TODD Architects has won planning permission to refurbish and redevelop Birmingham’s Grade II* Listed Central Methodist Hall into a destination hospitality and leisure scheme with up to 150 new hotel rooms and eight new bars and restaurants at ground and basement levels. Birmingham City Council planning officers said the plans,
The winners of the TDUK Southside Hereford University Design Challenge (#TDchallenge22) have been announced following an incredibly competitive nine-month process. The challenge was based on a live project to design a net zero community center, showcasing timber construction and meeting Passivhaus Standard. After 150 students registered from 57 Universities and nine months
A BUSINESSMAN with more than 30 years of experience in leading and developing teams across the globe is sharing his expertise to help an ambitious house building company continue to grow. Isaac Wharton has worked globally at a strategic level for public multinational corporations and private equity companies, growing the
A very important part of managing a construction business is processing the payroll. While payroll processing may seem simple, it requires a lot of attention – because making mistakes when performing it can be very costly, in the sense that it can attract both state and federal fines or penalties.
Hospitality design expert Dexter Moren Associates (DMA) has won revised planning permission for a 116-room aparthotel in the heart of London’s thriving Victoria district. The first UK venture for Dutch brand City ID, the eight-storey aparthotel has been designed to achieve BREEAM ‘Excellent’ and will showcase a mix of fully
Mitsui Fudosan and Stanhope, as development manager, today announce that they will start the second phase of the redevelopment of Television Centre, with a total end value of £500m, signalling the success of the first phase and their continued confidence and commitment to White City and the London property market.
Plans for a new canal side community have taken a significant step forward this week after the selection of a developer Following a rigorous selection process, Stroud District Council has chosen St. Modwen Homes to take the ambitious project forward in partnership with the council. Initial work will start behind
A checklist of key actions has been published to help building owners and operators prepare for the radical health and safety changes contained in the Building Safety Act. New legislation, which came into force last month, is set to transform the current culture across construction and introduce the most dramatic
The latest market analysis by Revolution Brokers suggests that the total level of investment into the British commercial real estate sector is set to cool in 2022, having enjoyed a 40% year on year increase between 2020 and 2021. Last year, just shy of £50bn was invested into the commercial
Industry analysis by Landlord Action, housing law specialist and part of the Hamilton Fraser Group, has revealed that the number of rental property repossessions carried out on behalf of landlords across England and Wales has increased by one thousand four hundred and eighty seven per cent annually, following the end
TODD Architects has won planning permission to refurbish and redevelop Birmingham’s Grade II* Listed Central Methodist Hall into a destination hospitality and leisure scheme with up to 150 new hotel rooms and eight new bars and restaurants at ground and basement levels. Birmingham City Council planning officers said the plans, drawn up on behalf of Press Up Hospitality Group and sister company Oakmount, would retain the “distinctiveness” of the building and improve its appearance. Originally built in 1904, the Central Methodist Hall became the legendary Que Club in 1989, attracting major artists such as David Bowie, Daft Punk and Blur. Despite becoming an important part of Birmingham’s musical and cultural scene, the club went out of use in 2017 and the building declined onto Heritage England’s At Risk Register. TODD Architects’ hotel-led proposal sensitively extends and adapts this much-loved landmark, preserving many of its original features whilst once again allowing it to take its place at the heart of Birmingham’s cultural landscape. Fundamental to the plans will be the refurbishment of the Central Hall into a luscious 1500-seat event space, with the pulpit area redefined as a stage for visiting acts. In addition, a traditional members’ club cocktail lounge, two expansive external terraces and a flagship rooftop restaurant with panoramic views across the city are proposed. Seamus Lennon, Principal, TODD Architects, comments: “We are thrilled to see our hotel-led proposals for the refurbishment of Birmingham Central Methodist Hall granted approval a mere six months on from our client having completed on the building. The Central Methodist Hall offers the opportunity to mix the height of Victorian grandeur with a fresh and contemporary take on the modern hospitality offer. Whilst it remains necessary to extend the building vertically to ensure the project is commercially viable, Birmingham City Council planners recognised our proposals will ensure this is done sensitively and allow the full restoration of the Central Hall space to be enjoyed by generations to come.” The proposed three-storey rooftop extension will be set back from the parapet and terraced backwards as the volume rises. A single-storey extension to the south will also be set back from the parapet and above this rests a new restaurant with a pitched roof matching the form of the original. The new elements make explicit reference to the qualities of the original building, whilst also utilising modern methods of construction and material technologies. The scheme on Corporation Street will be operated by Press Up Hospitality Group under ‘The Dean’ brand. The Dean is a boutique, design-led hotel with locations in Dublin, Cork and Galway. This will be the first Dean location outside of Ireland.
