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KEYWORD "Michael Gove" - 100 RESULTS
Gove-r and out! Housing Secretary to quit after General Election

Housing Secretary Michael Gove has become the latest high-profile MP to announce he would step down ahead of July’s General Election. Gove...

28 May 2024

From: Breaking News

MPs demand scrapping of ground rents on leasehold properties

Sky News is reporting that up to 30 Conservative MPs are threatening to rebel against the government’s approach to ground rents...

02 May 2024

From: Breaking News

Stamp Duty Cut possible in Mini-Budget - government briefing

A report in the Times newspaper says Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is planning a stamp duty cut in the early autumn. The paper...

22 April 2024

From: Breaking News

Industry Views - Airbnb Crackdown - this time it's not just Michael Gove...

It’s tempting to think that Michael Gove’s proposed clampdown on Airbnb-style short lets is a uniquely British form of small-mindedness, part...

20 April 2024

From: Features

Ground rent reform set for scrapheap - reports

Plans to set ground rents at a ‘peppercorn rate’ are reported to have been dropped amid opposition from freehold campaigners and...

25 March 2024

From: Breaking News

The NPPF, 'Beauty' and 'Gentle Density'

Both 'beauty' and ‘gentle density’ are central themes of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).. The notes which accompany the NPPF state...

23 March 2024

From: Features

Government urged to stop ‘sitting on its hands’ over agency regulations

The architect of the Regulation of Property Agents (ROPA) reforms has expressed frustration that the recommendations have failed to materialise as...

22 March 2024

From: Breaking News

Government orders London Mayor to build more homes

The Government has taken the unusual step of intervening in the London Plan to boost housebuilding in the capital.   Housing Secretary Michael...

19 March 2024

From: Breaking News

Government's leasehold reform proposals come under the spotlight

The complexities of the government’s leasehold reform proposals affecting millions of homeowners came under the spotlight at a seminar organised by...

02 March 2024

From: Features

Warm words and cold comfort on the menu for Budget Day

Last weekend, Levelling Up and Housing Secretary, Michael Gove wrote in the Sunday Times that the nation’s housing crisis was so...

17 February 2024

From: Features

Brownfield building sites ‘not silver bullet’ to solve housing crisis - warning

Building on brownfield sites may not be the silver bullet it is made out to be, the government has been warned. Housing...

14 February 2024

From: Breaking News

Housing Secretary suggests homebuyer support is coming

Housing Secretary Michael Gove has given the strongest hint yet that housing measures could be included in the Spring Budget. Chancellor Jeremy...

12 February 2024

From: Breaking News

Industry Views - Why Are Housing Ministers So Mediocre These Days?

Sir Simon Clarke’s call for Rishi Sunak to be ousted from Downing Street may well express what many of his MP...

27 January 2024

From: Features

Overseas property ownership register hits 30,000 milestone

The Register of Overseas Entities has hit the 30,000 registration milestone. The register, which is administered by Companies House, came into force...

03 January 2024

From: Breaking News

Tardy Renters (Reform) Bill is running against the clock

As the world marches relentlessly forward to 2024, the government’s flagship legislation for the private rented sector (PRS) remains in limbo. This...

30 December 2023

From: Features

Government publishes new housing policy but will it get Britain building?

The Government has published long-awaited reforms to its National Planning Policy Framework, confirming that local housebuilding targets will be advisory rather...

20 December 2023

From: Breaking News

Michael Gove's Long-term plan for housing

In July the Government committed to ‘a new era of regeneration, inner-city densification and housing delivery across England, with transformational plans...

16 December 2023

From: Features

Jonathan Rolande: What we learned about the property market in 2023

There is rarely a quiet year in the property market. And 2023 has felt like the usual rollercoaster at times. On...

15 December 2023

From: Breaking News

Housing Ombudsmen - our industry's new growth area

It may be a measure of the government’s incompetence in the area of housing that two recent major announcements were sorely...

