Policy
Waiting Game: April ‘will be a good month to be negotiating’
Buy-to-live purchasers can't be blamed for sitting it out at the moment, says buying agent Sara Ransom, but there should be some decent discounts on the table come the Spring...
BoJo backs British Land’s Norton Folgate scheme
A controversial plan to redevelop a swathe of historic Spitalfields warehouses has been given the go-ahead by Mayor BoJo after a long-running battle.
Scotland’s buy-to-let levy ‘needs urgent clarification’
There's "a complete lack of real detail" on Scotland's amendment to LBTT, which will see a 3% surcharge for second homes and buy-to-let properties in line with changes to SDLT in England & Wales announced…
The Long Game: Why London’s prime property market is under no real threat
London’s luxury housing market may be having a tough time getting used to recent government shake-ups, but traditional investors will eventually return, says David Willis...
Third London borough to clamp down on mega-basements
Islington is on the verge of following Westminster and RBKC in toughening up its planning rules to deal with a surge in subterranean development.
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Dispute Revolution: Are boundaries there to be pushed?
There is a little-known Bill currently going through the motions in Parliament that could have a big impact on the way high-end resi developers deal with neighbourly issues
Complex SDLT consultation ‘will create anomalies and uncertainty’
HMRC's current consultation on higher rates of Stamp Duty will create anomalies and uncertainty, according to some top tax accountants, despite official efforts at a rudimentary flow diagram...
Planning application competition ‘could relieve burden on cash-strapped local authorities’
An amendment in the Housing and Planning Bill that could see external parties taking some of the planning strain away from under-resourced councils is a "step in the right direction", according to the Bri…
Stuck In The System: Housebuilders hit back at ‘bumper backlog’ claims
A weary Home Builders Federation has hit back at claims that developers in England are sitting on a record 475,647 green-lit, but unbuilt, new homes.
LGA calls for full Council Tax to be charged on unbuilt homes
There are a record 475,647 homes in England which have been given planning permission but have yet to be built, says the Local Government Association as it calls for developers to pay full council tax …
Companies’ Houses: Challenging times for buy-to-let landlords
The whole tax regime in relation to resi properties is in a state of flux; all the more reason why landlords should be wary of rushing into things, says Scott Leonard...
RBKC considers policy change after hundreds of homes ‘lost’ to de-conversions
Council taking a long hard look at its stance on amalgamations