Daily News: 06/02/2026
WHG and Aspire Housing have confirmed early-stage talks on a potential merger that would create a new housing association managing around 32,000 homes across the Midlands, aimed at strengthening resilience and capacity in a challenging operating environment. Walsall Housing Group (WHG) Ltd.
L&Q reported a 7% year-on-year rise in housing completions for the nine months to 31st December, signalling modest delivery improvements despite market pressures, as it balances new supply with financial resilience. Housing Today (register)
Castle Point Council plans to invest over £80m under a proposed four-year budget. Meanwhile, Bournemouth and Poole councils are planning £68m of council housing improvements, and Cobalt Housing has secured an extra £500,000 from the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund to boost energy efficiency in Liverpool. Echo, Bournemouth Echo, and Housing Digital
Southwark Council has published plans to improve its housing repairs service for leaseholders and tenants. Meanwhile, Broxtowe Council says it has already implemented improvements following housing management failures described by a regulator as an “embarrassing humiliation”. Southwark News, Chad
The Department for Communities has published its Warm Healthy Homes Strategy, outlining a long-term, cross-government plan to tackle fuel poverty in Northern Ireland, with £150m proposed for energy-efficiency investment over the first five years. Department for Communities
Cumberland Council has appointed 15 contractors to a £175m capital works framework covering building, civil, and combined schemes. Meanwhile, Caddick Construction has secured the first main contract on a major Wolverhampton city centre regeneration project, delivering over 1,000 homes and 20,000sqft of retail, leisure, and commercial space. Construction Enquirer, Construction Enquirer
Profit warnings from UK-listed construction firms more than tripled in 2025, hitting their highest level since the pandemic. In contrast, Ardmore Group signalled a turnaround and expects a return to profitability after two difficult years, while Greener Solutions Group reported strong momentum into 2026, with turnover set to rise from £3.1m to over £4m. The Construction Index, Construction Enquirer, and Housing Executive
A £3bn fast-start early works package is proposed to unlock long-delayed restoration of the Palace of Westminster, aiming to curb rising repair costs. Meanwhile, Tier One contractors in London are increasingly using AI to boost efficiency and protect margins, while plumbing and heating firms face tighter margins from rising costs, and construction administrations fell again in January despite higher year-on-year failures. Construction Enquirer, Construction Wave, The Construction Index, and Construction News (register)
A University of Edinburgh study highlights major retrofit challenges in Scotland’s private rented sector, with one in five homes built before 1919 using hard-to-upgrade methods and a housing mix dominated by flats (36%), compared with 21.5% in England, 13.5% in Wales, and 10% in Northern Ireland. University of Edinburgh
Residents are being consulted on proposals for around 1,200 homes at South Winchester Golf Course, while plans include 200 homes south of Lyneham, Wiltshire. 152 homes on greenfield land in Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria, and up to 103 homes in Craven Arms, Shropshire. Daily Echo, Gazette & Herald, The Westmorland Gazette, and Shropshire Star