The winners of the TDUK Southside Hereford University Design Challenge (#TDchallenge22) have been announced following an incredibly competitive nine-month process. The challenge was based on a live project to design a net zero community center, showcasing timber construction and meeting Passivhaus Standard. After 150 students registered from 57 Universities and nine months of webinars, workshops, & interdisciplinary teamwork – the winning team was select at a live two-day event at the New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering (NMITE). Students presented (both in-person & online) their designs to a diverse judging panel representing both local clients and leading figures in UK sustainable construction. Proposals were judged for longevity, desirability, adaptability, circularity, and producing more renewable energy than required. The winning team brought together an interdisciplinary group of students from universities the length and breadth of the UK – from Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen to the University of Portsmouth – to produce a design the judging panel declared “A strong response and a great integration of uses, with simple elements including a good use of structural timber used effectively and meeting the Passivhaus standard”. The challenge was led by Timber Development UK and ran in partnership with NMITE, Edinburgh Napier University, and the Passivhaus Trust. Built environment students and 2021 graduates from UK universities were invited to take part in the challenge to design Southside Hereford, a detached single storey building to accommodate three diverse partners with net zero aspirations. Providing a vibrant, inspiring, and inclusive sports, food, and skills community focal point for the people of South Wye. Southside is a collaboration between two highly energised established community organisations Growing Local CIC and Belmont Wanderers CIC, and NMITE, all of whom share a common goal to improve the future health, wellbeing, life chances and employment skillset of the people of South Wye and Hereford. Each of the detailed designs for Southside is ‘net zero’, creatively employing energy and resource efficient building materials and construction methods, focusing on the health and wellbeing of people, the community, and the planet. The designs were judged for longevity, desirability, adaptability, circularity, and a warming climate, as well as producing more energy from renewable sources than required. With the main material focus and specification for Southside to be timber and timber hybrid systems, each team’s detailed design was to meet the Passivhaus Standard and exceed both the RIBA 2030 Climate Challenge targets and the LETI Climate Emergency Design Guide metrics. Congratulations to the winners Alice Senior (University of Portsmouth), Malwina Bartoszewicz (Edinburgh Napier University), Johanna Schwarting (Swansea University), Kyle Henderson (Robert Gordon University), Daniela Lopez (University of Gloucestershire), Ali Uddin (University of Edinburgh), and Deepak Sadhwani (Cardiff University). “The students tackled a tricky mult-client brief whilst tracking the golden thread of environmental excellence through their design iterations – I have no doubt that the rigour needed to familiarise themselves with the Passivhaus design outcome will stand them in good stead in their career progression, and the judges particularly appreciated the enthusiasm and energy they brought to this through inter-disciplinary collaboration.”Lynne Sullivan, Passivhaus Trust Board “The #TDChallenge22 brought together interdisciplinary students, companies, sponsors, judges, and educators from across the UK, resulting in a phenomenal display of competence, energy and commitment to sustainability and learning. I was proud to have been a judge and that NMITE was a partner organisation, and a host to the competition. Well done everyone!”Professor Elena Rodriguez-Falcon, President & Chief Executive, New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering (NMITE) “We need a highly trained construction workforce with a better understanding of wood and timber to achieve net zero and hit the ever more demanding carbon targets for construction. Fortunately, it’s evident from every student who has taken part in the Hereford Southside: University Design Challenge that there is incredible built environment talent emerging from UK universities. I know the skills and knowledge you have gained and demonstrated in low-carbon construction will be greatly in demand. We all look forward to seeing what you do next.”David Hopkins, Chief Executive, Timber Development UK To find out more about the winning design visit: https://bit.ly/TDchallenge22winners
A BUSINESSMAN with more than 30 years of experience in leading and developing teams across the globe is sharing his expertise to help an ambitious house building company continue to grow. Isaac Wharton has worked globally at a strategic level for public multinational corporations and private equity companies, growing the creation of value within the businesses and successfully negotiating mergers and acquisitions, business turnarounds and improvement activities. During his 30 plus year career, he has held roles as Managing Director, European Group President and International Vice President and General Manager at the firms he has represented. Following his recent return to the area, Isaac has been appointed as a Non-Executive Director of Cumbrian-based homebuilder Genesis Homes, where he will advise on how to develop the rapid expansion of the business which now employs more than 60 members of staff. Isaac said: “I have a long history with Genesis Homes since it was formed in 2017 but I’ve only recently taken an active role. “Having acquired South Cumbrian homebuilder Russell Armer Homes in 2021, I’ve witnessed the meteoric growth of the company from the early days and I’ve been impressed with the passion and commitment within the business, particularly from the managing director Nicky Gordon. “Seeing Nicky’s desire to succeed in business, it seemed a natural progression for me when retiring from a full-time role to bring those skills I’ve acquired to Genesis Homes and help take the business to the next level. “It’s about adopting a consistent development focus and ambition to grow the business and increase the creation of value, that is the passion I see in Genesis Homes and exactly the environment I have been used to and love working in so the company is definitely a good match for my ambitions.” During his successful career, Isaac worked more latterly as the international operations vice president and general manager at America-headquartered company Phillips & Temro, part of private equity giant Harbour Group Ltd. His role included acquisitions, growing and creating value of businesses outside of America, largely working in Europe, China and India. Isaac said: “The role was very fulfilling and it was all about value creation by either creating more efficient, more effective business activities, reducing overheads or the bolting on of strategic acquisitions to strengthen the core business or products. “I have loved my time working at international companies and travelling the world, and now I’m looking forward to being involved in the next, exciting chapter of Genesis Homes and seeing how far we can grow the business.” Prior to working with Phillips & Temro, Isaac worked at three other American-based private equity groups. Nicky Gordon said: “Isaac has been really helpful throughout the Genesis Homes journey and we are absolutely delighted that he has agreed to take on a more hands-on role to grow the company even further. “His experience and expertise in business will be vital to us as we aim to achieve and develop our growth ambitions in the coming years, with 2022 our biggest year to date as we currently work on constructing 750 new homes.”
