Archive

The Competition and Markets Authority has raised an unusual issue concerning Barratt’s £2.5 billion deal to buy rival house builder Redrow...

A building society is calling for stamp duty reforms to incentivise downsizing. A statement from the Suffolk Building Society says it believes...

Some 74% of developers believe that the government setting targets for councils would be the key to unlocking planning issues faced...

At last! Well, they say small is beautiful and, if you’re in the property sector right now, you’d better believe it! The...

Small and medium-sized housebuilders are the key to delivering more new homes, according to Winkworth. Adam Stackhouse, head of developments and commercial investments...

All councils in England will be given new, mandatory housebuilding targets under planning reforms unveiled by the Government yesterday. Deputy Prime Minister...

Survey raises doubts over Government housebuilding targets Close to two thirds of Brits are not confident that the Government can meet its...

The Government will need the financial markets to play ball if its housebuilding plans are to be successful, a property expert...

The Chancellor’s plans to ‘get Britain building again’ are very significant for the property sector and property investment, specifically.  The plans...

We all know what defines a successful community: not just a range of homes to address a range of requirements, but...

Housebuilding, leasehold and rental reform are set to be key roles of the new Labour Government’s legislative agenda but agency regulation...

Just a week after Labour’s landslide election victory and already their top team is coming under scrutiny and being asked to...

The new Labour Government will set out its legislative agenda today with the King’s Speech set to reveal its policy priorities. Agents...

Just a week after Labour’s landslide election victory and already their top team is coming under scrutiny and being asked to...

While housing is a devolved matter, ESPC hopes that the promises made by Labour in the recent general election might help...

New Chancellor Rachel Reeves has used her first speech to reinstate housebuilding targets and pledge to build one and a half...

Commercial property has historically been viewed as the more profitable asset class but more recently, residential property values have taken over....

New research reveals nearly half a million homes could be built across London on land that currently lies derelict amid a...

After much anticipation, the Labour Manifesto for ‘Change’ was launched this week. Held in Manchester the launch event included personal reflections...

There’s been a broadly warm response from much of the property industry to Labour’s manifesto, but a call for more detail...

The Liberal Democrat General Election manifesto has been published, promising more housebuilding, abolishing leasehold tenures and its own buyer support scheme. Its...

Stamp Duty reform and more housebuilding top the General Election wish-lists for the property sector. General Election manifestos are yet to be...

Scottish housebuilding needs to return to the completion numbers from 25 years ago according to analysis of the latest official statistics...

Keir Starmer set out Labour’s policy for housebuilding this week and targeted ‘ugly’ parts of the Green Belt. It will be a...

The Government has taken the unusual step of intervening in the London Plan to boost housebuilding in the capital.   Housing Secretary Michael...

Property market conditions in the new-build sector are likely to remain subdued this year. Persimmon has claimed. An outlook in the house...

The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has almost halved its house price forecasts after another relatively quiet fiscal update for the...

As the Budget approaches and the housing crisis intensifies, it is important to consider what the Chancellor could – and should...

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched an investigation into the UK’s largest housebuilders as it warns of “fundamental concerns”...

Building on brownfield sites may not be the silver bullet it is made out to be, the government has been warned. Housing...

After months of negative messaging and anti-development sentiment, espoused both nationally by the Government, and locally during May’s local election campaigning,...

In the current challenging market, housebuilders are increasingly looking for novel and engaging means of marketing to achieve the necessary supply/demand...

The debate over the Green Belt, and the newly branded ‘grey belt’, has made the headlines a lot recently and will...

The Government has published long-awaited reforms to its National Planning Policy Framework, confirming that local housebuilding targets will be advisory rather...

The supply of new homes could reach the lowest level since 2014, builders have warned. It comes as the Government is due...

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLHUC) has hit back at media claims about its housebuilding targets. The Times newspaper...

Propertymark has backed the launch of the Government’s £80m brownfield regeneration scheme. Councils across England can now bid for a share of...

Paul Johnson, Head of Corporate Sales at Leaders Romans Group (LRG) Commercial property has historically been viewed as the more profitable asset...

Most weeks there are stories within the property sector that quietly slip under the radar - but which hold huge significance.  Last...

Talk about a wasted opportunity. The Conservative party conference - just finished, and possibly the last one before a General Election -...

The majority of the British public believe the Government is responsible for fixing the country’s housing shortage but few believe that...

The Government is facing calls to resurrect the Help to Buy Equity Loan scheme. The housing support scheme, which provided a Government-backed...

And suddenly it’s autumn. It’s just six weeks before the clocks change, days are getting shorter and - the real sign...

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has highlighted land banks and planning blockages as potential areas for investigation. It comes as the...

Trading conditions in the housing market have worsened during this summer, Crest Nicholson has warned. A trading update from the housebuilder said...

After months of negative messaging and anti-development sentiment, espoused both nationally by the Government, and locally during recent local election campaigning,...

MPs have cast doubt on the Government’s ability to achieve its target of 300,000 new homes per year by the mid-2020s...

The UK is heading for a further drop in housebuilding, according to the latest Purchasing Managers Index data by S&P and...

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak clashed over housebuilding and housing market support yesterday. Sir Keir questioned Sunak’s...

