Crest Nicholson Faces Uncertain Future Amid Economic Downturn Fears
Housebuilder Crest Nicholson has issued a warning about its future viability amidst fears of a severe economic downturn, casting doubts over the UK Government's ambitious housebuilding targets. According to a recent report, the company has expressed concerns about breaching bank loan agreements if housing demand declines significantly.
In the year ending October 31, Crest Nicholson reported a 53% drop in profits to £22.5 million, which Chief Executive Martyn Clark described as "a very tough and disappointing year." The company remains hopeful about renegotiating banking covenants in case of breaches, though no guarantees can be made, posing potential risks to its future operations.
Clark emphasized the minimal probability of banks demanding immediate debt repayment, citing strong relationships between the company and its financial institutions. "We've been talking to our banks. We've got a very good relationship with them," he stated.
The business is actively exploring cost-reduction strategies, such as selling or resizing sites within its extensive £600 million land bank. This land review is expected to either generate more outlets or reduce holdings, mitigating the impact of an adverse financial scenario.
Meanwhile, Crest Nicholson points to slower-than-expected interest rate cuts as a factor impeding its appeal to potential homebuyers, which is "tempering the housing market recovery." However, the company is optimistic about "greater stabilisation" in market conditions by the latter half of 2025, attributing this to a pent-up demand for homes.
Compounding its financial woes, Crest Nicholson recently postponed the release of its annual results, which now confirm £249 million in fire safety remediation costs. Despite these challenges, Crest Nicholson's net debt position is reportedly "better than guided." The company delivered 1,873 homes during the year, reflecting a 7% decrease from the previous year.
Clark acknowledged the work ahead, noting, "There's an awful lot of work to do, and it won't happen overnight. The results are disappointing but reflect the year that we've had." He stressed the importance of improving home-building processes and maintaining a robust foundation to return to sustainable profitability. Early sales reports for 2025 provide some comfort and reassurance.
The Government's ambitious goal to build 1.5 million homes by 2029 is at risk, with the Centre for Cities think tank warning the target may be missed without more radical planning reforms. In response, Housing Secretary Angela Rayner has advocated for making home ownership a reality again in the UK.
1. INTRODUCTION
Making Data-Driven Decisions to Grow Your Business
- REPORT DESCRIPTION
- RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND THE AI PLATFORM
- DATA-DRIVEN DECISIONS FOR YOUR BUSINESS
- GLOSSARY AND SPECIFIC TERMS
2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
A Quick Overview of Market Performance
- KEY FINDINGS
- MARKET TRENDS This Chapter is Available Only for the Professional EditionPRO
3. MARKET OVERVIEW
Understanding the Current State of The Market and its Prospects
- MARKET SIZE: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2024) AND FORECAST (2025–2035)
- CONSUMPTION BY COUNTRY: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2024) AND FORECAST (2025–2035)
- MARKET FORECAST TO 2035
4. MOST PROMISING PRODUCTS FOR DIVERSIFICATION
Finding New Products to Diversify Your Business
- TOP PRODUCTS TO DIVERSIFY YOUR BUSINESS
- BEST-SELLING PRODUCTS
- MOST CONSUMED PRODUCTS
- MOST TRADED PRODUCTS
- MOST PROFITABLE PRODUCTS FOR EXPORT
5. MOST PROMISING SUPPLYING COUNTRIES
Choosing the Best Countries to Establish Your Sustainable Supply Chain
- TOP COUNTRIES TO SOURCE YOUR PRODUCT
- TOP PRODUCING COUNTRIES
- TOP EXPORTING COUNTRIES
- LOW-COST EXPORTING COUNTRIES
6. MOST PROMISING OVERSEAS MARKETS
Choosing the Best Countries to Boost Your Export
- TOP OVERSEAS MARKETS FOR EXPORTING YOUR PRODUCT
- TOP CONSUMING MARKETS
- UNSATURATED MARKETS
- TOP IMPORTING MARKETS
- MOST PROFITABLE MARKETS
7. PRODUCTION
The Latest Trends and Insights into The Industry
- PRODUCTION VOLUME AND VALUE: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2024) AND FORECAST (2025–2035)
- PRODUCTION BY COUNTRY: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2024) AND FORECAST (2025–2035)
8. IMPORTS
