UK house prices: First-time home buyers priced out of market July 2, 2015 Annual house price growth has slowed to a two-year low, according to a major mortgage provider. But months of fast growth has left first-time buyers struggling to put deposits together, despite government programmes to help them. House prices were 3.3 per cent higher in June than in the same month last year, Nationwide said. It [...]
London planning permission approvals for new houses soar July 2, 2015 A surge in planning approvals for new houses in London has lifted the prospects for building. London boroughs granted planning permission to 11,870 homes during the first three months of the year, estate agent Stirling Ackroyd said today. If that rate continued, 47,460 homes would be given planning permission this year. [...]
Persimmon reports jump in sales July 2, 2015 Housebuilder Persimmon has posted a jump in sales for the first half of the year, boosted by a pick-up in consumer confidence following the General Election. Legal completions increased by seven per cent to 6,855 new homes, while total revenue surged by 12 per cent to £1.34bn in the six months to 30 June. [...]
Europe ready to boost stimulus July 2, 2015 THE EUROZONE could be preparing to beef up stimulus measures in response to further turmoil in Greece. The European Central Bank (ECB), which sets the Eurozone’s monetary policy, yesterday raised the number of organisations whose debt it could buy. When the quantitative easing (QE) programme was launched in March, the plan was to use newly [...]
Small firms not prepared for pension change July 2, 2015 SMALL businesses will struggle with the cost of the government’s auto-enrolment pension scheme, new survey figures reveal. The scheme requires both employer and employee to pay into a savings pot with tax breaks. But more than one in three firms with less than 10 employees said they would have to cap salaries or bonuses as [...]
Cider loses appeal for C&C Group July 2, 2015 COLD weather in May has put pub-goers off ice-filled pints of cider, the maker of Magners and Bulmers said yesterday. C&C Group, which also makes Tennent’s Lager, said revenues between March and the end of June were lower than expected – paving the way for flat earnings growth this year. A drink driving clampdown in [...]
Apprentice star courted success with date club July 2, 2015 THE ELITE and discreet London Dinner Club is launching an exclusive matchmaking service for its long guest list of chief executives, managers and bankers – and former Apprentice contestant Sarah Dales has already found herself successful. Dales, who Apprentice lovers will remember left the show when Sir Alan Sugar fired three contestants at once to speed [...]
Henley Royal Regatta 2015: Mid-race maritime mayhem as oars melt in heatwave July 2, 2015 We’ve had melting oars, searing hangovers and some seriously questionable fashion choices this week. It can only mean one thing; the Henley Royal Regatta is back. The annual event, dating back to 1839, always takes place from Wednesday to Sunday. Lucky attendees move in their thousands from London to Oxfordshire this time of year for [...]
Sculpture comeback in the square mile July 2, 2015 Have you seen the art popping up inthe Square Mile recently? Annual exhibition Sculpture in the City is back for its fifth year next week, adding a bit of colour to your day. Keep your eyes peeled for sculptures and artworks from artists like Ai Weiwei and Damien Hirst.
China in the throes of investment fever: Ordinary Chinese gripped by buzz of stock market speculation July 2, 2015 Three years ago China was in the grip of a walnut investing bubble. In an episode akin to 17th century tulip mania, wealthy Chinese paid up to £3,000 (¥30,000) for a pair of walnuts which cost £36 (¥350) several years prior. In the belief that rolling a nut in the palm of the hand [...]
