Monday morning briefing 2025 09 15

hammondjon
Sep 15
2 min read

Good morning, I am back from being lazy (or recharging, depending on your bent) and it seems there has been a lot of news in the last month. So, a bullet point recap in the #MondayMorningBriefing

· Angela Raynor honourably resigned, though as a housing minister may have had better access than most on how to know if she was paying the right tax

· Matthew Pennycook stays in place and is joined by Steve Reed at #housing

· The #economy remains stagnant, with #GDP growth at just 0.2% in July.

· Where is the good news I hear you cry? Well, #construction data was marginally up on July according to the @S&P Global index, but it is a mild celebration.

· #HousePrices were up 3.7% YoY

· @vistry the prominent #sfh #builder has reported a 33% fall in profit before tax to £80.6m in the first half of 2025, according to its latest financial results.

· Meanwhile @Grainger the largest U.K. listed #BTR developer and landlord has completed its conversion to real estate investment trust (#REIT) status.

· #PlanningPermissions granted for new homes fell 17% year on year in Q2, reaching the lowest figure since 2012 reports @Property Week

· An end-to-end #living sector management business, @Colby River, has launched following a spin-out of @Dandara Living from the @Dandara Group reported @urban living news

· In #PBSA it has been the busiest week or two of the year as freshers head out to university. As someone more detached I am constantly surprised when I read posts such as @Paul Watson’s talking about @Now Students “At the end of July, Now Student Living were given the keys to Portswood House. Seven weeks later and we have delivered a top to bottom maintenance and compliance programme, cleaned every inch of all 435 studios oh and onboarded a full new management, administrative and maintenance team.All of that alongside achieving target occupancy, rebranding the entire building and supporting students through the queries and concerns a change of operator brings” Congratulations to Paul, the entire Now team, but also to every PBSA operator who has fixed, cleaned, maintained and remobilised in the last few weeks – and has lived to tell the tale!

· Very briefly, in the #Irish update, I can do no better than point you towards @Carol Talon who starts here Sunday round up with “You couldn’t make this up…”

· And because it’s a development I love, let’s celebrate the #stabilisation and sale of @spencer place in #dublin from @ronan group & @fortress to @ardstone. It is the photo of the week below.