A mansion tax would hit ordinary Londoners and stall the market October 24, 2025 A rumoured tax raid on sales of properties over £1.5m would be a disaster for Londoners, says James Evans With the Treasury neither confirming nor ruling out the prospect of a so-called ‘mansion tax’ – a capital gains levy thought to be based on the sale of primary residences above £1.5m – uncertainty is already [...]
The taxes driving housing developers out of London October 22, 2025 Stealth taxes faced by would-be builders have made London the most expensive city in the world to build, writes David Hirst.
Housing secretary Steve Reed ‘overly optimistic’ for betting jobs on housing targets October 22, 2025 The government’s housing secretary, Steve Reed, continues to be optimistic about the chance of a pledge to build 1.5m new homes in England despite mounting concern about delays. Earlier this week, Reed said that he would “absolutely” meet the goal and widespread scepticism would make “celebration all the sweeter”, he told BBC Panorama. “My job should be on [...]
Cutting affordable housing quotas is a slap in the face for Labour voters October 20, 2025 If Labour is no longer in favour of building affordable housing, what exactly is the party for, asks James Ford.
Sadiq Khan to blame for slump in London housing starts, think tank says October 17, 2025 Sadiq Khan is to blame for a dearth in housebuilding in London, a leading think tank has warned, as new construction projects slumped to their lowest level seen in years. A perfect storm of challenging macroeconomic conditions, needlessly stringent regulation and a sluggish planning process has helped push construction rates down to just 4,170 housing [...]
London shopping centre to be demolished for major development October 17, 2025 A huge redevelopment proposal for Lewisham shopping centre was given the green light last night, paving the way for hundreds of new homes to be built. Lewisham Council officials voted to approve plans to redevelop the 1970s complex, in a move that will see it turned into 1,700 new homes, 660 student beds and 445 [...]
Construction output weakens as gloom persists October 16, 2025 UK construction output has continued to shrink as companies struggle to build at the pace required by the government’s far-reaching housing goals. Output fell 0.3 per cent month on month in August, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), with the most pronounced decline in repair and maintenance. “The underlying trends in construction are [...]
Don’t stop at housing, abolish stamp duty on shares too October 10, 2025 Abolishing stamp duty on housing would be a bold step towards economic renewal. But don't stop there, says Blake Stephenson.
Economic uncertainty pushes potential house buyers to hold off September 30, 2025 An unpredictable economic and policy landscape has caused a slowdown in housebuying activity in the UK, according to new data. There were 93,630 UK residential transactions in August, two per cent higher than August 2024 but two per cent lower than July 2025, according to HMRC. There’s been a “noticeable shift” in sentiment amongst Brits [...]
Government pledges ‘whatever it takes’ to get Britain building September 27, 2025 The construction of three new towns will begin before the next election, the Housing Secretary will pledge at Labour’s party conference. The Government will “do whatever it takes to get Britain building”, Steve Reed is expected to tell Labour members on the opening day of the party’s annual gathering in Liverpool. Work on 12 new [...]