Aster’s turnover up while completions down
Housing association Aster Group's turnover increased during its financial year, with the business completing 978 new homes, slightly lower than the previous year in a difficult sales market. During the year ending March 31 2026, the southern-England based business saw its turnover increase from 2024/25’s £329.9 million to £337.6 million. New home completions compare to the previous year’s 984. Of the 978 for 2026, 412 were for shared ownership,105 for social rent, 365 for affordable rent and 32 London affordable rent.
Help to Buy evaluation shows “very high” value for money
Help to Buy represented “very high” value for money, with evidence suggesting a “positive impact” on both home ownership and homes supply, according to an independent evaluation of the equity loan initiative. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has published the evaluation which it commissioned, providing evidence on whether the scheme met its objectives and the experiences of customers, developers and lenders. The evaluation was undertaken by Verian with Alma Economics and the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research at Sheffield Hallam University.
Barratt Redrow’s completions up but current year guidance revised down
Barratt Redrow’s completions rose 5% during its full year against 2025, but with adjusted pre-tax profit down and the business downgrading its current year’s expectations due to “continued planning delays” and the difficult market. During the 52 weeks ending June 28 2026, the volume housebuilder completed 17,667 homes, towards the top of its guidance range. Private homes sold at an average price of £394,100, up 3.3% on the previous year due to geographic and product mix.
Pocket Living chair steps down
Marc Vlessing, chair and co-founder of Pocket Living, is stepping down from the business as part of a “structured handover” to pursue the next stage of his career. Vlessing established London-based Pocket Living, a specialist compact homes developer, in 2005 alongside Paul Harbard. The business has delivered more than 1,800 homes, including its RIBA Award-winning scheme in Forest Road, Waltham Forest. Pocket Living builds one-bedroom homes in “well-connected locations across the city” at a 20% discount to local first-time buyers.
Gleeson hails partnerships success while posting pre-tax loss
Gleeson aims to “accelerate” its partnerships division but this will not become its whole business, according to ceo Graham Prothero. Speaking to Housebuilder as the company announced its full year results today (September 15), including a group pre-tax loss of £2.7 million, Prothero said partnerships were likely to represent 20% of the business.
Berkeley urges stamp duty reform
Stamp duty needs “urgent reform”, according to Berkeley Group, with the housebuilder calling on “targeted intervention” to aid the new build homes market. In a trading update, the business said stamp duty tax was now a “binding constraint” as interest rates were no longer at the low levels of when the current regime was introduced.
“Slim chance” govt will reach homes target – Rayner
There is now only a “slim chance” the government will deliver on its target of 1.5 million new homes by the end of this parliament, according to housing secretary Angela Rayner. Speaking on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme, Rayner conceded that the “headwinds” of geopolitical events and construction costs “are having a negative event on that target”.
New home owners face decade-long waits for road adoption - HBF
Communities are waiting up to 12 years for roads serving new housing developments to be adopted by local authorities, according to new research from the Home Builders Federation.
HBF Planning Conference tackles system change and challenges
Housebuilders’ experience of the planning system may not be “matching up” with the government’s ambitions, it has acknowledged, according to Manuela Solera-Deuchar, MHCLG’s planning director. Speaking at the Home Builders Federation’s Planning Conference in Birmingham, Solera-Deuchar told delegates that ministers “understand that what we experience in Whitehall may not be what you experience”, with the government keen to work with the industry to address this.
