Daily News: 18/03/2025
A G15 report reveals London’s 289,000 social rented homes generate £6.86bn annually, with each tenancy adding £23,777 in value. Expanding social tenancies for 323,800 households on waiting lists could boost the economy by £7.7bn per year. Housing Today
Scotland to mandate mould repairs in social housing, introducing measures to help tenants get issues fixed more easily. Meanwhile, a Devon council launches an annual housing action plan to tackle shortages and rising demand for temporary accommodation. BBC, BBC
Caerphilly County Borough Council approves housing investment plans, setting out priorities for the coming year. Housing Executive
The Communities & Housing Investment Consortium (CHIC) has launched a new framework to support mechanical and electrical works for housing providers. Additionally, Southern Housing is seeking 10 firms for a £1.7bn, 20-year programme focused on fire safety and upgrade work. United Living Property Services won a £36m contract with Sovereign Network Group (SNG) for repairs and voids management in London and the South. In Sunderland, housing association Gentoo has awarded a 10-year refurbishment contract to Esh, Re:Gen, and PHS to improve its housing stock. The Construction Index, Construction Enquirer, United Living and The Construction Index
Vistry Group has partnered with Thirteen Group to develop 122 affordable homes in Beverley, enhancing housing availability in the region. In addition, Southend Council is set to install heat pumps in 231 homes to reduce emissions and tackle fuel poverty. TheBusinessDesk.com, Echo
Administrators handling Tolent’s insolvency have secured a two-year extension to the process as they continue restructuring efforts. Construction Enquirer
One in six publicly funded decarbonisation projects under a £553m scheme has been abandoned due to economic pressures. In contrast, a government-backed report has warned that without payment reform, rising insolvencies could overshadow recovery in the construction sector. Construction News (register), The Construction Index
The UK government is engaging regulators to fast-track water projects, cut environmental red tape delaying housebuilding, and reform LOLER lifting rules. Construction Enquirer
Plans have been revealed for 420 homes, a care home, and a school in Spencers Wood, Berkshire, while a new application has been submitted for a 370-home development in Kidlington, Oxfordshire. In Cornwall, a detailed application for 245 homes in Bodieve has been submitted, and Muse has applied to build 244 affordable homes in Horsham, West Sussex. Elsewhere, a 200-home development in Leavesden, near Watford, has moved to the next stage. Bracknell News, Oxford Mail, BBC, The Construction Index, and Watford Observer