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The organisation received a score of 95.88%, demonstrating its commitment towards the continual improvement of health and safety management systems and processes and recognising it as a best practice organisation. The audit recognised FirstPort’s continued efforts to implement the highest standards of health and safety management, a clear commitment from senior management, and an enthusiastic health and safety team. It also highlighted that FirstPort has an extensive occupational health and safety managem

Westbury Residential Ltd, London-based property managers with a specialism in Tribunal appointments, has joined forces with the Urang Group who currently manage over 340 blocks across London. Westbury’s Alison Mooney has been involved as manager in several high-profile blocks in which major battles between leaseholders and landlords have occupied the courts over many years and has even attracted the attention of the media. As Urang’s managing director, Paul Cleaver said: “Alison’s success in navigating th

Leading residential property bodies have today published an open letter to Robert Jenrick, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and copied to Thalia Baldwin, Director of the Geospatial Commission highlighting the potential benefits from a widely adopted Unique Property Reference Number (UPRN) and steps that Government needs to take to make this happen. The signatories of the letter,  which includes leading bodies from across the residential property sector, believe that

Andrew Winstanley has been appointed as property operations manager at the UK’s fastest growing residential management company, taking its headcount to 30 within three years of its launch. He will run all property operations at Principle, sitting between the directors and the property management and customer service teams. Mr Winstanley comes with a wealth of knowledge from a career that most recently saw him as a senior property manager at Pennycuick Collins, looking after some of its larger and most com

A building containing eight apartments in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter is to be looked after by Principle Estate Management following an official appointment by a property tribunal. Leaseholders at 58 to 60 Albion Street applied to a First-tier Tribunal (FTT) after dissatisfaction with how their properties were being managed and nominated Principle as their preferred choice for future estate management. The tribunal agreed that chartered surveyor Joe Jobson, a director at Principle, had the correct skil

Leading residential managing agent, Rendall & Rittner has appointed Shreya Lakhani as Property Team Manager for the South Midlands. This is a new role for Rendall & Rittner’s Midlands division, created to support the ongoing expansion of the business in the region. Shreya will head up the teams of property managers responsible for developments across locations including Milton Keynes, Northamptonshire and Watford. Based out of the Milton Keynes office though currently managing teams remotely, Shreya’s foc

Sweeping changes to property law which will see the abolition of charges for leaseholders have been welcomed by an industry expert. Alan Draper, managing director of Common Ground Estate & Property Management, described the Government move as a “brilliant step forward.” Under the current law, many people face high ground rents which can add thousands of pounds to the costs of a mortgage. The ultimate owner or freeholder of the building can randomly increase charges making a leasehold unpredictably expensi

The Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government have announced reforms are to be introduced within the current term of Parliament that will make it easier and cheaper for leaseholders to buy their homes. While the detail around this is awaited it is clear from this press announcement that some major changes may be made.  These include: New leases are to be extended by 990 years rather than the current 90 years for flats (less for houses). Marriage value is to be scrapped. This is currently pay

National Law firm Irwin Mitchell has advised Anthology, the London Real Estate residential developer on a financing deal which refinances 150 apartments that remain for sale at Anthology’s 195-home Wembley Parade and its 316-home Deptford Foundry developments. Both schemes were completed in early 2020 and most of the homes have been sold; the majority qualifying for the government’s Help to Buy scheme. Simon Owen, Head of Banking and Finance at Irwin Mitchell said, “Anthology develops award winning and hi

2020 cast a spotlight on the Private Rental Sector (PRS), as the pandemic prompted people to question their ties to central urban locations and the UK’s national pre-occupation with stepping onto the housing ladder.  Undeniably, there are challenges ahead as PRS continues to navigate the impacts of Covid-19, but as the appeal of renting is further cemented as a lifestyle choice rather than simply a financial necessity, a number of trends are set to characterise promising developments in resi-rental sector

A property finance specialist has joined Principle Estate Management, the UK’s fastest growing residential management company, as a service charge accountant. The appointment of Paul Sparkes takes the finance team numbers up to six at Principle, where the total staffing now stands at 29. Mr Sparkes joins Principle from Sanctuary Housing, where he worked as a finance officer, and he has more than seven years of experience in the property sector. Most of that time was spent with Mainstay Property Management

On 7th January 2021 the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, via Robert Jenrick (the Housing Secretary), confirmed that they would be giving all leaseholders the right to extend their lease by a maximum of 990 years at a zero ground rent. This announcement was the Government accepting part of the recommendations on leasehold reform put forward by the Law Commission in their reports from January 2020 and July 2020. Existing Rights At present the right already exists for leaseholders of f