02 December 2023

From: Features

Long-awaited leasehold reform laws to be unveiled today

The long-awaited Leasehold and Freehold Bill is set to be unveiled in Parliament today. The Bill aims to make it cheaper and...

27 November 2023

From: Breaking News

Autumn Statement: What can agents expect?

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt will deliver his Autumn Statement this afternoon amid rumours of Stamp Duty reforms and support for first-time buyers. The...

22 November 2023

From: Breaking News

Lee Rowley returns as housing minister

Lee Rowley has returned as housing minister. The reappointment comes after Rachel Maclean was sacked this morning and follows reports that the...

13 November 2023

From: Breaking News

Propertymark renews calls for agency regulation

Propertymark has written to the Housing Secretary Michael Gove to reiterate its longstanding call for regulation of property agents. The agency trade...

13 November 2023

From: Breaking News

Government unveils proposals to reform ground rents

The Government has outlined five proposals to reduce ground rents for existing leaseholders as its latest attempt to reform the sector...

10 November 2023

From: Breaking News

Gove resurrects bid to phase out leasehold system for houses

All new houses in England and Wales will have to be sold as freehold properties under government plans to phase out...

30 October 2023

From: Breaking News

Party leaders quiet on PRS at conferences

Housing supply rather than the private rented sector (PRS) made the headlines during the Conservative and Labour Party conferences this year...

14 October 2023

From: Features

Michael Gove’s Wasted Opportunity

Talk about a wasted opportunity. The Conservative party conference - just finished, and possibly the last one before a General Election -...

07 October 2023

From: Features

Housing Secretary: We (still) need to do more on home ownership

More families need a home they can call their own, the Housing Secretary Michael Gove has claimed. Speaking at the Tory Party...

04 October 2023

From: Breaking News

Party Time - housing policies from Labour, Tories and the rest

And suddenly it’s autumn. It’s just six weeks before the clocks change, days are getting shorter and - the real sign...

09 September 2023

From: Features

Labour appoints Rayner to take on Gove

Labour’s Deputy Leader, Angela Rayner is to add the housing brief to her deputy leader role. She takes over from Lisa Nandy...

05 September 2023

From: Breaking News

Is the government changing its tune on landlords?

I recently wrote that the long-gestating Renters Reform Bill, finally introduced in Parliament back in May, could be poorly timed, both...

26 August 2023

From: Features

Government unveils latest planning overhaul to boost housing stock

The Government has set out yet another attempt to meet it manifesto commitment to build 1m homes over this Parliament. Prime Minister...

25 July 2023

From: Breaking News

Speculation about Gove future as reshuffle likely in September

It may be all change - again - at the Department of Levelling Up, Communities and Local Government if media speculation...

17 July 2023

From: Breaking News

Michael Gove has finally done something sensible

It’s not a sentence that I thought I would be writing, but Housing Secretary Michael Gove has indeed finally done something...

15 July 2023

From: Features

Chancellor rules out mortgage rate support

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has ruled out providing financial support for struggling mortgage borrowers as rates hit new highs. Average mortgage rates hit...

21 June 2023

From: Breaking News

Jonathan Rolande: Have we banished the ghost of Truss and Kwarteng?

In his latest column, property commentator Jonathan Rolande, provides his take on the biggest stories from the past seven days.  For a long...

26 May 2023

From: Breaking News

Labour: We will abolish leasehold in first 100 days

The Labour Party has pledged to introduce legislation within its first 100 days of Government to abolish leasehold if it wins...

24 May 2023

From: Breaking News

Jonathan Rolande: Are bungalows the answer to the housing crisis?

It has been another busy week in the property sector.  In his latest column, property commentator Jonathan Rolande, provides his take on...

19 May 2023

From: Breaking News

Property Natter - They do it with mirrors...

Sleight of hand, optical illusion, card up the sleeve – we all love a good conjuring trick, don’t we? And they say...

13 May 2023

From: Features

Gove criticised for “unhelpful” leasehold pledges amid reform delays

Housing Secretary Michael Gove has been slammed for “unhelpful” comments about abolishing leasehold after it emerged that there may not be...

