Daily briefing
National Construction News briefing: Tuesday 27 October 2026
15 stories from the last 24 hours, two dates for the week ahead and five closing dates from our recent stories.
Stories from the last 24 hours
HM Land Registry publishes guide on option agreement reporting rules starting April 2027
Practice guide 84 sets out how developers, promoters and others holding options, conditional contracts and pre-emption rights over registered land in England and Wales must report them from 6 April 2027.
Network Rail logs 357 storm faults and clears 70 trees as Boelo hits North West railway
Network Rail's North West route logged 357 weather-related faults, cleared 70 trees and repaired overhead lines at Garstang, Lostock and Hazel Grove over the weekend, with Northern services still disrupted on Tuesday.
Kier back on Harlow high containment lab as UKHSA reinstates pre-construction agreement
UKHSA has reactivated Kier's pre-construction services agreement for the H50 containment building in Harlow, eight years after the contractor was first appointed and four years after all main suppliers were suspended.
Related Argent-led group urges five reforms to unlock stalled housing schemes
A paper convened by Related Argent, with investors, councils and housing providers represented at its roundtable, asks the Government to consider stamp duty relief, a rent control exemption, VAT relief and regulatory certainty.
Dalkia wins £11m MEP package at Penicuik High School redevelopment
Dalkia's Scottish division will deliver the full mechanical, electrical and plumbing package for Morrison Construction on Midlothian Council's new-build and retrofit scheme at Penicuik High School, due to complete in 2028.
BAM starts replacement of four Victorian rail bridges on Suffragette line in Forest Gate
Network Rail's contractor is extending the supports of four 130-year-old bridges in east London before demolishing and replacing their decks in spring 2027, with roads beneath closed throughout.
G15 backs Green Book reform, rough sleeping funding and higher London shared ownership cap
The group of London's largest housing associations has welcomed three government announcements made in the run-up to the Autumn Budget, including a rise in the London shared ownership income cap to £110,000.
British Drilling Association launches sustainability sub-committee at London conference
The trade body for the UK land drilling and geotechnical sector has formalised its sustainability working group as a quarterly sub-committee, chaired by Alison Randall, and asked members to help set its priorities.
BCIA calls for wider view of BEMS engineer as controls sector faces skills gap
A Young Engineers Network panel at Smart Buildings Show set out the people, data and cybersecurity skills building controls will need by 2040, as the trade body urged firms to invest in new entrants.
NFB urges Healey to restore red diesel and reform planning fees ahead of Budget
The National Federation of Builders has called on Chancellor John Healey to tackle what it calls stealth taxation on construction, including fuel duty, planning fees and council tax on empty new homes.
Design Guild Mark opens 2027 entries with 29 January deadline
The Furniture Makers' Company's not-for-profit recognition scheme is taking entries in furniture, lighting and interior design elements, with Marks going to every design that meets its standard.
Unilin Insulation named headline sponsor of LRWA Awards 2027
The PIR and phenolic insulation maker becomes the first associate member to take the headline slot as the liquid roofing awards reach their 10th year, with entry deadlines falling on 30 October and 27 November.
Awen shows Newport councillors round 42-home Mon Bank site ahead of 2027 start
The rebranded Monmouthshire housing association took Newport City Council's housing cabinet member round its first scheme outside its home county, a 42-home social rent development off Cardiff Road.
NHS SBS launches £400m Hard FM3 framework with 28 lots, down from 46 on Hard FM2
NHS Shared Business Services has opened its third hard facilities management framework, procured under the Procurement Act 2023, with 28 lots against the 46 offered by the Hard FM2 framework it replaces.
Pennycook writes to Basildon councillor as council considers withdrawing 29,000-home Local Plan
The housing minister's response to Cllr Andy Barnes was published on the day of an extraordinary Council meeting called to consider a motion to withdraw the borough's Regulation 19 plan and ask ministers to review its housing requirements.
This week
Digital Construction Awards
Entries close on Friday 30 October.
Building Awards
Takes place on Tuesday 3 November.
Closing soon
TrustMark's own consultation on its Scheme Provider model closes on 27 October 2026.
Applications close on 28 October and the programme starts in July 2027, according to a notice published by Marine Energy Wales.
Largest construction works tenders closing 16 to 29 October 2026
It is an open procedure with a tender deadline of 30 October 2026 at 12:00.
Nominations for Trainer of the Year close on Friday 30 October 2026.
About this briefing
Published on weekday mornings. Every item comes from a story National Construction News has already published and checked against its sources, from dates organisers have published, or from our data trackers. See the events and awards calendar, or get the week's stories by email with the weekly newsletter.