Poplar HARCA is pursuing a £3.4m claim against Rydon Construction over alleged fire-safety and cladding defects at two east London residential buildings. The housing association says the buildings were not fit for habitation when completed and that remediation has already been carried out using public funding and its own resources.
The article reports that Avant Homes has agreed a repayment plan with MHCLG allowing remediation costs under the Developer Remediation Contract to be funded by government and repaid over several years. The arrangement has drawn criticism from another DRC signatory, while Avant says it provides liquidity support and MHCLG says it protects taxpayers and helps speed up cladding removal.
Bouygues UK reported a significantly larger pre-tax loss, driven by subcontractor failures, labour constraints and ongoing post-completion building-safety liabilities. The contractor also increased its provisions, with most of the balance linked to customer warranty obligations and expected remediation costs, while warning that financial pressure is likely to continue into 2026.
RG Carter reported lower turnover and profit for the year to 31 December 2025, citing delays to projects starting on site and a reduced workforce. Despite the weaker trading performance, the company said its order book is stronger for 2026 and its cash position and net assets improved over the year.
Construction News reports that Sto Ltd has been linked to five High Court cases over historic StoTherm Classic cladding installations, with alleged losses and remediation costs exceeding £100m. The company entered administration before the claims were resolved, and administrators say they are still assessing historical cladding liabilities and the impact on unsecured creditors.
The Office for Nuclear Regulation has extended two improvement notices served on Bouygues Travaux Publics SAS and Laing O’Rourke Delivery Ltd, partners in the Bylor joint venture at Hinkley Point C, after a worker was seriously injured by a falling formwork panel. The regulator said the firms had made progress but still need more time to demonstrate full compliance with the notices, which relate to planning, management and monitoring of construction work under CDM 2015.
Thorp Precast reported modest growth in turnover and pre-tax profit, supported by stronger demand for building envelopes, masonry buildings and precast cladding. The company said its forward order book is strong, with residential work still accounting for about half of turnover and regulatory delays on high-risk buildings beginning to ease.
