Docklands News

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has not ruled out an overhaul of council tax that could mean higher bills. While Labour had previously said reforms such as a revaluation, adding extra bands or raising rates for more valuable properties were not on the agenda, the Treasury has refused to repeat the pledge, saying only that Reeves wants to "keep taxes for working people as low as possible." Writing in the Observer, Andrew Rawnsley says that council tax is outdated, regressive and in urgent need of reform, still being based on 1991 property valuations. He says that while scrapping stamp duty may be politically difficult, modernising council tax offers Reeves the best chance to act as a reforming chancellor. Updating bands or introducing proportional property or land value taxes could make the system fairer and more effective, he adds.

The Observer (24/08/2025)   The Sunday Telegraph (24/08/2025)  

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)