Daily News: 19/03/2025
Octopus Affordable Housing Fund has completed the transfer of 44 affordable homes to NewArch Homes, a registered provider of social housing. This move supports the fund’s commitment to increasing the supply of high-quality, affordable housing across the UK. TheBusinessDesk.com
New Forest District Council (NFDC) is set to invest £22.11m in housing maintenance and improvements for 2025/26, ensuring better living conditions for residents. Meanwhile, Lambeth Council has entered the second year of its ambitious New Homes Programme, aiming to deliver over 2,000 new homes on council-owned land, with at least 600 designated as affordable. In Colchester, the city council is on track to meet its goal of delivering 350 affordable homes by the end of the 2024/25 financial year, fulfilling a target set in 2019. New Forest District Council, Lambeth London Borough, and Colchester Borough Council
Dozens of Crawley council homes are overdue for “important” electrical safety checks, with some properties missing inspections for as long as 10 years, raising concerns about tenant safety. BBC
City Building, a Glasgow-based contractor, reported a £16m loss for the year ending 31 March 2023, according to its latest financial accounts. At the same time, the Financial Reporting Council has launched an investigation into the auditors of collapsed contractor ISG, scrutinising their financial practices. Construction News (register), Construction Enquirer
The Insolvency Service has reported that construction firms accounted for 15.8% of all insolvencies in England and Wales in January 2025 with 305 registered construction businesses becoming insolvent. BCIS
Nofax Enterprises Limited was fined £63,000 after HSE inspectors issued nine safety notices at its Dalston Lane site over 13 months. Construction Enquirer
Kemi Badenoch is set to drop the Conservative Party’s commitment to reaching net zero by 2050, as part of a major policy review, marking the widest review in a generation. The Guardian
Brent Council has approved plans for 885 new homes in Wembley. In Aberdeen, 435 homes in Bucksburn were approved despite concerns over school capacity. A 1,600-home redevelopment of Mell Square in Solihull has been submitted for planning, while plans for 150 homes in a Shropshire village have been recommended for approval. Housing Today (register), Aberdeen Live, TheBusinessDesk.com, and BBC