Companies in England now owe local councils almost £2.5 billion in unpaid business rates, according to new analysis. Many firms have seen their debt piles climb higher over the past year after being forced to shut their doors for long periods or having faced disruption from pandemic restrictions. The Government has offered retail, leisure and
More than 300,000 applications for the EU settlement scheme are waiting to be processed just weeks before the deadline for entries. EU citizens and their families are asked to apply to the Home Office scheme by the end of June, in order to continue living and working in the UK now the Brexit transition period
With the demand for properties continuing to increase what do the experts say? The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) has warned that the gap between supply and demand in the housing market is the highest it has been since 2013. 32% of those in the property industry reported an increase in people looking to
Some people in London are paying a typical premium of nearly £50,000 to be close to transport links. Those in Glasgow and Manchester face paying around £11,000 more on average, Nationwide Building Society found. Nationwide compared house prices within 500 metres of the nearest metro or railway station with similar properties 1.5 kilometres away. It
House prices went up by 10.9% annually in May making it the strongest growth in nearly seven years, according to an index. The house price growth recorded in May followed a 7.1% annual increase recorded in April, Nationwide Building Society said. Across the UK, property values hit a new record average of £242,832 – up
The UK Government is being urged to extend the deadline for a scheme allowing EU citizens living in the UK to apply for settled status. The current deadline is June 30 and Jenny Gilruth, Scotland’s Europe Minister said thousands of those eligible in Scotland have not yet applied reports PA. Applying to the EU Settlement
The number of people offered protection in the UK, in the form of asylum, resettlement and other types of leave, fell by more than a half in the year to March 2021, figures show. A total of 8,640 people were granted protection, down 58% from 20,331 in the previous year reports PA. It is the
Britain’s pandemic property market boom is set to roll on as government support for the roaring market continues says a poll by news agency Reuters. House prices rose at the fastest annual rate in nearly 14 years in March, official data showed on Thursday, after a tax cut and a mortgage guarantee scheme for first-time
The CPS has reviewed a full year’s worth of cases charged under the coronavirus legislation. Prosecutors checked 1,821 finalised cases under the Coronavirus Act and Health Protection Regulations between 26 March 2020 and 31 March 2021. A total of 549 incorrect charges were identified, which were either withdrawn by prosecutors at the first court hearing
A young farmer from Leicestershire has become the 300,000th homeowner to use the Help to Buy: Equity Loan Scheme since its launch in 2013. Sam Legg, 19, from Asfordby, bought the 300,000th Help to Buy home and is now urging others to join the government scheme. Chair of Homes England Peter Freeman said: “Today’s milestone