Rightmove: Housebuilders face worst conditions since financial crisis July 31, 2026 The boss of property portal Rightmove has warned that UK housebuilders are facing the worst conditions since the 2008 financial crash. Johan Svanstrom, the FTSE 250 firm’s chief executive, said on Friday that new home developments are at “historically low levels due to continued softer build rates”. The property platform said growth in its new [...]
Housebuilder Bellway warns mortgage rate hikes dampening housing demand June 9, 2026 Bellway has said that recent rises to mortgage rates as a result of the Iran war are dampening demand for housing, on top of rising building cost inflation due to the conflict. The FTSE 250 housebuilder said it has seen a “moderation” in customer demand in April and May, bringing an end to a “positive” [...]
Is housebuilding in London impossible? May 25, 2026 After its 900-home development in Peckham was blocked, housebuilder Berkeley said it can “no longer invest” in London. Felix Armstrong asks whether development in the capital really has hit a brick wall At the Aylesham Centre in Peckham, south London, shoppers are met with graffitied walls, peeling paint and shuttered retail units. The site began [...]
‘Downright offensive’: Southwark council slammed for blocking 900 homes May 19, 2026 Southwark council has been blasted for celebrating the blocking of an 867-home development on the site of a Peckham shopping centre. The local authority hailed a “great day for Peckham” after housebuilder Berkeley failed to overturn a ruling against the development, which would have delivered retail, leisure and commercial space alongside the hundreds of homes. [...]
Councils turn to AI to boost housebuilding May 18, 2026 Local councils across the country are turning to artificial intelligence to speed up the planning process, as Labour’s 1.5m housebuilding target clashes with a slowing construction sector. A number of local authorities – including several in the capital – have either piloted or implemented AI planning tools, but housing leaders have warned that the government [...]
Housebuilding stocks recover as industry reaches ‘rock bottom’ April 15, 2026 The UK’s biggest housebuilder kept to the well-rehearsed tone of gloom which has loomed over the sector in recent months, when it became the latest to pull back on spending amid the market uncertainty caused by the Iran war. FTSE 100 firm Barratt Redrow said its financial targets hold firm, but warned that the blockage [...]
Help to buy scheme had ‘limited impact on social mobility’ April 15, 2026 Previous help-to-buy schemes did little to improve social mobility and mainly benefited high earners, the government has been warned, as it mulls reviving the programme. Help-to-buy, which offered equity loans to first-time buyers, had a “limited impact on social mobility,” the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has said. The government is reportedly considering revising help-to-buy, [...]
UK construction ‘exits tailspin’ but job losses persist as housebuilding slumps February 5, 2026 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 [...]
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 [...]