Docklands News

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has praised the New Homes Accelerator as a tool to speed up the construction of new homes. The initiative, set up last year, has helped local councils tackle capacity issues in their planning systems and removed regulatory hurdles. It has led to 36,000 new homes being sped up across England, with 63,000 homes also being driven forward. The New Homes Accelerator has dispatched experts to stalled developments across England, aiming to dismantle obstacles to schemes that have been delayed by planning and red tape.

Daily Mail (26/08/2025)   Daily Mirror (26/08/2025)   The Daily Telegraph (26/08/2025)   The Independent (26/08/2025)  

Government data shows London had the lowest rate of new home starts in England last year, with just 1.04 per thousand existing dwellings - a 73% drop from the year before - fuelling concerns over the capital's housing shortage. While 32,000 net additional dwellings were created, the low number of new starts suggests output will fall sharply next year, with only 347 affordable homes begun in the first quarter of this year. Nationally, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to build 300,000 homes annually, but analysis by Britain Remade indicates the government is on course to deliver barely half that figure. The think tank also highlighted London boroughs as among the worst-performing areas, citing Islington, where developers sought permission for just 67 homes against a target increase of more than 1,200. 

The times (16/08/2025)  

UK house prices rose 3.7% in the year to June, taking the average to £269,000, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Growth accelerated from May’s 2.7%, with prices reaching £291,000 in England, £210,000 in Wales, and £192,000 in Scotland, where increases were strongest at 5.9%. 

Daily Mail (21/08/2025)   Financial Times (21/08/2025)  

Analysis by Nationwide Building Society reveals that the average floor area of flats in England has decreased over the past decade. In contrast, bungalows, terraced homes, and semi-detached properties have seen size increases. The average floor area of flats is now 60.3 sq m, down 1.7% since 2013. Overall, England's housing stock has grown to 25.4m homes, with 16.3m owner-occupied. 

Daily Mail (20/08/2025)   The I (20/08/2025)  

Chancellor Rachel Reeves is considering reforms to property taxation as part of preparations for her second Budget, with Treasury officials examining options ranging from new council tax bands on higher-value homes to more radical annual levies. The review comes amid concerns that the current system, particularly stamp duty, is dampening economic growth by discouraging mobility in the housing market. Both the IMF and the Institute for Fiscal Studies have urged the government to scrap stamp duty, describing it as one of the most damaging taxes in the UK. There is speculation that the Chancellor is considering a recurring property tax on homes valued above a certain amount that could replace stamp and council tax. However, government sources have denied reports that ministers are considering a new "national tax" on property sales above £500,000. 

Financial Times (19/08/2025)   The Daily Telegraph (19/08/2025)   The Guardian (19/08/2025)   The Independent (19/08/2025)   The Times (19/08/2025)  

UK house prices rose by 0.4% in July - the fastest monthly increase this year - according to Halifax. The average property now costs £298,237, up from £297,157 in June. On a yearly basis, prices were up 2.4%, a slowdown on the 2.7% annual growth recorded in June. Halifax credited cheaper borrowing and rising wages for supporting the housing market. Although many homeowners will soon exit pandemic-era fixed-rate deals and face higher repayments, the overall impact on house prices is expected to be limited. Halifax head of mortgages Amanda Bryden said she expected house prices to follow a steady path of modest gains through the rest of the year. Meanwhile, HMRC data shows residential property sales rose by 13.4% in June to 93,530, while Bank of England figures revealed a 1.4% increase in mortgage approvals, reaching 64,167 for the month. 

City AM (08/08/2025)   The Guardian (08/08/2025)   The Independent (08/08/2025)   The Times (08/08/2025)