Plans unveiled for £100m underground development in West End November 6, 2019 Plans have been submitted for a £100m underground development to expand the Harley Street medical area in London’s West End. The 280,000 sq ft development beneath Cavendish Square – one of the capital’s original Georgian squares – will house healthcare facilities as well as retail and leisure spaces. Read more: West End landlord Shaftesbury unaffected [...]
Redrow suffers shareholder revolt over chairman role and executive pay November 6, 2019 Housebuilder Redrow suffered a shareholder revolt at its annual general meeting today as around a third of investors voted against the appointment of its executive chairman and payment plans for senior management. At the meeting in central London today, 31.38 per cent of shareholders voted against the re-appointment of John Tutte as executive chairman, while [...]
Competition and Markets Authority approves £1.4bn Unite Students acquisition of Liberty Living November 6, 2019 The UK competition watchdog has approved the £1.4bn acquisition of student accommodation provider Liberty Living by rival firm Unite Students. The Competition and Markets Authority announced today that it has decided not to escalate its investigation into the merger to a stage two inquiry after seeking comment from interested parties on whether the take over [...]
Intu braced for income drop as retail CVAs take a toll November 6, 2019 Shopping centre owner Intu is expecting to report a sharp drop in rental income for 2019 after a higher-than-anticipated volume of insolvencies from its occupants. Shares in the group tumbled 13 per cent after the bell this morning as the real estate giant revealed that it might have to sell off assets or make a [...]
One Liverpool Street: City of London approves Crossrail entrance office block November 5, 2019 Plans to build a 10-storey office building at Liverpool Street’s future Crossrail entrance have been approved, despite concerns from City heritage groups. One Liverpool Street will be run by asset managers Aviva Investors, through a joint venture with Transport for London (TfL), and will replace an existing six-storey office block. Read more: Crossrail at risk [...]
Wework rival IWG boosts revenue as franchise business expands November 5, 2019 Wework rival IWG boosted revenue in the third quarter as the flexible office space provider built momentum with its expansion plans and international franchise business. IWG reported a 9.4 per cent increase in revenue to £692.3m in the three months to 30 September, driven by the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and US markets. [...]
Government ‘failed to deliver starter homes promise’ November 5, 2019 Ministers failed to deliver on a promise to build 200,000 new starter homes, despite announcing a £2bn investment to support the project, according to the government spending watchdog. Starter homes were intended to be houses built for first-time buyers under the age of 40 and sold at a 20 per cent discount, and in 2015 [...]
‘Distressing decline’: UK construction sector contracts again November 4, 2019 The UK construction sector shrank once again in October, survey data has shown, with civil engineering suffering its worst month in a decade as Brexit uncertainty continued to plague the industry. Read more: UK economy to hit decade low even with Brexit deal, report warns The construction purchasing managers’ index (PMI) – a gauge of [...]
The neo townhouse: These enduringly popular London homes are getting a modern makeover November 4, 2019 London is an architectural patchwork of cottages and terraces, mansion flats, mews and tower blocks. And then there’s the townhouse. Definitions vary for this apparently all-encompassing name – for what is a townhouse? Is it no more than a house in town? If so, what is a “town”? Or is it a particular kind of [...]
Wework hits the brakes on London expansion after Softbank rescue deal November 1, 2019 Wework’s new owner has put its London expansion plans under review after Softbank stepped in with a massive bailout for the company, it is reported. The co-working space giant, which scrapped plans for an initial public offering (IPO) this year, has paused 28 possible deals as Softbank seeks to change tack. Read more: Wework ‘could [...]