Housing Minister Brandon Lewis has announced new powers for councils to help them build affordable homes.The minister confirmed that 22 councils will be able to borrow an additional £122 million over the next two years to deliver over 1,700 new affordable homes and support local growth. But with £178 million still up for grabs, Lewis argued that more councils should be putting themselves forward for the scheme.

House price momentum has slowed to the same level it was16 months ago, according to the latest RICS Residential Market Survey. Nationally, new buyer demand slipped for the third consecutive month