City policymakers push to end ‘old-school’ ban on tower logos September 10, 2026 Square Mile policymakers are ramping up pressure on the City to drop “old-school” rules which block firms from displaying logos on their buildings, in a move which they say could drive growth. The City of London Corporation, which governs the historic financial district, has long blocked companies from displaying their logos on the top of [...]
The aristocratic landowner taking record rent from ‘cradle-to-grave’ health empire September 10, 2026 One of London’s biggest landowning families raked in record rent from its Marylebone property empire last year, helped by a surge in demand at its ‘cradle-to-grave’ private healthcare district. Howard de Walden Estates, which owns the Harley Street health district and the residential Marylebone Village, grew its rental income from the estate by 9.3 per [...]
Zoopla bets on house envy as Brits snoop on neighbours’ property prices September 7, 2026 Zoopla, the UK’s second-largest property portal, has cashed in on Brits’ house envy as it pivots towards serving existing homeowners who want to snoop on the value of other people’s homes. New chief executive Paul Whitehead has pushed the property site away from an emphasis on transactions, instead hoping to woo homeowners who use the [...]
Crest Nicholson slashes housebuilding targets in ‘difficult’ summer September 3, 2026 Crest Nicholson has cut back its housebuilding and earnings targets as crunch talks with lenders drag on. The London-listed builder now expects to build up to 1,400 homes this year, compared to earlier forecasts of as many as 1,500. It expects to make an earnings loss of £10m, having previously guided to a profit of [...]
House prices remain sluggish in ‘subdued’ property market September 1, 2026 House prices continued their sluggish run in August, gaining just 0.2 per cent on the previous month, as uncertainty caused by the Iran war and the upcoming Budget in October weigh on the market. The average UK house price grew by 1.6 per cent to £275,465 in the year to August, marking a slight improvement [...]
Stealth taxes intensify London first time buyer struggle September 1, 2026 A raft of government stealth taxes is driving the London property market even further into unaffordability for first time buyers, fresh research has found. Freezes in tax bands and thresholds means the average home in the capital now accounts for an eye-watering 14.7 times average earnings after accounting for stamp duty, national insurance and income [...]
HMRC mansion tax inspectors to target homes for property valuations August 23, 2026 HMRC will send mansion tax inspectors to homes across the UK to determine whether homeowners should pay more tax under the new levy. The taxman will deploy valuation agents who will be able to demand entry to properties in order to assess whether they are worth over £2m and therefore fall under The High Value [...]
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 [...]