The 2018 insolvency led to years of agonising by accountancy firms, with as yet no explanations or ways to avoid a repeatBankruptcies happen gradually, then suddenly, an Ernest Hemingway character famously deadpans in The Sun Also Rises. Yet the afterm…
Battle of Culloden is being fought anew … against an army of house developers
Site where Bonnie Prince Charlie led the Jacobite uprising of 1746 under threat from property developmentIt was the last pitched battle fought on British soil, and its outcome determined the future of the newly formed United Kingdom and its fledgling e…
Cement makers across world pledge large cut in emissions by 2030
Industry responsible for about 8% of CO2 emissions commits to reaching net zero by 2050 without offsettingCement makers around the world have pledged to cut their greenhouse gas emissions by up to a quarter this decade and reach net zero by 2050, in a …
‘This is not democracy’: Tories accused of selling out to developers
Environmentalist and landowner Isabella Tree says that ‘troubling’ relationship with housebuilders calls the party’s environmental credentials into questionThe prominent role played by a large housebuilding company and Tory donor in last week’s Conserv…
Tories’ manifesto pledge to build 300,000 houses a year now ‘almost impossible’
Shortages of material, labour and drivers put the party’s mid-2020 target in serious jeopardy, say analystsBoris Johnson’s election pledge to build 300,000 new houses a year is in serious jeopardy in the face of labour and material shortages that are c…
Energy crisis: Tory MPs join Labour in urging support for heavy industry
Households expected to be hit by massive bills in spring after 250% rise in gas prices since JanuaryInstant bill increases for millions of customers will be held back by maintaining the energy price cap, the business secretary has said, as he resists a…
Gove looks at cutting insurance costs to tackle building safety crisis
Housing secretary may also push developers to pay for repairs in signs of renewed push to fix problemAnalysis: bolder moves required as Gove tackles crisisMichael Gove is exploring how to cut soaring insurance premiums for homeowners hit by the buildin…
Experience: our house was moved to a different town
We lived in our dream home. Then suddenly a huge chasm split our town. Rather than buy a new home for the move, we decided to transplant the houseI moved to Malmberget – a town in the far north of Sweden, above the Arctic Circle – from a nearby village…
Evergrande: will it collapse and what would happen if it did?
If Chinese property company Evergrande sinks under its $300bn debt its failure would resound across the global economyEvergrande Real Estate – or Heng Da Group in Chinese – owns more than 1,300 building projects in more than 280 cities across China. C…
Thousands of leaseholders freed from doubling of ground rents
CMA says it will take further action against developers which do not remove such terms from contractsThousands of people who bought leasehold homes from the housing developer Countryside Properties will be freed from costly contract terms, following an…