Tower Hamlets approves Canary Wharf’s plans for 3,600 homes December 22, 2014 Canary Wharf Group was yesterday given the go-ahead to convert a 20-acre site next to its east London estate into more than 3,600 homes, shops and offices targeting the fast-growing media and technology sector. Tower Hamlets council has approved regeneration plans for the semi-derelict area, which was formerly known as Wood Wharf because it was [...]
L&Q and Development Securities in £150m regeneration contract on Edgeware Road December 22, 2014 Property firms L&Q and Development Securities have entered into a partnership to deliver the new £150m regeneration project at 399 Edgware Road in north west London. The planned residential quarter, which is currently a vacant site, will include 183 apartments and townhouses for private sale set around landscaped gardens as well as cafes, shops and [...]
Kennedy Wilson makes £503m swoop on UK property assets December 22, 2014 KENNEDY Wilson Europe Real Estate has bought a £503m portfolio of 180 mixed-use properties from receivers working on behalf of Aviva Commercial Real Estate Finance. The company, part of the Beverley Hills-based property group that raised £1bn through a London float earlier this year, said the 3.5m square feet portfolio is spread across the UK, [...]
Charles Li tells Santa all about big bad Alibaba December 22, 2014 Writing a letter to Santa is pretty standard at this time of year, mostly for those between the age of four and nine. But penning a note to Little Saint Nick isn’t beyond some middle-aged finance chiefs, The Capitalist hears. Charles Li, the chief executive of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, has written a [...]
Why Santa should get annuity December 22, 2014 Meanwhile, in other Santa Claus news, thanks to the good folks over at Hargreaves Lansdown, the burning question of whether Santa should get an annuity has been answered. The Bristol-based boffins have delved into the fat man’s vital statistics and come up trumps. But it wasn’t without its challenges. “Mythology tells us Father Christmas [...]
Art is long and life is short: Pop art policies December 22, 2014 DO YOU know where your life insurance policy is? According to Beagle Street, the life insurance arm of Compare The Market, most people have no idea where their important paper work is stored. To tackle this heinous truth, Beagle has hidden its policies in some specially commissioned artworks – that way you’ll always know where [...]
New director named at Gulf Keystone December 22, 2014 OIL FIRM Gulf Keystone has appointed Maria Darby-Walker as a non-executive director. Darby-Walker, who has counselled the boards of Rio Tinto, Cadbury, Rolls-Royce and Allen & Overy, as well as the Financial Conduct Authority, takes up her new role immediately.
Phoenix Equity Partners takes majority stake in Riviera Travel December 22, 2014 UK MIDDLE-market private equity firm Phoenix Equity Partners yesterday announced it had taken a majority stake in Riviera Travel, a British provider of escorted tour holidays and river cruises. Although terms were not disclosed, the deal is reported to be worth £130m. Riviera was advised on the transaction by PwC and Wragge Lawrence Graham & [...]
Thames Water awards contracts December 22, 2014 CONSTRUCTION firms Kier Group and Clancy Docwra have been named, in a joint venture, as a preferred bidder for Thames Water’s new £1bn alliance. The joint venture, KCD, will work alongside Agility, which comprises of J Murphy & Sons and Morrison Utility Services. The contract is expected to commence in April 2015 and will run [...]
Late pay by big companies is taking its toll on smaller firms December 22, 2014 LATE payments are placing a strain on the finances of small and medium-sized companies, new survey data shows today. Of the 925 firms surveyed, 66 per cent said they had experienced issues with late payments of invoices, according to data released by the Institute of Directors (IoD). Excessively bureaucratic payments systems were cited as the [...]