Daily News: 06/10/2025
The UK government has unveiled a major homebuying overhaul to help first-time buyers save around £710 and cut about four weeks off the process, making homeownership simpler, faster, and more accessible. GOV.UK
Gentoo Group’s Long-Term Issuer Default Rating (IDR) has been affirmed at ‘A+’ with a Stable Outlook. The Riverside Group Limited also had its rating affirmed at ‘A-’ with a Stable Outlook. Meanwhile, Great Places Housing Group’s rating was affirmed at ‘A’, but its Outlook was revised to Negative from Stable. Fitch Ratings, Fitch Ratings, and Fitch Ratings
ClwydAlyn, a housing association based in St Asaph, has secured £35m in funding to support the expansion of its development programme, helping deliver more affordable homes across the region. Powys County Times
Housing association whg and Walsall Council have signed a landmark agreement to accelerate the delivery of new homes in Walsall, aiming to tackle the region’s urgent need for affordable housing. LABM
Brent Council has awarded a five-year responsive repairs and maintenance contract to Mears Group, valued at around £3.1m per year. The agreement will see Mears provide essential services to maintain council housing stock across the borough. FMJ
Duke Street is set to acquire modular builder McAvoy, marking a new chapter for the offsite construction firm, while Base Build Services saw pre-tax profits drop 21% to £3.7m despite stable turnover. The collapse of ISG continues to ripple through the sector, with Yorkshire-based Ivegate posting a £3.8m loss after taking over a £15m fit-out project, and Northern Ireland’s largest pension fund facing a £108,000 hit following the failure of M&E contractor Michael J Lonsdale. Construction Enquirer, Construction News (register), Construction News (register), and Construction News (register)
The September 2025 S&P Global UK Construction PMI shows output fell at its slowest in three months, with civil engineering weakest and business optimism near August’s 32-month low. S&P Global
In Aylesbury, planning has been approved for a 250-acre nature reserve to complement a 2,450-home development. In Bolney, 200 new homes have been approved, nearly doubling the village’s size, while Syston is planning 1,100 homes on its outskirts. In Stoke-on-Trent, a 400-home Green Belt proposal at Hollywall Lane has sparked concern. Huntington is considering a 314-home garden village, Bracknell faces opposition to a 235-home scheme, Edenfield has a 230-home masterplan recommended despite objections, and Melksham could gain 210 homes alongside a new care home. Housing Today (register), The Argus, BBC, StokeonTrentLive, The Press, Wokingham Today, LancsLive, and Gazette & Herald