Daily News: 16/05/2025
Housing association Beacon Cymru Group has secured a £115m lending facility from NatWest to support the construction of 500 new homes and enhance the energy efficiency of its existing housing stock. Business Live
The Royal Borough of Greenwich led London for the third year with 608 new affordable homes started and 790 completed last year. East Lothian Council is progressing well on its 2024-29 housing strategy, delivering affordable homes and reducing homelessness. Northeast councils are racing to unlock a £20m Housing Infrastructure Fund for affordable housing in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, unused since 2016. Royal Borough of Greenwich, Scottish Housing News, and Scottish Housing News
A 2023 SFHA survey highlights housing associations’ key role in tackling homelessness, often housing homeless households in partnership with local authorities. And a Prosper report links housing undersupply since 2007-08 to slowed UK economic growth and productivity. Scottish Federation of Housing Associations, Prosper
The Crown Commercial Service has released the procurement schedule for its £80bn Construction Works and Associated Services 3 framework, set to run from 2026 to 2034. A £5m Scotland Excel framework will support councils with LHEES development, with 15 firms appointed for four years. Beard Construction is actively seeking new suppliers and subcontractors. Meanwhile, South Kesteven District Council has approved a £7.81m contract with Equans to upgrade 273 council homes. Construction Wave, Scottish Housing News, This is Wiltshire, and Lincolnshire World
Developer Landsec is shifting its investment focus from London offices to large-scale housing, aiming to establish a £2bn residential platform by 2030, with projects planned in London and Manchester. Construction Enquirer
The founder of Welsh civil engineering firm Alun Griffiths (Contractors) is reportedly buying back the company he sold to Tarmac for £36m eight years ago. Construction Enquirer
UK-listed construction firms issued five profit warnings in Q1 2025, already equalling the total for all of 2024, highlighting mounting sector pressures. Meanwhile, poor construction standards in new-build homes are adding around £1,000 annually to household energy bills, with scrapped low-carbon rules since 2016 costing UK homeowners an estimated £5bn extra, according to the ECIU. The Construction Index, The Guardian
Sadiq Khan has confirmed that new towns of over 10,000 homes could be allowed on London’s green belt as part of plans to increase housing supply. Housing Today (register)
Developers have received approval to build 300 new homes on the edge of Wisbech as part of an urban extension. Plans have also been proposed for 900 homes in a major extension of Melton Mowbray,and for 350 homes in Staffordshire alongside 66 other planning applications. Additionally, a 310-home development has been revealed for Chester Road in Sandiway. Cambridgeshire Live, BBC, Express & Star, and Northwich and Winsford Guardian