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In this special feature, we identify the most influential people in the residential leasehold property sector. Included within the list is a mix of leasehold campaigners, Parliamentarians, trade and professional bodies, managing agents, building owners, investors, developers, valuers, and lawyers among others. Let us know if we missed anyone out by emailing  editor@newsontheblock.com Entries have been gathered subjectively according to our knowledge and experience of the industry and are arranged in alph

The amount of leasehold units being delivered seems to be higher than the amount of property professionals entering the sector to manage them. When recruiting, most clients will prefer candidates from similar-sized private businesses and one can understand how ‘like for like’ seems the best option. But there can be value in casting a wider net and looking at housing association candidates to cover the deficit. It is fairly well known that managing agents can have a cynical view of housing associations, bu

Lighting maintenance is a way to cut costs. It also protects assets and helps remain compliant. It’s an integral part of any block manager’s modus operandi and can make a profound difference to block lighting in particular. It’s obvious that regular checks, attending to problems as they arise and generally ensuring good housekeeping is uppermost on any ‘to do’ list, and is essential to proactive management. If a block manager has reliable teams, the job of maintaining any premises becomes a whole lot ea

ARMA has confirmed the appointment of Noella Morton as its new Head of Operations, the first of two appointments following announcement of Michelle Banks’ retirement. Noella will be responsible for the day-to-day management of ARMA, the overall performance of the organisation and delivery of its services to members. ARMA’s Chairman, Martin Perry, commented: “I am delighted that Noella decided to enter the external recruitment exercise that we undertook to fill this position. “Noella has extensive exper

FirstPort has won the contract to manage Quintain’s Emerald Gardens, the latest phase of residential at Wembley Park. It will include more than 470 residential units including professional market rental, affordable housing, commercial units, a screening room, a club room and a gym. The first residents are expected to move in during spring 2016. In total more than 5,000 homes will be added to the area as a whole. Nigel Howell, Chief Executive of FirstPort said: “We’re already heavily involved in assistin

The property management contract for the iconic, modern Embassy Court on Brighton seafront has been awarded to Harper Stone, the Brighton-based company founded by Chris Brotherton in 2013. Brotherton said: “After a year of discussions, meetings and presentations with Bluestorm, who own the building, and adding the key personnel required to deliver the effective management of Embassy Court, we have received the news we were hoping for - the instruction to take over the freehold management contract.” Emba

Property investment and development company, MCR Property Group is to use Propman, the property management and integrated financial accounting software solution from Grosvenor Systems, in a bid to streamline its property management and accounting processes. The group was looking for a way to efficiently collect and collate information from a range of internal and external sources and bring it together as part of one central resource, from which standardised reporting and other processes could be run. Da

The British Property Federation (BPF)  has announced the creation of a new committee that will focus on promoting the emerging build-to-rent sector to government and other stakeholders, including consumers. The committee, which will be formed as a subset of the BPF’s residential committee, will be chaired by Andrew Stanford, UK Residential Fund Manager at LaSalle Investment Management and former head of the Government’s Private Rented Sector Taskforce. Adam Russell, Acquisitions Manager at FizzyLiving, w

The qualifying 
period for the Government’s Right to Buy programme, which allows many council tenants to buy their home at a discount, has changed to three years from five years. The change, which came into effect in May, was introduced through the Deregulation Act 2015.

Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea-based independent property agency, Farrar & Co, is re-launching its prize-winning property management division under a new name. It will now be known as Principia Estate and Asset Management. The firm, which has extensive experience in property management in prime central London, is aiming to enhance the service it offers its existing, extensive international client base, while also expanding to take on more owners who are seeking management of their premium propert

The Court of Appeal has granted permission to appeal its judgment on the recoverability of penalty charges imposed by a private car park operator upon those who overstay a limited period of free parking. The original judgment was in favour of the respondent, ParkingEye Ltd, against the appellant, Barry Beavis, on its claim to recover a charge of £85 for overstaying the permitted period of free parking in the car park at the Riverside Retail Park in Chelmsford. The Supreme Court will hear Mr Beavis’s app

A new law firm has launched, covering all aspects of property, in particular service charge and ground rent recovery, and property-related disputes. LMP law was started by industry professionals Laura Severn, Matthew Wayman and Peter Cornell, and will act for clients throughout the UK. Laura Severn said: “Matthew, Peter and myself have all worked closely together before and found that our skill sets and expertise fit together well. We love the property management industry and we believe that we can set