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Following the consultation which took place last year the Government have revealed their proposals to remedy the issues which surround the residential leasehold market. The Government have split their proposals into four main categories: A ban on new...

Colchester Borough Council has served further notice on the owners of the former Odeon site requiring it be tidied up. This is the second notice the Council has served, as it was reported that all the requirements in the previous notice were not complied...

Local café owner has been convicted and fined for putting new signs on his shop without planning consent. Last week the Court ruled the café owner breached planning regulations by placing exterior signs to Cafe NYT, a listed building which is...

George Michael’s death on Christmas Day 2016 left his friends, family and millions of fans around the world devastated. When you die the contents of your will becomes public and this is the same for your or I as it is for millionaire rock legends. ...

An estimated 5% of all UK properties are affected by invasive species such as Japanese knotweed. Japanese knotweed is a fast-growing extremely robust perennial that forms clumps, similar to bamboo, growing up to 2m high. The plant can block drains,...

Entering the planning system can be a frustrating and stressful time. Here are my top tips for reducing the stress and frustration of the planning system: Make sure permission is/is not required before starting work Starting work on your project...

You will require planning permission for any extension to the front of your house. You will also require planning permission if your extension has more than one storey and is on the side of your house. Your extension may require planning permission if you...

You may be right in thinking that Brexit has dominated the thinking of the Government in the last three years. However, closely behind Brexit is the issue of housing and the regulation of those working in the sector, particularly estate and letting agents. ...

From 1 st June 2019 the new Tenant Fees Act will be law capping tenant deposits and banning letting fees traditionally paid to estate agents, reducing the overall cost of renting a property. What does the new Tenant Fees Act mean for tenants? It has...

Yesterday reports of a widening gap between asking prices and selling prices were broadcast and published across the media. Although it’s fair to say residents or those seeking to move to the St. John’s Wood area would notice a gap, our data...

Over the weekend, the Government announced that the right to erect single-storey rear extensions in England, up to a maximum depth of 8 metres (or 6 metres for attached houses), has been made permanent. You will still require full planning permission for...

Who remembers announcing to their peers or family members ‘I’m going on the internet’, likewise the dial tone your PC would make during the 10 to 15 minutes it took to get a connection? I’m going back to a time when mobile phones...

The once Roman capital of Britain, Colchester is now the fastest growing town in East Anglia with pockets of communities and new infrastructure being built as part of new build sites.  Planning has been approved for construction on sites across...

Yet another IR35 case involving a presenter has hit the headlines this week, closely following on from Lorraine Kelly's recent victory over HMRC, appealing against a tax bill of £1.2m for engagements with ITV between 2012 and 2017. This latest case...

A proposed shake up of the rental sectors will impact on landlords as a consultation planned for today will effectively create open-end tenancies. This proposed change to legislation will prevent landlords from evicting tenants with two months’ notice...

If a Landlord who has purchases a property with a sitting  Tenant it is essential that, as soon as possible after the purchase has completed, two Notices are served on the Tenant.  The first Notice is a Section 3 Landlord and Tenant 1985...

As we know, the Deregulation Act 2015, introduced a number of requirements that were intended to safeguard tenants and ensure basic standards of living.  The effect of these requirements is to make things more complicated for both Landlords and Tenants....

We are often asked whether or not the service and expiry of a Section 21 Notice affects the tenant’s liability to pay rent.  The answer to this is that where a Section 21 Notice has been served, the Landlord should continue to demand and accept...

Debenhams face store closures after going into administration, mirroring the struggles of local shop owners across our high streets. On 9 th April Debenhams announced they had gone into administration after negotiations failed and an offer from 30%...

Last year, the government published a significantly revised version of the National Planning Policy Framework. Anna Russell-Knee outlines some of the changes, and how they will affect clients wishing to develop property now and in the future.  Last...