London

'Pretty Vacant', a report highlighting how property investment in London is reducing access to much needed housing for locals, has been releasedm by the campaigning charity Action on Empty Homes.

Working in conjunction with the Trust for London, the report highlights:

- The inaccuracies in data from which London's Housing Policy is based on

- The variation in numbers of recorded empty and second homes between neighbouring Boroughs

Editorial

Sadiq Khan, the London Mayor, has written to the government requesting powers to levy higher council tax on empty high-value homes. The press release does not state what level of tax should be charged but says it should be set

'at a meaningful rate that would incentivise occupation, or at the very least generate a more substantial receipt that could support investment in new affordable homes and other measures to tackle the housing crisis.'