12 May 2023

From: Breaking News

Open letter urges Housing Secretary to help speed-up the property market

A coalition of businesses from across the property industry have united to call on the Government to do more to speed-up...

11 May 2023

From: Breaking News

Housing Secretary: UK property supply and standards are broken

The property market is broken, Housing Secretary Michael Gove acknowledged yesterday. Despite the Conservative Party being in power since 2010, Gove insisted...

04 April 2023

From: Breaking News

Planning and Net Zero – the need for political change

In November, research conducted by The Housing Forum's Futures Network unearthed concern with the potential to meet the requirements set out...

18 March 2023

From: Features

Tory MP seeks protection for paper-based conveyancing

The property industry may be going to great effort to digitise and improve the process of buying and selling a home...

13 March 2023

From: Breaking News

‘Fundamental’ leasehold reform promised in King’s Speech

Housing Secretary Michael Gove has signalled that legislation to allow for further leasehold reform will be included in the next parliamentary...

21 February 2023

From: Breaking News

Housing Secretary commits to leasehold reform before election

Housing Secretary Michael Gove has committed to leasehold reform and fixing cladding issues before the next election. It comes as the Government...

30 January 2023

From: Breaking News

‘More work needed’ a year since cladding reform pledges

It’s been a year since Housing Secretary Michael Gove declared that was “morally wrong” that leaseholders should pay to fix unsafe...

11 January 2023

From: Breaking News

Property Natter – the five biggest property moments of 2022

As we get ever closer to 2023, this final Natter of the year is dedicated to the five biggest property moments of...

17 December 2022

From: Features

2023 - this is what’s going to happen

Is it really just a year ago that we were nervously wondering whether yet another Christmas would be Covid-affected? Little did we...

10 December 2022

From: Features

Government ditches mandatory housebuilding targets

The Government has officially watered-down proposals for mandatory local housebuilding targets as it brings its flagship Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill...

06 December 2022

From: Breaking News

Help to Buy home sellers hit by building safety issues

Housing Secretary Michael Gove has committed to look into issues with the Building Safety Act after MPs claimed leaseholders and Help to...

22 November 2022

From: Breaking News

Gove’s ministerial team confirmed with new Housing Minister

MP for South East Cambridgeshire Lucy Frazer has been confirmed as the latest Housing Minister as part of a department reshuffle. Michael...

09 November 2022

From: Breaking News

‘Fixer’ Gove will struggle to hit homebuilding targets – warning

The Government’s target of constructing 300,000 new homes annually by 2025 has been called into question due to a lack of...

04 November 2022

From: Breaking News

Housing Under Rishi - don’t expect much (but be grateful for that)

And…breathe. For a while back there, the only certainty for the housing market was uncertainty. That isn’t to say the election of Rishi...

29 October 2022

From: Features

Michael Gove 'gets it' - why his return is good news for the industry

Recent political changes – and there have been quite a few in recent weeks – have brought about something of a...

29 October 2022

From: Features

Gove urged to 'go further' on return as Housing Secretary

Estate agents have already filled Michael Gove's inbox with property-related tasks after he returned as Housing Secretary yesterday. New Prime Minister Rishi...

26 October 2022

From: Breaking News

Michael Gove returns as Housing Secretary in Sunak's reshuffle

Michael Gove has returned to frontline politics and his previous role as Levelling Up and Housing Secretary. He is among the new...

25 October 2022

From: Breaking News

Analysis: What did Boris Johnson do for the UK property market during his 3 years as Prime Minister?

Time is up for Boris Johnson's tenure as Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party, serving 3 years and 44...

17 September 2022

From: Features

Property Natter - why housing must always have a seat at the top table

First off, my own quick tribute to the Queen, who died on Thursday afternoon aged 96. Despite her age and declining...

