Strong SME showing among Housebuilder Awards finalists
The finalists of The Housebuilder Awards 2026 have been announced with a wide variety of companies making the grade. Smaller housebuilders feature prominently, including the likes of Kingswood Homes, Bourne Homes, Chartway, Lucy Developments, Jigsaw, Beechcroft and Dorchester Living. Medium sized firms proliferate too, with finalists places for Thakeham, Croudace, Davidsons, Peabody, Latimer, Muse and Story among others.
Industry welcomes the return of Rayner
The industry has welcomed the return of Angela Rayner as housing secretary as part of new prime minister Andy Burnham’s revamped cabinet. Rayner becomes housing secretary again after resigning from the role and as deputy prime minister in September 2025. This followed news that she failed to pay enough stamp duty on a property she bought in Hove, East Sussex.
Rayner returns as housing secretary
Angela Rayner MP has returned to her former post of housing secretary, as part of new prime minister Andy Burnham’s cabinet. Rayner becomes housing secretary again after resigning from the role and as deputy prime minister in September 2025. This followed news that she failed to pay enough stamp duty on a property she bought in Hove, East Sussex.
Industry comments on new PM appointment
The industry has been reacting to Andy Burnham’s appointment as the UK’s new prime minister, welcoming his ascent to Number 10 and stating their housing hopes under his governance. Giving a brief speech today (July 20) after taking up his position, the new PM reiterated his plan to build more council homes. “That’s the fair and sustainable way to bring the welfare bill down,” Burnham said. He also revealed a plan to end rough sleeping. Paul Rickard, Pocket Living’s chief executive, said the new PM had “placed housing at the very heart of his domestic agenda”. He commented: “It is vital that his new administration not only continues with the planning reform agenda of the previous one but seriously gets to grips with the viability challenge currently strangling the housebuilding sector across the UK.” Rickard also urged Burnham “to be beyond bold” on addressing some of the other barriers to housing delivery.
Steve Reed no longer housing secretary
Steve Reed has been removed as housing secretary, following Andy Burnham’s appointment as the new prime minister earlier today (July 20). Reed became housing secretary in September 2025, after Angela Rayner resigned following controversy over failing to pay enough stamp duty on a property she bought in Hove, East Sussex.
HMI Conference to tackle challenges facing housebuilders
The Housing Market Intelligence Conference this autumn is set to tackle the key issues facing the industry in these difficult times, focusing on the challenges confronting both SMEs and bigger builders.
MHCLG announces next phase of local govt reorganisation
The government will streamline 134 councils into 38 unitary authorities, as part of the next phase of its local government reorganisation programme. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) said the restructuring would deliver “better, more efficient public services that reflect communities’ needs and freeing up funding to be invested back into local priorities”. Fourteen areas will be reorganised into one to four unitaries.
Draft London Plan published
The new draft London Plan is out for consultation, with proposals including a more flexible approach to affordable housing, brownfield land as a priority and small sites delivery. At the same time, the mayor of London’s proposal to provide 558,000 homes across the London boroughs by 2037 – averaging 55,800 a year - means significantly fewer homes than the government’s standard method of 85,000 net dwellings per annum. The mayor of London was, according to the Greater London Authority (GLA), “very conscious that this does not meet the government’s housing need figure for London”, with more possible “beyond the initial ten-year period”.
MPs call for historic building reuse
Almost half of the government’s 1.5 million new homes target could be delivered through the reuse of vacant or underused historic buildings, according to the Culture, Media and Sport (CMS) Committee. Echoing a report from PJ Livesey earlier this year which pointed to Historic England’s assessment that more than 670,000 homes could be delivered through the reuse of existing heritage buildings, the Committee called for a different approach from the government to heritage, recommending a “heritage-to-housing” scheme to bring vacant and at-risk historic buildings back into residential use.
Crest reports £35 million loss
Crest Nicholson has reported a £35 million loss during its half year as talks with lenders to amend its revolving credit facility continue. During the six months to April 30 2026, the housebuilder fell to a £35.2 million loss against a £9.4 million profit during the equivalent period last year, on a statutory basis. Adjusted pre-tax profit fell from £7.9 million in HY 2025 to a £17.3 million loss.
