Daily News: 09/07/2025
Seven major housebuilders Barratt, Redrow, Bellway, Berkeley Group, Bloor Homes, Persimmon, Taylor Wimpey and Vistry will contribute £100m to UK affordable housing programmes after a CMA probe into the sharing of sensitive sales data. GOV.UK
The Regulator of Social Housing has downgraded Sustain (UK) Ltd to V3 for failing financial viability standards, while Phoenix Community Housing Association has been added to the gradings under review list. GOV.UK
Yorkshire housing associations and councils have introduced a new affordable homes standard, establishing a minimum quality benchmark for homes to be eligible for purchase by social landlords. Meanwhile, over 80% of Tendring Council tenants reported satisfaction with the services provided by their landlord. Housing Today (register), Clacton Gazette
Millions of older people in England live in substandard housing, says The State of Ageing 2025 report. It finds 3.5m homes, 14% of England’s housing, are non-decent, affecting 7.5m people, including 2.3m aged 55+ and 1.5m children. Centre for Ageing Better
Bromford has secured a double deal with Taylor Wimpey to deliver over 200 affordable homes in Bromsgrove, strengthening local housing supply. In addition, Fusion Group has appointed a main contractor to deliver a 622-bed student accommodation scheme in Birmingham, with blocks reaching up to 17 storeys. Bromford Housing Association Limited, Insider Media
Galliford Try has reported another year of rising revenue and profits, driven by strong performance across its UK operations, according to CEO Bill Hocking. In contrast, scaffolding specialist Enigma Industrial Services experienced a £300,000 drop in pre-tax profit, despite achieving a 6% rise in revenue. Construction Wave, Construction News (register)
London has been ranked the fifth most expensive city in the world for construction, with average building costs reaching £4,163 per sqm, according to a new report by Turner & Townsend. PBC Today
The Building Safety Regulator aims to cut the Gateway 2 approvals process to five weeks, says construction leader Mark Reynolds, though he warned this target is still “a long way off” and a 13-week turnaround would already be major progress. Housing Today (register)
Barratt Redrow has pledged that from January 2026, all new planning applications will include accessible playgrounds, aiming to ensure inclusivity across its future developments. Housing Today (register)
In Stoke-on-Trent, concerns have been raised about a proposal for 400 homes on greenfield land potentially overwhelming local infrastructure. Meanwhile, 260 homes are proposed on the edge of Downham Market. Northern Group is preparing to submit plans for 200 homes near Reddish’s ‘Secret Lake’ in Greater Manchester, and 170 homes are planned near Woolavington, close to the proposed Bridgwater gigafactory. StokeonTrentLive, Eastern Daily Press, Place North West, and Bridgwater Mercury