Hallam Land Management has initiated the planning process for a large residential scheme near Crewe by seeking an Environmental Impact Assessment scoping opinion for land around Moss Lane, Leighton North. The indicative masterplan could accommodate up to 1,700 homes alongside provision for over-55s housing, a primary school, a local centre and ancillary retail.
Preston City Council’s planning team has accepted an alternative approach to meeting affordable housing requirements for a 443-home scheme in Cottam. The proposal treats the scheme alongside a neighbouring 100% affordable development, allowing the combined projects to meet the council’s 30% affordable housing target and removing a viability review mechanism that developers said could hinder funding.
New research from Lomond suggests tenants are now spending 32.7% of annual income on rent, with average monthly rents up 4.3% year-on-year to £1,369. The article also highlights significant regional variation, with London rents well above the national average and continued demand for family-sized homes in some regions.
A Construction Employers Federation survey reports that inflationary pressures are again weighing heavily on Northern Ireland construction firms, with 45% citing price rises as a serious financial concern. The sector also highlighted stagnant or falling margins, rising material costs and wider policy issues including budget uncertainty, housing supply constraints and planning reform.
The London Assembly has called for a mayoral plan to reduce heat-related deaths in social housing, citing concerns that an estimated 75% of the capital’s social homes are at high risk of overheating. The article highlights overheating as a significant housing safety issue in London’s social housing stock.
The Federation of Master Builders has said that a government crackdown on rogue builders may be ineffective unless the building trade is brought under compulsory statutory licensing. The measures are intended to help homeowners identify reputable tradespeople and better protect payments made during building work, with changes due from September.
The article argues that landlords are facing increasing pressure from negative public sentiment, rising operating costs and a changing regulatory environment. It highlights concerns that measures linked to the Renters’ Rights Act, the planned PRS Database and a future PRS Landlord Ombudsman could contribute to landlords leaving the private rented sector or passing on costs through higher rents.
Lomond’s data suggests the UK rental market remains resilient, with average rents rising to £1,369 pcm and tenants spending nearly a third of their income on rent. The article highlights strong regional variation, including higher rents in London and increased demand in areas such as Kent, the North West and Yorkshire, alongside a shift toward longer-term tenant selection as Renters Rights Act reforms bed in.
A landlord survey suggests that while many investors still view residential property as a sound long-term asset, confidence in the private rental sector has weakened. Most landlords plan to hold their portfolios steady over the next year, but a notable minority expect to reduce holdings or exit the market, with taxation identified as the main barrier to further investment.
The article argues that appointing contractors late in the design process is associated with significantly higher cost growth on public sector projects. Drawing on a dataset of more than 400 projects, it reports that appointments at RIBA stages 3 and 4 were linked to average cost growth of nearly 9% and 17% respectively, compared with projects where contractors were involved earlier.
Devonshire Homes has entered administration, with administrators reporting that the collapsed housebuilder owes unsecured creditors £35 million. The article indicates the company’s financial failure occurred earlier in the summer.
Stockport Council is preparing to use compulsory purchase powers to secure a bus depot site at Daw Bank after negotiations with Stagecoach broke down over valuation. The land is needed for phase one of the £350m Stockport 8 regeneration scheme, which has planning approval and public funding but is now at risk of delay.