A very important part of managing a construction business is processing the payroll. While payroll processing may seem simple, it requires a lot of attention – because making mistakes when performing it can be very costly, in the sense that it can attract both state and federal fines or penalties. In fact, these fines are much heavier during the tax season. For this reason, you need to ensure your payroll procedure is precise and efficient. Some businesses turn to account professionals to better simplify the process – however, not all businesses can afford this luxury. So in an effort to make this easier for such businesses, here are some very key areas and aspects of the process that you need to focus or improve on. Issuing Pay Stubs To Employees The FLSA (Fair Labor Standards Act) doesn’t require companies to furnish workers’ pay stubs; rather, it governs matters like business payroll documentation. The federal legislation has stringent standards for documentation, but companies are not required to furnish a printed record. Pay reports aren’t mandated by federal legislation, but the majority of states have chosen to establish state legislation requiring companies to give employees frequent reports concerning their salary and deductions. Broadly speaking, the reports must include these relevant data: worker name, SSN, taxes, payment cycle, and rate of pay. See the State Labor Office Information website to discover if your jurisdiction has pay report regulations or whether pay stubs can be delivered digitally to workers. Finding companies who provide Pay Stubs generator services is important and you should work with those that have good services. If your state requires the issuance of pay stubs, you need to be very meticulous about the process. Also, you need to be very vigilant to avoid the issuance of a fake pay stub – you will be surprised at how easy it is for scammers to fake this vital document. Ensure that any digitized platform you use is absolutely safe and almost unhackable. Conducting Audits You avoid any problems throughout tax season with frequent audits. You should audit if you see a surge in the number of workers who are worried about their paychecks. In fact, it doesn’t matter if your process is automated or still uses paper timecards; periodic audits minimize mistakes. For a fact, when automated or computerized payrolls are employed, mistakes are frequently considerably more significant. And such an error might affect your employee’s salary if a calculation or variable input is wrong. Regular changing fields, like tax positions or increases, need to receive audits frequently. Conducting audits will save you energy and cost by preventing future fines. A comprehensive audit entails starting at the payroll process’s outset. Always check to confirm that all time and numeric values are accurate. Observing Tax Regulations Penalties may be imposed for any miscalculations. And sadly, these miscalculations are widespread because many aren’t aware of new IRS regulations. Due to these errors, businesses are forced to pay penalties and remedy their problems. So, to avoid these issues, you must accurately register your payroll. For this reason, understanding the federal and state regulations governing payroll is crucial. Every year, there may be possible modifications to the tax code, so you must keep informed. Just because you don’t know much about tax legislation doesn’t guarantee your staff will either. You might be subject to legal action if you don’t follow the correct payroll procedures. Workers who don’t receive the required overtime or are paid for the wrong hours will be able to sue.
Hospitality design expert Dexter Moren Associates (DMA) has won revised planning permission for a 116-room aparthotel in the heart of London’s thriving Victoria district. The first UK venture for Dutch brand City ID, the eight-storey aparthotel has been designed to achieve BREEAM ‘Excellent’ and will showcase a mix of fully serviced studio and one-bed guest rooms, a relaxing bar, food retail, delicatessen, a café and a formal restaurant, available to the public as well as guests. Designed to meet the resurgent demand for tourist and business guest accommodation, the new aparthotel will deliver on City ID’s ethos of stylish comfort and is ideally placed for easy access to major visitor destinations, and within minutes of the main public transport hub of Victoria. Mark Wood, Partner, DMA said: “We are delighted that the City of Westminster Planning Committee unanimously granted planning approval to our amended scheme for City ID’s first UK aparthotel on Vauxhall Bridge Road. When City ID acquired the site, they asked us to modify our previously consented design to fit their larger guestroom standards and develop the exterior design in line with the interior design concept. “Our façade proposal responds positively to the surrounding area, referencing the architecture of the locale in a contemporary manner, whilst our expertise in space planning and the requirements of modern hospitality environments has allowed us to maximise the building’s accommodation efficiently whilst simplifying and streamlining the planning process. The final design will deliver an eye catching, aspirational and classic building which is welcoming to the public and guests alike.” Located in a prominent position on the eastern side of Vauxhall Bridge Road, City ID wanted a bold and aspirational design to increase the appeal of the building as a whole and lift the aesthetic of the neighbourhood. In response, DMA produced several façade studies, complemented by physical models, enabling the client to explore the options available and make a fully informed decision. DMA’s final design for the main façade facing Vauxhall Bridge Road introduces an arcade of elegant two-storey high arches to the lower floors, creating a base that is as eye-catching as it is welcoming to the public. The design references local historic buildings through the proportions, materiality and overall composition of the façade, enhancing the connection between the aparthotel and its surroundings. Varying shades and patterns of brickwork add a modern edge, whilst deep reveals create a rich and textured perspective. Lush foliage will cascade from generous first-floor planters, adding a little softness and natural greenery to the urban streetscape. To achieve the BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating for the scheme, DMA specified materials with excellent thermal properties and included biodiverse green roofs and a number of PV panels. The Energy Strategy for the scheme, devised in conjunction with Hoare Lea, is based on energy-efficient optimised facades, efficient building services systems and controls, and the use of Air Source Heat Pump technology. The strategy will result not only a low-carbon scenario at present, but continuous improvement as the grid decarbonises, facilitating a shift towards clean energy systems, with the associated benefits in local air quality and human health. To improve the quality of the street area to the rear of the aparthotel, DMA worked with the interior design consultants to allow for more public spaces at the rear of the building. Generous glazing and location of specific uses at ground floor provides excellent natural surveillance from within the hotel, whilst the proposed pale brick facing will maximise the light reflection and improve the ambience and atmosphere within the mews.
