Daily News: 22/12/2025
Stonewater’s planned acquisition of two Brighton-based housing associations has been delayed by four months, with the organisations now set to join the group at the end of April 2026 rather than December 2025. Housing Today (register)
Gateshead Council has launched a programme to deliver more than 500 new council homes over the next five years through new builds, regeneration and purchases. Meanwhile, Birmingham City Council data shows ongoing housing pressure, with some applicants facing waits of more than four years for a home. Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council, Birmingham Live
The Safe Homes Now report shows that 28% of people in the UK live in homes affected by damp, mould or cold, with nearly half of affected households including someone with asthma or a weakened immune system, almost double the rate in unaffected homes, highlighting the link between housing quality and health. Centre for Ageing Better
Kier Group has completed a £20m share buyback, alongside strong results and a leadership transition, positioning the contractor for future growth. Construction Wave
Story Homes reported falls in turnover and pre-tax profit amid market pressures, while a major UK M&E specialist, London-based Gratte Brothers Group, posted a £4.4m pre-tax profit, with profits more than doubling despite lower revenue and continued cost pressures. In contrast, Quinn London increased revenue by 9% to £109m and protected its margins, while creditors of collapsed modular firm Elements Europe face limited recoveries on £8.7m owed. Housing Today (register), Construction News (register), Construction News (register), and Construction News (register)
Monthly construction insolvencies have surged, with official figures showing 360 business failures in October, prompting warnings from analysts of a “difficult winter” ahead for the sector as pressures on cash flow and margins intensify. Construction News (register)
As of November 2025, 5,613 residential buildings over 11m were identified with unsafe cladding, up 43 since October, with remediation progress closely monitored. Meanwhile, costs for high- and mid-rise non-ACM buildings average £1,843/sqm, ranging from £743 to £2,943 (Q2 2025 prices). GOV.UK, GOV.UK
Small UK housebuilders remain broadly confident despite planning delays, skills shortages and rising costs, with the FMB’s 2025 Small Housebuilders’ Survey highlighting continued optimism about future workloads and demand. PBC Today
The Housing Pipeline Report Q3 2025 shows housing approvals fell 7% to 45,075 homes, 34% lower than a year earlier and the lowest since 2012, with a 25% year-on-year decline in the first nine months. Meanwhile, Northern Ireland’s planning activity remained broadly stable in July-September 2025, with 2,360 applications received, about 2% down on the previous quarter. Home Builders Federation, Department for Infrastructure
Arun District Council has approved plans by Vistry and Abri for nearly 700 mixed-tenure homes at the former Ford Airfield in West Sussex. Elsewhere, councils are considering proposals for more than 400 homes around Stockport, 135 homes near the M4 at Royal Wootton Bassett, and up to 110 homes on a Green Belt site in Chesham, while Cala Homes has lodged revised plans for over 100 homes at Pitfodels in Aberdeen. Sussex World, Manchester World, Wiltshire Times, UK Property Forums, and Scottish Housing News