Format: News

Kensington & Chelsea planners have rejected proposals for a subterranean extension under an £8m Notting Hill house, after an outcry from celebrity neighbours.

The traditional August lull didn't happen for W.A.Ellis, with a "stronger than expected" sales market and lettings enquiries up 50% on July's levels, driven by wealthy students.

Rightmove has quizzed 4,000 people who plan to sell their property within the next year to get a feel for their motivations... The portal asked:

A Middle Eastern buy-to-let investor has snapped up the entire Apple Apartments development at 94 Baker Street in one fell swoop.

Knight Frank has scored a major coup by hiring former Sotheby's man Peter Bevan to enrich its super-prime new homes team. Peter Bevan

Here's a turn up for the books; English country estates have outperformed country houses and even prime central London resi in terms of average price growth over the last year.

London Central Portfolio is cashing in on prime London's property market performance, selling out its third fund in just three weeks.

Taxing mansions has been the talk of the town for four years now, but August was a bit quiet on the Mansion Tax front.

Berkeley Group has bought QVC's old offices, Marco Polo House, in Battersea for £105m, outgunning Killian Hurley's Mount Anvil bid for the site, which has planning permission for 456 luxury residential…

Resi developers Alchemi Group has exchanged on the Dept. for Transport's 180,000 sq ft office Great Minster House North in Victoria for a reported £99.9m.

Jones Lang LaSalle's chief Guy Grainger gave a fascinating interview to The Telegraph at the weekend, in which he revealed big plans for the residential side of the business.

HMRC has laid down an ultimatum to second home owners who haven't paid their Capital Gains Tax yet; come forward by the end of the week or we'll come and find you.