Construction sector contracts at the fastest pace since 2020 August 6, 2025 Activity in the UK’s construction industry is contracting at the fastest rate since the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 as high costs and tax hikes bite. The sector is vital for the Labour government’s plans for a house building boom and improvements in infrastructure, with the private sector expected to help boost the UK’s economic growth. [...]
Laing O’Rourke: Heathrow Terminal Five builder doubles profit August 4, 2025 Laing O’Rourke, the construction giant behind Heathrow’s Terminal Five, more than doubled its profit during its latest financial year. The business has posted a pre-tax profit of £41.5m for the 12 months to 31 March, 2025, up from the £18.1m it reported for the prior year. The profit comes after Laing O’Rourke lost £288m in [...]
Labour’s new quarry tax is rock bottom green policy August 4, 2025 A man’s freedom to fill up his quarry absent extortion must stand, writes Charlie Amos in response to Labour's expanded landfill tax.
Planning permissions for home improvements falls to lowest level in a decade July 21, 2025 Planning permissions for home renovations has plummeted as the low consumer confidence permeates the construction industry. Consents for developments in England totalled 151,177 in the 12 months to March, 27 per cent below the 10-year average, according to data from Savills. This is despite a 24 per cent uplift in housing transactions as buyers rushed [...]
Insolvencies ease in signs of UK businesses’ resilience July 18, 2025 Insolvencies declined slightly in June in signs UK businesses under pressure from higher costs have weathered through tax rises and low national spirits. In new data published by the Insolvency Service, company insolvencies fell by eight per cent in June compared to the month before. The number of insolvencies – 2,043 – was also 16 [...]
Galliford Try ‘well-positioned’ to benefit from government spending July 9, 2025 Galliford Try has stated that it “welcomes” the government’s ambitions for affordable housing and infrastructure and expects to report a profit ahead of expectations this year. The construction giant, which has 4,300 employees across the UK, operates across the public and regulated sectors – including water, transport and building projects. The company told markets it [...]
London Lions tap pyramids experts for new basketball arena plans July 3, 2025 The London Lions have appointed consultancies whose clients include the pyramids of Giza, the Eden Project and Formula 1 to help draw up plans for their new basketball arena. The Super League Basketball club have engaged The Sports Consultancy, which has worked with F1, the Football Association and the NFL, and Trivandi, whose projects have [...]
Berkeley, Persimmon and Barratt hit by house price slowdown July 1, 2025 Weak growth in UK house prices has hit the shares of the UK leading listed homebuilders, with pundits concerned that a demand for private housing will prevent the government from reaching its ambitious housing goals. Berkeley’s share price has dropped by more than eight per cent in the past month and Persimmon is down four [...]
Retail and construction lead insolvencies as UK firms in ‘perilous position’ June 20, 2025 Wholesale and retail traders and construction firms accounted for nearly a third of all insolvencies seen in the 12 months to April. Data published by the Insolvency Service has pointed to a further concerning trend in the UK economy as the number of companies insolvencies in May grew eight per cent month-on-month. The number of [...]
House prices slump in April: ‘Supply is beginning to outweigh demand’ June 18, 2025 UK house prices fell in April as affordability issues constrain demand following the end of the stamp duty holiday in March. House prices fell 2.7 per cent month on month in April, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Prices increased by 3.5 per cent to £265,000 in the 12 months to April 2025, [...]