New call to stop Hips

There has been a new call for the suspension of home information packs (Hips).

Conservative parliamentary prospective candidate for Penistone and Stockbridge, Spencer Pitfield, has argued that of all the measures the government could take to reinvigorate the housing market this would be the most effective, the Sheffield Star reports.

He said: "Twelve months on from their introduction, there is growing evidence that Hips deter speculative sellers, increase transaction costs, discourage sellers from changing estate agent and reduce the number of housing transactions."

A Conservative government will end the scheme, he pledged.

Those wanting to avoid having to deal with Hips now may be interested to know that they do not form part of the self build process.

In related news, Paul Broadhead, the deputy director general of the Association of Home Information Pack Providers, is to leave his post at the end of October.