UK construction crumbles in April as ‘bumpy ride’ continues May 7, 2025 UK construction endured another month of collapsing output in April, new research has suggested, in signs that a turnaround in the sector is still distant. The sector has now seen a decline in output over four consecutive months, according to S&P Global’s newest purchasing managers’ index (PMI). Civil engineering remained the weakest area of construction [...]
Construction firms lose hope but businesses are ‘showing resilience’ April 30, 2025 Construction firms have grown despondent about their business prospects despite signs of resilience across the UK economy, a new survey has found. The sector is key to the housing secretary Angela Rayner’s plans to build 1.5m homes by 2030 though early signs suggest the ambitious target will not be met. Construction saw a bigger drop [...]
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 [...]
Aston Villa to boost Villa Park capacity beyond 50,000 by 2027 April 24, 2025 Aston Villa have revealed plans to increase the capacity of Villa Park to more than 50,000 by more than doubling the number of seats in its North Stand. The Premier League club aim to complete the work by late 2027, in time for being one of the host venues for Euro 2028, which is being [...]
Barratt Redrow shares rise as housebuilder predicts growth April 16, 2025 Construction giant Barratt Redrow has said it is "well-positioned for sustainable growth" as its forward sales dropped by double-digit figures
Spring Statement 2025: Housing reform to pave way for GDP growth March 26, 2025 The government’s changes to housebuilding will result in a £6.8bn boost to GDP by 2029, according to OBR figures included in the Spring Statement. Chancellor Rachel Reeves called the forecast the “biggest ever” positive growth impact that the OBR has projected from a non-fiscal government policy. Changes to the UK’s housebuilding market were a cornerstone [...]
Berkeley warns planning reform won’t solve overregulation of housebuilding March 14, 2025 Housebuilder Berkeley has warned that continued incremental regulatory changes will continue to place significant pressure on the delivery of new homes, despite the recently-announced planning reforms. Regulation on the construction of homes has increased recently, particularly in light of the Grenfell tragedy. The Building Safety regulator, which sets out rules to protect the design and [...]
Iconic cinema in Chelsea put on the market March 13, 2025 An iconic Grade II ex-cinema in Chelsea has been put on the market, with potential to turn it into a hotel, housing or a member’s club. The closure of the cinema, which Hugh Grant called “strangely unbearable”, sparked headlines last year. The site, which originally opened in 1930 as the Forum Theatre, became the 26th [...]
Manchester United reveal plans for Britain’s biggest stadium March 11, 2025 Manchester United have revealed plans to build Britain’s biggest stadium, a £2bn 100,000-capacity venue to replace Old Trafford that will sit at the heart of a “miniature city of the future”. New conceptual images of the venue show an “umbrella” canopy with three spikes, a nod to the prongs of the devil’s trident on the [...]
Costain doubles dividend as pipeline jumps March 11, 2025 Costain has doubled its full-year dividend after reporting a record increase in forward work. On Tuesday, the London-listed construction firm said it would increase its dividend per share from 1.2p to 2.4p. Earnings per share also rose by nearly a fifth to 14.6p, up from 12.2p the year prior. It came as Costain’s forward work [...]