Mortgage approvals down, but conditions indicate ‘strong spring selling season’

The latest Money and Credit Report from the Bank of England reveals net mortgage approvals for house purchase, an indicator of future borrowing, fell by 500 to 64,500 in November. Net borrowing of mortgage debt by individuals increased to £4.5 billion, following a decrease of £1 billion to £4.2 billion in October. The annual growth […]
Conveyancing experts give evidence to Affordability of Home Ownership inquiry – watch live

The government’s inquiry into the affordability of home ownership will continue hearing oral evidence today, with contributions from the Conveyancing Association’s Beth Rudolf, PEXA UK CEO Joe Pepper, and Timothy Douglas, head of policy and campaigns at Propertymark. The Portcullis House meeting will be streamed live, with Rudolf – speaking in her capacity as co-chair […]
Govt launches recruitment drive for ‘ordinary people’ to become magistrates

The government is calling for “thousands of ordinary people from all walks of life” to help deliver justice by becoming magistrates. The Ministry of Justice said it is looking for “everyday heroes from all backgrounds” to deliver justice in local communities across the country. Over 2,000 extra magistrates have been trained since 2022 and the government intends the latest […]
Estate agents must be held to same high standards as conveyancers or reforms will fail, warns CLC

The Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) has backed plans to regulate estate agents as part of major reforms to the home buying and selling process. The specialist regulator said failure to do so risks undermining the reforms, which the government has proposed in a bid to improve the current system where £400 million per year […]
CILEX calls for stronger regulation of high-volume conveyancing sector to support homebuying reforms

Stronger regulation of the high-volume, low-value conveyancing sector will be required to ensure the success of reforms aimed at improving the speed and efficiency of the conveyancing process, the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX) says. A review into the current fee structure for conveyancing work is also needed to ensure that quality of advice […]
New home planning permission at 15-year low, as HBF warns of ‘viability crisis’

Planning permission was granted for just 42,000 new homes in England during the third quarter of 2025, a 34% drop on the same quarter the previous year and the lowest quarterly total since 2012. The overall number of units approved during the first nine months of 2025 – 146,798 – was 25% lower than a […]
Brachers completes acquisition of Gill Turner Tucker following Lawfront deal

Kent law firm Brachers has completed the acquisition of fellow Kent firm Gill Turner Tucker. The acquisition comes a year after Brachers’ partnership with private equity-backed Lawfront, in a deal which took the national group of regional law firms past £100 million revenue. The acquisition brings together two firms with deep roots in Kent: Gill […]