Daily News: 04/09/2025
LiveWest has reported a 9% rise in completions year-on-year, according to its 2024/25 financial statements. However, the housing association admitted it fell short of its affordable homes target. Housing Today (register)
County councillors have backed plans to merge Nottingham City, Gedling, and Broxtowe into a single local authority to streamline services. In Scotland, East Renfrewshire Council is working with Barrhead Housing to buy 20 homes for social housing, encouraging sellers to approach the council first. Meanwhile, Derby City Council is set to consider acquiring nine vacant homes and associated land, marking its largest property purchase to date. BBC, BBC, and Derby City Council
BluePine Living has launched a new affordable housing platform in England, aiming to deliver high-quality and sustainable homes across social rent, affordable rent, and shared ownership tenures. Show House
The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Ending Homelessness urged linking Local Housing Allowance to the bottom 30% of rents and expanding Housing First, while Lambeth Council faced criticism for neglecting housing standards. Housing Today (register), Inside Croydon
Kent contractor Pentalec has filed a notice to appoint an administrator. Meanwhile, Midlands firm Speller Metcalfe trebled pre-tax profit to £3.4m as turnover rose 22% to £162m in the year to March 2025. Building materials merchant Grafton Group reported 10% growth in H1, boosted by acquisitions. In Scotland, build-to-rent developer Watkin Jones is suing insulation manufacturer Kingspan over Grenfell-related retrofit costs. Construction Enquirer, Construction Enquirer, The Construction Index, and Scottish Housing News
A new independent body has been established to provide oversight of training quality and governance in the scaffolding and access sector, aiming to strengthen standards and accountability. Construction News (register)
Government-supported heat pump installations fell to 11,001 in Q2 2025, a 10% decline compared with 12,175 in Q1. GOV.UK
The UK construction sector saw a continued decline in output in August 2025, with business activity falling for the eighth consecutive month, though the pace of contraction slowed compared with July. S&P Global
A 380-home redevelopment in Romford town centre was approved despite 2,500 objections and mosque loss concerns. East Cambridgeshire Council approved the next phase of Ely’s Orchards Green development, adding 300 homes despite concerns over limited amenities. In Suffolk, 220 homes off A143 Bury Road were also approved amid local worries, while Cheshire East Council plans 300 homes in Crewe town centre after a leisure park project was shelved, with up to 120 homes also proposed in Congleton’s open countryside. Housing Today (register), Cambridgeshire Live, East Anglian Daily Times, Nantwich News, and Business Live