Featured Articles

It's Black Friday at News on the Block, and we're offering unbeatable discounts! Subscribe, list your business, or attend Leasehold London 2024 – all at incredible prices. Don't miss out on these limited-time offers!  News on the Block is thrilled to announce a Black Friday extravaganza, offering an incredible 50% discount on all subscriptions. This limited-time offer extends until the end of November. To avail of this fantastic deal, simply use the code "BLACKFRIDAY" when you subscribe online. Stay infor

Mark Chick, Director of the Association of Leasehold Enfranchisement Practitioners (ALEP):  We are pleased to hear confirmation that the Government intends to introduce a Leasehold Bill in next week’s King's Speech as this brings an end to much speculation.  But we urge caution; leasehold is an extremely complex aspect of property law. It has been in place for centuries and impacts on almost five million individuals and it is therefore vital that the introduction of any Bill is more than a headline-grabbe

In an exciting development for Comptons Solicitors specialist Lease Clinic department, we are delighted to introduce our newest addition to the team, Dani Green.  As we continue to expand our horizons and strive for excellence, the arrival of Dani promises to bring fresh perspectives and expertise to the already dynamic team of James Compton, Sarah Jennings and Ahmed Anwar.  Dani is an accomplished professional with a wealth of experience of acting for Landlords and Tenants in lease extensions, collective

ELM Group announces the major acquisition of retirement property which sees the property management company stand to substantially increase the number of estates it owns across the country. As part of the formal sales process facilitated on behalf of leading UK housing provider Orbit, ELM Group has acquired 1,368 units across 30 local authority areas, taking its portfolio of properties across the South of England from over 3,300 to 4,638 units – representing a combined growth of nearly 50% across owned an

The 2022 Building Safety Act, hastily drafted following the Hackitt Review Building a Safer Future, contains some technical issues which are beginning to impact on leaseholders and cause considerable doubt and uncertainty. Specifically, confusion surrounds the definition of a ‘qualifying lease’ under Section 119 of the Building Safety Act, which states that to qualify for remediation a lease must have been granted before 14 February 2022.   It was good news for leaseholders and the professionals advising

The 4.9 million residential leases in England and Wales could face significant change if new legislation is announced as promised next month. Almost 80% of lawyers and property professionals support change, but the complete abolition of leasehold would be impossible in one move and politicians should be realistic about this with the public, according to the professional body, ALEP.   The Government is committed to leasehold reform and plans to bring forward a Leasehold Reform Bill in the King's Speech on

Places for People has acquired a site in Doncaster where it will build 59 affordable new homes. The leading placemaker and social enterprise concluded the deal to purchase the site from Godwin Developments with planning consent already in place. This comes as part of Places for People’s plans to increase delivery to over 5,000 homes a year by 2028. The 3.5-acre site on Watch House Lane, Bentley – an area of Doncaster - has been vacant for over ten years. Places for People will transform it into a vibrant

The developer behind a £35m Birmingham residential project has appointed a key sub-contractor for its first concrete frame build in the city centre. Elevate Property Group has announced renowned concrete frame specialists MPB have secured the contract to deliver both the frame and groundworks package on its Chapman’s Yard development in Upper Gough Street – a major regeneration scheme of 111 new homes. This follows the appointment of Shropshire based Buildfifty5 who will act as the construction manager fo

Recent data from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities show that 24,260 households served a valid Section 21 notice were due council help in 2022/23.  If the Renters (Reform) Bill becomes law, tenants will no longer receive ‘no fault’ eviction notices as Section 21 is due to be abolished, meaning all evictions would take place under a ground specified in Section 8 of the Housing Act 1988.  Politicians and industry figures have warned that this could well lead to an increase in homelessn

Peabody has today published its third environmental, social and governance (ESG) report, detailing its annual performance against the 48 criteria set out by the Sustainability Reporting Standard for Social Housing. The reporting standard, which Peabody helped to create, is organised into 12 key themes including: affordability and security; building safety and quality; resident voice; resident support; placemaking; climate change; ecology; resource management; structure and governance. Highlights of the pa

The Sunday Times reports that Michael Gove, the Levelling Up Secretary, has prepared a Leasehold Bill for inclusion in the King’s Speech.  In view of past government statements this could have important ramifications for residential leaseholders and their landlords. In January Michael Gove announced the government’s intention to abolish the leasehold system, describing it as an “outdated feudal system that needs to go”. Previously the government had expressed an intention to scrap marriage value and to ex

The Skyline Collection, an exclusive collection of 26 one, two and three-bedroom apartments by Barratt London, which occupy the top four floors at its Bermondsey Heights development, has now launched. Designed by award-winning architects dMFK, this latest release of homes at the landmark 26-storey scheme, located south of the River Thames, offers buyers an exciting opportunity to buy a home with some of the best panoramic views of London. Set across floors 23-26, The Skyline Collection embodies next-level