Lessons from the Gulag? Enemies of the people had entrepreneurial spirit January 8, 2025 A study mapping the link between gulags and regional growth in Russia can teach us something about reviving our own left behind towns.
Lendinvest inches closer to profit as fintech eyes housebuilding boost December 9, 2024 Lendinvest is nearing a return to profitability as the property fintech eyes a boost from the new government’s housebuilding plans. The London-listed firm reported a pre-tax loss of £1.7m for the six months to 30 September, 2024, compared to a £15.7m loss during the same period last year. Lendinvest’s bottom line was helped by a [...]
How to build affordable housing December 9, 2024 Any plan to actually deliver the 1.5m homes the government has committed to must be guided by pragmatism, not dogma – and lower targets for affordable housing can often result in more actually getting built, says Marc Vlessing The sudden departure of both senior leaders at Homes England is an opportunity to rethink the role [...]
Housing crisis ‘hampers growth’ but minister vows 1.5m target on track November 20, 2024 The UK’s housing crisis “hampers economic growth and productivity”, the housing minister has said, as he insisted the target of 1.5m new homes can be achieved. Labour pledged in its manifesto ahead of the election to deliver the 1.5m net additional dwellings over the course of the Parliament, ending in 2029. It came in response [...]
Taylor Wimpey: Higher demand buoys sales as firm preps for planning reform November 7, 2024 After a tough start to the year, Taylor Wimpey has reported signs of improving customer demand as mortgage rates fall and affordability pressures ease. The housebuilder said it remained on track to deliver UK volumes in line with previous guidance of 9,500 to 10,000 homes and operating profit consistent with current market expectations. In the [...]
On housing, the government’s numbers just don’t add up October 29, 2024 Developers can only build at the rate they can sell, and this is intrinsically linked to mortgage financing. Long-term, fixed-rate mortgages above the 4.5 times income threshold can be part of the solution, says Arjan Verbeek The United Kingdom’s housing market is at a critical juncture. The government has pledged to deliver 300,000 new homes [...]
Can the government tax its way to a building boom? October 26, 2024 Labour have big plans for house building and infrastructure so what can we expect on property taxes in the Budget? Tim Sarson has the answers Cut through the post-election chatter about black holes and freebies and there is one theme that keeps coming up as a top political priority. Building things. I can’t remember a [...]
Barratt Redrow: Builder outlines growth plans after merger October 23, 2024 Barratt Redrow outlined its growth plans today in its first trading update as a combined group. Created by the merger of homebuilders Barrett and Redrow, the combined group has laid out plans to build 22,000 homes a year in the medium term. That would make it one of the UK’s largest house builders. In its [...]
Caterpillar: Price rises help profit pass £100m at UK arm September 20, 2024 Profit at the UK arm of Caterpillar has jumped past £100m after its international sales surged during its latest financial year. The Leicestershire-headquartered division has posted a pre-tax profit of £102.2m for 2023, up from the £74.4m it achieved in 2022. Newly-filed accounts with Companies House also show that its turnover rose from £1.33bn to [...]
Triple Point: Social housing firm bets on Labour boost September 13, 2024 A listed social housing investor said the industry is set for a boost under the Labour government today as ministers prepare to tear up planning laws and kick off a housebuilding drive. Triple Point, which invests in supported accommodation, said in its half-year results that it is expecting a period of “greater political stability” that is [...]