Mitsui Fudosan and Stanhope, as development manager, today announce that they will start the second phase of the redevelopment of Television Centre, with a total end value of £500m, signalling the success of the first phase and their continued confidence and commitment to White City and the London property market. Phase 2 comprises a total of 511 homes in four separate plots designed by Stirling prize-winning architectural practices, following the masterplan established by lead architects AHMM, including a modern crescent shaped block of 180 apartments and a contemporary 25 storey tall building of 167 apartments for completion in 2026. The development of phase 2 will complete the masterplan and further open up the site to local residents, visitors and workers by the creation of a second entrance on Wood Lane and pedestrian connection through to Hammersmith Park via interlinking urban streets. The development of a cluster of new buildings are designed to be distinctive and have a character of their own, complementing each other and the buildings established across the wider estate. Jonathan Trout, Property & Commercial Director at Stanhope said: “We are delighted to be working with Mitsui Fudosan as development manager for the delivery of a new residential 25 storey tower with 167 apartments and 180 apartments in a crescent block by 2026. The start of phase 2 demonstrates the commitment of Stanhope and Mitsui Fudosan to the delivery of much needed new housing, including affordable, in Hammersmith & Fulham and our long-term commitment to the area.” Tomoo Nakamura, Managing Director, Mitsui Fudosan UK said: “This announcement underlines our continued commitment to the development of the Television Centre site and the range of opportunities which it offers for the delivery of a number of significant commercial and residential projects. Having recently become the sole owner of Phase 2, we are delighted to be able to continue to collaborate with Stanhope as development manager for the delivery of almost 350 new apartments. We have already completed over half a million square feet of office space as well as more than 430 homes on the Television Centre site. We remain focused on ensuring that this development continues to be delivered to the highest standards while we continue to explore other investment opportunities in London.” Construction has already started on 142 new affordable homes for Peabody in two new buildings called Macfarlane Place at Television Centre, with delivery expected in early 2024. Designed by Maccreanor Lavington Architects, the new buildings will replace the now demolished former BBC multi-storey car park on Wood Lane, W12, opposite Westfield. 1 Wood Crescent is under construction and recently ‘topped out’ and is due to complete in early 2023. AIMCo, on behalf of some of its clients, and Mitsui Fudosan remain owners of Phase 1 which includes Soho House, the Helios residential building, 2 Television Centre (offices let to Publicis, the White Company and Soho Works) and 1 Wood Crescent (under construction and offices part pre-let to PvH Corp., the parent company to brands including Calvin Klein and TOMMY HILFIGER with Stanhope as Asset Manager.
