Campaigners have stepped up their fight to stop government plans to build eco-towns by taking their case to the High Court. The group BARD is opposed to the proposed site at Long Marston, arguing that there was a lack of proper consultation, that the policy is legally flawed, andRead More →
Details of the homeowner mortgage support scheme announced by Gordon Brown last week have been released and fewer than 10,000 homeowners are likely to qualify. The critieria to qualify for the deferment of mortgage repayments for up to two years includes having a mortgage of less than £400,000; borrowersRead More →
Charities including Carers UK, Mencap and Alzheimers Society are among nine charities which have drawn up a carers poverty charter calling for better benefits for carers. The charities estimate that six million carers looks after family members or friends at home, but fewer than 500,000 carers actually get theRead More →
Targets aimed at speeding up English planning decisions may have led to councils rejecting developments, the National Audit Office warns. The 13-week target had resulted in some ‘perverse consequences’ it says, as more applications were rejected. Reviewing 100 applications, the NAO found that 98 per cent of rejections wereRead More →
A study by Saga, which specialises in financial services for the over-50s, shows that the baby boomer generation is facing a massive increase in the cost of being looked after in their old age. The cost for an average four-year stay in a care home will double from £112,000Read More →
Five of the UK’s largest housing associations (HAs) have joined forces to publish a report challenging the current model for providing affordable housing. Calling themselves the Housing Futures Network, the HAs are arguing for ‘radical, wide ranging’ reforms in housing benefit and building finance, while opening up access toRead More →
However, the government has confirmed it has dropped its affordable house building target from 70,000 to 55,000 a year in the next two years, despite the additional funding, as it is now paying ‘more of the cost per house’ due to the huge reduction in section 106 agreements andRead More →
Results from a citizenship survey has found that 82 per cent of people see their community as cohesive, where individuals from different backgrounds get on well together. Older people were more likely to be satisfied with their local area than younger people – 88 per cent of over-75s, comparedRead More →
Cheltenham & Gloucester is repricing its entire fixed rate mortgage range offered through intermediaries from Tuesday. Halifax, which is also part of the Lloyds banking group, is raising the cost of selected fixed rate mortgages available through intermediaries from Tuesday. The two lenders declined to say by how muchRead More →