians Day eve, I call on you all to read at least 3 books this weekend, unless you\u2019re busy, in which case leave it till next week, or the summer holidays, or retirement.
\nFirstly, an apology. If anyone saw my post on LinkedIn yesterday showing a \u00a3100M increase in Fire Safety contracts in April, this was complete BS. Due to a glitch in the matrix, contracts were accidently added which led me to post lies and mistruths which ruined my reputation. The staff responsible were not only sacked but also humiliated in front of friends and family and made to wear the Locarla \u2018collar of shame\u2019 (RRP: \u00a359.99, available now from our merch shop)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sad about Breyer.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
If you\u2019re new around here we sell data on anything and everything to do with Social Housing. But that doesn\u2019t define us. Amy is actually an internationally renowned harpsichord player, and I once learnt, to a very low standard, Japanese, at night school in New Zealand.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Enough about us, on with the show \u2026. we have a packed* Easter bumper edition for you this month, chock-a-block full of mostly adverts for Locarla stuff, but also the usual AI generated filler we stick in each month that no one really reads<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
*It\u2019s not packed.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
‘Blue links<\/a><\/strong>‘ for all and ‘green links<\/a><\/strong>‘ are behind login so dependent on your licence.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Our new and renewing clients in March, thank you so much.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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The Locarla Social Home Database.<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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You did what with 4.9M records?! That’s amazing. You must be so clever, or boring.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Yes friends, we cracked it. With a monumental amount of effort from the crew, and a crack machine learning team, we cleaned 4.9M Land Registry titles from Housing Associations & Local Authorities, so we could put UPRNs on our property database.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Procurement Act 2023 \u2011 Locarla changes<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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\u201cThe only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.\u201d \u2011<\/strong> Steve Jobs<\/p>\n

Stage 1 of the work is coming soon.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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\u2013<\/td>\nMy Locarla is disappearing for a while. Premium & Works users will land on \u2018Tenders\u2019 and Business users \u2018Housing\u2019.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u2013<\/td>\nTenders & Awards will be split.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u2013<\/td>\nMy Notices will be proper hardcore.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u2013<\/td>\nShow \/ Hide notices with the same ID<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u2013<\/td>\nLatest Company information will appear in a left-hand panel onclick the \u2018building\u2019 icon in the header.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Stage 2 is all about \u2018My Notices\u2019 and will come out shortly after stage 1.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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\u2013<\/td>\nOnce a notice is added as a favourite, all documents relating to it (planning, tenders, awards & KPIs) will appear in My Notices. According to .gov all notices before the award are collectively known as \u2018planning docs.\u2019, and everything after are now known as a \u2018whoop of awards\u2019.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u2013<\/td>\nColour coding on the document groups.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u2013<\/td>\nDocument history chart when you open the contract panel.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u2013<\/td>\nBid Process filter.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Stage 3 is a major update to the user admin section, but dull, so let’s leave it there.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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It’s all News to me!<\/a>
