Policy
Kahn calls for end to buyer anonymity in London
Mayoral candidate Sadiq Kahn has turned his steely gaze to the topic of transparency in the London property market.
Two-unit amalgamation deemed ‘development’
An owner looking to combine two London flats into a single unit has been denied a LDC after a planning inspector decided the work would come under the official sec.55 definition of "development".
Osborne trumpets a ‘fair, workable, lasting’ SDLT reform
George Osborne says that over 780,000 homebuyers saved an estimated £657m on Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) in the year since the tax was reformed, while receipts from £1m+ sales increased by 15%.
Sturgeon floats ‘more progressive’ council tax to tap prime homeowners
The owners of high-value homes in Scotland could be hit with significantly higher bills under Nicola Sturgeon's plans to rejig the council tax system.
Depth Charge: Basement planning applications soar in London
The number of basement planning applications has rocketed in London over the last two years, according to new research by Glenigan.
Employers should add commission to holiday pay – Employment Appeal Tribunal
Employers of commission-led teams will need to take total earnings - rather than just basic pay - into account when calculating holiday pay, after a ruling (which is being appealed) by the Employment Appeal…
22,000 London homes ’empty for longer than six months’
The borough councils of London have been called out on the number of properties deemed "long-term vacant" on their respective patches.
Lords Committee slams ‘short-sighted’ government housing policy
An influential House of Lords Committee has ripped into the UK Government's current housing policy, lambasting it as "short sighted" and "unlikely to meet demand for either the quantity or quality of…
Changes to planning application fees ‘will be a boost to local development’
"Carrot-and-stick" government proposals to allow well-performing local authorities to increase their planning application fees and to compete to process planning applications have been hailed by the British…
Green light for Greenland’s giant Hertsmere House
Plans to build the biggest resi tower in Western Europe have been given the thumbs up in East London.
London the ‘guinea pig’ for New York’s pied-à-terre tax
The UK is being seen as a "guinea pig" by policymakers pondering a "pied-à-terre tax" across the pond.
Government launches upward extension plan for London
The Government has published its consultation on the introduction of a new London-wide permitted development right, allowing additional storeys to be built up to the roofline of an adjoining building.