Comment Articles

Brian Murphy, Head of Lending at Mortgage Advice Bureau (MAB), comments: “Strong house price growth is no longer a trend restricted to the South, with average prices across the country up by almost 10% since April 2013. In comparison to... View Article

The chosen finalists for the Wolfson Prize for Economics, which called for innovative proposals for the creation of Garden Cities, have been announced – with finalists now expected to work up detailed submissions before the winner is announced in September.... View Article

Over £25million of damage has been caused to new homes by trees over the last six years, according to figures released by NHBC. The UK’s leading warranty provider and standard setting body for new build homes is so concerned by... View Article

The new sentencing guideline published today has been welcomed by TrustMark, the Government-endorsed quality mark for reputable tradesmen, as it could mean tougher sentencing for rogue traders who defraud and rip off the public. TrustMark contributed to the Sentencing Council’s... View Article

The British Property Federation (BPF) has welcomed the new Green Deal Home Improvement Fund. It has praised the Government for launching sensible changes that will make the application process easier, but would like to see further details on what will... View Article

Increasing the threshold for putting local authorities into special measures could produce perverse incentives and lead to adverse consequences for the planning system, warns the British Property Federation (BPF). Proposals from DCLG in its ‘Planning Performance and Planning Contributions’ consultation... View Article

Households carrying out energy efficiency improvements on their home can now get more money back to offset the cost of having the work done. From June, people in England and Wales will be able to get up to £7600 back... View Article

A new report published today “Promoting highly efficient electrical appliances” calls on the Government to help the public replace their old appliances and cut their energy bills by up to £75 a year. The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR)... View Article

The economic recovery in the SME construction sector is under threat from rising building costs and material shortages warns the Federation of Master Builders (FMB). Commenting on the results of the FMB’s State of Trade Survey for the first three... View Article

Homeowners at risk of flooding who have seen the price of their insurance rise in recent years have been urged to speak out amid warnings that Government plans could leave them without access to affordable flood cover from next year.... View Article