The Largest Import Supplying Countries
- IMPORTS: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2024) AND FORECAST (2025–2035)
- IMPORTS BY COUNTRY: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2024) AND FORECAST (2025–2035)
- IMPORT PRICES BY COUNTRY: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2024) AND FORECAST (2025–2035)
9. EXPORTS
The Largest Destinations for Exports
- EXPORTS: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2024) AND FORECAST (2025–2035)
- EXPORTS BY COUNTRY: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2024) AND FORECAST (2025–2035)
- EXPORT PRICES BY COUNTRY: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2024) AND FORECAST (2025–2035)
10. PROFILES OF MAJOR PRODUCERS
The Largest Producers on The Market and Their Profiles
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11. COUNTRY PROFILES
The Largest Markets And Their Profiles
This Chapter is Available Only for the Professional Edition PRO- United States
- China
- Japan
- Germany
- United Kingdom
- France
- Brazil
- Italy
- Russian Federation
- India
- Canada
- Australia
- Republic of Korea
- Spain
- Mexico
- Indonesia
- Netherlands
- Turkey
- Saudi Arabia
- Switzerland
- Sweden
- Nigeria
- Poland
- Belgium
- Argentina
- Norway
- Austria
- Thailand
- United Arab Emirates
- Colombia
- Denmark
- South Africa
- Malaysia
- Israel
- Singapore
- Egypt
- Philippines
- Finland
- Chile
- Ireland
- Pakistan
- Greece
- Portugal
- Kazakhstan
- Algeria
- Czech Republic
- Qatar
- Peru
- Romania
- Vietnam
LIST OF TABLES
- Key Findings In 2024
- Market Volume, In Physical Terms: Historical Data (2012–2024) and Forecast (2025–2035)
- Market Value: Historical Data (2012–2024) and Forecast (2025–2035)
- Per Capita Consumption, by Country, 2022–2024
- Production, In Physical Terms, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2024) and Forecast (2025–2035)
- Imports, In Physical Terms, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2024) and Forecast (2025–2035)
- Imports, In Value Terms, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2024) and Forecast (2025–2035)
- Import Prices, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2024) and Forecast (2025–2035)
- Exports, In Physical Terms, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2024) and Forecast (2025–2035)
- Exports, In Value Terms, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2024) and Forecast (2025–2035)
- Export Prices, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2024) and Forecast (2025–2035)
LIST OF FIGURES
- Market Volume, In Physical Terms: Historical Data (2012–2024) and Forecast (2025–2035)
- Market Value: Historical Data (2012–2024) and Forecast (2025–2035)
- Consumption, by Country, 2024
- Market Volume Forecast to 2035
- Market Value Forecast to 2035
- Market Size and Growth, By Product
- Average Per Capita Consumption, By Product
- Exports and Growth, By Product
- Export Prices and Growth, By Product
- Production Volume and Growth
- Exports and Growth
- Export Prices and Growth
- Market Size and Growth
- Per Capita Consumption
- Imports and Growth
- Import Prices
- Production, In Physical Terms: Historical Data (2012–2024) and Forecast (2025–2035)
- Production, In Value Terms: Historical Data (2012–2024) and Forecast (2025–2035)
- Production, by Country, 2024
- Production, In Physical Terms, by Country: Historical Data (2012–2024) and Forecast (2025–2035)
- Imports, In Physical Terms: Historical Data (2012–2024) and Forecast (2025–2035)
- Imports, In Value Terms: Historical Data (2012–2024) and Forecast (2025–2035)
- Imports, In Physical Terms, By Country, 2024
- Imports, In Physical Terms, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2024) and Forecast (2025–2035)
- Imports, In Value Terms, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2024) and Forecast (2025–2035)
- Import Prices, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2024) and Forecast (2025–2035)
- Exports, In Physical Terms: Historical Data (2012–2024) and Forecast (2025–2035)
- Exports, In Value Terms: Historical Data (2012–2024) and Forecast (2025–2035)
- Exports, In Physical Terms, By Country, 2024
- Exports, In Physical Terms, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2024) and Forecast (2025–2035)
- Exports, In Value Terms, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2024) and Forecast (2025–2035)
- Export Prices, By Country: Historical Data (2012–2024) and Forecast (2025–2035)