Cheshire Fresh has submitted an outline planning application for Weavers Green, a proposed 280-acre development north-west of Crewe that could deliver up to 2,100 homes alongside employment space, local facilities and land for a primary school. The site is currently countryside and not allocated for development, but the application is framed against Cheshire East Council’s inability to demonstrate a five-year housing land supply.
The article examines the Government’s planned cap on most existing residential ground rents in England and Wales, moving them to £250 a year before reducing them to a peppercorn after 40 years under the forthcoming Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill. It argues the reform may ease sales and mortgage issues linked to onerous ground rents, but could also reduce freeholder income, create fairness concerns between leaseholders, and affect valuation and financing assumptions.
Horizon Management has taken on the management of 347 homes in Sheffield and Merseyside after leaseholders exercised their statutory Right to Manage. The article highlights the firm’s role in both running the RTM process and preparing the operational handover, alongside wider pressure on leaseholders from rising service charges and recent RTM reforms.
New research cited by Rushbrook & Rathbone suggests average rental void periods in England have shortened since the Renters’ Rights Act was introduced in May, falling from a peak of 24 days to 21 days. The article says landlords are adapting to the new legal framework and using the period to improve compliance and portfolio management, although voids remain longer than a year ago in some areas.
Manchester’s rental market remains highly competitive, with properties letting faster even as asking rents continue to rise. The article attributes this to persistent demand outstripping supply, alongside early market effects from the Renters’ Rights Act and a shift toward more professional landlord management.
Zoopla says flats are currently offering better relative value than houses, but demand remains weak because buyers are sensitive to price, running costs and leasehold-related uncertainty. The article also notes that government leasehold reforms are intended to improve transparency and strengthen leaseholder protections, although campaigners argue progress has been too slow.
The Regulator of Social Housing has upgraded East Midlands Housing Group to a C1 consumer grade after finding improvements in tenant engagement, customer service and complaints handling. It also published a first consumer grade of C2 for Lancaster City Council, noting weaknesses in safety and quality, transparency and accountability, and a backlog of repairs that is being addressed.
The Planning Inspectorate has overturned Cheshire East Council’s refusal of Bloor Homes’ outline application for up to 200 homes off Prestbury Road in Macclesfield. The inspector gave significant weight to the council’s shortfall in five-year housing land supply, accepted the site as Grey Belt, and found only minor landscape harm with no highway safety objection upheld.
A Salford development scheme described as the tallest tower outside London has been sent back to committee after a conflict ruling. The scheme had previously been approved last November, but the decision now requires further consideration.
Knight Frank argues that the Renters Rights Act is having unintended consequences, with tighter rules and reduced landlord confidence contributing to lower supply and higher advertised rents. The article also links anticipated EPC C requirements from 2030 and tax pressures to further constraints on rental stock, particularly in London markets.
Zoopla says flat sales are taking longer, with around four in five flats not selling within six months, reflecting weaker demand and greater uncertainty in the sector. The article links this to leasehold complexity, service charges, ground rents, building safety concerns and lender caution, with the flat-house price gap now at a three-decade high.
The Environment Agency reports that drought conditions have expanded across England following the driest July in 190 years and very low rainfall so far in August. The National Drought Group says all regions are now under pressure, with more areas moving into drought status and water-use restrictions affecting over 27 million people.
