The Week That Was - 25 September 2026

Published on 25 September 2026

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

Revised PAS 9980 Code of Practice released

The BSI has now published PAS 9980:2026, which is a revised code of practice for undertaking fire risk appraisals of external walls in existing blocks of flats. The revisions are designed to introduce more structure to assessments, improve clarity, and support greater consistency in how the methodology is applied. The revisions are not intended to materially alter its purpose or the way risk is assessed.

The revised PAS 9980:2026 is available from the BSI website here.

Barratt Redrow hit by further £97m building defects bill

In its latest annual accounts Barratt Redrow has revealed an additional £97m loss related to legacy building defects, increasing the housebuilder's provision for remediation costs in its accounts to c.£1.1bn.

Building safety issues make up c.£900m of the provision in Barratt Redrow's accounts, while c.£175m relates to reinforced concrete frame defects. Barratt Redrow is still reviewing 270 buildings in relation to building safety and 18 in relation to reinforced concrete frames and has warned that its repair costs could change given the ongoing assessments and remediation works.

Despite the latest increase to its provision for legacy defects, Barratt Redrow's latest accounts recorded a 48% jump in pre-tax profit from £245m to £364m.

For more information, please see here.

Costain appointed on South Kensington tube transformation

Transport for London (TFL) has appointed Costain to build the transformation of South Kensington tube station designed by architects RSHP.

Work to improve step-free access to the platform is due to start in autumn 2026, with the scheme also including the construction of a new eastbound platform for the circle and district lines, and a restoration of the site's grade II listed features. Other elements of the scheme include a four-storey office block and an adjacent block containing 50 homes.

The scheme is funded through TFL's business plan, with a £12m contribution from the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. The project is expected to complete in 20131.

For more information, see here.

Sizewell C secures planning approval for new tunnel production facility in Avonmouth

Sizewell C has obtained planning permission for a tunnel production facility at Avonmouth (around 10 km north west of Bristol), expanding a site previously used for Hinkley Point C.

The facility will manufacture the pre-cast concrete tunnel segments and heads that will be needed for Sizewell C’s marine tunnels. It is said to support up to 400 jobs and generally strengthen UK nuclear supply chain capacity with the components being transported by rail and sea to reduce HGV activity on local roads. The planning approval allows for expansion to the existing site to include temporary supporting infrastructure, cranes, offices, welfare facilities, storage areas and parking. Early works are already underway with a total of 55 people on site, the vast majority from the Avonmouth area, including two apprentices and a summer work experience placement. A further 86 supply chain workers are currently on site. Production is expected to start in 2028, subject to planning conditions.

For more information, please see here.

England’s new Nature Restoration Levy regime is now live

The Nature Restoration Levy Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/1020), in force from 11 September 2026, set the rules for how developers can meet environmental obligations relating to protected sites and species via Natural England’s Environmental Delivery Plans (EDPs) under the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025.

Instead of producing project-by-project assessments and bespoke interventions, developers in areas covered by an EDP can opt into a package of conservation measures by paying a levy into the Nature Restoration Fund. Planning authorities must secure payment through a pre commencement condition and Natural England can impose warning and stop notices and surcharges for late or unpaid levies. The levy also sits as a local land charge until cleared.

The regulations aim to produce a more streamlined route for developers to meet their environmental obligations. They also provide Natural England with useful enforcement powers and funding.

See the full regulations here.

Sir Robert McAlpine Tipped For £150m SKY HQ Re-Roofing Job

Sir Robert McAlpine is tipped to land a contract believed to be worth up to £150m to replace the failed roof at Sky's global headquarters in Osterley, West London. The roof is described as Europe's largest flat timer roof and comprises of 472 prefabricated wooden skylight cassettes. The job will likely involve replacing much of the 16,000 sq m roof, which suffered extensive water damage between 2014 and 2016. It is expected that the work will be completed in 2029.