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AI generated content<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Shepherds Bush Housing Association has fully merged into the Guinness Partnership,<\/strong> transferring all assets and stock. Source: Housing Today<\/strong><\/a>. Tower Hamlets Community Housing<\/strong> joined the Hyde Group<\/strong> on 1 April 2025, with no changes to services. Source: Hyde Group<\/strong><\/a>. Melin Homes and Newport City Homes have merged under the new name, Hedyn.<\/strong> Source: Hedyn<\/strong><\/a>. Ancho tenants have officially transferred to Cairn Housing Association<\/strong>. Source: Cairn Housing Association<\/strong><\/a>. South Yorkshire Housing Association<\/strong> and Places for People<\/strong> have entered merger talks. Source: Places for People<\/strong><\/a>. Paradigm Housing<\/strong> plans to buy 3,500 homes from L&Q,<\/strong> and is in talks to merge with Settle Group. Source: Paradigm Housing Group<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Bolton at Home<\/strong> is rebranding to Be One Homes, marking a new chapter for the organisation. Source: Bolton at Home<\/strong><\/a>. Two Rivers Housing<\/strong> has unveiled a new brand identity, including a redesigned logo and font, to reflect improvements like integrating their repairs team. Source: Two Rivers Housing<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The Regulator of Social Housing published regulatory judgements for seven landlords. Cross Keys Homes<\/strong>, LiveWest Homes<\/strong>, Midland Heart<\/strong>, and Thirteen Housing Group<\/strong> received C1\/G1\/V1 gradings, while Places for People Group<\/strong> received C1\/G1\/V2. Source: GOV.UK<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Essex-based CHP<\/strong> has acquired 480 homes in Chelmsford from L&Q<\/strong> and formed a partnership with NewArch Homes<\/strong>, which purchased 220 homes, including 59 from CHP\u2019s<\/strong> development pipeline. Source: UK Property Forums<\/strong><\/a>, UK Property Forums<\/strong><\/a>. Westminster City Council<\/strong> has finalised the purchase of 368 homes from A2Dominion<\/strong> and will complete a \u00a333m refurbishment. Source: South London Press<\/strong><\/a>. Red Kite Community Housing<\/strong> has acquired 319 homes from Riverside Housing Group<\/strong>. Source: Red Kite Community Housing Ltd.<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Clarion Housing<\/strong> has renewed its \u00a33bn EMTN Programme to support sustainable investments. Source: Housing Today<\/strong><\/a>. Sanctuary Housing<\/strong> has launched a \u00a32.5bn EMTN Programme to support development. Source: Sanctuary Housing Association<\/strong><\/a>. Sovereign Network Group<\/strong> has introduced a \u00a31.5bn EMTN Programme for financial growth. Source: Sovereign Network Group<\/strong><\/a>. Vico Homes<\/strong> is investing \u00a3303m to build 1,500 new homes. Source: Housing Executive<\/strong><\/a>. Home Group<\/strong> has boosted liquidity by \u00a3260m through refinancing. Source: Business Live<\/strong><\/a>. Notting Hill Genesis<\/strong> has issued a \u00a3250m bond to support home upgrades. Source: Housing Today<\/strong><\/a>. Bromford Flagship<\/strong> secured \u00a375m in private placement post-merger for its strategic goals. Source: Bromford Flagship<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cardo Group has acquired Breyer Group\u2019s Roofing division and taken over a repairs and maintenance contract for over 6,000 homes with the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames<\/strong>, ensuring service continuity. Source: Cardo<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
United Living has appointed Claire Kershaw as CEO of United Living Property Services to lead growth and service delivery. Source: United Living<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The UK government has committed \u00a32bn to build 18,000 new social and affordable homes. Source: GOV.UK<\/strong><\/a>. Lloyds Banking Group has launched its first affordable housing development in Pudsey, seeking proposals for a fully affordable scheme. Source: Lloyds Banking Group<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Between 1 April 2024 and 23 March 2025, 199,100 new homes were delivered in England. Source: GOV.UK<\/strong><\/a>. UK construction saw a 21% drop in planning approvals and a 14% decline in main contract awards in February 2025. Source: Construction News<\/strong><\/a>. BCIS forecasts a 17% rise in building costs and a 15% increase in tender prices over the next five years. Source: BCIS<\/strong><\/a>. As of February 2025, 48% of buildings have started or completed remediation, with 32% fully completed. Source: GOV.UK<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The Great British Insulation Scheme has installed 64,600 measures in 51,200 homes as of March 2025. Source: GOV.UK<\/strong><\/a>. The Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Wave 2.1 has delivered 28,500 measures in 14,500 homes. Source: GOV.UK<\/strong><\/a>. The Green Homes Grant and Home Upgrade Grant continue supporting energy-efficient upgrades for low-income households. Source: GOV.UK<\/strong><\/a>. The UK housing retrofit bill could reach \u00a3118bn by 2030. Source: The Construction Index<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
A report reveals 100+ year waiting lists for family-sized social homes in some English councils. Source: National Housing Federation<\/strong><\/a>. A survey shows 72% of councils may dip into reserves to balance housing budgets, affecting housebuilding goals. Source: Local Government Association<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
AI generated content<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Housing Complaints Insights 2024<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Show me the money!<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
A PDF guide to contract management on Locarla.<\/a>
