As 2025 draws to a close, it is a great opportunity to reflect on what has been a highly successful and rewarding year for Lea Hough. The year has been defined by a strong pipeline of work, new client relationships, professional achievements across the team and the successful delivery of a wide range of projects across multiple sectors.
Throughout 2025, the entire team has been kept exceptionally busy, delivering a varied workload across the region and beyond. Instruction levels have remained strong, with a wide range of high-quality projects that continue to challenge and motivate the practice.
We are particularly pleased to have welcomed a number of new clients this year, many of whom came to us through recommendations and referrals. While the majority of our work has been focused across Lancashire, the Lake District, Cumbria, Greater Manchester and Merseyside, we have also taken on commissions further afield.
Our people remain at the heart of the business, and we are proud to have achieved 100% staff retention during 2025, while also welcoming two new recruits during the year. Alongside this, we continue to invest in professional development, supporting graduates through the RICS APC process. This year saw a key milestone, with Will Kay achieving qualification as a RICS Registered Valuer. We also continue to support our Degree Apprentices through day-release arrangements with universities, enabling them to gain invaluable practical experience alongside their studies.
Outside of project delivery, team culture remains important to us. We enjoyed a well-earned summer event earlier in the year and rounded off 2025 with a Christmas celebration at Fino Taps in Preston, followed by drinks around the city. We have also continued to give back locally through donations to charities and sports clubs.
Schools and Education
Our Education Team has had another outstanding year, delivering a wide range of school improvement projects across schools, academies, colleges, nurseries, SEND provisions, dioceses and academy trusts.
We have continued to provide trusted advice to our clients on navigating education funding streams, including CIF, SCA, SEND, DFC and SSICB. In May 2025, our team achieved excellent outcomes in the CIF process, with many academy schools securing funding approval for essential repair works and upgrades.
During the year, we have project managed numerous academy projects, delivered upgrade works at diocesan schools and supported extensive remodelling projects to accommodate SEND provision within existing school buildings. A notable new venture in 2025 has been assisting PFI schools with delivering works associated with PFI handback responsibilities.
We also successfully handed over a multi-storey extension at Rochdale College, funded through the Post-16 Capacity Fund.
In Cumbria, we delivered four separate contracts at a single school, totalling over £1.5 million of repair works funded via the SSICB Fund. These works included concrete repairs, re-roofing, heating system replacement and electrical safety improvements.
Looking ahead, we submitted a significant number of CIF bids in December for academy school improvement projects, with outcomes expected in May 2026. We also secured planning permission for a new-build nursery at a school in Warrington.
Commercial Building Surveying
Our Commercial Building Surveying team has delivered a diverse range of projects throughout the year. Highlights include the handover of a major expansion project for Blackburn Chemicals, creating a new manufacturing production facility, as well as restoration works for local authorities across Lancashire.
We have also delivered factory remodelling and refurbishment works for a manufacturing client in Chorley, secured planning permission and tendered a new-build industrial development scheduled to start on site in early 2026, and achieved planning consent for a major solar PV farm in Wales.
Surveys and Valuations
Demand for our Surveys and Valuations services has remained strong throughout 2026. Our team has completed a wide range of instructions, including Home Survey Level 2 Reports, Building Surveys and valuations of both residential and commercial properties.
We have also undertaken numerous land transfer plans, quinquennial inspections for churches, dilapidations matters and schedules of condition for property portfolios. In addition, we have delivered DRC valuations for schools and on behalf of borough councils and local authorities.
Land and Development
Our consultants have completed several successful land sales to housing developers during the year, including sites in Blackburn, north Preston and Chorley. With further opportunities already in progress, this area of the business is well positioned for continued success in 2026.
Looking Ahead to 2026
With a strong pipeline of projects already secured, the year ahead is shaping up to be another busy and exciting one. As we head into the Christmas break, the team is looking forward to a well-earned rest before returning in January ready to deliver the many projects already on the board.
We would like to thank our clients, collaborators and the entire team for their continued trust, commitment and hard work, and we look forward to building on this success in the year ahead.
