Rachel Reeves to slash environmental protections to boost builders August 18, 2025 Rachel Reeves is looking to take the axe to environmental protections blocking infrastructure projects in a bid to boost Labour’s building pledges. The Chancellor is considering reforms to prevent nature concerns from inhibiting new developments as she desperately looks to supercharge her growth agenda. Labour’s Planning and Infrastructure bill is in the committee stage at [...]
Landsec sells government office building to hotel giant August 18, 2025 A Westminster building owned by property giant Landsec, which has played host to major government offices, has been sold to a group bidding to lead Heathrow Airport’s expansion plans. The sale of Queen Anne’s Mansions, located in SW1, by Landsec marks a major step in the property firm’s ambition to sell off £2bn of its [...]
Rightmove: Average price tag on home has fallen £10,000 over summer August 18, 2025 The average price tag on a home has tumbled by more than £10,000 across the summer, falling by nearly £5,000 month-on-month in August alone, according to a property website. Across Britain, the average price of a home coming to market fell by 1.3 per cent, or £4,969, month-on-month in August to stand at £368,740, Rightmove [...]
Uptick in Canary Wharf office values after years of decline August 15, 2025 After several years of declining property valuations in Canary Wharf, the East London area is experiencing a modest recovery as the value of its largest offices rises for the first time in years
Savills hit by slowdown in sales despite uptick in profits August 14, 2025 Real estate giant Savills recorded a slowdown in sales in the first half of the year as investors digested the implications of tariffs, but recorded strong results. The real estate giant delivered a 6 per cent increase in revenue to £1.1bn in the six months to end June. Underlying profit rose by 10 per cent [...]
Student digs giants Unite and Empiric to merge August 14, 2025 Student accommodation provider Unite Group has agreed to an over £700m deal to acquire competitor Empiric Student Property
Think tank calls for policy changes to avoid ‘eyesore’ council houses August 13, 2025 A think tank has called for the overhaul of the way local authorities approach council houses to encourage building and avoid ‘eyesore’ houses. Policy Exchange’s report, which is backed by former Labour Housing Secretary Ruth Kelly and ex-Housing Minister Kevin Hollinrake, called for a new national design code for council houses as well as a [...]
House prices in top catchment areas soar as parents race to bag places August 13, 2025 House prices in top primary and secondary school catchment areas are now nearly 50 per cent more expensive than the average as competition intensifies amid an increase in private school fees. The average price of a home in the catchment areas of the top 50 primary and top 50 secondary schools in the UK is [...]
Reasons to be optimistic about the UK’s construction sector August 13, 2025 There are some early signs the UK’s beleaguered construction industry is turning a corner as higher demand, higher government investment and lower interest rates set shovels in the ground. Judging by the numbers so far this year, the UK’s construction industry is in a bad place: The sector contracted at the fastest pace since 2020 [...]
Persimmon: Profit jumps as construction activity rises August 13, 2025 Persimmon has reported a double-digit rise in operating profit on increased construction volumes, despite ongoing affordability pressures. The housebuilder told markets this morning that private completions rose seven per cent to 3,987 homes, while total completions rose four per cent to 4,605. It is on track for completions of 11,000-11,500 homes for the full year. [...]