Plans for a new canal side community have taken a significant step forward this week after the selection of a developer Following a rigorous selection process, Stroud District Council has chosen St. Modwen Homes to take the ambitious project forward in partnership with the council. Initial work will start behind the scenes next month on transforming the former industrial site into a new waterside community including more than 150 new sustainable homes, 30% of which will be affordable housing. The development will also include public spaces, commercial, retail, leisure, community, and business facilities and the restoration of the canal basin which was infilled after the Second World War. “This is an important and exciting low carbon development for Brimscombe, the Golden Valley and the wider district,” said Council Leader Catherine Braun. “The developer will be following Building with Nature standards in line with our 2030 strategy for a more sustainable future.” Deputy Council Leader, Natalie Bennett, welcomed the news: “We want this development to be at the heart of Brimscombe.” She said. “It should, and will, provide a sustainable community for future generations.” Ward Councillor Beki Aldam said: “Our vision for ‘an exemplar and sustainable community, integrated with the existing surroundings’ is really taking shape now and we are looking forward to seeing all the hard work by so many coming to fruition. I look forward to the upcoming public meeting, and seeing how the developer will further engage with our community as the project progresses.” Jeremy Attwater, Regional Managing Director for South at St. Modwen Homes said they are excited about the next steps: “This is a fantastic project and we are delighted to have been chosen to take this forward. Even as a brownfield site, we see so much potential to create something truly special for the community and the wider district. “We will retain the heritage buildings, including the Listed stone-built Port Mill and Salt Warehouse and we are keen to ensure the new development is sympathetic to its surroundings. We have strong experience in the local and wider area and will be ensuring nearby labour is deployed throughout the development.” St. Modwen Homes will now draw up a detailed planning application for the redevelopment proposals which will include public consultation over the coming months, starting with a public meeting on Wednesday 10 August 2022 between 2.30pm and 8.00pm at Brimscombe Port Mill, Suite 5 West Suite, First Floor. To find out more on the Brimscombe Port pages of our website
A checklist of key actions has been published to help building owners and operators prepare for the radical health and safety changes contained in the Building Safety Act. New legislation, which came into force last month, is set to transform the current culture across construction and introduce the most dramatic change to building safety in almost half a century, according to the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA). While much of the national publicity around the Act focused on fire safety and standards of new building work, the implications for all aspects of safe operation of existing buildings are significant. This prompted the Association to prepare a simple five-point checklist that addresses the key responsibilities of those likely to be affected by the legislation. The Act requires a named individual for each in scope building who can be held legally accountable for actions and omissions in planning, procurement, and operation. The ‘accountable person’ must be competent to “plan, monitor and manage” work, according to the legislation. SFG20, part of the BESA group, produces the industry’s standard for planned service and maintenance work, and has examined the detail of the legislation and identified the specific implications for those responsible for maintenance. The checklist will help building operators prepare for the digital ‘golden thread’ of information needed to satisfy their new legal obligations. The new Building Safety Regulator, supported by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE), will be carrying out in-depth reviews of 12,500 ‘high risk’ buildings over the next five years to look for safety breaches. He has the power to retrospectively punish past poor quality work making it important for those responsible to have clear records of all work already complete or currently underway – not just future projects.
The latest market analysis by Revolution Brokers suggests that the total level of investment into the British commercial real estate sector is set to cool in 2022, having enjoyed a 40% year on year increase between 2020 and 2021. Last year, just shy of £50bn was invested into the commercial sector, with the revival of a pandemic-stricken London market driving this activity with £21.2bn worth of investment alone. This equated to a 40% increase in commercial real estate investment when compared to 2020, with an average of £4.162bn invested every month. As of July this year, £22.2bn has already been invested into the British commercial property sector, an average monthly total of £3.172bn. Based on this rate of investment, Revolution Brokers estimates that total commercial real estate investment should stand at almost £38.1bn by the end of the year. While this is higher than the £35.7bn invested in 2020, it would mark a year on year decline of -24% versus the £50bn invested in 2021. But what’s behind this annual decline in investor appetite for commercial property? It would seem an oversaturation of stock available on the market may be to blame. Between 2019 and 2020, the level of commercial real estate listed for sale across Britain fell by -26%, with this heightened demand also pushing up the average asking price of commercial plots by 6%. This trend continued between 2020 and 2021, with available stock falling by a further 14% year on year, with the average asking price this time climbing by a notable 34%. However, the level of stock available on the market in 2022 has actually climbed by 7% versus last year, with this additional supply also causing the average asking price to drop by -17% year on year. Founding Director of Revolution Brokers, Almas Uddin, commented: “While the residential property sector has boomed during the pandemic, the commercial landscape has been far more complicated, with Covid restrictions hitting the hospitality and office sectors particularly hard. Despite this, the commercial sector enjoyed a notable level of investment in 2021, as many anticipated the impending uplift that work and leisure spaces enjoyed following a return to normality. This market activity has remained robust so far in 2022 which is a reassuring sign, however, we estimate that it will sit below the benchmark set last year. This isn’t unusual following a period of particularly high investment and an influx of stock to the market has also reduced the asking prices of these commercial plots. Of course, this does present a good opportunity for the savvy investor to strike while the price is right and bolster their commercial portfolio for a better price than they would have been able to a year ago.” Data Tables Full data tables available online here.
