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ACES Terrier
UK Housing Policy


BROOKFIELD GARDEN VILLAGE What have the Romans ever done for us - (a tale of roads, digging and delays)
At the Landed x LSH breakfast panel during UKREiiF, industry experts gathered to dissect the pressing issues facing the UK residential development market. From escalating build costs and strategic landowner legacy planning to severe water infrastructure capacity limits and housing association targets, the panel highlights why cross-sector collaboration is the ultimate tool to unlock stalled sites.

Kevin Clark
6 min read


AFFORDABLE HOUSING Cash in lieu - A pragmatic solution or a dangerous precedent?
The draft NPPF suggests making cash in lieu of on-site affordable housing easier to use for medium developments. While this flexibility can unlock stalled SME schemes struggling with rigid policies and limited registered provider appetite , it also carries major risks. Chris Green explains why commuted sums must be used carefully with strict safeguards to avoid turning cash into a deferral mechanism rather than a real housing solution.

Chris Green
4 min read


LEASEHOLD REFORM How will the new homes market be impacted by leasehold reform?
The government wants to hit ambitious housing targets while moving away from the leasehold system, but high-density developments could face major bottlenecks. Tim Foreman outlines why the transition to commonhold must be managed carefully with a pragmatic transition period—rather than a cliff edge—to maintain developer, lender, and buyer confidence.

Tim Foreman
4 min read


AFFORDABLE HOUSING Section 106 alone is not enough
With affordable housing needs reaching 180,000 homes a year, the current system of relying on private developer cross-subsidy is falling short. James Cogan explores why rigid quotas are leaving developments on the drawing board and argues for a shift toward strategic cash-in-lieu use and direct public sector delivery to fix our broken housing model.

James Cogan
4 min read


MODEL ESTATE PERFORMANCE 2026
Despite experiencing a modest 0.7% valuation correction following structural changes like the Autumn Budget's Inheritance Tax reforms, the Carter Jonas hypothetical 'Model Estate' highlights the long-term power of asset diversification. Sophie Davidson reviews the 2025/2026 performance across let farms, residential, and commercial portfolios, showing how a standout 46.9% increase in renewable energy assets helped cushion broader pricing adjustments.

Sophie Davidson
9 min read


RENTERS RIGHTS ACT Good intentions vs strained capacity: What the Renters Rights Act really means for the public sector
The Renters Rights Act 2025 marks a massive regulatory shift for the private rented sector, but are local authorities equipped to enforce it? Property litigation solicitor Dee Karatay explores the unintended consequences of the legislation. From smaller landlords exiting the market to an expansion of local enforcement powers without ring-fenced central funding, this piece highlights why matching legislative ambition with actual public sector resources is critical to avoiding

Dee Karatay
5 min read


MARMOT CITY, NEWCASTLE Marmot City – An opportunity for local authority asset management for a fairer, healthier Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
Can commercial property management be used as a practical lever for health equity? Four Master of Planning students from Newcastle University explore this question by applying a custom Social-Value Quality Index (SVQI) to two contrasting local high streets. Their findings reveal that market-led property management alone is insufficient to support community resilience. Instead, local authorities must shift toward active, demographic-led stewardship to transform high streets in
Ellie Howell, Dan Martin, Joe Higgins and Leo Chadwick
8 min read


UKREIIF ‘Landowner Forum’ Panel session
Held at the LSH Leeds office during UKREiiF, the inaugural 'Landowner Forum' breakfast panel brought industry experts together to tackle the critical issues slowing down UK residential development. From planning updates and water infrastructure bottlenecks to strategic landowner legacy planning, the panel explores how cross-sector collaboration can unlock stalled sites and restore market momentum.

Charles McClean
4 min read


DEVELOPMENT CORPORATIONS The missing link in delivering new towns
Francis Truss, Partner in the National Strategic Land team, argues that the next generation of new towns requires more than just ambition. To succeed where others have stalled, the government must place empowered development corporations at the heart of delivery to manage the decades-long cycles of infrastructure, land assembly, and social value.

Francis Truss
5 min read


AFFORDABLE HOUSING MODEL Presentation by Alan Richards and Melvyn Stone, with a ‘call to arms’ from Jackie Sadek
The UK is facing a devastating housing crisis with over 172,000 children in temporary accommodation. ACES leaders Alan Richards and Melvyn Stone propose a radical new "Affordable Housing Model" to bypass viability delays and accelerate the delivery of social rent homes.
Melvyn Stone and Alan Richards and Jackie Sadek
7 min read


BUILD TO RENT 2026 will test BTR’s potential and government’s resolve
As the UK faces intense demand for quality rental homes, 2026 marks a critical crossroads for the Build to Rent (BTR) sector. From planning reform to the Renters’ Rights Act, discover what will determine if BTR becomes a mainstream solution for the housing crisis.

Justine Edmonds
3 min read


SHARED OWNERSHIP The missing middle: Why shared ownership must be central to affordable housing policy
Shared ownership is being sidelined by the government despite being a vital route for "the missing middle"—households who earn too much for social rent but not enough for the open market.

Peter Hawley
5 min read


BUILD TO RENT Navigating the Build to Rent Landscape: reflections and the road ahead
As Build to Rent moves from a niche market to a vital housing solution, the sector faces a landscape of legislative clarity in England and strategic reversals in Scotland. This article examines the critical need for public-private collaboration to unlock the 64,000 consented homes currently stalled in the UK pipeline.

Alex McKinlay
4 min read


PLANNING REFORM Will it work?
With a pledge to deliver 1.5 million new homes, the Labour government is moving to "oil the wheels" of the planning system. But can planning reform alone solve the deep-rooted imbalance between rising build costs and the need for affordable housing?.
Clare Jones and Madison Thomas
6 min read


REORGANISATION AND HOUSEBUILDING Is local government reorganisation compatible with the government’s housebuilding targets?
Victoria Yeandle, a Chartered Town Planner, explores the paradox between the government's ambitious 1.5 million homes target and the disruption caused by local government reorganisation. While long-term benefits like pooled resources are possible, the short-term reality is that merging councils may abandon local plans and destabilise decision-making, likely delaying rather than expediting the planning process.

Victoria Yeandle
4 min read


PERMITTED DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS
Will Labour change permitted development rights? Andy Jones, property investment expert Andy has worked in the private rented sector for over 25 years and joined Leaders Romans Group from his previous role at Greystones Management Consultancy where he advised clients on property investments across the UK. He has experience dealing with all property services, from lettings to managing and disposing of large scale institutional owned property portfolios. Previously, Andy was Ma

Andy Jones
3 min read


SHARED OWNERSHIP What should the government do to support first time buyers?
Shared ownership is an established and increasingly popular alternative for first-time buyers, especially with the absence of the Help to Buy scheme. However, with the government not promoting shared ownership in recent housing policies, there is a risk that this crucial pathway to homeownership may be overlooked.

Peter Hawley
3 min read
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