The Week That Was - 24 July 2026

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

Government consults on time-limited CIL relief for London housing schemes

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has launched a consultation on draft regulations that would introduce a new, time-limited relief from borough-level Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) for qualifying residential developments in Greater London.  The proposals intends to help unlock stalled housing schemes by improving development viability.

The consultation closes at 11:59pm on 18 September 2026.

Construction insolvencies hit 3,800 in rolling annual count

The rolling annual number of construction business insolvencies has risen above 3,800, according to newly released figures. Insolvency Service recorded 3,805 insolvencies in the construction sector from July 2025 to June 2026. Construction remains the worst-affected sector for insolvencies.

Access the Construction News article here [may require subscription].

RE:UK briefing warns rent controls could deepen the UK’s private renting supply crunch

Real Estate:UK (RE:UK) brings the UK real estate sector together to engage with government and regulators, promote best practice, and provides research, data and events.

RE:UK has published a briefing arguing that rent controls, while promoted as a straightforward response to rising rents, risk worsening the underlying problem of undersupply in the Private Rented Sector (PRS). 

Survey evidence shows that 19% of landlords are already considering leaving the PRS, and claims that 60% would exit if rent controls were introduced.

The briefing further argues that rent caps can have “collateral damage” for quality and decarbonisation. With constrained income but rising costs, landlords may reduce spending on structural works, major repairs and energy-efficiency upgrades. RE:UK links this issue to the challenge of meeting EPC C by 2030. 

RE:UK’s proposed alternative is supply-led. The paper argues that the most effective way to support renters is to increase the volume of homes available and maintain a stable investment environment so that supply can better match demand. RE:UK calls for measures including faster planning and development processes, tax and regulatory stability, avoiding new up-front costs and additional developer contributions, and targeted tax changes.

RE:UK's briefing is available through this link. 

Hill Group to start work on Hackney’s New Era Estate rebuild

Hill Group is due to begin work next month on the regeneration of Hackney’s New Era Estate after housing charity Dolphin Living secured planning permission from Hackney Council.  Designed by Allies Morrison, the scheme will replace the ageing 1930s privately rented estate with buildings ranging from three to 13 storeys and deliver 208 one, two and three-bedroom homes, more than doubling the current provision.  

Half of the homes will be affordable, supported by funding from the Mayor of London’s Affordable Housing Programme.  99 homes will be offered for intermediate rent, with most let at 20% below London Living Rent levels in perpetuity.  The remaining 109 homes will be sold privately to help fund the project.  

Dolphin Living acquired the Hoxton estate in 2014 and trialled a system of means-tested rent but ultimately decided a full redevelopment offered the most sustainable long-term solution.  Originally conceived as philanthropic housing, the current estate has fallen behind modern expectations on space, layout and quality.  Completion is expected by the end of 2029.

Please access the full article here.

With thanks to Josh Wong and Nishtha Guha

Disclaimer: The information in this publication is for guidance purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.  We attempt to ensure that the content is current as at the date of publication, but we do not guarantee that it remains up to date.  You should seek legal or other professional advice before acting or relying on any of the content.

If you have any queries please do get in contact with a member of the team, or your usual RPC contact.