Spring 2026

ACES Terrier

Welcome to the 2026 Spring Terrier.

I’m pleased to report that this has been a more manageable issue than the last bumper one, but it is still full of a wide range of topical material which I hope meets the diverse range of public sector surveying you are involved in. Of note are articles on LGR, new towns and strategic housing, good progress on the High Street Rental Auctions, a range of professional topics, and one or two unusual ones, notably the quirky areas of rentcharges and the National Underground Asset Register.

Members should note the changes to the CPD rules; there are a few pieces which I hope are of interest to ACES’ growing cohort of FACES members.

Minutes of ACES Council meetings can now be found in the Members Only area of ACES website.

Betty Albon, Editor

Latest

LSH service cycle graphic showing the six stages of support for property and regeneration projects, from site feasibility to investment and funding

SEVEN NEW TOWNS One big opportunity - What England’s latest growth programme means for places, investors, and developers

The government has unveiled seven proposed locations for a new generation of new towns, signaling a major shift toward large-scale, infrastructure-led growth. From Milton Keynes to Victoria North, learn how this 21st-century placemaking mission aims to deliver up to 40,000 homes per site alongside integrated employment hubs.

Spring 2026

Nyear Yaseen and Rebekah Formosa

DISPOSAL PROGRAMMES LESSONS Lessons from commissioning and implementing a live disposals programme

Success in a live disposals programme depends less on identifying individual assets and more on commissioning the conditions in which delivery can happen effectively. Kathryn Hurlock outlines how to move from strategic intent to corporate change.

Spring 2026

Kathryn Hurlock

Professional portrait of Callie Tuplin, Senior Solicitor in the Leasehold Enfranchisement Division at Holmes & Hills Solicitors.

LEASEHOLD REFORM 2024 Practical implications for surveyors, agents and property owners

The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 represents a massive restructuring of the UK property system. From abolishing the "marriage value" to introducing 990-year lease extensions, these reforms aim to make homeownership fairer and more transparent. However, with ongoing legal challenges and a phased implementation through 2026, property professionals and leaseholders must stay informed on how these changes affect marketability and valuation.

Spring 2026

Callie Tuplin

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.

Spring 2026

Francis Truss

PRIVATE SECTOR CONSULTANTS The dark art of consultancy, Part 1

Local authorities no longer carry every skill set in-house, making the public-private interface essential. Phil Farrell dives into the economics of consultancies, the pressure of fee-earning, and why mutual understanding is the key to a successful partnership.

Spring 2026

Phil Farrell

RATEABLE VALUE OF MUSEUMS Valuation Tribunal reduces Natural History Museum’s rateable value to £1 - A landmark decision for national museums

In a significant victory for the museum sector, the Valuation Tribunal for England has reduced the Natural History Museum’s rateable value from £12.9 million to just £1. This ruling reaffirms that museums operating at a loss, despite receiving grant-in-aid, cannot attract a positive value for rating purposes.

Spring 2026

Richard New

MORE MUSINGS Some things never change!

Chartered surveyor Simon Eades explores the enduring value of the printed word, from tracking the 1980s Norfolk property market in the EDP to discovering global history and family connections within a 100-year-old copy of The Times.

Spring 2026

Simon Eades

A comprehensive flowchart showing the High Street Rental Auction process, divided into three stages: Pre-HSRA work, the Notice Period, and the Auction Period. It tracks responsibilities for Local Authorities, Landlords, and Tenants across a timeline.

HIGH STREET RENTAL AUCTIONS Moving from designation to delivery

As local authorities move from policy designation to practical delivery, early experience reveals that the notice period is the most critical stage of the High Street Rental Auction process. Rather than just a precursor to auction, this stage is acting as a powerful catalyst for landlord engagement and bringing long-term vacant units back into use.

Spring 2026

Ana Isabel Pasantes

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