Financial & Legal
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Durkan is ending main contracting after more than fifty years. The group will focus on housebuilding and regeneration as regulatory exposure, contracting risk, and legacy fire-safety liabilities reshape its operating model.
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Beaufort House remediation has cleared a major Building Safety gateway. The £4.5m Bristol programme combines fire-safety work with fabric-first retrofit while all 87 homes remain occupied.
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Scotland plans a single modern statute for compulsory purchase reform. Ministers want clearer land acquisition, digital notices, improved ownership data, and reviewed compensation rules for development and infrastructure projects.
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Devonshire Homes entered administration with trade debts exceeding £35 million. Subcontractors and suppliers face substantial exposure as administrators work through the regional housebuilder’s remaining sites and assets.
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Close Brothers has provided £67.2m financing for Cardiff’s Harlech Court. The 340-home build-to-rent development is already under construction, with its reinforced concrete frame now progressing on the 30-storey city-centre tower.
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Government has proposed standard Section 106 agreements for medium sites. Four draft templates cover housing schemes of 10 to 49 homes, with ministers seeking to reduce negotiation delays and legal costs.
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Homes England has allocated £9.58bn across 33 strategic housing partners. The ten-year funding agreements provide longer-term certainty for social and affordable housing delivery outside London.
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Mayoral planning powers could reshape major development decisions across England. A six-week consultation sets proposed thresholds for housing, commercial schemes, tall buildings, and strategic infrastructure before implementation expected from early 2027.
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Curo Construction’s collapse has exposed £21.2m of unsecured creditor claims. Around £19.7m relates to trade and expense creditors, while more than 500 subcontractors and suppliers are caught in the administration.
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OHOB increased annual profit despite another sharp reduction in turnover. The groundworks and concrete-frame contractor reported £25.1m pre-tax profit on £294m revenue as Building Safety Regulator performance improved for higher-risk residential applications.