In the news this week: university league tables, living walls and average house prices

Ranked: Universities deliver billions of pounds’ worth of economic benefit to their regions and the rest of the country each year. In our area, the University of Portsmouth supports thousands of jobs locally among both teaching and non-teaching staff. And it makes a substantial contribution to the health of our property sector through student accommodation in the rental market and with a high proportion of graduates choosing to settle locally after their courses. This week, the university has risen six places to be ranked 35th among all UK universities in the latest set of higher education data gathered by The Guardian.  Its annual university guide is an established league table that assesses individual seats of learning based on criteria such as student satisfaction and graduate employment prospects. Portsmouth’s position, up from 41^st place last year, reflects high scores across a number of indicators. For instance, final students rate the quality of teaching at 86.8% while 90.3% of first-year students are continuing into second year. Courses in which Portsmouth has a top ten ranking include biomedical science, nursing, media and film studies, film production and photography, animation and game design, and medical specialisms such as ophthalmics, radiography, audiology and prosthetics.

Living walls: In other news, a Chichester-based entrepreneur in the field of living walls is promising to bring more green innovation to the residential property market. Richard Sabin, founder of Growing Revolution, told Insider Media about his latest plans for ‘PlantBox’, a modular, stackable design that has already sold more than 330,000 units in 20 countries over the past six years. Richard explained that a new tie-up with green roof specialist Eco Green Group will offer the ‘whole green envelope’ to construction companies. That includes roofs, walls, interiors and landscaping.

Biodiversity gain: On a green theme too, a government consultation on the subject of biodiversity net gain (BNG) has just closed. BNG is a way of creating and improving natural habitats. The aim is to make sure new housing projects have a demonstrably positive impact, the ‘net gain’, on biodiversity, compared to what was there before development began. The consultation included options around extending exemptions and simplifying a ‘small sites metric’ designed to calculate the BNG. Consultees included developers, house builders, landowners, local authorities, environmental organisations, planning consultants and the wider public. A government response is expected by the end of 2025 and media coverage so far has included an article by Environment Analyst.

Record high: Also of media interest right now, the average UK house price reached £299,331 as of August 2025, according to the Halifax House Price Index. While there are many regional variations, the national market has shown stability in 2025, with prices generally rising albeit at a slower rate than in previous years. August’s figure was the third consecutive monthly rise and takes us to a record high reflecting market momentum.

If you are a homeowner, landlord, tenant or prospective seller or buyer, and want to discuss your next property move, we’re here to help. Contact us on 02392 826731 or visit www.chinneckshaw.co.uk.

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