Legal news

Shortage of housing? It may be about to get worse

Jonathan Winston Jonathan Winston
1 min read

The Government is shaking up the housing planning system, the talk comes quickly but the policy changes could be a long drawn out process.

This may cause problems for some builders who have purchased land ready to build new homes, who find that the new policies prevent then gaining the correct planning permission, particularly after the Government announced that it would curb "garden grabbing", the practice of gardens being sold for new homes to be built on.

New affordable housing could fall dramatically as private developers who could previously obtain planning permission in exchange for building some social housing, will no longer be able to do so.

Housing and planning powers are to be returned to local councils, with regional strategies expected to be abolished in the near future. The problem will lie where the bill for decentralisation isn't due to be debated until the autumn, but everyone knows it's coming, so with the uncertainty of what may be decided looming, no decisions are made leaving the whole process in limbo.

Client feedback

We recently used Winston Solicitors for conveyancing on both the sale of our previous home and the purchase of our new one. Michelle Ayres was exceptional throughout. She was accessible, proactive, and it genuinely felt like she was on our side and working in our best interests.There were a few challenges in the chain, but Michelle was always willing to take the time to explain the situation, outline our options, and keep everything moving. As our process stretched over 6 months, there were times when Michelle was out of the office, but Olivia Cooke and Samantha Robertson-Strong seamlessly picked things up and ensured nothing ever slipped.It was an outstanding experience that made a difficult and often stressful process far more manageable. We would highly recommend Winston Solicitors and especially Michelle to anyone, and we will certainly look to use their services again in future (although we plan to enjoy our new home and give ourselves a well earned break for now!).
Glenn
The service I recieved regarding wills and powers of attourney, were handled in a very professional and sympathetic manner. Thanks must go to Monika for leading me through the" legal minefield" involved. My late wife and I originally used Winstons years ago for all our legal dealings at the time and we could honestly say we could not have chosen better.
David
Amr and Joe are responsive and helpful, very professional.
Tracy M, West Yorkshire
Samantha was excellent at helping us secure our house. She was extremely responsive, organised and thorough in her work.I would recommend her and Winston solicitors to anyone.
Mr Peterson a
Sidraa and Tom were incredibly thorough and kept me up to date in a timely manner. Would recommend!
Alexandra
Amr and Joe recently acted for me on the sale and purchase of properties. They were both very professional, responsive and promptly dealt with any enquiries. My experience with Winstons was really positive having used other firms for previous transactions. I would definitely recommend to family and friends!
Ruth
I purchased my first house through Winston Solicitors. The experience I had from start to finish was amazing. I will definitely recommend Winston Solicitors to my family and friends and will be using them again in the future.
Aruna
Samantha Robertson-Strong has dealt with the conveyancing for the sale of my property and purchase of a new home. Throughout the process of selling Samantha dealt with queries from the buyers promptly and professionally. This included one particular hiccup, that threatened to delay and complicate matters, by simply advising on a point of law that the buyer’s solicitor was seemingly not aware of.The purchase of our new home was dealt with in a similar manner, no stone left unturned, fast paced and with regular up dates on which stage we had reached. We felt well informed and in good hands throughout the process.Fast to respond, no flannel and an in-depth knowledge of property law Samantha is exceptional and I would recommend her services to anyone about to buy or sell a property.
Elizabeth
Contact Jonathan