First time buyer borrowing jumps a third in 2025 December 13, 2025 Borrowing by first time buyers has increased by just under a third year on year as access to finance loosened and Brits rushed to get on the housing ladder. Mortgage lenders forwarded a record £82.8bn of mortgage debt to 390,000 first time buyers in the year to September 2025, according to analysis by Savills, a [...]
Canada confirms major funding for housing upgrades December 12, 2025 Canada has confirmed funding for upgrades to its housing stock across the Square Mile and six London boroughs. The Corporation, which manages 1,800 social rented homes as well as 900 leasehold properties across London, has allocated £152m from the City’s Fund to support the major works programme, which totals £211m. The decision [...]
Overseas ownership of UK property nosedives December 11, 2025 The number of UK properties owned by overseas investors has fallen dramatically since 2015 as the impact of Brexit and increased regulation dampen appetite. While the value of property assets held by overseas companies is at an all-time high – jumping 40 per cent, or £38.5bn, in three years – the volume of purchases has [...]
Pinewood: James Bond studio given £1bn licence to build December 11, 2025 Plans for a £1bn expansion of iconic film studio Pinewood which include a “state-of-the-art data centre” have been given the green light. Pinewood Studios submitted the proposals at the end of June to Buckinghamshire Council which were updated from the original scheme which was approved in 2023. Those plans featured 21 new stages at the [...]
Building Safety Regulator delays ‘unacceptable’, say peers December 11, 2025 A cross-party House of Lords committee has blasted the government for leaving residents trapped in unsafe buildings and increasing costs for leaseholders due to regulatory delays. The Industry and Regulators Committee’s report, The Building Safety Regulator: Building a better regulator, warned that the delays mean the government is in danger of missing its target to [...]
Huge development in the West End gets green light December 10, 2025 A huge new commercial project to redevelop 33 Cavendish Square, just off Oxford Street in the West End, has been granted planning permission by Westminster City Council. The redevelopment is set to deliver 800,000 sq ft of much-needed, grade A office space to the West End. John Bushell, principal at architects KPF, said he was [...]
UK property tax burden is fourth heaviest in OECD December 9, 2025 The UK’s property tax burden is the fourth heaviest in the OECD’s list of 38 countries and it is more than double the average across the list of advanced economies. In a report on government revenue levels across most of the world’s largest economies, the OECD said the UK’s taxes on property as a percentage [...]
Canada considers outside investment for housing projects December 9, 2025 Canada is considering bringing in outside investors to help fund housing projects in the Square Mile. A partnership would be the first time the Square Mile has brought in outside investment for housing in the Corporation’s nearly 1000-year history. The Corporation, which manages 1,800 social rented homes as well as 900 leasehold [...]
Center Parcs: New £450m UK site approved December 8, 2025 A new £450m Center Parcs holiday village is to be constructed in Scotland after the proposals were given the green light. A total of 700 lodges are to be built at the site approximately three miles north of Hawick and 55 miles south of Edinburgh, as well as newly created lochs, nature trails and a [...]
Visa shifts European HQ to Canary Wharf December 5, 2025 Payments juggernaut Visa is set to switch its European headquarters to Canary Wharf – hot on the heels of banking behemoth JP Morgan. The move from its current spot in Paddington comes amid a major resurgence in the London financial hub after a number of big firms snapped up offices in the district. Visa will [...]
