Family-run construction firms pushed ‘to brink’ by inheritance tax Property Family-run construction firms are being pushed to the brink of insolvency by reforms to inheritance tax which undermine Labour’s housebuilding target, a trade body has warned. Plant-hire firms – which provide machinery and services to the construction sector – are almost always family run and are being forced to scale back by inheritance tax changes, [...]
Iran war to drive up building costs, warns Travis Perkins boss Property The boss of the UK’s largest builders’ merchant has warned building costs are poised to rise as suppliers warn they are facing soaring energy costs. Gavin Slark, the new boss of Travis Perkins, said the conflict in the Middle East and the resulting spike of energy prices will force manufacturers to put up prices to [...]
Here’s what the Square Mile skyline will look like in six years Property The City of London Corporation has revealed a new CGI skyline showcasing the Square Mile skyscrapers set to be completed in the next six years. The computer-generated images were released to mark a record set of planning permission deals in 2025, which have included the decision to green-light what will be the City’s tallest building, [...]
Watchdogs rip up rulebook for building societies in growth boost December 5, 2025 British building societies are in line for a deregulation boost after UK watchdogs announced a joint raft of initiatives aiming to power up the sector. Mutuals – which, contrary to banks, are owned by their members – are set to land a significant growth tailwind following a fresh report from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) [...]
UK construction productivity still stuck in the 90s, warns industry body November 21, 2025 Productivity in Britain’s construction sector is now lower than in 1997, according to a new report. Decades of under-investment have left delivery capacity “dangerously thin”, a new report by Oxford Economics for the Construction Plant-hire Association (CPA), Half-Built Britain, has warned. CPA chief Steven Mulholland said the report should serve as a “wake-up call” for [...]
Will the new Planning Bill get Britain building? October 28, 2025 The Planning and Infrastructure Bill promises faster decisions and greener outcomes. But will it actually deliver, asks James Clark.
Construction output weakens as gloom persists October 16, 2025 UK construction output has continued to shrink as companies struggle to build at the pace required by the government’s far-reaching housing goals. Output fell 0.3 per cent month on month in August, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), with the most pronounced decline in repair and maintenance. “The underlying trends in construction are [...]
Over 150 high-rise schemes stuck in limbo as red tape clogs up UK construction October 4, 2025 Over 150 high-rise construction projects in the UK have been stalled due to problems with the Building Safety Regulator, with over half of those located in London, according to new data. A new survey from the Construction Plant-Hire Association (CPA), the UK’s leading trade association for renting building equipment, has found that crane fleets and [...]
Labour’s new quarry tax is rock bottom green policy August 4, 2025 A man’s freedom to fill up his quarry absent extortion must stand, writes Charlie Amos in response to Labour's expanded landfill tax.
Number of affordable homes started in London plummets July 10, 2025 The number of affordable homes underway in the capital has fallen far short of expectations as tight regulations and cost pressures make sites unviable. The Greater London Authority has so far completed 871 homes under the 2021-2026 Affordable Homes Programme (AHP), according to its annual housing report. This is just over five per cent of [...]