Britain’s ageing population could boost economic growth – if we adapt June 25, 2015 The UK and other western economies face the prospect of an ageing population. As the post-war baby boomers grow older, and people live longer, the number of over-65s in the UK is expected to nearly double by 2050. This is often seen as a problem for society, leading to higher health care and social costs, [...]
Don’t write off startups as a threat to your company: Collaboration benefits all June 25, 2015 Digital disruption is snapping at the heels of London’s corporates. Many are only just waking up to the fact that tech startups like Zoopla, Skype and Funding Circle – all less than 10 years old and bred in the capital – have become billion dollar “unicorn” companies, rewriting the rules of whole industries. In [...]
With no deal yet, has the IMF compromised its credibility in its handling of Greece’s bailouts? June 25, 2015 Vicky Pryce, chief economic adviser at CEBR, says Yes Greece was the IMF’s biggest rescue ever. The austerity measures it imposed may have worked for developing countries that could devalue, but they were not appropriate for a developed country like Greece, a member of the Eurozone. The IMF admitted in a 2013 study that it [...]
As the first homes go on sale in Canary Wharf: Is this the death of the commute? June 25, 2015 Since its inception in the 1980s, Canary Wharf has come to epitomise modern business. But until this week, no one could live there. The Canary Wharf Group, the development company responsible for the entire estate, has unveiled its first show home this week – and City A.M. has exclusive pictures of what’s inside. So whether [...]
Cezary Bednarski’s Notting Hill home: Don’t buy your dream house, build it June 25, 2015 In the 1970s, Cezary Bednarski’s home was a derelict playground for undesirables filled with needles, rubbish and used condoms. The 109sqm plot of land was the site of a demolished Victorian house and an eyesore in the quickly-gentrifying neighbourhood of Notting Hill. The council finally decided to sell it off at auction, where it caught [...]
Return of London’s mansions: The former homes of aristocrats are being converted June 25, 2015 It isn’t often that a prestigious street in London falls out of favour. You won’t see a regeneration of Eaton Square or the King’s Road any time soon. But Connaught Place, a handsome street lined with Georgian mansion blocks overlooking Hyde Park, was the Belgravia of pre-war London and it’s experiencing a resurgence in popularity. [...]
Buying new build homes in bulk? It’s big business if you can get it June 25, 2015 Steady yourselves – block buyers are back. I’ve noticed this trend as I’ve been more involved in residential developments and investments recently and there’s a feeling out there that they’ve returned in numbers. Unlike the last time block buyers abounded – which was in the run up to the last peak in 2007 – current [...]
New beginnings in north London: Woodberry Down joins regeneration move June 25, 2015 Most of London’s council estates have been used in a film as an “edgy, urban” backdrop at some point. But Woodberry Down, one of the largest housing redevelopments in Britain, had the dubious honour of being used as a stand-in for the Warsaw ghetto in Schindler’s List. You may not have heard of it, [...]
London barometer: Estate agent hype was overzealous on house sales June 25, 2015 Post-election, the jury is out on sales – but we can conclude that estate agent hype was overzealous. According to recent figures and our experience, homeowners now spend about three times longer in their properties than a decade ago. With new buyer registrations up 10 per cent between April and May alone, stock levels [...]
Will British house buyers learn to love apartments? June 25, 2015 With space running out in the city’s most prestigious districts, developers are desperate for Londoners to embrace the apartment building. But buyers have clung to their period townhouses around neat garden squares for centuries and not everyone is finding the transition to lofty glass towers so easy. But the team behind this penthouse at [...]
