Policy
Labour’s UK housing plans welcomed, but beware of soundbites and simplification
Developers have responded positively to Keir Starmer’s pro-development rhetoric, but political aims will need to square with economic reality, says Tom Bill.
Is it time to shut up about sustainability – and really take responsibility?
Overuse of the words 'sustainable' and 'sustainability' can dim the urgency and the scale of what we have to do and by when, writes Adam Architecture's Dr Martina Pacifici.
Labour would fund planning system overhaul with higher Stamp Duty surcharge for overseas buyers
Keir Starmer promises to 'get Britain building' if his party wins the next General Election, while Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves says Labour would 'side with the builders not the blockers' on planning…
The 30-Year Perspective: Hugh Obbard on three decades of property market ups & downs
While the world has changed beyond recognition in many ways since 1994, it remains surprisingly similar in others, writes Hugh Obbard.
Stuart Baillie: Five ways to solve the housing crisis
Housing delivery will be a key battleground issue in the run-up to the next election – and herein lies the problem, says Knight Frank's head of planning...
RICS launches ‘manifesto for the built environment’ ahead of General Election
The RICS says it is its "duty to advocate policies that provide solutions to some of the most important challenges of our time."
Ollie Marshall: Peaks, plateaus & safety nets
Buying agent Ollie Marshall surveys the economic landscape as hopes rise that we may have finally reached the end of this tightening cycle.
Inheritance Tax: IFS proposes major reform, including scrapping ‘special treatment’ of homes
Inheritance Tax payments will more than double over the next ten years, suggests the Institute for Fiscal Studies, as it pitches a significant rejig of the death tax regime.
Nearly a quarter of a million properties sitting empty
Total number of long-term' empty homes has risen by nearly a quarter in six years, says charity; government accused of 'wasting opportunities' to bring thousands back into use.
EPCs: an Extremely Problematic Conundrum
Buying agent Marcus Gondolo-Gordon agrees with the Climate Change Committee, that EPCs 'create market uncertainty and are in urgent need of reform' - and he has some practical suggestions for how things…
Election 2024: Prime property sector sees “cause for optimism” in the prospect of a Labour government
'The likelihood of an incoming Labour government no longer feels like a massive threat to prime property markets in London and the country,' says Middleton Advisors.
A year since Truss: Understanding the impact on the property market
Ahead of the anniversary of the infamous ‘mini-budget’, Strutt & Parker's Kate Eales looks back on a tough 12 months for the UK housing market - and explains what we've learned along the way...