Chelsea enters the big league after Sadiq Khan signs off new £500m home March 6, 2017 Chelsea's £500m stadium expansion has been given the green light by Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, paving the way for a 50 per cent increase in the ground's capacity. The club, currently sitting at the top of the English Premier League, will expand within the tight constraints of its Fulham-based home. Match-day capacity at Stamford Bridge [...]
Stephen Hawking will be given Honorary Freedom of the City of London today March 6, 2017 Professor Stephen Hawking will be awarded the City's highest honour today, after he is given Honorary Freedom of the City of London. Hawking, whose research into black holes has transformed our understanding of the universe, will be presented with the award by the City of London Corporation at a ceremony at the Guildhall today. Dr Peter Kane, [...]
Sign up to City Giving Day to celebrate all the good the Square Mile does for the UK March 6, 2017 I had the great pleasure last Wednesday of launching the fourth City Giving Day which, I hope, will be the most successful yet. City Giving Day, which takes place on 26 September this year, is an excellent opportunity to shine a spotlight on the immense, positive change the City can – and does – make [...]
Getting Brexit ready? German rail operator revives plans for high-speed London to Frankfurt trains March 2, 2017 Express trains from London to Frankfurt might be on the agenda sooner than you'd think. High-speed trains from the capital to Germany's financial centre could be launched as early as 2020 in a move that would help the UK solidify links to mainland Europe in the wake of Brexit. According to The Times, the German rail [...]
The cost of talent and housing threaten London’s digital crown March 2, 2017 The government yesterday unveiled its digital strategy – an action plan for growing the digital economy and making the UK the best place in the world to start and grow a digital business. This ambition is undoubtedly very welcome. London is already the best place in Europe for digital startups and scaleups, boasting excellent access [...]
Heathrow’s environmental charm offensive: Airport plans to cut late-running departures to reduce noise for locals February 28, 2017 Heathrow has unveiled a new "sustainability strategy", setting out ambitious goals to reduce the airport's environmental impact including making growth from the third runway carbon neutral. It also plans to halve the number of late-running departures to reduce noise for local communities in a voluntary Quiet Night Charter. As part of this strategy, the airport has [...]
Future of Garden Bridge hanging in the balance, says London politician February 28, 2017 The future of the Garden Bridge is hanging in the balance, despite being cleared of financial irregularities, according to a London Assembly member. Vauxhall MP Kate Hoey had complained to the Charity Commission about the project, citing concerns about spending by the Garden Bridge trust. Earlier this year, the trustees admitted the project could cost [...]
Power failures causing delays on all routes to and from London Kings Cross February 28, 2017 Commuters trying to travel in or out of Kings Cross today are facing delays and disruption due to power failures. National Rail said a signalling problem between Finsbury Park and London Kings Cross is causing delays of up to 20 minutes on journeys to and from London Kings Cross. This is expected to continue until 12:00pm. [...]
The costs of running a business in London are starting to outweigh the benefits February 28, 2017 The late, great Robin Williams once said: “Spring is nature’s way of saying, ‘Let’s party’.” When the chancellor stands up to deliver the last ever Spring Budget next week, however, small businesses in London are likely to be putting party plans on hold unless Philip Hammond can pull the miraculous business rates “rabbit out of the [...]
With the deal looking dead, is the likely failure of the LSE-Deutsche Boerse merger good news for London? February 27, 2017 Daniel Hodson, former chief executive of LIFFE and non-executive director of The London Clearing House, says Yes. At the heart of both the rationale and risk to London for this transaction is clearing. The London Clearing House (LCH), 57 per cent owned by the London Stock Exchange (LSE), is a City icon, a multitrillion highly [...]