The tenancy deposit scheme (TDS) has published figures for disputes involving return of deposits. The majority, 52 per cent, sent to the TDS involved cleaning, with almost half – 45 per cent – from disputes about damage. The amounts averaged about half of the total deposit, which stood atRead More →
It seems that the prime minister has lost the battle of the Budget, as he signalled that Britain would not be announcing nor pushing for a fiscal stimulus, after the failure of a gilt auction underscored concerns about the impact of further borrowing. The rift appears to have beenRead More →
A poll has revealed the overwhelming majority of people want the country to start living within its means, with more than two-thirds of voters wanting the government to spend less on public services. Just 9 per cent believe that public spending should stay at the same level and 6Read More →
Stronger spending on the high street and a pick up in activity in the housing market provided fresh evidence today that the British economy is emerging slowly from its steepest postwar decline. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors said its members were more upbeat about the outlook for houseRead More →
Research by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors has found that estate agents believe house prices will rise in the coming three months to counteract a drop in supply. It was the first time since May 2014 that agents predicted an increase in house prices. RICS also found signsRead More →
Meanwhile, the government is looking to recruit 60 European social workers, experienced in ‘social pedagogy’, to lead an experimental pilot programme on the way children’s residential care homes are run. The practice helps children ‘develop and flourish’, rather than just meeting their immediate needs and ensuring their safety. ChildRead More →
There were more affordable homes created this year than in any year since 1996/7, the government said yesterday. Some 53,730 affordable homes were provided in England in 2014/8, an increase of 21 per cent from the previous year. More than 29,000 were made available for social rent, while justRead More →
A parliamentary joint select committee on human rights has warned that an increasing number of vulnerable people could become homeless under the new Policing and Crime Bill. The Bill will introduce powers to close brothels and curb antisocial behaviour by giving police the power to direct a child asRead More →
A new report examining the relationship between the environment and schools has found that there are links between housing decline in a neighbourhood and pupil behaviour, truancy, teacher morale and a school’s ability to deliver exam results. The report highlighted that schools in deprived areas are under pressure toRead More →
Net migration the number of people who come to live in Britain minus the number who move abroad fell by more than a third to 163,000 last year, its lowest level since Poland joined the European Union. The Office for National Statistics said the fallRead More →