Michael Gove installed as housing secretary in dramatic cabinet reshuffle
Whitehall big hitter takes over from the ousted Robert Jenrick.
Johnson & Jenrick plot planning reform u-turn
“Radical” proposed planning reforms are likely to be substantially watered down, according to political insiders.
Stamp Duty holiday should not have been extended, says RICS
“We would urge the Government to undertake a full-scale review of the current stamp duty land tax system,” says the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors.
Budget 2021 date set for 27th October
Tax increases are likely at HM Treasury’s Autumn event.
‘Costly & unnecessary’ Stamp Duty holiday ‘not the main cause of house price boom’ – Resolution Foundation
“Stronger forces” than the temporary tax break have been at play in the housing market over the last year, says an influential think tank – which argues that the UK’s Stamp Duty holidays have been “problematic less because they were inflationary, and more because they have been wasteful.”
Government pitches a ‘major scaling up’ of custom & self-built homes
30-40,000 custom and self-build (CSB) homes could and should be built in the UK each year, says Richard Bacon, in a report that rails against “houses designed by accountants”.
Stamp duty receipts above average despite holiday
Latest data shows strength of the prime market & continued interest from overseas buyers – despite the new surcharge…
A history of estate agency regulation, 1979-2020
In advance of new ROPA legislation, the House of Commons has published a potted history of estate agency regulation since 1979’s Estate Agents Act.
Property sector donating a quarter of Tory party funds
Nearly £18m has been donated by 154 individuals and companies with property interests since Johnson became PM, according to the analysis of Electoral Commission data by the FT
Chelsea-on-Sea moves to curb rise of second homes
‘We are not just a holiday destination, we are a thriving town and we want to exist in the future,’ says Salcombe’s mayor as councillors vote to further tighten restrictions on new-builds.
Building Safety Levy consultation opens
Around 200 high-rise residential schemes would be affected each year by this proposed new tax, estimates the Government.
Government scraps EWS1 forms for most buildings under 18 metres
EWS1 forms should not be a requirement on medium- and low-rise buildings, concludes Dame Judith Hackitt’s review.