Planning Bill is a huge opportunity to save British construction

The Government has finally unveiled the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, introducing a number of measures that change some fundamental elements of how planning works. Richard Beresford, Chief Executive of the National Federation of Builders (NFB), commented: “The Labour Government is wasting no time in proving that their manifesto pledges on planning reform are real. Planning…

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Bank of England Mortgage Lenders and Administrators Statistics showing increase in first time buyers

bank of england interest rate

Mortgage Lenders and Administrators Statistics – 2024 Q4 The Mortgage Lenders and Administrators Return (MLAR) is a quarterly statistical release aggregated from data on mortgage lending activities provided by around 340 regulated mortgage lenders and administrators. Key findings The outstanding value of all residential mortgage loans increased by 0.5% from the previous quarter to £1,678.2…

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UK Government must consider ‘unintended consequences’ of High Street Rental Auction powers

UK Government must consider ‘unintended consequences’ of High Street Rental Auction powers, NAEA Propertymark Commercial Advisory Panel suggests The ‘unintended consequences’ of High Street Rental Auction powers given to local councils must be considered by the UK Government, the NAEA Propertymark Commercial Advisory Panel has suggested. The Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government (MHLCG)…

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Zoopla unveils new CEO and strengthens leadership team

Zoopla, one of the UK’s leading property websites, is pleased to announce the appointment of Paul Whitehead as Chief Executive Officer, alongside a number of other changes to strengthen its leadership team, including the appointment of Sam Fletcher as Chief Finance Officer. Paul rejoins Zoopla having previously served as its Chief Strategy Officer. Over the…

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Planning Approvals Fall and Construction Slows to Record Low 

Labour’s 1.5 Million Home Target at Crisis Point as Planning Approvals Fall and Construction Slows to Record Low   Planning approvals drop 2% to 242,610 and construction PMI falls to 44.6, marking its worst performance in nearly five years   David Hannah, Group Chairman of Cornerstone Tax, criticises Labour’s poor policy decisions, emphasising that the…

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Halifax House Price Index February 2025

Average UK house price holds steady in February • House prices dipped by -0.1% in February (vs +0.6% in January) • Average property price now £298,602 (compared to £298,815 in previous month) • Annual growth remains at +2.9%, unchanged from January • Scotland sees house prices rise at fastest pace in 13 months (+3.8%)  …

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Not all doom and gloom’ in the residential land market

With uncertainty in the residential land market over the past few years and a bit of a shaky start to the year so far, it has been a tough playing field for UK housebuilders. But residential development expert Billy Poulter, a Manchester-based partner in the commercial property team at Clarke Willmott, specialising in residential development says…

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69% of UK mortgage brokers expect base rate to rise

Interest rates and legislative uncertainty top concerns for UK mortgage brokers   A new survey of 300 UK mortgage brokers has found:   69% believe the base rate will be higher than the current level of 4.50% at the start of 2026. 67% expect interest rates and the cost of borrowing to be the single…

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Minister Accepts Supply-Demand Pressures Increasing Rents

In response to comments by Treasury Minister, Emma Reynolds MP, that rental prices “are ultimately determined by the total supply of housing, relative to demand”, Ben Beadle, Chief Executive of the National Residential Landlords Association, said: “The Minister is right. Rents are going up because there are simply not enough properties to meet demand, and…

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The Property Redress annual report

50% of cases resolved through early resolution despite 20% rise in complaints, 56% increase in amount awarded for decisions and 31% rise in agency expulsions  The annual report on complaints received against their property agent members by Property Redress is released today. In its eleventh year, the report from the UK’s largest lettings redress provider…

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Glenigan Construction Index: Pockets of regional resilience, do little to offset faltering confidence

The value of underlying work starting on-site during the three months to February decreased 6% and remained 17% below 2024 levels as activity remains relatively stagnant Lowered expectations on economic recovery dent residential construction, with starts down 10% on the preceding three months, slashed by 14% against 2024 figures Non-residential project starts decreased 2% against…

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