Ref: Westminster CC v Herminio Nascimento Herminio Nascimento, the 42 year old former tenant of a two bed property on the Westbourne Park Estate in Westminster was sentenced to 16 weeks in prison and £7,100 legal costs in March this year. The case marks a landmark in the Fraud Act 2006 Herminio illegally subletted the property without the consent of … Read More
More land for Housing
The Government is planning to release enough previously-used public land and buildings to provide sites for over 100,000 new homes by 2015. Over two thirds of the housing is earmarked for surplus land and property from three sources: the Ministry of Defence, the Department of Health and the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA). The government has also pledged that it … Read More
Commercial Energy Performance Certificates
What is a Commercial EPC? Since 1st October 2008 it has become law that you must obtain a Commercial Energy Performance Certificate, “EPC” if you sell or lease any commercial property. The EPC is a certificate that shows the energy performance of the property in question. The EPC is a document that calculates the amount of energy used by the … Read More
Land owners have one more tax to pay Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL)
Local authorities in England and Wales are now able to impose a levy on most types of new development in their areas through the Community Infrastructure Levy Regulations 2010. (CIL) The levy can only be imposed on new buildings and extensions over 100 square metres of gross internal floor space. Liability for CIL The owner of land will be responsible … Read More
‘Beds in sheds’ move
The government has unveiled plans for a national taskforce to tackle the issue of “beds in sheds. They intend to find ways to close down thousands of sheds and outbuildings being rented out illegally to migrants, including some with no right to be in the UK.
Plans2extend
Plans 2 Extend offer a complete professional service including home measurement, Autocad Architectural designs, including a council submission. When you contact Plans 2 Extend for our professional planning or architectural services, we do everything from beginning to end. We take measurements, draw up plans, submit them to the Council and copy them for application – leaving you to sit back and … Read More
Supreme Court Refuses Appeal – Tens of Thousands Benefit from Solar Panel Subsidy Reinstatement
Legal action against the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) began back in November, when a group of solar companies acted together to enforce an injunction stopping the DECC from using 12 December as the cut-off date for existing FITs on the basis that it was “illegal, irrational and unreasonable”. The Government had earlier proposed to reduce Feed in … Read More
Property Market Fact File – April 2012
Bank Lending Rate It has been confirmed that the Bank of England Monetary Committee have decided that the Bank Base Rate is to remain at 0.5% for a further month. It has been at this very low level for a record period of over three years. Source: Bank of England Mortgage Lending by the Major UK Lenders According to initial … Read More
Budget Analysis 2012 – How this year’s budget will affect the property industry
In this year’s budget, the Chancellor stressed that he was unashamedly supporting business, rewarding work and producing far reaching tax reform which would be simpler and more supportive of business than any other major world economy. Grand statements indeed, but what do the policies laid out in the budget really mean for the property industry? We take a look at … Read More
Stopping heat going up the flue. – Passive Flue Gas Heat Recovery Devices. (PFGHRD)
Over the last few years energy prices had been rising inexorably. Every new international crisis and increasing demand from countries like China pushes fuel prices even higher. Even if the new Irish oil discoveries provide additional supply and new finds are discovered in UK waters (following the budget) and Cuadrilla are successful in extracting shale gas near Blackpool, (without allegedly … Read More