A construction company has been fined £50,000 after a labourer died following a fall through an unglazed window opening at a redevelopment site in New Malden, London. The Health and Safety Executive said the risk could have been controlled with boarding or additional guard rails, and that required weekly scaffolding inspections had not been carried out.
The Environment Agency has issued a warning letter to the River Roding Trust after investigating unpermitted works at Alders Brook in Ilford and earlier damage to a flood defence in Barking. The investigation found environmental harm including habitat loss, spread of Japanese knotweed, and non-compliant dredging that may have disturbed sediment and affected downstream water quality.
Tameside Council has approved plans for a major residential scheme at Gee Cross, comprising 444 homes on land off Stockport Road, despite significant local opposition. The proposal includes the conversion of the listed Apethorn Farmhouse, demolition of the Pear Tree Farm complex, and provision of 15% affordable housing, with the site having been removed from Green Belt designation through the Greater Manchester spatial strategy.
Arcadis says project costs are likely to rise due to the Iran conflict and the continuing impact of new regulations. The consultant also warns that a recent peace deal should not be assumed to end the wider effects on jobs and project delivery.
The Regulator of Social Housing chief executive said regulation can help support the delivery of more and better social homes by maintaining a stable environment for private investment and strong governance. He also noted ongoing housing need, additional grant funding opportunities, and a consultation-style discussion on how economic regulation could become more assertive, agile and innovation-friendly.
Net World Sports has submitted a scoping opinion request for a major expansion at Marchwiel near Wrexham, proposing a campus across 58 acres as part of a wider 83-acre landholding. The illustrative masterplan includes 14 industrial units, with the scheme’s environmental statement expected to address agricultural land and soils, air quality and ecology.
Lewes district council says it will strengthen enforcement in the private rented sector and engage with landlords and agents as part of a more robust regulatory approach. The council links the change to the Renters Rights Act 2025 and says it will use clearer thresholds for formal action, earlier intervention in serious non-compliance, and civil penalties where appropriate.
The article reports that the government is proposing to end insured tenancy deposit schemes in England and Wales, requiring all deposits to be protected through custodial arrangements. It notes that insured schemes currently hold over £3 billion of tenant funds and that any change would likely be phased in, with agents potentially needing to operate both systems during a transition period.
The Regulator of Social Housing has published its latest quarterly survey on fire safety remediation in the social housing sector, covering residential buildings of 11 metres or more, or five storeys or more. The findings show that most reported buildings have had fire risk assessments, while a significant number still have life-critical external wall system defects and remain on remediation programmes.
The article reports criticism from the Conveyancing Task Force over government plans to expand digital and AI-driven processes in homebuying reform. The group argues that changes are being advanced too quickly and without sufficient consultation, warning that this could repeat problems seen in the implementation of the Building Safety Act 2022 and recent anti-money laundering requirements.
Harrow Council has introduced an Article 4 Direction to require planning permission for smaller HMOs that were previously allowed under Permitted Development. The council says the move is intended to reduce local impacts such as noise, rubbish and anti-social behaviour, while protecting family housing stock.
A Labour MP has argued that high private sector rents are contributing significantly to the welfare bill, particularly through Housing Benefit and related local authority payments. She has called for local authority-level rent controls in the UK, citing examples from France, Germany and Ireland, and linking the proposal to the newly in-effect Renters Rights Act.
