UK construction and property
- V levels | As part of a broader strategy to simplify vocational education for 16–19-year-olds and address the skills shortage, especially in construction, BTECs and other Level 3 technical qualifications are to be replaced with new “V-levels.”
- T-levels | The Department for Education will launch a scheme in 2026 to help employers across England host T-level industry placements. The scheme offers tailored support to raise employers’ awareness of T-levels, as well as address barriers such as student readiness, supervision concerns, and liability issues while ensuring placements align with business needs.
- Red tape | The government has announced a programme of independent assessments of key regulators, starting with the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), to crack down on overregulation, overlap and duplication, and regulatory overreach. This announcement comes at a time when Rachel Reeves unveiled a raft of measures to cut business bureaucracy by 25% to save UK firms nearly £6 billion annually by the end of the parliamentary term.
- Planning applications for new homes in England have dropped to 17,691 in 2025, down from 19,369 in 2024. To meet Labour’s targets of 300,000 homes per year, 40,000 applications per month are needed—more than double the current rate.
- Bid-rigging | A report by law firm CMS found that 84% of construction firms investigated by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) received infringement decisions. Every case involved anti-competitive practices, primarily bid rigging and price fixing. The report found that the building and construction sector had the highest proportion of mid-to-high range fines among sectors.
- Housing safety | Phase one of Awaab’s Law came into effect today, and compels landlords to fix emergency health and safety hazards within 24 hours of reporting, and gives rules around damp and mould, as well as reporting.
