SME home builders blocked by planning delays on small sites, HBF says
Following the government’s announcement that it has introduced a series of last-minute amendments to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill to speed up the planning process, a report from the Home Builders Federation (HBF) lays bare the mounting barriers faced by small and medium sized home builders. Unpredictable delays, rising costs and new levies risk pushing […]
Steele Raymond marks 21 years as Top Tier firm in The Legal 500 rankings
South coast law firm Steele Raymond has been ranked Top Tier in The Legal 500 rankings for the 21st consecutive year, as it continues to expand across the region. The 2026 guide recognises eight Steele Raymond practice areas, with commercial litigation, commercial property, residential development, and corporate & commercial all ranked Top Tier. Four teams […]
Demand is up, says TwentyCi – but so are fall-throughs and exchange times
The residential property market is performing slightly above 2024 levels, with a growth in demand in all UK regions except Northern Ireland and inner London, according to the latest Property & Homemover Report from TwentyCi. The Q3 report from the property data and insight company shows a year-on-year improvement in both new instructions and sales […]
Taylor Rose appoints new partners to strengthen and expand national offering
Law firm Taylor Rose has announced a series of partner promotions to strengthen capabilities in key practice areas and expand its offering across the country. The firm is investing in talent across areas including family law, conveyancing and private client. Three of the nine new partners have been promoted from consultant level, which Taylor Rose […]
No to meddling with SDLT, says IFS ahead of budget
Chancellor Rachel Reeves could be left with little option but to seek alternative ways to raise much needed funds for the public purse if she is to stick to the Labour party’s promise not to raise National Insurance contributions, basic or higher rates of income tax, or VAT in the upcoming budget. But in a […]
Awards success for HiveRisk, Sort Group and Move Reports
HiveRisk is celebrating after winning the Excellence in Customer Service Award at the Signature Awards London, while Sort Group and Move Reports have reached the finals in two national competitions. Legal risk and compliance firm HiveRisk was given the award in recognition of an outstanding commitment to client care and long-term partnership building across the […]
Downward trend in buyer demand ‘firmly entrenched’, RICS says
Subdued momentum persists in the UK housing market amidst uncertainty about the autumn budget, the latest RICS UK Residential Market Survey has found. Buyer demand and agreed sales remain in negative territory for the third consecutive month, with the forward-looking sentiment suggesting the muted picture is likely to persist into early 2026. The net balance […]
Law Society appoints 181st president
The Law Society has inaugurated Mark Evans as the 181st president with Brett Dixon, vice president and Dana Denis-Smith, deputy vice president. Evans has spent the last 12 months as vice-president to incumbent Richard Atkinson. A proud Welshman, Evans is the third Law Society president to come from Wales and through his tenure said he […]
Price of typical first time buyer homes rising faster than market average
Research from property website Zoopla has found the price of a typical first time buyer home is rising faster than the market average, with an increase of 2.4% over the last year compared to the UK average of 1.3%. Buyers can now expect to pay an average of £229,000 for their first home – but […]
New Homes Quality Board selected to operate Shared Ownership Code
The Shared Ownership Council has selected the New Homes Quality Board (NHQB) to be the code operator for the Shared Ownership Code, which sets the standard for the quality of new homes and customer service provided by developers. The non-profit organisation now has full responsibility for the code, including operations, governance and financial stability. The Shared Ownership […]
Significant drop in first time buyer demand for ‘help to buy’ schemes, Yopa research finds
Demand for homes in assisted buying schemes from first-time buyers has ‘dropped significantly’ across a number of major cities, according to new research from Yopa. The national estate agency analysed demand based on the percentage of homes listed under buying schemes – such as shared ownership, Help to Buy and deposit assistance programmes – that […]
Consultancy model firm Setfords is fastest-growing entry in The Lawyer UK Top 100
National law firm Setfords, which supports over 650 lawyers in a platform-based consultancy model, has jumped 19 places to 76th in The Lawyer UK Top 100, making it the fastest-growing law firm in the rankings. Established in 2006 and headquartered in Guildford, Surrey, Setfords was the first full-service national law firm to launch a consultancy […]
Coodes acquires local rival to ‘strengthen presence across Cornwall and Devon’
One of the UK’s longest established law firms has acquired a local rival in a move which ‘strengthens its presence across Cornwall and Devon” after Coodes Solicitors acquired Christopher Key Solicitors Coodes can trace its roots back to 1747 and currently operates from eight offices in Cornwall and Devon with 180 staff. The acquisition of […]
SmartSearch acquires Credas to accelerate UK growth in digital compliance
Anti-money-laundering software provider SmartSearch has agreed to acquire Credas Technologies Ltd, provider of identity verification solutions for the legal and property sectors, subject to regulatory approval. Credas currently supports over 1,000 legal and property clients with its customer onboarding and compliance checks. By integrating the Credas brand and technology, SmartSearch will expand its product offering and […]
Slight dip in house prices ‘reflects stable house market’ – Halifax
The September House Price Index from Halifax shows a decrease of 0.3% in September, compared to a rise of 0.2% in August, with the annual growth up by 1.3%, down from 2.0% in August. The quarterly change shows an increase of 0.4, with the average UK house price now £298,184. The slight monthly dip ‘reflects […]
Conservatives promise £5,000 tax rebate to help young people save for a home
Shadow chancellor Sir Mel Stride has outlined plans to help young people get on the housing ladder with a £5,000 tax rebate which he said would ‘reward work’ and could benefit up to 600,000 young people. In a speech at the Conservative Party Conference on Monday, Sir Stride outlined plans for the ‘first job bonus’, […]
PEXA and Muve team up to drive innovation in conveyancing
Digital property exchange platform PEXA and national conveyancing firm Muve have announced a strategic collaboration aimed at supporting the modernisation of the conveyancing process and helping to drive innovation across the sector. The collaboration will see Muve use the PEXA platform for some of its client completions, while enabling both partners to explore how larger […]
Thousands of affordable homes at risk as providers pull back from Section 106 contracts
Up to 8,500 affordable homes in 700 developments are at risk due to social housing providers pulling back from taking on new Section 106 contracts, according to research from the Home Builders Federation (HBF). Around 900 completed homes are already standing empty, with thousands more at risk due to a lack of commitment from registered […]
High-profile line-up will discuss the role of legal technology at Legal Geek conference
Headline speakers including Sir Geoffrey Vos, the head of civil justice for England and Wales, Sarah Sackman KC, the minister of state for courts and legal services, and the former prime minister of Denmark Helle Thorning-Schmidt will join 4,500 leaders from the legal sector, business world and academia at the Legal Geek conference later this […]
New conveyancing tool aims to reduce unnecessary enquiries
A new conveyancing tool from property and land data company Landmark Information Group aims to reduce the volume of unnecessary additional enquiries and cut the average time between enquiries being raised and responses received. The Contract Pack Vault is a secure platform that enables conveyancers acting for home sellers to use a standardised, streamlined way […]