London house prices still marching upward January 18, 2015 LONDON house prices are 0.9 per cent higher this month than in December. The price of a residential property in Greater London increased by £5,314 on the month, figures released today by online market Rightmove reveal. There was a large disparity between the monthly price change in outer London – where prices dipped 0.5 per [...]
London record population of 8.6m will not cramp style January 18, 2015 London’s population is forecast to hit its highest-ever level this year, surpassing its pre-war peak of approximately 8.6m. Yet it remains one of the least densely populated major cities in the world, according to research by LSE Cities, based at the London School of Economics. “It is one of the least dense megacities [...]
SMEs fuel biggest demand for regional office space since crisis January 18, 2015 A RESURGENCE in demand from small and medium-sized enterprises in the regions helped boost office take-up to its highest level since the start of the downturn, according to research released today by CBRE. The property advisory firm said 6.35m square feet of office space was transacted on last year in the UK’s nine key regions [...]
Banks warn that Bitcoin could help terrorists January 18, 2015 CRYPTOCURRENCY Bitcoin could make it easier for terrorists to evade the intelligence services, according to Britain’s leading banks. In a document sent to the Treasury, the British Bankers’ Association (BBA) warned that the partial anonymity Bitcoin provides, and its structure as a peer-to-peer currency provide opportunities for criminals. The BBA said banks “need to be [...]
Centtrip: Leading FX entrepreneurs launch travel currency startup in London January 18, 2015 Three foreign exchange entrepreneurs will today launch a new travel money firm, Centtrip, a London-based startup which aims to cut currency conversion charges for consumers. Centtrip founders Tony North, Brian Jamieson and Daniel Butcher previously founded Schneider Foreign Exchange and HiFX, foreign exchange businesses that were recently sold for a combined £350m. “We are not [...]
Ex-M&S exec Simon Webster to lead Silvertown Quays regeneration in London’s Royal Docks January 18, 2015 Former Sainsbury’s and Marks and Spencer director Simon Webster has been appointed to lead the £3.5bn regeneration of Silvertown Quays in London’s Royal Docks. The Silvertown Partnership, a consortium of developers Chelsfield Properties, First Base and Macquarie Capital, said Webster has joined the team as managing director. He was previously managing director of The Goodman [...]
Active Private Equity set for £7m investment in Honest Burgers January 18, 2015 British investment firm Active Private Equity is set to take a stake in fast-growing gourmet burger chain Honest Burgers, it emerged yesterday. The venture capital and private equity specialist, which owns stakes in Evans cycles shops and Leon cafes, is reportedly investing £7m in return for 50 per cent of the business. Active’s Spencer Skinner [...]
Ex-Tesco chief Sir Terry Leahy backing staff discounts app Work Angel January 18, 2015 Former Tesco chief executive Sir Terry Leahy is reportedly leading a £3.3m funding round for smartphone startup Work Angel. Work Angel helps firms retain and reward staff with discounts and deals via a smartphone app. It was founded by serial entrepreneur Jamie True, who made an estimated £15m from the sale of his mobile app [...]
China-maker Wedgwood is put up for sale January 18, 2015 WATERFORD Wedgwood, the 250-year-old luxury china and glassware maker, has been put up for sale by its owners, six years after being rescued from the brink of collapse. KPS Capital Partners, the US private equity firm, has hired bankers at Goldman Sachs to find a buyer for WWRD, the owner of the Waterford, Wedgwood, Royal [...]
Tech division set to benefit as McLaren revs up for fundraising January 18, 2015 British car manufacturer McLaren has turned to investors in search of £300m, with two-thirds of the funds to be used to overhaul the company’s shareholder structure. The Woking-based firm will allot £100m of the fundraising to its prospering technology division. The remaining £200m will be handed back to the McLaren Technology’s existing investors, chief executive [...]
