The Hill Group is set to unveil St George’s Place on March 15, 2025—a collection of three, four, and five-bedroom homes just a stone’s throw from Southwold, one of Suffolk’s most sought-after seaside towns. Famous for its iconic pier, colourful beach huts, and pristine coastline, Southwold offers an unparalleled lifestyle by the sea. St George’s Place presents a rare opportunity to own a new home in such a desirable location, blending modern living with the charm of coastal life. Designed with families in mind, St George’s Place will feature a variety of expertly crafted homes designed to suit different family sizes and lifestyles. From family-friendly streetscapes to properties that border open woodland, the development showcases high-quality architecture and craftsmanship. The exterior of the homes exudes rural charm, with traditional brickwork, weatherboarding, and elegant stone finishes that blend harmoniously with the local vernacular. The use of fine materials and an eye for detail ensure these homes complement the tranquil surroundings beautifully. Southwold, often referred to as the jewel of the Suffolk coast, is known for its vibrant culture, independent shops, galleries, and renowned seafood restaurants. Situated within the Suffolk Heritage Coast, the town is surrounded by stunning sand and shingle beaches, marshes, and reed beds. The area is a haven for wildlife, including birds, butterflies, and wildflowers. Notable nature reserves like the Suffolk Coast National Nature Reserve and the Hen Reedbeds Nature Reserve are nearby, offering protected habitats for a variety of species. Families also have access to Dunwich Heath and the RSPB Minsmere, along with the scenic Dunwich Beach. For outdoor enthusiasts, activities such as fishing, surfing, paddleboarding, and sailing are just some of the ways to stay active and social. The interiors of St George’s Place offer spacious living rooms, sleek shaker-style kitchens with integrated appliances, and luxurious bedrooms and bathrooms. The design maximises open-plan living, with spaces flowing effortlessly between indoor and outdoor areas. Bi-fold patio doors and skylights allow natural light to flood the homes, while energy-efficient features, such as air source heat pumps, high-efficiency double-glazed uPVC windows, and electric car charging points, ensure sustainability. Rebecca Littler, Group Sales and Marketing Director at The Hill Group, said: “Set amidst Suffolk’s spectacular rural and coastal landscapes, St George’s Place boasts an enviable position, with Southwold just five minutes’ drive away. It is rare that new build homes come to the market on the Suffolk coast, and we are anticipating a high level of interest from discerning buyers looking to make this beautiful part of the UK their home.” The development is ideally located for families, with Reydon Primary School, rated ‘Good’ by Ofsted in 2024, just a short walk or drive away. For older children, Saint Felix School in Southwold offers independent day and boarding education for ages two to 18, with a strong focus on academics, sports, and the arts. The area also has access to reputable secondary schools in nearby towns like Bungay, Halesworth, and Lowestoft. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

UK property portal Rightmove has reported a 7% increase in revenue for the second half of 2024, reaching approximately £390 million, and is forecasting further growth of 8% to 10% in 2025. Despite this revenue rise, pre-tax profit saw a slight dip of 1% year-on-year, falling from £260 million to £258 million. However, underlying operating profit increased to £273.9 million, up £9.3 million from the previous year. User engagement on the platform also grew, with a 6% rise in activity, totalling 16.4 billion minutes spent on Rightmove in 2024. The final dividend for the second half of the year stood at 6.1p per share, bringing the total for the year to 9.8p, a 7% increase from 2023. Rightmove returned £181.7 million to shareholders through dividends and share buybacks in 2024, down from £201.7 million the previous year. Chief executive Johan Svanstrom said the results highlight the “resilience” of Rightmove’s business model, with the platform attracting 2.3 billion visits last year. He added that Rightmove continues to invest in technology, rolling out more than 5,000 AI-driven updates and enhancements in 2024. “Our strategy is focused on further digitising the home-moving market, leveraging the UK’s largest property data and insights platform,” he said. “There is significant potential to expand and enhance our services, and we’re maintaining that momentum into 2025.” Rightmove was also revealed to be the fourth most-visited UK-based digital platform in 2024, trailing only the BBC, Reach, and Gov.uk. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

The latest index shows that: – CEO of Yopa, Verona Frankish, commented:  “The UK property market has begun the year on the front foot and we’re now seeing the rate of house price growth start to accelerate, as more buyers push on with their plans to purchase following a brief respite over the Christmas period. A degree of this increased activity in recent months has, of course, been spurred by the impending stamp duty deadline at the end of March, with those making their move keen to reach completion and avoid any increased cost when buying. However, we’ve seen the vast majority of buyers take the potential stamp duty cost increase into consideration before submitting their offers, so whilst there may be a momentary market correction, we expect momentum to continue building beyond 1st April.” Director of Benham and Reeves, Marc von Grundherr, commented: “A consistently positive performance has been the theme for the UK property market over much of the last year and this theme has so far continued in 2025. House prices may not be climbing at the same rate as previous market peaks, but some may argue that this more measured rate of growth is far healthier for the market, particularly when you consider that first-time buyer activity is on the up, despite the fact that this market segment faces the toughest task with respect to affordability.