Location: Prime Central London

The annual Estates Gazette Awards were dished out at a snazzy do on Park Lane last night, with Jones Lang, British Land, Savills and Berkeley walking off with the top resi gongs.

Despite a fairly constant torrent of high-rise new-builds, many of London's more village-y enclaves have managed to retain their traditional charms amidst the cranes and curtain walls.

32 years after Jon Hunt opened up a two-man office in the then up-and-coming Notting Hill, Foxtons has made it into the FTSE 250.

Mayfair-based buying firm Black Brick has just taken on a couple of new recruits, hiring former Foxtons man Jamie Burnhope as buying consultant and Sophie Amasha as property manager. Jamie Burnhope

After a good ten years at the top, the Duke of Westminster is no longer the richest investor in UK property.

UK house prices are now 6.5% up on the year, having risen by 0.6% in November. Prime central London, however, is getting comfortable  in the (relatively) slow-lane, with prices rising by just 0.

Haus Properties - the agency founded by former BBC Apprentice finalist Jamie Lester - has strengthened its offering in Chiswick, appointing James Henen-Webber as Lettings Director.

Graham Downie, the former Director in Charge of Chesterton International in Mayfair,  has just been named as the new Chief Executive of French giant Leggett Immobilier. Leggett & Downie

That bit of Covent Garden between King Street and Floral Street is set to undergo a major transformation - and gain 45 prime resi units - after Capco got the thumbs up from Westminster planners last night.

Warm on the heels of Savills' warnings about oversupply at the top end of the market, One Hyde Park supremo Nick Candy has also been voicing his concerns about the number of prime and super-prime schemes…

Marsh & Parsons is expecting London prices to "stabilise" next year, with annual growth of between 5-7%. After recording a chunky 10.

The Daily Mail's been reporting about The Duchess (Middleton) causing strife in the village by replacing traditional Georgian roof tiles with "Barratt Homes" red ones. The horror.