I"ve just had a conversation with a close friend who is an independent contractor in fencing. A number of ongoing projects have been stopped without bothering to finish the development and the contractors locked out. Not good..

Does he mean they've half-inched his materials whether installed or not, and not paid?
Sorry can't wait up, got to bounce out of me pit at five, all shiny and peppy and ohhhh faaaaaark is that the time?
Curse you, HPC!

next to me,charles church development,on go slow since october/novermber,this morning noone on site,no other rooves put on recently-ie dont have to pay council tax.

further up the road,developers haev knocked down an old student halls but I guess that is to avoid the council tax,can't see anyone beginning building in this environment

I work in the civil engineering industry ( roads and bridges ) and just found out this morning that Persimmons are making 300 office staff redundant.

charles church being a persimmon co. just linking the loops for new readers.

No surprise JCB.They've supposedly sold two of the houses but noones moved in in three months.BUild of 20 in all circa £340k they hope.

Lots of sites standing idle all over the shop....

This, as I've said, is what I consider to be ta significant barometer for a property crash. Developers cancelling or postponing projects pre-start, or even more serious, stopping work on existing projects tells us we're on the ski-jump and we've let go of whatever it was that kept us at the top.

Of course, there are reasons other than economic, that a developer might stop work - contractor problems, disputes etc.

Sorry for double postThis, as I've said, is what I consider to be the real barometer for a property crash. Developers cancelling or postponing projects pre-start, or even more serious, stopping work on existing projects tells us we're on the ski-jump and we've let go of whatever it was that kept us at the top.

Of course, there are reasons other than economic, that a developer might stop work - contractor problems, disputes etc.

All the sites in our area seem to be steaming ahead, but they are well under way already. One is a Persimmon 118-houser - interesting to see how that goes - they've built about 20 so far. But I can't think of any new housing sites about to start. Planning applications in local paper are mostly for lopping trees or conservatories - one or two garden sell-off infills, but no estates.

PS - Just been to look at the Persimmon development mentioned above - still full steam ahead. But the development looks like it might be intened to be done in phases and the builder is completing phase 1.