Western Extension Zone Leaves Congestion Charge Zone

The Western Extension was removed from the charging zone on 4 January 2011. You don't have to pay the charge if you drive in this area Transport for London announced.

There is no charge for driving on the boundary roads around the zone, and the hours of operation aren't changing.

If you live in Kensington, Notting Hill, Chelsea, Bayswater and Pimlico which were in the Western Extension Zone you can't get the residents' discount anymore. You'll need to pay the full daily charge if you wish to drive within the congestion charging zone, during charging hours.

UK Property Market Flooded With Cheap Freehold Pubs for Sale:

UK Property Market Flooded With Cheap Freehold Pubs for Sale:Paramount Investments are a London based property investment brokerage, offering properties for sale suitable for redevelopment, conversion, modernisation and refurbishment. ''We can advise in all areas of property investment and development such as residential, leisure, office, retail, industrial, healthcare and student housing.'' said Mark Greig,, Managing Director at Paramount Investments.

There have been more appealing times to be a landlord as the financial crisis is forcing drinkers to think long and hard before they reach in their pockets. The financial situation is being blamed for the recent crisis in the pub trade, which has seen pubs closing and changing hands on a monthly basis. The pub trade is also suffering because of the smoking ban and competition from cheap supermarket drinks. The price of freehold pubs continues to fall, as breweries, pub chains and pub companies offload unprofitable, struggling, run down or vacant pubs.

Mark Grieg said: "A number of pubs have closed and falling property prices are creating tremendous bargains within the pub market for licensees who know they can respond to the challenges facing the modern trade. Footfall in all pubs has gone down two-thirds in the last twenty years, and there just isn't the demand that there used to be. Beer sales are falling by 20pc year on year and pubs are closing at the rate of 5 a day."

With pub property prices at rock bottom, and the square footage of public houses and the surrounding land, such investments are proving to be the best value property investment around.

UK Property Predictions from National Association of Estate Agents

The National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) revealed its predictions for the UK property market over the next 12 months.NAEA chief executive Peter Bolton King predicted the rise of ‘postcode power’ - as premium areas emerge from the slump at a faster rate than others.

Any recovery, he warned, will be strongly dependent on the major lenders making mortgage finance more available. Bank of England decisions on interest rates will also have a major effect on the market. The monthly wait for the MPC’s decision on interest rates will be a nervous time for both existing and potential borrowers.

However Mr Bolton King said that, while the housing market faces a tough year, he was confident that no widespread drop in house prices would occur.

He said: “The housing market remains in a state of fragile recovery as the year ends. Frankly, however, this recovery is threatened by the stubborn refusal of major lenders to loosen their self-serving restrictions on mortgage lending.

“A historically low rate of interest has benefited those people who already have a mortgage, but it is likely that over the next 12 months it will rise. That will place more pressure on existing borrowers but also remove mortgages from the reach of even those house buyers with large deposits.

“The danger is that a backlog of pent-up demand for property emerges. That means the market will suffer from lack of demand in the short term and potentially be distorted by a rush of demand when these people can finally get onto the ladder.”

He added: “We do not believe that there will a widespread fall in house prices over the next 12 months. There will be ups and downs, but I’m confident that we won’t see a plunge.

“What we will see is the emergence of ‘postcode power’ – as demand for property in some areas fuels a healthy market while other, less desirable areas, are in danger of being left behind.”

Legal Ruling Benefits Landlords on Tenancy Deposit Scheme

The Court of Appeal has now clarified the date by which a landlord has to protect a tenant’s deposit in order to avoid a penalty.Under a shorthold tenancy the deposit has be protected by lodging it with one of three tenancy deposit schemes. The landlord then has to notify the tenant of what has been done and provide other key information.

And, if this isn’t done, landlords face a penalty of three times the amount of the deposit.

“Up to now there has been a great deal of uncertainty over the date after which a tenant can claim this penalty if the landlord defaults,” says Richard Jones, the Policy Director of the Residential Landlords Association.

“The appeal court has now ruled that so long as a landlord has protected the deposit with one of the schemes, and given the required information to the tenant, before a court hears the claim, then the tenant is not entitled to the penalty payment.

“The penalty provision was always intended to ensure that the deposit is properly protected and to give the tenant a way of compelling his landlord to comply - not to punish the landlord.

Freehold Property With Planning Permission in St Johns Wood

St Johns Wood Property with Planning Permission

The property is located on St. Johns Wood Road, at its junction with Hamilton Terrace and offers easy access to the amenities of St. Johns Wood High Street, Abbey Road, Maida Vale and Swiss Cottage.

Public transport is provided by Warwick Avenue, Maida Vale or St. Johns Wood (Underground Stations)

The existing low rise building has planning in place to demolish and rebuild a three storey house of approximately 2800sq.ft, which offers flexible accommodation, to include 3 bedrooms, entertaining space etc and a large south facing private garden with a separate garden studio/

St Johns Wood Property Sale