Mortgage borrowing rises in January as landlords race for stamp duty deadline March 17, 2016 Would-be landlords made a mad dash to secure mortgages in January as new rules on stamp duty for buy-to-let homes loomed, new figures show. Data from the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) shows landlords borrowed £3.7bn in January, up nine per cent from the month before – but a whopping 42 per cent year on year. New [...]
Battersea Power Station unveils the first “local, artisanal” tenants at its Circus West retail development March 17, 2016 Battersea Power Station has unveiled the first of the tenants for its Circus West retail development – and there's a decidedly olde worlde feel about them. The team behind the giant development, which will eventually include thousands of homes, shops and offices – as well as leisure space and parkland – said each of the [...]
Scheme is full steam ahead: Battersea boss hits back at fears that investors are fleeing March 16, 2016 The developer behind the £8bn regeneration of Battersea Power Station has sought to quash fears of investors fleeing the site after warning signs that a glut in new build homes, tougher tax rules, and currency turmoil in foreign markets is weighing on London's prime property market. Speaking to City A.M. in Cannes, Rob Tincknell, chief executive [...]
London remains top investment location for Middle East despite Brexit fears March 16, 2016 Wealthy Middle Eastern investors still rank London as their top city of choice for real estate investment, despite increased uncertainty in the market ahead of the EU referendum, new research shows. A joint survey conducted by estate agency Cluttons and YouGov of 127 high net worth investors from Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman and [...]
M&G backs £200m Snowhill scheme in Birmingham, as part of a 20 year master plan to turn the area into a business hub March 16, 2016 Fund manager M&G real estate has swooped in to back the £200m construction of Birmingham's Three Snowhill, in what will be one of the largest city office schemes to be built outside London. The 420,000 square feet building, which is being built speculatively by developers Ballymore, is part of a wider 20-year master plan to [...]
Budget 2016: Commercial stamp duty cut for small firms while large-scale buyers get hit March 16, 2016 Commercial stamp duty has been cut by the chancellor George Osborne in the 2016 Budget, while the government is set to go ahead with plans to increase a duty on buy to let properties and second homes. The stamp duty on commercial property will have a zero rate band on purchases up to £150,000; a two per cent rate on [...]
London house prices: Boris Johnson unveils plans to create 24,000 homes and 60,000 jobs in Royal Docks, East London March 16, 2016 Move over Canary Wharf, there's a new East London business hub coming to town (maybe). Boris Johnson has revealed plans to create 24,000 new homes and 60,000 jobs in East London today, as he heads to City Hall for his last ever Mayor's Question Time. The Royal Docks are already a hive of activity ahead of the [...]
John Lewis boss talks about “the Midlands Engine” and why Birmingham is the next major economic hub March 15, 2016 John Lewis boss Andy Street says Brum is booming, as he talks up the city in Cannes. Andy Street may be better known as managing director of one of the UK's biggest department stores John Lewis, but the Brummie born and bred was in Cannes donning a different cap today, promoting his home town as [...]
The LCCM, Amy Winehouse’s former music school, is moving to The Music Box on the Southwark – and you could too March 15, 2016 Hear the stars of tomorrow rehearsing in the comfort of your own home by investing in the latest cultural centre around the South Bank. The latest apartments have gone on sale at The Music Box, a new housing development that incorporates the London Centre for Contemporary Music (LCCM). The school, which counts Amy Winehouse among its alumni, [...]
Silvertown Partnership prepares shortlist for funding of Royal Docks £3.5bn scheme March 15, 2016 The developers behind the £3.5bn regeneration of Silvertown Quays in London’s Royal Docks are in talks with several investors about the next stage of funding as work on the first phase of the 62-acre scheme gets underway. The Silvertown Partnership, a consortium of developers made up of Chelsfield Properties, First Base and Macquarie Capital, are currently [...]