Labour’s AI ambitions will clash with its housebuilding targets September 18, 2025 It was all smiles on Tuesday as Chancellor Rachel Reeves became the latest PPE grad politician to don her PPE robes, in a visit to a construction site in Waltham Cross where she unveiled Google’s new data centre. The opening was a moment of celebration, as Google announced another £5bn investment into the UK, a [...]
A nine-point plan to get London building September 15, 2025 London’s housing delivery has collapsed due to regulatory delays, high costs, and stalled developments, but fast-tracking planning reform and supporting SME housebuilders could unlock thousands of homes, revive derelict sites, and make housing more affordable, says Paul Rickard London, once the UK’s housing and regeneration powerhouse, has seen the delivery of new homes plunge to [...]
Government warned that London housebuilding is on the edge of collapse September 15, 2025 Housing delivery in the capital is in a major crisis and urgent measures must be taken to prevent collapse, according to a new report. Lack of buyer support, as well as excessive bureaucracy and significant planning delays, are “strangling” attempted to deliver desperately-needed new homes, a Home Builders Federation report has found. Neil Jefferson, Chief [...]
Housebuilding targets are useless amid construction workforce crisis September 3, 2025 With a depleting workforce and a mental health crisis, the government can no longer afford to ignore the construction industry.
Reeves’ punitive property tax will hurt London the most August 19, 2025 Labour’s mulled property tax could stall the housing market - and it's Londoners who will suffer most, writes Steven Mulholland.
Reasons to be optimistic about the UK’s construction sector August 13, 2025 There are some early signs the UK’s beleaguered construction industry is turning a corner as higher demand, higher government investment and lower interest rates set shovels in the ground. Judging by the numbers so far this year, the UK’s construction industry is in a bad place: The sector contracted at the fastest pace since 2020 [...]
Average age of first-time buyer in London hits 35 August 12, 2025 The average age of Brits buying their first homes has surged over the past two decades as house prices have risen faster than wages. The average age of a first-time buyer in London was 31 in the mid-2000s, but it has since risen to nearly 35, according to new research from Conveyancing Solicitor. Property expert [...]
John Lewis: Losses triple at retail giant’s property start-up August 11, 2025 Losses tripled at the property start-up owned by retail giant John Lewis during its latest financial year despite its income shooting up, it has been revealed. BTR (Operating) Limited has posted a pre-tax loss of £406,000 for the 12 months to 25 January, 2025, new accounts filed with Companies House show. The latest figure comes [...]
House builder blames ‘broken planning system’ and interest rates for loss August 7, 2025 In independent house builder has blamed the “broken planning system” and high interest rates putting off first time buyers for it falling into the red. Cheshire-based Eccleston Homes has reported a pre-tax loss of £1.2m for the 12 months to 31 October, 2024, down from the £2m profit it achieved in the prior year. New [...]
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.