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Elevate Property Group is to forge ahead with its plans for 56 residential properties at the historic Heaton House Lofts in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter. Kavannagh Construction has been appointed to begin work on Monday 17 May on the site in Camden Street. When the project is completed in the third quarter of 2022, it will provide it will provide 14 townhouses, 42 apartments, 4,300 sq ft of commercial space and Heaton House itself – a 3,360 sq ft, four bedroom dwelling. Work to clear the site has alread

The IRPM is delighted to announce that it has made the shortlist for the prestigious EG Tech Awards  2021. The Institute is a front runner in the Big Picture category, showcasing its campaign for industry-wide adoption of the UPRN. This category is open to influential bodies, organisations and government schemes/departments which can demonstrate support for tech and real estate on a grand scale. Former winners in this category include NHS Property Services in 2020.   The IRPM entry demonstrates how we are

Ben Jarvis is the Portfolio Manager for Benjamin Stevens Block Management. Ben started in September of 2020, having been brought in to add further experience to the already efficient and professional team. Here, Ben writes about his role, the value a Portfolio Manager can add to a team and the changes to budgeting systems he has set up which are being warmly received by clients. “Coming into the business in September of last year I took on the rather unique role of Portfolio Manager, off the back of the f

MetroPM, the estate management business with offices in Birmingham and Cheltenham, has welcomed the Planning Reform Bill outlined in the Queen’s Speech. The government announced the Bill will bring forward measures to simplify the planning system, making it easier to build the homes people need in the places they want them. The Bill will ensure that decisions allocating land for development at the local plan stage will give certainty on the nature and scale of development which is acceptable. Managing dir

The Association of Leasehold Enfranchisement Practitioners (ALEP) welcomes Her Majesty’s announcement - within the Queen’s Speech - of measures to end the practice of ground rents for new leasehold properties. This reaffirms the government’s commitment to abolish ground rents for most new leasehold properties. John Midgley, ALEP Director, said: “As with any potential changes to legislation, the devil is likely to be in the detail of the Bill. It does not look as though it will affect existing lease

Constant changing laws have always been something landlords and tenants alike have had to keep on top of in the private lettings market but during a pandemic this is truer than ever. The last 12 months have seen a number of challenges for many people with less job security, complicated mortgage holiday processes and the unknown of Brexit to name a few. Lee Pearce, Partner at Ellisons Solicitors, looks at how landlord and tenant rights changed as a result of the pandemic. The Covid-19 crisis brought with i

We are delighted to announce that JPC has today reached an agreement with Leasehold Law LLP and Liquidator, Begbies Traynor, to assist it by providing its former clients with continuity of service in respect of their leasehold matters.  Unfortunately, Leasehold Law LLP was placed into a creditor’s voluntary liquidation earlier today and as such has ceased operations.  The agreement we have entered into with the Leasehold Law LLP cements JPC as one of the leading advisors in leasehold matters and we hope w

Letting agents are failing to carry out vital identity checks on new landlords, according to Blinc UK. It has found that when speaking to new customers, the uptake from sales agents is fantastic. However, many lettings agencies are not checking the ID of new landlords, failing to carry out a Land Registry check to confirm ownership of the property being let and, in many instances, carrying out no Anti-Money Laundering (AML) or Know Your Customer (KYC) checks. The lettings supplier says that agents should

The Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee has urged the Government to re-commit to the principle that leaseholders should not have to pay for the removal of unsafe cladding from their homes and calls on the Government to establish a Comprehensive Building Safety Fund that addresses the true scale of fire safety issues. Finance for the fund should be provided by Government and the building industry. In a report published today, the Committee finds that existing arrangements for remediation of

A leaseholder is suing a legal company that represented her when she bought her apartment over a ‘ridiculous’ ground rent clause. Carole Patterson said she was unaware that the ground rent for her one-bedroom flat in South London would double every five years. As a result, her bill of £1,050 this year will rise to £4,200 a year by 2031 and will increase to more than £1m in 50 years’ time Now the administrator is suing FBC Manby Bowdler – the firm that represented when she bought the apartment in 2011 – fo

An experienced finance specialist has joined Principle Estate Management, the UK’s fastest growing residential management company, as a service charge accountant. Kirsty Clinton joins Principle from global real estate specialists Savills, when she looked after the finances for a large commercial and mixed-use property portfolio. Ms Clinton has spent nearly eight years in the finance sector and has previously worked at a number of established companies, including electrical supplies distributor Rexel UK. S

Forty people, including four children, needed treatment after a fire at a London apartment block with Grenfell-style cladding. A total of 125 firefighters rushed to the blaze after it broke out at the flats in Poplar. Reports say that people were trapped on their balconies and shouted for help, while others were able to evacuate. Those affected by shock and smoke inhalation were treated at the scene, while two people were taken to hospital. Some 20 per cent of the building’s facade features ACM PE claddin