Daily News: 27/02/2026
A report calls for councils to develop in-house insulation teams and deliver street-by-street retrofits through Home Improvement Corporations, arguing current consortium-led bidding under the £15bn Warm Homes programme is slow, inefficient, and limiting large-scale local retrofit progress across authorities. The Guardian
New analysis shows 93% of UK homes on the market lack advertised green features such as solar panels, heat pumps or EV charging, highlighting major retrofit gaps, while January 2026 data shows sharp falls in housing starts, awards and planning approvals. Builders Merchants News, Construction News (register)
Renfrewshire Council has approved a £337m housing investment programme to 2031, including £1.3m for repairs and 2,210 upgrades this year spanning kitchens, heating and insulation. Plans also cover regeneration of 1,100 homes and continued new-build delivery. Renfrewshire Council
Sovereign Network Group has partnered with Berkeley Group to deliver 555 new social homes across two North London schemes, including 269 homes at Grand Union in Wembley, forming part of a wider 3,500-home regeneration on the former Northfields Industrial Estate. MyLondon
Believe Housing has upgraded energy efficiency in over 4,000 homes through more than £18m of SHDF and Warm Homes funding, while BCHA secured £10m from Lloyds to deliver up to 300 affordable homes in BCP by 2029. believe housing Ltd., Bournemouth Echo
Warwickshire councillors will question housing associations and private landlords over serious mould concerns, assessing whether maintenance standards, response times and oversight are adequate to safeguard residents and tackle damp-related health risks amid rising local scrutiny. Warwick Nub News
Collapsed contractor NMCN’s liquidators have launched a £51.6m legal claim against former auditors BDO, alleging audit failures contributed to continued trading and significant additional losses prior to the company’s insolvency. Construction News (register)
Construction materials manufacturers have warned of a looming production crisis driven by rising costs, supply chain pressures and policy uncertainty, while the British Property Federation cautioned that cumulative policy, tax and regulatory changes are weakening development viability and called for holistic assessment and more innovative, de-risking funding approaches. Construction Enquirer, Housing Today (register)
A £35m fire safety defects case involving three nine-storey student blocks will go to trial after the Building Safety Regulator rejected a £19.7m remediation proposal, with the owner pursuing legal action against multiple construction and design firms over alleged defects. Construction News (register)
A joint venture backed by institutional investors has acquired the Lambeth Hospital site, planning a £350m build-to-rent development delivering around 700 homes on the six-acre brownfield site, significantly boosting large-scale residential supply in London. Housing Today (register)
Plans have been submitted for up to 600 homes in Ardersier with supporting community uses, while Muller seeks approval for 411 homes on 49 acres near Nantwich as part of a wider mixed scheme. Vistry secured consent for 324 homes in Hemel Hempstead, including 114 affordable units. Kellen Homes proposes 248 affordable homes in Oldham. Enfield approved revised phasing of an £850m estate rebuild delivering 270 initial affordable homes, and councillors backed 107 homes in Aston. BBC, Place North West, Vistry Group Plc, Manchester Evening News, Construction Enquirer, and The Star