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Selective Licensing is one way that cities can drive up standards in privately rented properties – a key priority for Manchester City Council.   Since 2017, more than 3,500 homes across the city have been fully licensed making sure that those homes are safer and better managed for the tenants living in the properties.   Now, from this week (week commencing 24 Feburary) the owners and managing agents of 1,863 more flats and houses will be required to be apply for a landlord licence that will make sure these homes meet the necessary safety requirements, have the correct gas and electrical safety certification, and that they can demonstrate good management standards.  Currently, private sector homes have fewer regulations protecting residents and Selective Licensing provides Councils to require landlords of all private rented properties to obtain a license in a particular area and is intended to address the impact of poor-quality housing.   Following public consultation, licensing can be introduced if an area is experiencing significant and persistent problems caused by antisocial behaviour (including environmental and waste management issues), poor property conditions, high levels of migration, high levels of deprivation, high levels of crime, low housing demand – or is likely to become such an area.  For the latest designated licensing areas, the Council has specifically targeted homes on the basis of property condition and antisocial behaviour linked to waste management problems.  The new licensing schemes across six Manchester wards, include:   Cllr Gavin White, Manchester City Council’s executive member for housing and development, said:   “We know that there are currently fewer regulations and therefore less protection against poor housing in the private sector than other forms of rental homes – such as social rent properties. This means that there a minority of landlords who we have found do not take the responsibility for their property, the safety of their tenants, nor the impact of their property on the wider community seriously enough.    “This is by no means every landlord and most work hard to make sure the properties they let are safe and of a good standard. But Selective Licensing is one of the ways we can hold landlords that don’t to account and drive up standards for our residents.    “We believe that everyone in Manchester deserves a safe and secure home. This is a basic right and through Selective Licensing we can work directly with landlords and their tenants to make sure this is their reality.  “And we are seeing the impact of our interventions, and more than 3,550 homes have already been licensed, removing 1,700 hazards from Manchester’s private sector homes that would otherwise still be a blight on tenants in the city.”  Impact of previous licensing schemes  Enforcement Action on non-compliant landlords    Enforcement action has been undertaken where necessary to target landlords who have failed to comply with the licensing scheme and notices to improve property conditions.    So far, these include:    Find out more about Selective Licensing  Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Barratt London and Places for London have successfully secured planning approval for the next phase of the Bollo Lane development, following a unanimous vote by Ealing Borough Council’s planning committee. Located between Bollo Lane and the Piccadilly railway lines near Acton Town Station, the site is a key part of the West London Partnership, a major initiative aimed at delivering over 4,000 new homes in the area over the next decade. The Bollo Lane project, which will be developed in four phases, is set to deliver up to 900 new homes, with each phase including 50% affordable housing for rent or purchase. Construction is expected to begin this spring, with the first phase offering 195 one, two, and three-bedroom homes for both private and affordable rent. The second phase, unlocked by this planning approval, will provide 455 additional homes for both affordable and private sale over the next five years. Beyond residential housing, the development will transform the area with a new street frontage along Bollo Lane, creating over 20,000 square feet of commercial and retail spaces. The project will also introduce two new podium gardens for residents, as well as a new public square and community garden that were previously inaccessible. These green spaces will be available to both residents and the wider community, promoting biodiversity and sustainability. The development has been designed with a focus on healthy and active travel, including new pedestrian and cycle routes connecting Acton Town and Chiswick. The Phase 2 plans are expected to deliver a 126% biodiversity net gain, along with an urban greening factor of 0.47. In total, 250 new trees will be planted across the site, and the buildings will incorporate sustainable energy sources to reduce carbon emissions and lower energy bills for residents. As part of the development, Barratt London and Places for London have agreed to Section 106 contributions with Ealing Borough Council, amounting to over £3 million. These funds will support education, healthcare, transport, and other local improvements. Additionally, the project is expected to create up to 500 new jobs throughout its development and offer 20 new apprenticeships through the West London Partnership. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals