JV funds £302m Moda scheme in ‘largest regional BTR deal’
Investment management firm Harrison Street announced what it claims is the UK’s largest regional build-to-rent (BTR) deal to date, with its funding of Moda Living’s £302m gross development value (GDV), 722-home Great Charles Street development in Birmingham, under its joint venture with Apache Capital and NFU Mutual.
Experts welcome RAS building safety scheme
The proposals aim to improve safety and standards of buildings over 11 metres.
Return of energy bill ‘cliff edge’ could force 370,000 firms to downsize or close
Around 370,000 small firms may have to downsize or close when hit with radically higher energy bills following the end of the Energy Relief Scheme on 1 April, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has warned.
Rangeford Villages acquires Surrey retirement community site
Rangeford Villages has exchanged contracts on a five-acre site in Dorking, Surrey, where it plans to develop 153 apartments for a retirement living community.
Former Deliveroo growth expert Scott joins modular housebuilder ilke Homes
David Scott, who formerly held senior roles at Deliveroo and Tesco, has been appointed as chief operating officer at modular housebuilder ilke Homes in a bid to boost its expansion.
Westbrooke and Eastwood JV embarks on £100m acquisition spree
Property investors Westbrooke Alternative Asset Management UK and Eastwood Investment Group have launched a joint venture (JV) with plans to spend between £50m and £100m developing private home sites, build-to-rent (BTR) schemes and purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA).
RVG launches Thrive Living brand with plans for 5,000 homes
Retirement Villages Group (RVG) has unveiled a new brand for its future retirement communities portfolio, Thrive Living, with plans to develop 5,000 homes by 2032.
Bellway suffers profit fall in first half
Housebuilder Bellway has reported a fall in half-year profits and revealed a £100m share buyback.
Directors quit Vistry after row over bumper bonus deal for CEO
Two non-executive directors at major housebuilder Vistry have quit the company following a row over a potential huge new pay deal for the firm’s chief executive.
Developer launches main phase of military hospital to resi village conversion
Haslar Developments has launched the second and main phase of the transformation of Grade II-listed Royal Haslar Naval Hospital into a 62-acre £200m GDV waterside village in Hampshire.
Campaigners want Gove to call in 10,000-home plans in East Herts
Local campaigners have urged housing secretary Michael Gove to call in plans for 10,000 new homes in East Hertfordshire after councillors waved through the controversial proposals.
‘Best consideration’ could undermine plans for 278,000 Community Land Trust homes, warns BPF
Plans to help communities build at least 278,000 homes, unveiled by levelling-up secretary Michael Gove last night (23 March), could be undermined by ‘best consideration’ rules, according to the British Property Federation (BPF).
TopHat and Man GPM sign £50m deal for East Sussex modular resi scheme
Modular housebuilder TopHat has agreed a £50m development deal with Man GPM, the private markets business group of Man Group, to develop 226 zero-carbon homes in Lewes, East Sussex.
QIP and Soilbuild JV launches £200m UK PBSA business
Singaporean private equity real estate firm Q Investment Partners (QIP) and developer Soilbuild have launched a £200m joint venture to create a UK purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) business.
Crest Nicholson snaps up university campus for 500-home development
Crest Nicholson has acquired Wheatley Campus, a 53-acre site set to be converted into a 500-home residential development, from Oxford Brookes University.
Barratt hunts funding partners for £280m London BTR opportunity
Barratt London has launched a hunt for one or more funding partners for a £280m build-to-rent opportunity comprising three schemes in London.
UK’s single family housing sector set for £8bn of capital
The UK’s single family housing market is growing rapidly, with more deals completed in Q1 this year than in the whole of 2022 and £8bn of capital heading to the sector in the next three to five years, according to Knight Frank.
£1m planner recruitment boost welcomed, but ‘not enough’
A £1m funding boost to help councils recruit planning professionals is a “step in the right direction”, but more is needed to support England’s housing needs, according to industry commentators.
Industry warns of development delays from Infrastructure Levy
Industry experts have warned the government’s proposed new Infrastructure Levy, the consultation for which launched last week, could cause delays for developments.
February sees ‘unseasonable rise’ in average rent price
The average London rent rose 5% to over £570 per week in February from the previous month, exceeding the highs of the peak lettings season last summer, according to Foxtons.