Miscellanea
Westminster launches ‘groundbreaking’ support service for developers
New scheme promises to speed up the planning and delivery of building projects across the borough.
Residents at boutique Marylebone scheme revolt over service charge hikes
Portman Estate forced to defend annual charges at One Seymour Street, following claims they are higher than at Twenty Grosvenor Square...
Foster + Partners employs robot dog to monitor Battersea Power Station construction
An experimental robot has been roaming around the building site at Battersea Roof Gardens, checking up on construction progress for architects Foster + Partners.
Clapham grand: Brace of spectacular mansions sell in south west London
Agents have been reporting a marked rise in activity across the leafier boroughs of London since the pandemic took hold.
Government’s ‘Green Industrial Revolution’ plan zeros-in on home energy efficiency
Green Homes Grant to be extended by a year, as Boris Johnson's latest ten point plan heralds a shift in policy thinking: Sustainability is now being viewed as an opportunity, not a cost.
New national parks & protected landscapes promise local house price boosts
The Government has declared that more National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty are to be created, in line with a renewed strategy to protect more of the Britain's natural landscapes.
The Times: Skyscrapers in London – do we want to reach for the stars?
Written by Jonathan Morrison, this fascinating special report for the Times charts the changing of the capital’s skyline from 1964 - when the 191m Post Office Tower became the first of London’s skyscrapers - t…
Cyber-attack freezes Hackney’s property market
Hackney Council is unable to process land searches due to a "serious cyber-attack" last month, effectively halting the borough's property market...
Government review pitches £14bn CGT hike, potentially doubling rates for second-home owners
There are "a range of areas in which Capital Gains Tax is counter-intuitive and creates odd incentives", says the Office of Tax Simplification in a comprehensive review of the CGT regime.
Housing Secretary Jenrick’s Resi Convention speech, in full
Robert Jenrick took to the virtual stage this week to deliver the keynote speech at this year's fully-online Resi Convention
On home, luxuries and necessities
It used to be a given that the closer you are to central London, the higher the per square foot value you’re paying for a home; now clients are much more excited by gardens than multiple fine dining o…
The Times: Chelsea townhouse collapse – a pile of rubble with a pinch of stardust
Writing for the Times, Emily Kent Smith delves into the glamorous back story of the Durham Place mansion which was shockingly reduced to a pile of rubble last week.