10 September 2022

From: Features

Simon Clarke named new Housing Secretary

Simon Clarke has been confirmed as the new Housing Secretary in the Cabinet of new Prime Minister Liz Truss this evening. He...

06 September 2022

From: Breaking News

Government must fix competitive disadvantage of leasehold reforms

A parliamentary petition calling for ground rent charges to be extended to existing leases has reached the required number of signatures...

28 July 2022

From: Breaking News

Buying reform continues despite Cabinet chaos; leasehold uncertainty remains

A senior member of the Home Buying and Selling Group has insisted work on reforms is ongoing despite the ministerial merry-go-round...

11 July 2022

From: Breaking News

Agency groups hope to 'maintain momentum' with new Housing Secretary

Estate agency trade body Propertymark is hoping to “maintain momentum” with newly appointed Housing Secretary Greg Clark. He replaces Michael Gove, who...

08 July 2022

From: Breaking News

Greg Clark appointed as new Housing Secretary

Greg Clark has been named as the new Housing Secretary. Clark will replace Michael Gove who was sacked by Prime Minister Boris...

07 July 2022

From: Breaking News

Agent calls for housing tsar as minister quits and Gove is sacked

Independent agent Barrows and Forrester has called for the appointment of a housing tsar for a fixed term as yet another...

07 July 2022

From: Breaking News

Michael Gove sacked as Housing Secretary

Michael Gove has been sacked as Housing Secretary as Prime Minister Boris Johnson continues to reject calls to resign. Johnson was hit...

06 July 2022

From: Breaking News

Housing Secretary holds on amid Cabinet exits

Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid sensationally quit as Chancellor and Health Secretary respectively this evening but Housing Secretary Michael Gove is...

05 July 2022

From: Breaking News

Why everyone in the property industry must focus on supply

Anyone working in the property market should have at least one eye on supply. Of course, it’s a constant issue for...

02 July 2022

From: Features

Expert Analysis: How safe are homes 5 years after the Grenfell Tower tragedy?

It’s the fifth anniversary of the Grenfell fire tragedy, but are high rises any safer today than they were then? On 14th...

18 June 2022

From: Features

Housing Secretary: 'We don't know how Right to Buy will be funded yet'

The government’s new Right to Buy policy for housing association tenants appeared to unravel last night after the Housing Secretary said...

14 June 2022

From: Breaking News

MPs set to quiz Housing Secretary on property market proposals

Housing Secretary Michael Gove and minister Stuart Andrew are set to be grilled by MPs on their property market plans today. The...

13 June 2022

From: Breaking News

Why are landlords so unpopular?

This question is not as flippant as it sounds because over recent years the status of the private landlord has taken...

11 June 2022

From: Features

Home ownership policy promised as PM survives no-confidence vote

A significant housing announcement has been promised by Prime Minister Boris Johnson as a part of a sweetener that saw him...

07 June 2022

From: Breaking News

Industry Views - Michael Gove and His Dead Cat

In retrospect, it was perhaps inevitable that the infamous dead cat would come into the debate over government housing targets and...

21 May 2022

From: Features

Trade body hopes empty homes clampdown will boost agency stock

Propertymark has expressed hope that the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill will help boost much needed agency supply. The trade body has...

16 May 2022

From: Breaking News

Government unveils new levelling up law - what it means for estate agents

The government last night revealed more details on its flagship Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill including letting local authorities double council...

12 May 2022

From: Breaking News

Lack of home buying support blamed for Tory local election losses

A lack of support to help people onto the property ladder has been highlighted as one factor for the Tory party’s...

09 May 2022

From: Breaking News

Right To Buy - what on earth is government playing at?

What a difference two months and some local elections make. Cast your minds back to March 9 and the annual report of...

07 May 2022

From: Features

Property Natter – the who’s who of the industry

The property industry is fortunate in including many great people, doing great work across a range of businesses – from traditional agency...

30 April 2022

From: Features

More leaseholders freed from doubling ground rents

Fifteen businesses which had bought freeh­olds from housing developer Countryside have now given formal undertakings to remove terms that cause ground...

