Change right-to-buy to stop rural communities becoming out of reach for young families, urges Chartered Institute of Housing February 24, 2015 We've all got used to the fact that young people and those on lower-to-middle incomes are being priced out of the city. Now it seems they are being priced out of the country too. The Chartered Institute of Housing has warned that continuing the right-to-buy scheme as it currently stands is making it increasingly difficult [...]
Housing crisis: Greenbelt golf courses cover an area twice the size of Kensington and Chelsea February 24, 2015 There isn't enough room in London to sustain its growing population, with an estimated 50,000 new homes needed each year just to keep up. In 2014, just 20,000 new homes were built in the greater London area – which is far from being on track to meet chancellor George Osborne latest target of [...]
Neil Kinnock: Mansion tax is just the cost of lunch for the “prosperous” February 18, 2015 Former Labour leader Neil Kinnock has dismissed fears that the so-called mansion tax would hurt the pockets of middle class Londoners, saying it was little more than they spend on lunch. The controversial policy being put forward by the shadow government would see a levy imposed on homes worth more than £2m. The [...]
In charts: London house prices are now 2.3 per cent below their peak February 17, 2015 London house price growth is slowing along with the UK’s, according to new data. In December, prices in the capital were 2.3 per cent below their August peak, with the rate of growth slowing from 15.3 per cent to 13.3 per cent. Back in May, London prices were on an annual growth roll of 20.1 [...]
Kensington and Chelsea leads fall in London house prices after boom peters out February 12, 2015 London house prices stalled in December, dipping 1.1 per cent on the month, LSL Property Services said today. The fall does not unwind all of the gains of the boom-period, as prices are still up 13.9 per cent on the year to stand at an average of £576,093. Kensington and Chelsea has the most expensive houses [...]
Mayfair now and then: 30 years ago this £4.25m apartment sold for £285,000 February 12, 2015 Remember 1985? The first UK mobile phone call was made – by Ernie Wise, of all people – the Brixton riots took place, and Rick Astley spent five weeks at the top of the charts. It was also, according to research by upmarket estate agent Peter Wetherell, possible to buy a Mayfair apartment for as [...]
Westminster Council rejects government proposals to legalise Airbnb lets in London for up to 90 days February 10, 2015 Government plans to allow Londoners to legally rent out their homes through websites such as Airbnb for up to 90 days has been rejected by a rebel council, claiming short-term lets can be a nightmare for neighbours. Yesterday housing minister Brandon Lewis outlined details of a reform of a law dating back to 1973 that [...]
Goodbye Jammersmith, hello to Wombling free? Mayor Boris Johnson outlines radical plans to solve capital’s congestion headaches February 9, 2015 London mayor Boris Johnson has unveiled plans to reduce congestion and open up more land for housing developments and public space across some of London's busiest hubs. Five of the capital's biggest traffic pinchpoints – including the A4 in Hammersmith – are going under the knife as part of the plans, which will see [...]
“Magic Circle” firm looks north as London rents soar February 9, 2015 We all know that London rents can be eye-wateringly expensive. Just last week we revealed that rents in the capital have risen six times faster than other parts of the UK and of course we all remember the MP Mark Simmonds who had to quit because his six-figure package wasn't enough to keep up with [...]
How London is leading the charge on a radical employee rent scheme February 5, 2015 Two years ago, Vodafone became one of the first big businesses to issue a warning over Britain’s housing costs. It said that the sheer cost of renting was making it harder for firms to attract talent. Within weeks, its concerns were echoed by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and KPMG’s London Business Survey. London’s [...]