Birmingham landmark on sale in cut-price deal as value slashed in half March 11, 2025 A landmark office building in Birmingham city centre has been put up for sale for half what it was bought for in 2019. The Lewis Building and its adjoining neighbour Priory Court in Bull Street were acquired by Gulf Islamic Investments for £140m. The investor, which has offices in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, bought the [...]
The 13 skyscrapers set to redefine the City of London’s skyline March 4, 2025 The City of London Corporation has released new images visualising how the Square Mile’s skyline will look.
The London office market has ‘definitively turned’ as prime rents set to double February 27, 2025 Analysts have said the London office market has turned a corner after two major commercial real estate investors released positive results. Dewent London reported rental growth doubling to 4.3 per cent, the highest since 2016, and it expects estimated rental value growth – an estimate of the rent that a property could earn if it [...]
‘Once you legislate, people will rebel’: Why a vibes-based WFH policy is working for Vitality February 13, 2025 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 [...]
‘First of its kind’ sustainable skyscraper gets green light from City of London February 11, 2025 Planning permission for an innovative 33-story tower at the old headquarters of M&S has been approved by the City of London Corporation, the latest in a string of top-quality skyscrapers approved in the capital. The building at 70 Gracechurch Street, originally constructed in 1990s as the headquarters for Marks and Spencers, will deliver over 550,000 [...]
‘Prohibitive building costs’ stunting UK growth projects – Deloitte February 4, 2025 “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 [...]
EY to relocate 1,200 employees to new city office February 3, 2025 Professional services giant EY has revealed plans to relocate 1,200 employees in Birmingham to a new office. The move, scheduled for 2026, will see staff switch from One Colmore Square to Three Chamberlain Square, which is part of the Paradise Birmingham development. EY has been based at its office at One Colmore Square for the [...]
FTSE 100 giant Auto Trader gears up for £87m HQ move January 13, 2025 FTSE 100 giant Auto Trader has confirmed plans to relocate its headquarters from a building named after a Manchester legend to a new base worth £87m. The company is to leave its home at 1 Tony Wilson Place in First Street and move to Bruntwood SciTech’s 3 Circle Square in 2026. Auto Trader has been [...]
City rents rise as return to the office drives up demand for prime locations December 3, 2024 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. [...]