Credit Analyst

L&G appoints Kerrigan to drive Ignite broker rollout. Published on 17 August 2026 Legal & General has appointed Craig Kerrigan as broker relationship manager for its Ignite mortgage sourcing business. Kerrigan (main picture, inset) rejoined L&G in July after 12 years away and will support the platform's rollout through mortgage networks, clubs and directly authorised firms. He previously spent 15 years at the group in operational and relationship management roles across its UK sites. Since leaving L&G in 2014, Kerrigan has worked across adviser technology, later-life lending, legal services and insurance. His previous positions include national account management roles at Key, more2life and Equity Release Supermarket. Four-pillar sourcing. Ignite combines product, affordability, criteria and property research within one platform, allowing brokers to enter client information once and use it across the four connected tools. The system provides real-time lender product data and enables advisers to generate documents including European Standardised Information Sheets and evidence of research. It can also support cases involving self-employed applicants, joint borrower sole proprietor arrangements and multiple incomes. The enhanced version of Ignite was launched in 2023 as a free integrated research and sourcing platform for advisers. Platform expansion. Kelly Bretherton was appointed head of Ignite in April 2025 to lead its continued development and improve outcomes for advisers. In February 2026, Ignite completed its first mortgage product application programming interface integration with Lloyds Banking Group, giving brokers real-time access to product data from Halifax Intermediaries and BM Solutions. Craig Kerrigan, broker relationship manager at L&G's Ignite business, said: "I'm delighted to join the Ignite team at such an exciting stage of the platform's growth. "Having spent much of my career working closely with advisers, networks and mortgage clubs, I look forward to strengthening those relationships, helping shape the future development of the platform and supporting brokers with technology that enables better outcomes for their clients."

ECF selected to drive 2,300-home Portsmouth City Centre regeneration. A major regeneration programme that could transform the heart of Portsmouth has taken a significant step forward after Portsmouth City Council selected ECF as its preferred development partner for the next phase of the ambitious City Centre North masterplan. The proposed regeneration has the potential to deliver up to 2,300 new homes alongside commercial, leisure and public realm improvements, creating one of the largest mixed-use developments on the South Coast. The 13.25-hectare brownfield site, which occupies land formerly home to the now-demolished Tricorn shopping centre and surrounding car parks, is set to be reimagined as a vibrant new city centre neighbourhood that combines residential, commercial and community uses. ECF - the regeneration partnership between Homes England's National Housing Bank, Legal & General (L&G) and Muse - will now work alongside Portsmouth City Council to assess development options before progressing towards a formal development agreement. For the construction and property sectors, the appointment marks another major regeneration opportunity that could unlock substantial investment, housing delivery and long-term economic growth while bringing a strategically important city centre site back into productive use. Alongside a mix of homes across different tenures, the emerging masterplan includes new commercial workspace, leisure facilities and improved pedestrian connections designed to increase footfall, strengthen the local economy and create a more accessible and attractive urban environment. A key feature of the proposals will be more than 240,000 sq ft of new public realm, including a significant urban park that will provide valuable green space for residents, workers and visitors while enhancing the overall quality of the city centre. The regeneration reflects the growing emphasis on brownfield redevelopment as local authorities seek to deliver sustainable housing growth by repurposing underutilised urban land rather than expanding onto greenfield sites. Sir Michael Lyons, Chairman of ECF, said: "We're looking forward to working with Portsmouth City Council over the coming months to explore the site in detail, test what's deliverable here, and build the case for how we might take this forward together." ECF has built a strong reputation for delivering large-scale regeneration projects across the UK, with an extensive portfolio that includes developments in Canning Town, Stockport, Bradford, Wolverhampton, Northampton and Stevenage. If brought forward, City Centre North has the potential to become one of Portsmouth's most significant regeneration projects in decades, delivering new homes, employment opportunities, public spaces and commercial investment while creating a thriving mixed-use destination that supports the city's long-term economic and residential growth ambitions.

Completion of £550M East London data centre projected for 2027. Aug 7, 2026 lans to build a £750m urban hyperscale data centre in the UK on a site next to the River Lea and A13 in East London have received the go-ahead from the London Borough of Newham. The Bidder Street data centre project is being developed by Legal & General, digital infrastructure investor Goldacre, and data centre development partner sineQN. It is expected to cost around £500m to build over a six-year construction and fit-out period. The project includes three connected buildings: a data centre, associated offices and high voltage substation alongside a lower-rise pump house to capture and distribute heat to Newham homes. The scheme will also provide significant environmental and public realm improvements along Bidder Street and connecting walkways along the Lower Lea Valley, from Canning Town to Stratford. The proposed development will deliver 80 megawatts of IT power by early 2027, and has the flexibility to deliver all workloads, including AI, in a secure, sustainable location just over 500 metres from the London Internet Exchange (LINX). Aug 7, 2026