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AI generated content<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Big builds, bold plans, and the rise of early market signals. This month\u2019s roundup brings bold regeneration, and smart repairs shaping the sector.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Turning 21 hectares into 2,500 homes, Homes England\u2019s \u00a3950m Preliminary Market Engagement for Forth Yards \u2013 Long term Delivery Partner<\/strong><\/a> sets the stage for Newcastle\u2019s bold waterfront transformation. A Vision for Community Renewal, The London Borough of Brent<\/strong> has issued a Market Engagement Notice to identify a Single Delivery Partner for the final phases of the South Kilburn Regeneration Programme<\/strong><\/a>, valued at \u00a3750m, The selected partner will help deliver around 1,600 mixed-tenure homes across multiple sites over the next 10 to 15 years. Big fixes are on the way for housing in West Leeds, with a \u00a3185m contract by Leeds City Council <\/strong>covering Responsive Repairs, Voids and Cyclical Service & Maintenance Work<\/strong><\/a> excluding gas and asbestos services. Breathing new life into urban core, Hull City Council<\/strong> has issued a Pre-Market Engagement Notice for its \u00a3100m Albion Square Development<\/strong><\/a> to envision a vibrant, mixed-use district featuring housing, retail, culture, and public space. Rethinking waste for a greener tomorrow, Derbyshire County Council<\/strong> has announced a \u00a355m Pipeline Notice for Commissioning of Contractor(s) for a Green and Food Waste<\/strong><\/a> collection services. Homes on the horizon, Eastleigh Borough Council<\/strong> is laying the foundation for a \u00a353.3m Pipeline Notice for Kings Copse Avenue Residential Housing Project<\/strong><\/a> to deliver 193 new homes. Tackling damp, one home at a time, City of York Council<\/strong> is preparing a \u00a348m Pipeline Framework for Damp Surveying and Remedial Works<\/strong><\/a> with a focus on improving property condition and long-term housing quality.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Residential upgrades at scale is coming to Nottinghamshire, with Ashfield District Council<\/strong> setting out a \u00a341.6m Pipeline Notice for its Housing Refurbishment Programme<\/strong><\/a> aiming to uplift council homes through essential repairs and modern upgrades. Elevating cleanliness across every corner, London Borough of Richmond-upon-Thames<\/strong> and Wandsworth London Borough <\/strong>together are rolling out a \u00a322.4m Corporate Properties & Sheltered Housing Cleaning Services<\/strong><\/a> tender to ensure cleaner, safer, and more vibrant communities. Bathroom bliss meets capital investment, as Guildford Borough Council <\/strong>invites bids for a \u00a315.1m Kitchen and Bathroom Capital Installations<\/strong><\/a> to upgrade kitchens and bathrooms across homes in Guildford and Waverley. Repairs with precision, Southampton City Council<\/strong> has launched a \u00a312.75m Tender to bolster its internal team for Voids and Major Works<\/strong><\/a>, spanning trades from roofing to groundworks, it boosts repair capacity and turnaround times. Painting the future, Stonewater Ltd<\/strong> is inviting market input on its \u00a312.5m National Cyclical Decorating Programme (2025\u20132031)<\/strong><\/a> through a Pre-Market Engagement Notice covering six England regions, the framework will deliver cyclical external and internal upgrades across 40,000 homes. Compliance at the core, West Lothian Council<\/strong> is preparing a \u00a312m Tender Framework for Asbestos Services<\/strong><\/a>, Structured into surveying, analytics, and removal lots to target safe property management across region. Calling all subcontractors, VIVID<\/strong> is back with a \u00a312m Pre-Market Engagement Notice for a revitalised Repairs Subcontractor Procurement Framework<\/strong><\/a>, covering responsive repairs, voids, and minor works. Shaping tomorrow\u2019s landscapes, Lewes and Eastbourne Councils<\/strong> will open a \u00a311m Grounds Maintenance Services<\/strong><\/a> tender in May 2025 to enhance and maintain their treasured parks and green spaces. Enhancing Homes, Empowering Communities, Futures Housing Group<\/strong> is seeking to appoint multiple contractors to deliver a wide range of Strategic Asset Management<\/strong><\/a> works across its estate. The services span various disciplines including general building, plumbing, electrical, roofing, kitchen and bathroom installations, and more.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
AI generated content<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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The Other League Tables<\/a>
