‘Once you legislate, people will rebel’: Why a vibes-based WFH policy is working for Vitality insurance The debate-stirring issue of working from home (WFH) has never been far from the headlines so far in 2025. The likes of FTSE 100 giant WPP, Lord Alan Sugar and London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan have all made waves with where they stand on the topic. Now Neville Koopowitz, the chief executive of health and [...]
‘Prohibitive building costs’ stunting UK growth projects – Deloitte Property “Prohibitive costs” involved in construction projects in major UK cities led to a sharp decline in the number of new developments breaking ground in 2024, according to a new report from Deloitte. Deloitte’s latest Regional Crane Surveys, which covers the central areas of Belfast, Birmingham, Leeds and Manchester, has revealed the number of new starts [...]
City rents rise as return to the office drives up demand for prime locations Property Available office space in London’s most sought-after areas has slumped to near record lows as businesses continue to reverse pandemic-era working from home rules. According to global property consultancy Knight Frank, availability in newly constructed office buildings has fallen to 0.3 per cent in the West End Core – which includes Mayfair and St James’s [...]
Wework: UK firm owes almost £840m to bankruptcy-hit US owner November 28, 2024 The UK arm of troubled US co-working startup Wework lost almost £150m in the year before its parent company filed for bankruptcy. The division suffered a pre-tax loss of £147.9m in 2023, according to newly-filed accounts with Companies House. The latest figure comes after the arm racked up a pre-tax loss of £122.6m in 2022. [...]
Leeds landmark sold for almost £80m in city’s biggest deal for over five years October 8, 2024 A landmark building in the heart of Leeds’ financial district has been sold for almost £80m in the city’s largest office deal for more than five years. Ashtrom Properties UK has acquired Central Square, which is home to the likes of M&S, PwC an Sky, for £78m. Central Square comprises 217,249 sq ft of office [...]
Office Depot owner loses over £50m ahead of quitting UK thanks to working from home trend October 2, 2024 OT Group, the owner of Office Depot and the Spicers wholesale brand, lost more than £50m in the year before it revealed plans to quit the UK. The Greater Manchester-headquartered group has posted a pre-tax loss of £52.5m for 2023, having also lost £15.8m in 2022. Newly-filed accounts with Companies House also reveal that turnover [...]
BNY signs deal for major Manchester office in city centre landmark September 12, 2024 BNY (The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation) has signed a deal to for a major new office in Manchester city centre. The bank will be the single occupier of 4 Angel Square in the NOMA district when was completed in September last year. The global financial services company will be relocating its existing Manchester [...]
‘Critical growth hub’: Hedge funds drive demand for office space in London July 19, 2024 Over $13.1 trillion (£10.4 trillion) in assets are managed in London, and the capital has remained the world's second-largest centre for hedge funds and private equity firms globally after New York.
London landlords struggle to shift office space due to high rates and hybrid work July 10, 2024 Landlords wanting to shift large London office this year have struggled to find a willing buyer, as nerves over hybrid working and higher interest rates continue to plague the upper end of a market that is still yet fully to recover from the pandemic.