{"id":9979,"date":"2026-01-23T12:31:47","date_gmt":"2026-01-23T12:31:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.locarla.com\/insight\/?p=9979"},"modified":"2026-01-23T12:31:47","modified_gmt":"2026-01-23T12:31:47","slug":"friday-23-01-2026-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.locarla.com\/insight\/daily-news\/friday-23-01-2026-news\/","title":{"rendered":"Friday: 23\/01\/2026 \/ News"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"blue-color\">\n<h6>Daily News: 23\/01\/2026<\/h6>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">S&amp;P Global Ratings has revised the outlook for Platform Housing Group Ltd from stable to negative, citing reduced capacity, while affirming its strong \u2018A+\u2019 long-term credit rating, reflecting confidence in the group\u2019s underlying financial strength despite emerging pressures. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.spglobal.com\/ratings\/en\/regulatory\/article\/-\/view\/type\/HTML\/id\/3506092\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">S&amp;P Global<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Principality Commercial has agreed a \u00a320m funding deal with Rochdale Boroughwide Housing Limited to support its housing investment programme, while a separate \u00a36.55m funding boost has been announced to help tackle the housing crisis across the West of England through new regional investment. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/theintermediary.co.uk\/2026\/01\/principality-commercial-agrees-20m-funding-deal-with-rochdale-housing-association\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Intermediary<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westofengland-ca.gov.uk\/news\/6-55-million-boost-for-housing-in-west\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">West of England Combined Authority<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In London, the mayor launched plans to deliver at least 6,000 rent-controlled \u201cKey Worker Living Rent\u201d homes by 2030. In Scotland, the government confirmed plans to create a new national housing agency to accelerate delivery across all tenures. The Welsh Government announced a \u00a398m funding round for the Optimised Retrofit Programme, bringing total investment since 2020 to over \u00a3466m to improve social homes. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.london.gov.uk\/media-centre\/mayors-press-release\/mayor-launches-new-plan-to-deliver-thousands-of-rent-controlled-affordable-homes-for-londons-key-workers\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">London Gov.UK<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.scot\/news\/new-housing-agency-to-deliver-simplicity-scale-and-speed\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Scottish Government<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/media.service.gov.wales\/news\/gbp-98-million-to-make-social-homes-across-wales-warmer-healthier-and-fit-for-the-future\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Welsh Government<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Manchester City Council is offering up to \u00a32,500 to help social rent, council, and housing association tenants move into smaller, more manageable homes, while Horsham District Council has adopted a new Housing and Homelessness Strategy for 2026-2030 to guide its housing priorities over the next four years. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.manchester.gov.uk\/news\/article\/9858\/struggling_with_a_larger_home_2500_available_to_support_people_to_move_house\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Manchester City Council<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.horsham.gov.uk\/news\/2026\/01\/council-adopts-new-four-year-housing-and-homelessness-strategy\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Horsham District Council<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fusion21 has invited bids from regional and national suppliers for the fourth iteration of its grounds maintenance framework, which is expected to be worth up to \u00a385m over a four-year term. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theconstructionindex.co.uk\/news\/view\/bids-invited-for-grounds-maintenance-framework\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Construction Index<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Zenzic Capital and Jensco Group launched a UK single-family rental platform, forward funding 125 purpose-built homes from Vistry as part of a wider UK living investment strategy. Meanwhile, M&amp;G announced a \u00a31bn commitment over the next three to five years to support the UK\u2019s next wave of housing and infrastructure projects. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.showhouse.co.uk\/zenzic-capital-and-jensco-launch-uk-single-family-rental-platform-with-acquisition-of-125-vistry-homes\/news\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Show House<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/constructionwave.co.uk\/2026\/01\/22\/major-investment-firm-pumps-1bn-into-uks-next-wave-of-housing-and-infrastructure-projects\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Construction Wave<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Thomas Storey Fabrication Limited, a steel fabrication specialist founded last year, appointed KBL Advisory as administrators on 19th January, months after acquiring a \u00a312m-turnover contractor from administration. Meanwhile, residents have launched a legal challenge to stop the demolition of the 1960s Brutalist Lesnes Estate in south-east London, opposing plans by Bexley Council and Peabody. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/financial\/administrations\/steel-firm-appoints-administrators-months-after-buying-12m-contractor-21-01-2026\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Construction News (register)<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/society\/2026\/jan\/22\/residents-halt-demolition-clockwork-orange-lesnes-estate-legal\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Guardian<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">MPs have urged the Serious Fraud Office to investigate the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) solid wall insulation programme, warning that fraud may be far higher than previously identified and raising concerns over oversight, value for money, and impacts on households affected by poor or unnecessary installations. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.constructionenquirer.com\/2026\/01\/23\/mps-call-for-fraud-probe-in-solid-wall-insulation-scandal\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Construction Enquirer<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">480 homes were approved in Thorpe St Andrew, Norwich, and 412 green belt homes in Corringham despite drainage and countryside concerns. Plans were submitted for 1,150 homes at Southbury Cinema and Leisure Park, Enfield, while proposals for 249 homes on Humberston Golf Course face strong opposition. Decisions on 235 homes in Bracknell are delayed, and councillors will consider up to 120 homes in Shavington, Crewe, amid a housing land supply shortfall. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/articles\/cgl86rj238lo\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">BBC<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thurrockgazette.co.uk\/news\/25787428.corringham-plans-412-homes-green-belt-approved\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Thurrock Gazette<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/enfielddispatch.co.uk\/plans-submitted-for-major-housing-scheme-on-southbury-cinema-site\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Enfield Dispatch<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk\/news\/grimsby-news\/plans-249-homes-humberston-golf-10769590\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Grimsby Live<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bracknellnews.co.uk\/news\/25788949.decision-plan-235-homes-bracknell-delayed\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bracknell News<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cheshire-live.co.uk\/news\/chester-cheshire-news\/councillors-set-decide-120-home-33287282\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cheshire Live<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Daily News: 23\/01\/2026 S&amp;P Global Ratings has revised the outlook for Platform Housing Group Ltd from stable to negative, citing reduced capacity, while affirming its strong \u2018A+\u2019 long-term credit rating, reflecting confidence in the group\u2019s underlying financial strength despite emerging pressures. S&amp;P Global Principality Commercial has agreed a \u00a320m funding deal with Rochdale Boroughwide Housing [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9979","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-daily-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.locarla.com\/insight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9979","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=9979"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.locarla.com\/insight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9979\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9986,"href":"https:\/\/www.locarla.com\/insight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9979\/revisions\/9986"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.locarla.com\/insight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9979"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.locarla.com\/insight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9979"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.locarla.com\/insight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9979"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}