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Along with our main monthly league tables, \u2772see below\u2773, we also produce tables based on the following trades: Retrofit, Asbestos Survey, Fire Risk Assessment, Water\/Legionella & Stock Condition Survey. \u2772Premium Clients, click here for the PDF<\/strong><\/a>\u2773<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Top of the league in each table are ….<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Retrofit:<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Wates Living Space<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Asbestos Survey:<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Environtec<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Fire Risk Assessment:<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Frankham Consultancy Group<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Stock Condition Surveys:<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Savills (UK)<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Water \/ Legionella:<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Aquatrust Water & Ventilation<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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March League Tables<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Built Environment Contracts<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The trades we cover; Responsive Repair, Planned Works (Kitchen\/Bathrooms, Doors\/Windows), Gas Servicing\/Central Heating, Voids, Fire Safety & Roofing.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Top Contractors (Showing 10 of 50 companies)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Responsive Repairs<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Responsive Repairs (Showing 5 of 54 companies)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Planned Works<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Planned Works (Showing 10 of 156 companies)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Gas Servicing & Central Heating<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Gas Servicing & Central Heating (Showing 8 of 70 companies)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Voids<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Voids (Showing 6 of 62 companies)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Fire Safety<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Fire Safety (Showing 8 of 116 companies)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Roofing<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Roofing (Showing 10 of 152 companies)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Premium Clients can view the full dynamic league tables here<\/a>. <\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Reports, Reports & more Reports.<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
All our Premium clients<\/a><\/strong> receive news, reports, contract data and LA Minutes every day.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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GOV.UK<\/strong><\/td>\nThe Scottish Government<\/strong><\/td>\nScottish Federation of Housing Associations<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Parliament.UK<\/strong><\/td>\nGOV.UK<\/strong><\/td>\nNational Housing Federation<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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London Gov.UK<\/strong><\/td>\nHome Builders Federation<\/strong><\/td>\nS&P Global<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Office for National Statistics<\/strong><\/td>\nBuilders Merchant Building Index<\/strong><\/td>\nPlumbing & Heating Merchant Index<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Northern Housing Consortium Ltd.<\/strong><\/td>\nHousing Today<\/strong><\/td>\nGOV.UK<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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GOV.UK<\/strong><\/td>\nTenancy Fraud Forum (TFF) <\/strong><\/td>\nScottish Housing Regulator<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Social Housing RMI Business Intelligence & other stuff Hello everyone. On this National Librarians Day eve, I call on you all to read at least 3 books this weekend, unless you\u2019re busy, in which case leave it till next week, or the summer holidays, or retirement. Firstly, an apology. If anyone saw my post on […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7621","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-monthly-briefing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.locarla.com\/insight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7621","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.locarla.com\/insight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.locarla.com\/insight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.locarla.com\/insight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.locarla.com\/insight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7621"}],"version-history":[{"count":23,"href":"https:\/\/www.locarla.com\/insight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7621\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7862,"href":"https:\/\/www.locarla.com\/insight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7621\/revisions\/7862"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.locarla.com\/insight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7621"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.locarla.com\/insight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7621"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.locarla.com\/insight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7621"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}