Burnham to hand mayors power to overrule local councils’ planning decisions August 23, 2026 Andy Burnham will give mayors across the UK new powers to overrule planning decisions made by local councils and to greenlight large-scale developments. The prime minister will unveil proposals this week to give regional mayors in 13 areas including Manchester, Liverpool, and the West Midlands, powers to take over planning decisions as well as direct [...]
‘Alice in Wonderland’ workspace firm lands £129m Aberdeen-backed finance August 20, 2026 A luxury workspace provider whose offices feature novelty themes like Alice in Wonderland and Monopoly has landed a £129m refinancing package. Office Space in Town (OSiT) has bagged a new debt package which includes around £72m in backing by leading asset manager Aberdeen, City AM has learned. OSiT operates 225,000 sq ft of flexible office [...]
House prices in wealthy London boroughs fall by up to £300,000 August 19, 2026 House prices in London’s most sought-after areas plummeted further in June, with the average price in some postcodes falling by nearly £300,000 year on year. London’s average house price slipped by 2.5 per cent to £554,000 in the year to June, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Though this was a softer fall [...]
New planning rules ‘could blight high streets with empty pubs’ August 18, 2026 Angela Rayner’s attempt to stop pubs being redeveloped into offices and housing could “blight high streets” with empty venues, property experts have warned. The housing secretary has unveiled reforms to planning rules which mean that developers can only turn a pub into housing or an office if there is no reasonable prospect that it can [...]
Luxury London property developer collapses as housing market slows August 17, 2026 A luxury London property developer has collapsed after running out of funds, as the capital’s prime housing sector faces growing pressure. London Richmond Ltd, which describes itself as a “boutique” developer focusing on the “finer areas” of the capital, has appointed administrators, City AM has learned. In the latest sign that London’s prime property market [...]
Winkworth delays legal drama for a month after family feud August 12, 2026 The family which runs City estate agent Winkworth has agreed to halt its legal spat for at least a month after chair Simon Agace and his wife tried to oust the company’s board, including Agace’s son. The AIM-listed company, run by chief executive Dominic Agace, launched legal proceedings against its chair last week after he [...]
Housebuilder Bellway calls for ‘immediate’ cut to stamp duty August 11, 2026 Housebuilder Bellway has called on the government to slash stamp duty immediately and roll out a first-time buyer scheme to revive Britain’s flagging housing industry. The FTSE 250 firm said on Tuesday that housing demand has been hammered by last year’s pre-Budget speculation and the recent rising mortgage rates triggered by the Iran war. Jason [...]
PwC’s Embankment HQ to get major makeover ahead of Canary Wharf move August 7, 2026 The current headquarters of Big Four giant PwC at 1 Embankment Place is set to be transformed into a “sustainable workspace” in a bid to attract and retain major firms as renters, as it awaits planning permission. City-based property and asset management firm Bridgemont said on Friday it has submitted a planning application to Westminster [...]
Family feud: London estate agent Winkworth sues chair over plot with wife to oust son from board August 7, 2026 London estate agent Winkworth has initiated High Court proceedings against its chair, Simon Agace, for an alleged breach of contract after he and his wife attempted to oust the company’s board, including his son, City AM can reveal. The AIM-listed company, which is one of the UK’s oldest estate agents and specialises in high-end properties [...]
Manchester billionaire tables £583m offer for property developer Harworth August 6, 2026 Billionaire-owned Peel Group has tabled a £583m offer for Harworth as the property developer is poised to become the latest firm to exit the London Stock Exchange. The offer of 172.5p per share represents a premium of 20.1 per cent compared to Harworth’s closing share price yesterday and a 36.9 per cent premium above the [...]