Two former housing ministers have criticised the Government for scrapping housebuilding targets. The Government officially watered-down proposals for mandatory local housebuilding targets...

A new survey suggests the overwhelming majority of the public are critical of the government’s apparent housing failures. A study of 1,323...

It has been another busy week in the property sector.  In his latest column, property commentator Jonathan Rolande, provides his take on...

Labour leader Keir Starmer took to the airwaves yesterday, promising to "back the builders not blockers" when it comes to homeownership. Speaking...

Rishi Sunak has admitted Conservative Party members were a factor in ditching centralised housing targets. The Government officially watered-down proposals for mandatory...

The election of Humza Yousaf as the new leader of the Scottish National Party yesterday was immediately met with concern from...

UK estate agents are split when it comes to their opinion on last week’s Budget, with half concerned about a lack...

The competition watchdog is set to shine a spotlight on property, with investigations into the housebuilding market and a separate project...

Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson and ex-Home Secretary Priti Patel had around three years in Government to sort out housing but...

The removal of housing targets risks a deeper recession and high house prices for generations to come, a planning expert has...

As we get ever closer to 2023, this final Natter of the year is dedicated to the five biggest property moments of...

A former adviser to Boris Johnson who is running to be the Tory candidate for London Mayor has promised to put...

Agents should use their market position to advise town halls about local housing needs, a senior MP has suggested. Labour and Co-op...

The Government has been urged to revise its plans for affordable housing as MPs warn it is set to fall short...

The Government has officially watered-down proposals for mandatory local housebuilding targets as it brings its flagship Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill...

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak yesterday repeated previously debunked claims that the Government is building record numbers of homes. Housebuilding have returned to...

A former Housing Secretary has outlined why the Conservative Party mustn’t abandon its commitment to housebuilding. It comes as some 47 Conservative...

The property sector braced itself for the chill wind of Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s Autumn Statement this week. His pre-Budget comment that he...

Rishi Sunak may have been Prime Minister for under a week but he has already received the Full Fact treatment. Speaking at...

And…breathe. For a while back there, the only certainty for the housing market was uncertainty. That isn’t to say the election of Rishi...

Recent political changes – and there have been quite a few in recent weeks – have brought about something of a...

A land agent has called for the planning process to be privatised as it hits out at the Government’s focus on...

Housing minister Lee Rowley is set to make one of his first official public appearances at a Conservative Party fringe event...

Agents and property professionals have backed the creation of Investment Zones to help boost housebuilding but have called for more clarity...

New Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng is expected to unveil the Government’s so-called “plan for growth” today during a mini-Budget. The property market is...

Record numbers of housing developments were started during the second quarter of 2022, official figures show. Government data on housebuilding starts and...

Time is up for Boris Johnson's tenure as Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party, serving 3 years and 44...

Tackling the cost of utility bills has been highlighted as the top priority that new Prime Minister Liz Truss should focus...

New Housing Secretary Simon Clarke may be an unknown entity to many agents but he has a track record of supporting...

From housebuilding to planning laws and stamp duty reform, agents and property professionals were ready with plenty of suggestions for Liz...

MPs have criticised the lack of detail in the government’s flagship Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill when it comes to housebuilding...

A quarter of agents have indicated they may prefer Rishi Sunak as the next Conservative Party leader and Prime Minister –...

The Tory leadership debates have covered everything from taxes to trans rights but industry executives have lamented the lack of focus...

When it comes to housing policy, the Conservative MPs have given their party a choice between Tweedle Dum and Tweedle DumDum. Rishi...

The Tory leadership candidates have been urged to not forget about housing as the race to be the new Prime Minister...

The government is being urged to not just treat housebuilding as a numbers game. It comes as the Department for Levelling Up,...

The government has launched a new equity loan scheme for the self-build market. The Help to Build scheme aims to help thousands...

The Government was 120,000 homes short of its own new-build targets last year, research claims. Analysis by new-build sales optimisation platform Unlatch...

MPs have called for carbon emissions to be considered when it comes to house building. A report released this week by the Environmental Audit...

The government last night revealed more details on its flagship Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill including letting local authorities double council...

Agents have told Housing Secretary Michael Gove that his Levelling Up agenda needs to include positive efforts to bring hundreds of...

As we slide into Christmas, with the busiest levels of house buying since 2006 and activity still buoyant, I don’t think...

The Dispute Service has been selected to operate the New Homes Ombudsman scheme, following what has been called ”a fiercely competitive...

Propertymark has criticised the government over poor house building figures. New figures from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities show...

The price of new build homes could soar if developers are expected to pay for additional energy efficiency measures not necessarily...

A housebuilding-led mortgage indemnity scheme called Deposit Unlock has now been launched nationally with 17 major developers taking part. Nationwide is the...

It’s been a busy and arguably fruitful year for the property market, with an eager consumer base pushing forwards with their...

We’ve probably all learned to be a little less cynical about politicians in recent weeks, given the tragic events. We perhaps...

At first glance, Rishi Sunak’s Budget speech earlier this week didn’t offer much from a property perspective. But digging down a little...

A leading planning consultancy has claimed that ‘the myth’ that housing developers are hoarding land after gaining planning consent in order...

In a day of unexpected drama, Boris Johnson carried out a surprisingly brutal and widespread Cabinet reshuffle which saw a number...