News ALeP


theaLep directory onLine


As part of ourongoing ‘Know your lease’ campaign,weare encouraging Flat Living readers always to take professional advice when buying a flat, purchasing their freehold, extending a lease or considering Right toManage. In previousissues of the magazine we have featured ALEP’s directoryofmembers, whichincludessolicitors, barristers, surveyorsand valuers, tomake it easy for our readers to findthe rightexpert. To go straight to the directory via


the Flat Living website, go to www.flat-living.co.uk/aLep


or visitthe ALEP websiteat www.alep.or.ukwhereyou will also find plenty of other useful information about the legal aspects of owning leasehold property.


ConferenCe


LondonshouLdget ownpropertytax,says deputymayor


A special London property tax should be seriously considered as oneofthe ways to create finance to delivernew homesin the city as its population grows, according to the capital’s deputy mayor for housing speaking at theRESI13conferenceheldin Newport in September. Richard Blakeway,deputy


mayor for housing, land and property at theGreater London Authority, gave the keynote address on thelastday of the conference, saying London’s population would be larger than NewYork City by 2020. Thismeans politicians,


policymakers,developersand financiersmust consider and use different ways of delivering homesinorder tomeet the challenge of a population boom. These solutions could include a property tax for the city, as


AwArds


touchstoneis resi property


year thesecondannualresIAwards wereannouncedat theresI conferenceheld innewport, wales,withtouchstonenamed ‘Propertymanager of theyear’. the1000delegatesattending the conferenceinseptember, heardthat the companyhas grownfromasmall firmbasedin Bath toemploying300staffand collectingrents of £180meach year.PropertymanagerMainstay wasalsohighly commendedby the judgesin this categoryfor itsexcellent reputationin the leaseholdsectoranditsefforts in raisingprofessional standardsin the industry. fizzyLivingwasnamed


manager of the


‘newcomeroftheYear’,with the judgescommentingthat the introductionoftheinnovativenew build-to-letbusinessmodel “puts the residentialsector inagood light” (seeFlat Livingissue15, page9formoreonthecompany orgotowww.flat-living.co.uk/ latestissue)


10 richard Blakeway


first recommended by Tony Travers of the London Finance Commission. “StampdutyinLondon is so


high compared to otherparts of theUK, that it canbeseen as a London tax because it’s so much.Wewould like London to be considered forsomething like this andfor housingtobetreated like essential infrastructure


like rail to help us increase thenumberofhomes to be developed.” Blakeway said: He added therewas aneed


for“newplayers”withnew solutions tomeet housingneed andthisincludedfreeing up morepubliclandfor house building andconsidering new kindsofprivate rented sector developments.


events


London eventfor fpra


TheFederationofPrivate Resident’s Associations (FPRA) is to hold itsanniversaryevent for leaseholders on 12 November at the Insitute of Education in London from5.00 –9.00pm. The eveningwillinclude akeynote address by SirPeter Bottomley MPforWorthingWest. Gerry ProctorMBE fromEngage Liverpool will speak on how successful leasehold living can bewhen communities work together. Therewillalsobeaseriesof


interactiveworkshops on: nEnfranchisementand lease


extensions nService charge and RTM nFirst Tier Tribunal nInsurance nResidents Associations


For more information and to reserve your place, call


0845 618 7746, go towww. newsontheblock.com/


events/5427 oremail events@ newsontheblock.com


Issue 16 Flat Living


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