The construction industry is calling on the Government to rethink its £1m inheritance relief tax cap if it wants to avoid seeing thousands of family-run businesses close. Private assets above £1m will be taxed at 20 per cent Thousands of family-run businesses will close 1.5m new homes target is at risk without the SME builder Family-run construction firms doomed due to tighter inheritance relief cap Smaller family-owned housebuilders will close putting the government’s target of building 1.5m new homes in [...]

Councils’ new powersto force short-term leaseauctions of empty high street properties could boost local builders’ business, claim finance lenders. One in seven high street shops are vacant Properties empty for more than a year to go under the hammer Short-term leases of one to five years on offer Councils gain power to force landlords to lease empty high street premises Landlords sitting on empty properties for more than a year will be forced to rent them out on short leases [...]