Policy
7 key themes that will ‘define future housing development & activity’
From social rent to mergers and funding, Savills highlights the key points from its recent housing survey that will 'define future development and activity' for the affordable sector
Developers are not ‘land banking’, concludes Letwin
“Developers could increase the choice of design, size and tenure of new homes without impacting on the local market and therefore speed up the rate at which houses are built and sold”, argues an independent…
Trading Standards to probe agents’ use of referral fees
Government is 'concerned' about transparency in the industry and 'wants consumers to be able to make informed choices'
Put placemaking at the heart of property development – and charge an extra 1% levy on home sales, say consultants
New report - launched in the Houses of Parliament - proposes a "New York style" levy on property transactions to replace CIL
Another seaside hotspot revolts against second home owners
90% of residents in the Cornish fishing town of Mevagissey vote to ban outsiders from buying new-builds
Mega-basements of the super rich are a good reminder of the city London has become
The recent epidemic of “luxified troglodytism” is emblematic of how the UK capital is changing, says Roger Burrows...
Malaysia to probe record-breaking Battersea Power Station deal
Leader of governing coalition vows to look into billions of dollars of investments made by previous administration, including the giant south west London regen project...
NCA considering ‘between 120 and 130’ UWO applications
"Step change" in unexplained wealth orders on the cards, with some significant UK real estate assets at stake...
Is compliance strangling commerce?
After a tortuous experience trying to do business with the private wealth department of a well-known clearing bank, agency boss Trevor Abrahmsohn has had it up to here with suffocating regulatory restrictions...
What is the Tier 1 UK visa Roman Abramovich has been trying to renew and why the delay?
Immigration law expert Jo Wilding explains the procedure involved in renewing the specialist visa for HNWI making a 'substantial financial investment' to the UK, and addresses recent speculation over…
Why Russia’s ‘dirty money’ is not leaving London any time soon
What is missing in the Moscow’s Gold report is a broader understanding of why Russian (and non-Russian money for that matter) flows into London and the UK in the first place...
Why viability studies are often not viable
A system which enables councils to charge developers twice for studies into the viability of their building projects is unfair, causes months of delays, and discriminates against SME companies, says Charles…