Gwent Leads The Way in Technology Innovation for Homebuyers

Newport Surveyors – “Properties in your pocket, Homes in your handbag” is the tag line attached to a new service offering house hunters on the move constant access to available properties in their area, including the populous centres of Newport, Cardiff and Swansea (Follow the links to find a local surveyor)

The source is Android and Iphone apps, free to download, asnd a number of agents across wales have joined the scheme, run by the South Wales Argus newspaper. More information here.

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Brighton & Hove Council Awards Contract to Clear Up Traveller Sites

Brighton Building Surveyors – Tim Jordan Grounds Maintenance will provide collection, disposal, recycling and reuse of waste at unauthorised travellers sites in Brighton and Hove. The contract will run for three years with the option of an extension of up to one year subject to performance.

According to documents posted on the South East Business Portal website the total value of the contract is in the range of £350,000 to £500,000.

More information is available here.

Plymouth’s tallest building up for £35m refurbishment

Plymouth Surveyors – Plymouth’s tallest building is to be sold for a £35m revamp. The 15 storey civic building is located in the heart of the city and may be converted to flats or a hotel, or refurbished for council use.

Some Chartered Surveyors specialise in commercial, high rise buildings. Find such a surveyor here.

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New House Building Stifles Property Market Comeback

By continually boosting new house building the politicians may just continue to keep the property market in the doldrums. If new house builders are boosted, any slight increase in demand for property above the current equilibrium will initially be sated by the new houses, resulting in less growth in the major sector – ie. the existing housing stock.

It is growth in the existing housing stock sector which will stimulate demand and create spin-off economic benefits in house decorations, upgrades, electrical and plumbing improvements, solicitors, surveyors and tax (stamp duty) revenue. All of which are related industries whose fates are tied to the success, or failure, of the incumbent housing stock. Demand and rising housing prices in this existing sector will remove negative equity traps and free up funds for a multiplier effect inducing stimulus.  To read the full article click here.

 

Four New Residential Construction Schemes Set For Manchester

Manchester Surveyors  – Four new residential construction schemes on the fringes of Manchester City Centre could be ‘shovel ready’ as soon as the end of this year, following up to £11m of Government funding through the ‘Get Britain Building Initiative’.

The developments could be a valuable stimulus to Manchester’s property market and wider economy, although some of the designs have not be met with overwhelming support.

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Ashford to be One of the First Councils to Receive Section 106 help

Ashford Surveyors – It has recently been announced that Ashford Council will be one of the first to receive assistance from the Government’s new team of negotiators, tasked with mediating in stalled 106 negotiations. An estimated 1400 construction projects across the country have been moth-balled and this scheme hopes to get them up and running once again.

This could be a valuable stimulus to the economy and to the construction sector in particular. Read our newsletter this month for more information by signing up here.

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China’s ‘white elephants’ litter the landscape

Property Surveying

Much has been made of the failed construction projects in Ireland and Spain that lie dormant for lack of funding of consumer interest, but the scale of those failures is nothing compared to the huge undertakings that have been left mothballed in China.

Whole theme parks, shopping centres, cities and even a town made to look like old England (cobbled streets and Tudor housing included, in the style of Ashford or Canterbury) are more reminiscent of the tumbleweed occupied ghost towns of the wild west than the thriving  hubs they were designed to be.

Read about the many projects that growth orientated China has consigned to the history books here.

Planning Changes to Navigate the Burden of 106 Arrangements

London Surveyors

Fears are mounting that the planning system will struggle to deliver affordable housing as the government this week proposed allowing developers to tear up planning agreements.

On Monday, the government published plans to make it easier for section 106 deals to be renegotiated to help restart stalled sites, and acknowledged that contributions to affordable housing would be the first casualty.

The Communities and Local Government department maintained that it would deliver more affordable homes in the long term and many market commentators are applauding the moves. Quite simply, any housing is better than no housing and affordable housing has to take a back seat for now in the interest of the wider economy. Of course, a simple economic argument would be that more houses would bring down prices across the board regardless, but opinion is split on the subject.

Read more on the subject here

Race starting for Portsmouth Student Tower Tender

Portsmouth Surveyors – A £30m plan for a student accomodation tower in the City of Portsmouth, previously put on hold, has now been restarted pending the university’s ability to find a new partner. Original developers Watkin Jones pulled out of the 300ft development, dubbed ‘The Blade’, over planning issues.

Read more here.

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