21 March 2022

From: Breaking News

Cladding Crisis - government STILL doing too little, say cross-party MPs

Too many leaseholders will fall through the cracks of the government’s “piecemeal measures” to combat the cladding crisis.  That’s the view of...

16 March 2022

From: Breaking News

Homes For Ukraine launched by Housing Secretary

The government has now formally launched the Homes For Ukraine scheme, heavily leaked in recent days. The Secretary of State for Levelling...

15 March 2022

From: Breaking News

More politicians back seizure of oligarchs' London property assets

Momentum is building up in support of the government’s probe into whether the London homes of oligarchs on the sanctions list...

04 March 2022

From: Breaking News

Government may seize homes of key Russians without compensation

The government is considering seizing British property owned by Russian oligarchs on the sanctions list without paying compensation. The Financial Times says Housing...

03 March 2022

From: Breaking News

Agents tell Gove empty homes could solve stock shortage

Agents have told Housing Secretary Michael Gove that his Levelling Up agenda needs to include positive efforts to bring hundreds of...

02 March 2022

From: Breaking News

Government threatens developers over cladding payments

The government is threatening to deny planning consent to developers who refuse to pay towards the removal of unsafe cladding on...

16 February 2022

From: Breaking News

Housing ministers line up to back beleaguered PM Johnson

Housing ministers have lined up in recent days to support beleaguered Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Housing minister Chris Pincher, upon hearing of new...

07 February 2022

From: Breaking News

Housing Reform proposals to change economy by 2030

The government’s new Levelling Up White Paper, revealed this morning includes a radical reshaping of the private rental sector. Section 21 eviction...

02 February 2022

From: Breaking News

Boris Johnson’s Successor: what next for housing policies?

Will he stay or will he go? You don’t need me to say who ‘he’ is - it’s the only story...

22 January 2022

From: Features

Tax clampdown on second homes announced by government

Owners of second homes who abuse a tax loophole by claiming their often-empty properties are holiday lets will be forced to...

14 January 2022

From: Breaking News

New tax likely to fund additional cladding removal from low-rise flats

Leaseholders in lower-rise blocks of flats will not have to take out loans to remove dangerous cladding under new government rules...

10 January 2022

From: Breaking News

Banned: Developer kicked out of Help To Buy because of Grenfell link

A company linked to the refurbishment of Grenfell Tower is being excluded from the government’s Help to Buy scheme, pending the outcome...

20 December 2021

From: Breaking News

Too many homes built on at-risk floodplains, government told

The government should reset planning policy and scrap proposals for thousands of new homes in high-risk flood areas. The think-tank Localis, in...

22 November 2021

From: Breaking News

Challenges facing the housing market in 2022

It’s been a busy and arguably fruitful year for the property market, with an eager consumer base pushing forwards with their...

17 November 2021

From: Features

Connells tells Gove he “must do more” to build new homes

A part of the Connells Group is telling the new Housing Secretary that he and his government “must do more” to...

18 October 2021

From: Breaking News

Housing leaders pay tribute to murdered MP

Leading politicians operating in the housing industry have paid tribute to murdered backbencher Sir David Amess. Housing Secretary Michael Gove tweeted: “David...

18 October 2021

From: Breaking News

By jove, Gove is off at full steam ahead!

There’s good news and bad news from the shake-up in government ministers and ministries that was presented to the nation last...

25 September 2021

From: Features

Developer land banking ‘myth’ debunked by study, major builders say

A leading planning consultancy has claimed that ‘the myth’ that housing developers are hoarding land after gaining planning consent in order...

23 September 2021

From: Breaking News

How affordable is it to buy a new-build house?

Affordability has always been a hot topic when it comes to the property market, and this is doubly true for first-time...

22 September 2021

From: Features

Ministry of Housing rebrands but it’s still a bit of a mouthful

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has changed its name to reflect the government’s levelling up agenda. The department’s...

20 September 2021

From: Breaking News

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