If the government is serious about growth it should approve Shoreditch Works Opinion Shoreditch Works will deliver new homes, jobs and beautiful buildings that will improve the neighbourhood – so why is a Labour council on the edge of Keir Starmer’s constituency set to reject it? Asks Nicholas Boys Smith Like it or not, some development is inescapably controversial. Wind turbines leering over a cherished landscape; ticky-tacky, could [...]
Multi-billion Earls Court redevelopment given green light News A £10bn masterplan to redevelop the former Earls Court Exhibition Centres has been given the green light by Hammersmith council. The planning committee unanimously agreed to grant planning permission for the 44-acre site, which will be transformed as a new neighbourhood with around 4,000 homes in addition to leisure and cultural venues. “Earls Court will [...]
London Docklands might get a new 820-home development Property A new 820-home planning application in the Docklands has been submitted in what could be a major housebuilding scheme for the capital. The 54-storey scheme, submitted by Areli Developments, would occupy 77 Marsh Wall in Canary Wharf. Rob Tincknell, founder and CEO at Areli, said it would be a “landmark building… for all types of [...]
Stanhope and Cheyne buy ‘landmark’ South Bank office development September 17, 2025 Asset manager Stanhope and fund manager Cheyne have bought a ‘landmark’ office development on London’s South Bank with a gross development value of £450m. Construction on the already-demolished Row One site, which totals 250,000sq ft, is expected to start as soon as next year and be completed in 2028. Joe Binns, head of investment at Stanhope, called the acquisition [...]
The secret to London’s last housing boom? Less paperwork July 9, 2025 The last time London built enough houses was almost 100 years ago, when planning applications were just three pages long and took just weeks to approve, finds Sam Dumitriu Labour were elected on a pledge to build 1.5m homes. And Mayor Sadiq Khan has clear instructions from the Deputy PM: “build more homes!” In fact, [...]
Berkeley notes rising demand for new homes as profit drops June 20, 2025 Housebuilder Berkeley has stated that it is ‘fully aligned with’ and ‘committed to’ the government’s ambitious housing agenda, despite a decline in annual profit. The FTSE 250 company told markets this morning that its profit before tax fell 5.1 per cent in the last financial year, from £557.3m to £528.9m. Its operating margin improved from [...]
Government slashes red tape to tackle housing crisis May 28, 2025 The government will slash red tape to get more construction by smaller building firms off the ground, and to “get working people on the housing ladder,” Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has said as Labour looks to promote its pro-business credentials. A relaxation of environmental protections is expected, including Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) requirements which [...]
London needs more office space to remain Europe’s HQ April 4, 2025 Offices are integral to London’s offer as a global city, but cost pressures and green regulations are strangling the development pipeline, says Paul Williams We all want the UK to succeed, we all want communities across the UK to thrive – and growth in London is essential for the UK as a whole to prosper. [...]
Teesworks shareholders get huge pay day as turnover and profit plummet January 2, 2025 Shareholders in the controversial Teesworks development in the North East have received a bumper pay day despite profit and turnover plummeting at the controversial site. The site has been in the headlines since the company behind the scheme became the target of a government investigation in the wake of 90 per cent of its ownership [...]
The real reason Britain doesn’t build November 11, 2024 Planning isn’t the only reason we have a housing shortage, too many developments just aren’t economically viable, says Melanie Leech The government is undoubtedly right to focus its efforts on reforming the planning system. Ask the anyone in the property industry and they will say that the system is complex, burdensome, under-resourced, and prone to [...]