Land development transparency plans ‘solve problem that doesn’t exist’ March 10, 2026 The government has been accused of offering a solution to “a problem that doesn’t exist” over an initiative requiring landowners to publicly declare options over land. The new policy, set to be unveiled by planning minister Matthew Pennycook on Monday, is intended to help small and medium-sized (SME) housebuilders by boosting transparency. The government hopes [...]
House prices rise as property market builds momentum March 6, 2026 House prices grew 1.3 per cent year on year to February, in the strongest growth in four months, as the property market continues its steady start to the year. Prices rose by 0.3 per cent between January and February, with the average UK property price at a new high of £301,151, according to Halifax’s house [...]
Estate agency Foxtons says ‘government-driven’ costs harming bottom line March 5, 2026 Leading estate agency Foxtons has hit out at the “strain” caused by national insurance and minimum wage hikes as it contends with a “challenging” market. The firm said “government-driven” pressures are harming its bottom line, as revenue growth was “offset” by increased external costs. The Labour government is facing increasing pressure from business to address [...]
FTSE 100 Live: Airline shares fall after Wizz Air profit warning; Primark new boss March 5, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Global markets returned to a touch of stability on Wednesday as energy prices retreated as investors awaited the latest on the events in the Middle East. The FTSE 100 ended the day 0.8 per cent higher at 10,567.65p – still far below it’s level at [...]
Vistry: Housebuilder boss quits as output falls March 4, 2026 The boss of the UK’s second-biggest housebuilder has quit as the company battles with falling revenue and output caused by the uncertainty around last year’s November Budget. The news spooked investors as Vistry Group’s share price nosedived on Wednesday, down as much as 22 per cent to 490p. Vistry’s chief executive Greg Fitzgerald said he [...]
It’ll take more than planning reform to get London building again March 4, 2026 London isn’t just facing a housing delivery downturn. It’s facing a double development whammy of falling housing starts combined with a deep decline in the pipeline of new commercial development coming forward, says Melanie Leech Down, down, deeper and down go the lyrics from a track by Status Quo from the early 1970s. A decade [...]
£9bn in housing funds sit idle in council accounts March 1, 2026 More than £9bn in developer contributions earmarked for schools, transport, healthcare and affordable housing is sitting unspent in council bank accounts, according to new research. A freedom of information survey by the Home Builders Federation (HBF) estimates that £6.6bn in Section 106 payments and £2.2bn raised through the community infrastructure levy (CIL) remain unspent. Of [...]
Brits push down house prices to dodge mansion tax February 26, 2026 House sellers are already pushing sale values below £2m in a bid to avoid the coming “mansion tax” on expensive homes. The high-value council tax surcharge (HVCTS) is not due to be implemented until April 2028 but estate agents Hamptons have found Brits are already taking steps to avoid the levy. The “mansion tax” charge [...]
Third of London homes cheaper to buy than to rent as prices fall February 25, 2026 More than a third of London homes are now cheaper to buy than to rent as house prices in the capital shrunk in the last year. The proportion of London houses which are cheaper to buy with a mortgage has doubled since last year, from 18 to 36 per cent, while still lower than the [...]
UK house prices see modest growth amid London slump February 18, 2026 UK house prices ticked up last year, but the London market continued to lag after property tax speculation and high mortgage rates constrained affordability. The average UK house price increased by 2.4 per cent annually in December 2025, slowing from 2.8 per cent growth in the year to November, according to the latest data from [...]