Daily News: 04/03/2026
Arhag Housing Association has announced that it will join the Hyde Group from 1st April 2026, following confirmation from both boards. Arhag Housing Association Ltd
Councils’ costs for temporary housing are projected to more than double to nearly £4bn by 2029-30, as the Local Government Association (LGA) warns of rising expenses to house homeless people in England. The Guardian
Nottingham City Council has approved an interim £500,000 contract to ensure urgent fire-safety work continues across its housing stock after problems with a tender process left the authority without a supplier. West Bridgford Wire
Ballymore and Penta Real Estate have partnered on phase two of the £300m Brentford Project in Hounslow, west London, delivering 373 apartments with amenities including a swimming pool, gym, residents’ lounge and concierge as part of the wider regeneration scheme. The Construction Index
Galliford Try reported a 20% rise in pre-tax profit, with margins moving closer to its 4% 2030 target, prompting an upgraded full-year outlook. Vistry Group PLC delivered full-year 2025 results in line with guidance, supported by a strong second half despite open market challenges and budget uncertainty. Kier Group posted a solid half-year, with CEO Stuart Togwell citing renewed momentum. Meanwhile, MCS Group saw turnover fall £9m to £101m, with pre-tax profit halving to £3.5m. Construction Enquirer, Vistry Group Plc, Construction Enquirer, and Construction News (register)
Bouygues Energies & Services Contracting has been rebranded as Equans Sci-Tech following the Bouygues Group’s acquisition of Equans in October 2022. Meanwhile, the government plans a consultation on merging the Construction Industry Training Board and the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board into a single training body. The Construction Index, Construction Enquirer
The OBR warns that planning reforms in the December 2024 NPPF have not yet increased housebuilding, with UK housing stock additions projected to fall from 260,000 a year in the early 2020s to 220,000 by 2026-27. Meanwhile, data indicates that brick deliveries fell by 2.5% in January 2026 compared with January 2025. In Scotland, a Scotland’s Housing Network report shows 93% of tenants are satisfied with new-build affordable homes. The Construction Index, GOV.UK, and Scottish Housing News
A professor of urban economics at the University of Glasgow has proposed that Scotland should establish combined regional housing authorities to deliver housing services more effectively. Meanwhile, CIH Scotland has urged the Scottish government to introduce a new professionalism standard within the Scottish Social Housing Charter. Housing Today (register), Housing Today (register)
Portsmouth City Council has approved 393 new council flats to replace the former Horatia and Leamington towers, adding to 175 homes completed in phase one, while a separate city centre master plan proposes a leisure centre and 750 brownfield homes. Meanwhile, Taylor Wimpey and Gladman Developments Ltd have appealed against Medway Council delays over 690 homes near Hoo. Elsewhere, plans include up to 600 homes in Ardersier, 335 in Louth, 300 in Manchester by Glenbrook, and 200 in Walton facing local opposition. The News, BBC, Kent Online, BBC, Grimsby Live, Place North West, and Clacton Gazette