Labour must reform biodiversity laws to boost housebuilding, trade body says Property Housebuilders are calling on the government to reform its biodiversity quotas for developers to lessen the costs and delays they say it causes to businesses. The Home Builders Federation (HBF), which represents the housebuilding industry, welcomed recent changes to biodiversity laws but said they do not go far enough in lifting the burden on housebuilders. [...]
UK construction ‘exits tailspin’ but job losses persist as housebuilding slumps Economics The UK’s struggling construction sector showed signs it was turning a corner at the beginning of the year even as job losses and shrinking order books persisted. The latest construction Purchasing Manager’s Index (PMI) from S&P Global – which serves as a headline index tracking industry activity – edged up to 46.4, up from 40.1 [...]
Robert De Niro: Nobu reveals major London plans amid UK push Property Robert De Niro’s hospitality brand is open to considering new luxury residences in London after the success of its restaurants and hotel, the firm’s co-founders have exclusively told City AM. Nobu Hospitality first launched in London in 1997 with a restaurant at Old Park Lane. That was followed by a hotel and restaurant in Portman [...]
Construction industry sheds workers at steepest rate in five years November 6, 2025 The UK’s construction industry suffered another crippling hit in October after the rate of job shedding hit its steepest level in just over five years. The latest Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) from S&P Global showed the sector had tumbled to 44.1 last month, down from 46.2 in September. This marks the tenth consecutive month the [...]
Construction sector hit by waning activity ahead of Budget October 6, 2025 Business activity expectations in the construction industry have fallen to the lowest since the end of 2022 as companies remained glum on future outlook ahead of the Autumn Budget. The latest Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) from S&P Global showed construction output showed the industry hit its highest level for three months at 46.2 – though [...]
Balfour Beatty receives profit boost from government contracts August 13, 2025 Infrastructure group Balfour Beatty recorded a jump in profit for the first half of the year after a bumper performance in its UK construction. The London-listed firm posted a £20m rise in pre-tax profit for the first six months of the year to £132m, up from £112m last year. It came as the business’ UK [...]
Laing O’Rourke: Heathrow Terminal Five builder doubles profit August 4, 2025 Laing O’Rourke, the construction giant behind Heathrow’s Terminal Five, more than doubled its profit during its latest financial year. The business has posted a pre-tax profit of £41.5m for the 12 months to 31 March, 2025, up from the £18.1m it reported for the prior year. The profit comes after Laing O’Rourke lost £288m in [...]
Morgan Sindall: Shares in FTSE 250 firm hit record high amid profit boom June 17, 2025 Shares in Morgan Sindall hit a record high on Tuesday after it said annual profit would come in “significantly ahead” of expectations. The firm’s stock soared more than 17 per cent in early deals to around 4,515p. Morgan Sindall, the construction and regeneration group which employs over 8,000 people, said its outperformance had been driven [...]
Sir Robert McAlpine returns to profit after losing over £100m April 28, 2025 Sir Robert McAlpine, the family-owned construction giant which built London 2012’s Olympic Stadium, has recovered from losing over £100m to return to profit. The Hertfordshire-headquartered business has posted a pre-tax profit of £10.4m for 2024 after having slumped to a loss of £104.6m in 2023. The business has also reported a turnover of £940m for [...]
Construction output drops again despite Rayner’s planning reforms April 4, 2025 Construction activity has suffered a further decline and confidence is low despite minister Angela Rayner’s planning reforms getting a thumbs up from the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). Rayner’s Ministry of Housing is introducing broad changes to planning rules as it hopes to deliver the UK’s construction sector an extra boost. Its planning reforms have [...]