Daily News: 22/08/2025
Sage Homes has recorded a 456% increase in turnover after becoming the primary delivery vehicle for the Sage Group, following the sale of its sister company Sparrow. Housing Today (register)
Fitch Ratings has downgraded Southern Housing’s Long-Term Issuer Default Rating (IDR) to ‘A-’ from ‘A’, with a Stable Outlook. The long-term senior secured and unsecured ratings on its debt issuances were also downgraded to ‘A-’ from ‘A’, while its short-term IDR was lowered to ‘F1’ from ‘F1+’. Fitch Ratings
The City of Doncaster Council has approved £1m for the purchase and renovation of seven properties to add to its housing stock. Doncaster Free Press
Lambeth Council has agreed to a £250m partnership with Vistry Group to deliver more than 500 homes across six sites in the borough, with at least 50% designated as affordable housing, of which 70% will be at social rent. Housing Today (register)
NHMF Frameworx has named more than 40 contractors to £3bn frameworks for housing maintenance, retrofit, net-zero, and fire safety works across England. A total of 17 contractors have been appointed to a £475m housing framework in north-west England by JV North. Thirteen has appointed Equans to deliver major investment works at its Stockton sheltered housing scheme as part of its Capital Delivery Framework. Construction News (register), Construction News (register), and Housing Executive
Lee Marley Brickwork, the UK’s largest integrated brickwork and scaffolding subcontractor, posted a record turnover of £87m for 2024 despite delays linked to government building safety changes, while a Bedfordshire-based civil engineering contractor, Ants Group, has entered administration after reporting turnover of £19.3m in the 18 months to 31 March 2024. Construction Enquirer, Construction News (register)
Construction wages, as measured by ONS’s Average Weekly Earnings dataset, rose by 4% in the year to June 2025, up from a 3.8% increase in the 12 months to May 2025, while monthly earnings remained unchanged. BCIS
Total new home completions in England in the 12 months to Q2 2025 reached just over 201,000, remaining broadly stable across H1 2025 but 8% below Q2 2024 levels. Savills
Plans to build more than 300 homes in a West Yorkshire town have been approved by councillors. A planning inspector has allowed an appeal for a 190-home scheme at Bird-in-Eye Hill, Uckfield. Proposals have been lodged for up to 484 new homes, a primary school, and a neighbourhood centre in Northallerton. Valleys to Coast has unveiled plans for nearly 200 homes on the former Revlon factory site in Maesteg. Wavensmere Homes has submitted a £45m application to redevelop the Clarendon Suites site into 165 new houses in Edgbaston, Birmingham. BBC, The Argus, York Press, Wales Online, and Construction Enquirer