Property, Planning and Regeneration
Build to Rent could deliver quarter of a million homes, new report finds
A new report, from the British Property Federation and Savills, claims to be the first in-depth analysis of the Build to Rent sector. Unlocking the Benefits and
Potential of Build to Rent puts forward a series of policy recommendations to support growth in the sector, which it says could deliver 240,000 homes by 2030
UK housing market safe from crash, according to economists
House price inflation in the UK will slow to 3.5 per cent, but there will be no crash in the market, according to forecasts from the Lancaster University Management School (LUMS).
Economists at LUMS predict that economic stability, despite Brexit, will keep house prices level throughout the year.
Annual house price inflation down, despite final quarter rally
The rate of inflation of annual house prices in the UK slowed from 6.5 per cent to 5.7 per cent, the latest index from mortgage lender Halifax has shown.
However, prices had risen 2.4 per cent in the three months from November, putting the average price of a home at £220,260.
Lack of supply and low sales could see landlords trim portfolios
Respondents to the latest UK Residential Market Survey from RICS predicted landlords will look to scale-back their portfolios over the next three years. The survey found a lack of momentum in the sales market, which was flat for
the second successive month, in addition to a lack of supply in the lettings market.
Investment in London property strongest since 2015
According to figures released on Wednesday by real estate advisor CBRE, investment in London hit £4.1 billion in the last quarter of 2016. These are the
strongest figures since the same quarter the previous year, but total investment for the year was estimated at £13.1 billion, the weakest since 2011.
House prices to rise despite lack of growth in London market
House prices are set to rise by five per cent this year but London prices will
stay the same or could even fall, according to analysis from Strutt & Parker and Volterra.
Transport
Rail franchises “no longer fit for purpose” according to MPs
Higher fares and poor performance epitomise a rail franchising model that is
“no longer fit for purpose”, MPs on the Transport Select Committee have concluded.
Tech innovations will produce efficient and flexible rail
Biometric tickets, smart seat designs and intelligent trains that run closer
together are among innovations included in a new plan for the age of the ‘digital train’.
Energy and environment
MPs ask for green energy ROI
The government must do more to demonstrate the value for money of green energy schemes, according to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).
The Committee said that in 2014 it was promised an annual report on the impact of these policies on energy bills, but has yet to see one.
More than half of new EU power installations are wind
Wind accounted for 51 per cent of all new power installations in 2016,
connecting a total of 12.5 GW to the grid across the 28 EU Member States, according to WindEurope