The Communities and Local Government house price figures are available, and they show that the fall in the price of flats has become a key factor in the housing market slowdown. A drop of 3.6 per cent across the UK between May and June contributed to an average fall in property prices of more than
IT’s NOT OFTEN that the Sun and the Guardian agree on anything but the Abbey’s five-times earnings mortgage offer has got them both in sceptical mood this morning. A leader in the Guardian concludes: ‘For a decade, property ownership has seemed a risk-free way for people to get rich. But buyers should remember that the
Gordon Brown will back a major new programme of rented housing and hint that councils should be allowed to build homes again in a speech today to the annual conference of the general union GMB, reports The Guardian. English Partnerships has invited expressions of interest in what will be England’s first large-scale zero carbon development.
House prices in England and Wales rose 9.1% in the year to April – the fastest rate for two years – according to Land Registry figures released this morning. The rate in April 2006 was just 4.1%. London and Brighton led the way with rises of 15.6%. Gross mortgage lending rose 12% in the year
Inequality is damaging children’s health, education and general well-being, and the growing divide between rich and poor is undermining work to bring down the number of children living in poverty, the TUC says. Its report found the class divide between the top and bottom tenth of the population has more than doubled since 1979. In
An independent affordability review in Northern Ireland has called for an extra 10,000 social rented homes to be built and 9,500 empty homes to be brought back into use over the next five years. The Semple report [downloads PDF] also called for fast-tracking of planning applications for new homes. For current advice in Northern Ireland,
According to research by the Times more than one in five homes have been put on the market because their owners cannot afford the mortgage repayments. A survey by the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) for the Times said that at least 5,000 properties a week are being put up for sale by ‘forced
The housing minister will attend Cabinet meetings, Gordon Brown confirmed in his acceptance speech as the new Labour leader yesterday, while housing will be a priority alongside health and education. The speech is covered in today’s papers including the Financial Times and Independent. Government plans to build 200,000 homes a year display a ‘poverty of