03/13/2018

There are just days left before the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) start to come into effect. Vail Williams partner, David Castle, explains how this affects the interested parties in a property, from landlord to tenant - and even some of those less directly involved. If you haven’t already heard about MEES here's some information about what they are, what to do to prepare for them, and by when. The new standards will directly affect tenants, landlords, investors and developers, as

03/07/2018

Nigel Hewitson, planning partner at BrookStreet des Roches, weighs up whether prime minister Theresa May's comments about developers during her March 5 speech on the planning reforms were entirely justified. We are regularly told that, as a country, we are not building enough homes. There is widespread acceptance that, to meet demand, the UK needs to build about 300,000 new homes a year. Yet for years we have built, at best, half that number. The result is ever higher property prices which

03/06/2018

Steve Head, business space partner at Hicks Baker, describes deals which have defied the trend for Permitted Development. Despite recent changes in the tax regime, designed to dampen aspects of the buy-to-let residential market, there has been no tailing off of demand for the conversion of existing office buildings to residential under Permitted Development (PD) Rights. However, as a number of recent deals transacted by Hicks Baker illustrate, the change of use to residential is not

02/27/2018

Linda Staker, business rates partner at Vail Williams, illustrates why it is more important than ever to know what businesses can do about minimising what they need to pay. According to statistics published by Government in December, the number of business rates ‘checks’ lodged by Thames Valley businesses have dropped by a huge 97 per cent, compared with the previous revaluation in 2010. Despite boasting some of the country’s leading organisations, businesses in the Thames Valley are failing

02/23/2018

Jamie Barton, partner for real estate at BrookStreet des Roches, considers the 21st century issues facing operators in the retail world. RETAIL DEVELOPMENTS It is no secret that the times are tough on the high street for many retailers. Online sales accounted for nearly 20 per cent of sales in November 2017 and the devaluation of sterling has led to an increase in costs in many supply chains. Meanwhile consumers have switched from spending on clothes to spending on leisure pursuits and

03/16/2018

Lipman Developments has applied to convert Emerald House on Newbury Business Park to 138 flats under Permitted Development Rights. Through agent RPS, Lipman wants to convert the 1980s-built office structure into residential. It currently has 131 parking spaces. RPS states in its documentation that if the prior approval request is granted a full planning application will follow for alterations including new windows and cladding. It states: “The Applicant is keen on providing high-quality

03/15/2018

Two Berkshire MPs are to help press for progress on the Western Rail Link to Heathrow (WRLtH). Slough MP Tan Dhesi and Newbury’s Richard Benyon have joined the WRLtH stakeholder steering group as co-chairs ahead of its final public consultation, starting late spring. Mr Dhesi said: “It is not just the large number of my constituents who work at and use Heathrow that would benefit from a direct link: 20 per cent of the UK population would have access to the airport via one interchange. “This

03/14/2018

Offices of the Newbury Weekly News in Faraday Road may be redeveloped for 84 flats. The newspaper, which closed its printing presses in January, plans to move next door to offices it owns, but currently leases to Marshall Skoda, so it’s spacious former home can be redeveloped. A planning application for Newspaper House has been submitted to West Berkshire Council. And just along the road, new plans have been submitted in the latest move in the long-running feud between Newbury Town FC and the