Lendlease has brought a High Court claim against Berkeley Group seeking nearly £96m in relation to alleged fire-safety and other defects across 20 residential schemes originally developed by Crosby group companies. The claim relies in part on the 2023 developer remediation contract and seeks building liability orders, indemnity or contribution, as remediation work continues or is yet to begin at some sites.
The outgoing interim chief construction adviser has called on clients and funders to take primary responsibility for competence and safety across the built environment. Her final report argues that while stronger standards and smarter regulation are important, lasting improvement depends on behaviours, accountability and avoiding cost or programme pressures that undermine building safety.
Clarion Housing Association is pursuing a £113m dispute over a three-block residential scheme built by a former Willmott Dixon subsidiary, alleging serious fire-safety defects. The claim says the defects could create a risk of structural collapse, death or serious injury and seeks demolition and rebuild of the scheme.
A refurbishment project involving a grade II-listed Temple building has been classed as high-risk by the Building Safety Regulator after the building was found to have only just met fire safety requirements. The article indicates the historic legal chambers block is largely vacant, highlighting the sensitivity of works to older, protected buildings where fire safety compliance is closely scrutinised.
The Regulator of Social Housing chief executive said the sector must strengthen strategic decision-making, governance and accountability to deliver more and better social homes amid financial pressure and uncertainty. He noted that investment in existing homes remains important, with higher fire safety remediation costs affecting some areas, particularly London and other large cities.
New directions have relaxed regulatory oversight for small-diameter drilling associated with fibre optic cable installation, including in higher-risk buildings and non-higher-risk buildings. In HRBs, the work still requires prior written approval and post-completion notification to the Building Safety Regulator, with firestopping and other protections required on the same day the hole is made.
Cala has reported a loss after being hit with a £20 million fire safety bill. The company also said weekly sales in the first half of the year were down compared with 2025 numbers.
The New Homes Ombudsman received a sharp increase in complaints over the past year, with cases rising from 593 to 1,802 and a higher proportion of decisions favouring homeowners. The report also shows increased compensation awards, more early resolutions, and ongoing concerns about defects ranging from finish issues to more serious structural and fire-safety failures.
Siderise has launched a new inspection app to verify the installation of its passive fire protection and acoustic products, with the aim of creating evidence that can feed into a building’s golden thread of information. The system supports installer feedback, corrective actions and data capture for compliance, and is positioned to align with gateway requirements for high-risk buildings and emerging construction product reforms.
