B4
Our planning professionals have acted on behalf of Oxfordshire Community Foundation advising them on planning matters and successfully securing the change of use of 33 Iffley Road from office to residential use.
In the words of Samwise Gamgee: “Well, I’m back.” And the thing is – to my own surprise – I’m back with a bang!
There has been a noticeable change in the private rented sector in recent years. Legislative developments have undoubtedly served to discourage investment into the buy-to-let market by the private landlord, whilst, simultaneously, the institutional-led build-to-rent (BTR) model is being promoted.
A young family was among the first residents to spend Christmas in their new home at Long Hanborough, as part of Blenheim’s affordable housing scheme in partnership with West Oxfordshire District Council.
Many years ago in my leaving speech from one of the big, global surveying firms, I said to my soon to be ex colleagues “Never forget, this firm is only as good as it is because it has you all working for it. It’s not the other way around.”
Towards the end of last year we highlighted the mixed nature of Oxfordshire’s housing market; overall annual house price growth contrasted with a decline in transaction volumes. Whilst this trend has continued into the first few months of this year, not helped perhaps by an unseasonably cold March, the onset of spring has already started to provide an added momentum that the region’s market needs.
2017 has proved to be a dichotomy for our local housing market. Although Oxfordshire has shown overall annual house price growth, we have undoubtedly been hit by declining transaction volumes following the two rounds of reform made to the calculation of stamp duty, implemented first in November 2014 and then in April 2016.
The Oxford office of law firm Penningtons Manches continues to go from strength to strength. The last 12 months have seen its specialist teams complete a string of successful deals, welcome prominent new recruits and launch exciting new initiatives.