The Week That Was - 20 March 2026

Published on 20 March 2026

Welcome to the week that was, a round-up of key events in the construction sector over the last seven days.

Renters’ Rights Act 2025: Why more tenants will now face SDLT on their rent

The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 (the Act) will make assured periodic tenancies (APTs) the default form of residential letting, so that most tenancies in England will continue indefinitely rather than for fixed terms. Stamp duty land tax (SDLT) can apply to rent, calculated by reference to the lease’s net present value (NPV). At present, many tenants fall outside the SDLT regime because the first £125,000 of NPV is charged at 0%, with SDLT at 1% only on any excess.

Under the new APT regime, the NPV must be recalculated annually as the tenancy continues, meaning more tenancies will ultimately exceed the £125,000 threshold. Tenants who fall within scope will be required to submit an SDLT return and pay the tax within 14 days of the liability arising, failing which penalties may apply. The SDLT rules themselves are unchanged, but the Act will draw many more tenants into scope.

Find out more information here.

Kier Nuvia JV lands £200m nuclear fusion job

The ILIOS consortium has been appointed as the construction partner for the £200m redevelopment of the former West Burton power station in Nottinghamshire to build a fusion power plant. The consortium is led by a joint venture between Kier and Nuvia (Vinci's nuclear specialist subsidiary). Supporting the delivery are Amanda Levete Architects and consultancies Aecom and Turner & Townsend.

The project forms part of the Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP) Fusion programme, a government-backed initiative aiming to deliver the UK’s first operational fusion prototype power plant by 2040 on the site of the former coal-fired station. During peak construction, the redevelopment is expected to generate up to 8,000 onsite roles.

Read the full article here [May require subscription].

7,750-home garden community proposed east of Colchester

Haworth Tompkins and Latimer, the development arm of Clarion Housing Group, have submitted proposals for a 7,750-home garden community east of Colchester, Essex. The proposal includes a town centre, civic and health facilities, schools and an integrated public transport network. More than half of the site is allocated to open space, featuring a 60ha country park and retained hedgerows, while 30% of the homes will be affordable.

The project follows the 2021 allocation of land by Tendring District and Colchester City councils and has progressed after securing £186m in funding for a dual-carriageway linking the A133 and A120 earlier this March. Phase one will deliver 837 homes, with first residents expected in the late 2020s. The full development is scheduled for completion by 2030.

To read further, please click here [May require subscription].

Golden Thread duties remain off the boardroom radar

A new industry white paper, Turning Building Safety into a Strategic Advantage: The Golden Thread from BIM in Asset Management, suggests that 89% of CEOs and CFOs may be unaware of their legal responsibilities under the post Grenfell building safety regime.

The report warns this lack of awareness could expose organisations to significant legal, financial and reputational risk, given the Building Safety Act’s focus on senior level accountability.

Far from being a narrow compliance burden, the Golden Thread is framed as a board level governance issue: reliable, accessible digital building information should enable leaders to understand safety critical assets, who is accountable for them and whether they are functioning correctly.

By embracing modern digital asset management, organisations can reduce unnecessary maintenance spend, cut repeat surveys and strengthen regulatory compliance, turning building safety information into a genuine strategic advantage.