News

NAO identifies need for developer funding system improvements

Weaknesses in the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government’s (MHCLG) developer contributions system that funds essential local infrastructure like schools, roads, public transport, and affordable housing are undermining councils’ ability to negotiate with developers, says the National Audit Office.

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Councils could get power to seize builders’ land banks

Developers who consistently fail to build out consented sites and those who secure planning permissions to trade land speculatively could face a “delayed homes penalty” of thousands of pounds per unbuilt home under new government measures.

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Consultation opens on new vision for ports

New proposals from the Department for Transport (DfT) designed to better support ports to deliver important national infrastructure more quickly have been announced. Consultation on the draft revised national policy statement for ports proposals is open until 29 July.

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Local authorities report 20% rise in Section 106 negotiation timelines

Housebuilders are waiting an average of 515 days for infrastructure agreements to be finalised, adding significant delays to an already complex and time-consuming planning process, according to new analysis from the Home Builders Federation (HBF).

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Legislation needed for water industry ‘reset’, says report

Interim findings from an Independent Water Commission report set out five areas where wide-ranging and fundamental change is said to be needed to reset the water sector in England & Wales.

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Licensing proposed for builders

The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has launched a model for licensing building companies, after a decade long campaign and cross-industry collaboration to get the issue on the Government’s agenda.

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New model proposed for privately funded infrastructure

Development, building and property services specialist Wates Group has launched a ‘white paper’ calling for the government to rethink its position on private finance to deliver real growth for the UK economy.

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News in Brief: June 2025

Government plans for a dozen new towns in England could cost up to £48 billion, according to a report examining the best locations to build them.

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Failure to build, maintain and operate adequate infrastructure leads to record fine for Thames Water

Ofwat has fined Thames Water a record £104.5 million for breaches of rules relating to its wastewater operations that led to serious and routine dumping of untreated sewage into waterways. Ofwat admits that the true scale of Thames’ network spills is unknown, and is likely to be ‘much higher than reported’.

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Pension plan to double the number of megafunds

Government has announced reforms to pension funds that it is claimed could lead to £50 billion of investment in UK infrastructure, reversing decades of declining investment of funds in the UK.

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