Industry analysis by Landlord Action, housing law specialist and part of the Hamilton Fraser Group, has revealed that the number of rental property repossessions carried out on behalf of landlords across England and Wales has increased by one thousand four hundred and eighty seven per cent annually, following the end of the tenant eviction ban implemented to protect the nation’s renters during the pandemic. Tenant evictions and their wider welfare within the rental market have long been a hot topic within the sector. In fact, the Government released their latest plans to improve rental sector standards on 16 June via The White Paper – A Fairer Private Rented Sector. One of the primary initiatives includes the abolition of Section 21 evictions, which will provide tenants with greater security and prevent landlords from evicting them without establishing fault on the side of the tenant. The latest government data shows that over the last year (2021-22), some 12,965 rental properties were repossessed on behalf of the nation’s landlords. This marks a 1,487 per cent increase on the previous year, but while this may seem like a concerning trend for tenants, there’s one important fact to consider. During the pandemic, tenant evictions were banned to safeguard those struggling financially between March 2020 and May 2021. As a result, only cases where it was deemed necessary were processed, meaning that there were just 817 rental properties repossessed during 2020-21. In fact, the 12,965 repossessions seen over the last year is actually fifty six per cent fewer than the 29,347 recorded in the pre-pandemic year of 2019-20. What’s more, the level of rental homes being repossessed on an annual basis had already been declining steadily year on year, down from 35,046 in 2017-18 to 33,113 in 2018-19. But it’s not just the total number of repossessions that’s on the slide. The latest data shows that total repossessions account for just twenty six per cent of all initial claims made by landlords. While this was far lower for obvious reasons during 20-21 at just four per cent, it’s a lower proportion than 2019-20 (28 per cent), 2018-19 (28 per cent) and 2017-18 (27 per cent). Eddie Hooker, CEO of the Hamilton Fraser Group, who operate industry schemes such as mydeposits, the Property Redress Scheme and Client Money Protect, as well as Landlord Action says: “At first glance, it would appear as though the floodgates have opened where the repossession of rental properties is concerned, but this isn’t quite the case. Following a year where tenant evictions were banned except for in certain circumstances, there was always going to be a spike in repossessions as a backlog of cases finally started to be processed. However, we’re yet to see the level of rental homes being repossessed return to pre-pandemic levels and there are also a lower proportion of initial claims making it to this final, last resort stage. While delays due to the backlog of cases may certainly be one cause, it’s also fair to say that the nation’s landlords have largely acted with empathy and understanding following the pandemic, understanding the problems facing many tenants and looking to help them rather than turf them out on their ear.” Paul Sowerbutts, Head of Legal at Landlord Action “At Landlord Action we have prepared ourselves for the expected spike in property repossessions and are busier than ever. Whilst we expect this trend to continue into both the third and final quarters of this year due to the cost of living crisis, we also expect repossessions levels to remain high into next year as well.” Hamilton Fraser: Landlord possession actions : Landlord possession actions Data relates to landlords of all types across England and Wales. Source: Gov.uk
