Housebuilding targets are one thing, but we need mortgage reform too July 16, 2025 Increasing the supply of new homes won’t make homeownership more affordable by itself – we need new kinds of mortgages too, says James Browne The government’s planning reforms that aim to increase the housing stock by 1.5m homes by the end of the parliament are a welcome step towards addressing Britain’s housing crisis. But supply [...]
Number of affordable homes started in London plummets July 10, 2025 The number of affordable homes underway in the capital has fallen far short of expectations as tight regulations and cost pressures make sites unviable. The Greater London Authority has so far completed 871 homes under the 2021-2026 Affordable Homes Programme (AHP), according to its annual housing report. This is just over five per cent of [...]
Boardroom Uncovered: Why the UK is great for investing and entrepreneurship July 9, 2025 The chief executive of Omaze revealed what he thinks the Labour government could do to support businesses more.
Family hubs to be rolled out across every council in England July 6, 2025 Family hubs offering parenting support and youth services are set to be rolled out across every council in England, ministers have announced. The Department for Education is putting £500 million that will be targeted at disadvantaged communities into the scheme, to put a hub in every local authority by April 2026. The Education Secretary has [...]
Mass migration is costing London renters £2,600 a year July 3, 2025 High net migration combined with a housing shortage is making London even less affordable, says Laurence Fredricks London is an expensive place for renters. I live in a one bed flat in Zone 2 with my boyfriend and nearly £2000 a month from our salaries goes in rent. In my first year of living in [...]
Berkeley, Persimmon and Barratt hit by house price slowdown July 1, 2025 Weak growth in UK house prices has hit the shares of the UK leading listed homebuilders, with pundits concerned that a demand for private housing will prevent the government from reaching its ambitious housing goals. Berkeley’s share price has dropped by more than eight per cent in the past month and Persimmon is down four [...]
Chinese ‘super-embassy’ by Tower of London nears approval June 22, 2025 A Chinese mega-embassy near the Tower of London is set to be approved by ministers within weeks. The Planning Inspectorate, which decides on major infrastructure projects, has given the scheme the go-ahead in a report sent to Angela Rayner just under a fortnight ago, the Sunday Times reported. It is expected to be formally approved [...]
Berkeley notes rising demand for new homes as profit drops June 20, 2025 Housebuilder Berkeley has stated that it is ‘fully aligned with’ and ‘committed to’ the government’s ambitious housing agenda, despite a decline in annual profit. The FTSE 250 company told markets this morning that its profit before tax fell 5.1 per cent in the last financial year, from £557.3m to £528.9m. Its operating margin improved from [...]
House prices slump in April: ‘Supply is beginning to outweigh demand’ June 18, 2025 UK house prices fell in April as affordability issues constrain demand following the end of the stamp duty holiday in March. House prices fell 2.7 per cent month on month in April, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Prices increased by 3.5 per cent to £265,000 in the 12 months to April 2025, [...]
We’ve been building since 1886 – the planning system is the worst it’s ever been June 18, 2025 Delays in the UK planning system – down to brick colour and tile choices – are stalling housing delivery. We need 3,000 new planners and faster approvals to meet national housing goals and boost economic growth, says Tim Roberts When Britain is in the midst of a housing crisis you don’t, as a house builder, [...]