Most UK pubs to stay closed under April beer garden plans, trade body warns February 16, 2021 Most UK pubs will be unable to open under proposals to allow outdoor trading to resume in April, the industry’s trade association has warned. The British Beer & Pub Association today said 29,000 UK pubs will still remain closed if outdoor service resumes in April as they do not have big enough beer gardens to [...]
City of London waives fee for restaurant outdoor dining licences February 16, 2021 Restaurants in the City of London will not be charged in order to provide outdoor seating areas after Square Mile authorities extended its policy on free pavement licences. The City of London Corporation has today agreed to continue issuing pavement licenses free of charge for “suitable premises” for a further six months. Some of the [...]
Booze subscription service Virgin Wines to list on AIM in £100m move February 16, 2021 Booze subscription service Virgin Wines to list on AIM in £100m move
Storage firm Safestore hails ‘excellent’ UK trading February 16, 2021 Safestore, the self-storage firm, said full-year earnings are likely to hit the top end of expectations following strong trading in the first quarter, driven by an “excellent” UK result. Group revenue was up 9.8 per cent and like-for-like sales were up 6.6 per cent, with a 8.3 per cent surge in UK sales. Occupancy increased [...]
Countrywide shareholders approve £223m Connells takeover February 16, 2021 Shareholders of estate agent chain Countrywide last night approved a takeover offer from rival firm Connells, valuing the company at around £223.1m. Countrywide, which owns high street estate agent brands including Bairstow Eves and Hamptons, said 99.58 per cent of scheme shares backed the proposals, while just 0.42 per cent opposed the deal. In December [...]
FTSE 100 follows global markets higher, as 15m Brits get first jab February 15, 2021 FTSE 100 follows global markets higher, as 15m Brits get first jab
UK house prices record surprise jump despite looming stamp duty deadline February 15, 2021 UK house prices recorded a surprise jump this month as buyers were undeterred by the looming stamp duty holiday deadline. After three consecutive monthly falls the average price of property coming to market increased 0.5 per cent – or £1,511 – this month. The number of new buyers has continued to grow despite the fact [...]
Russian budget retailer Fix Price targets London listing February 15, 2021 Russian budget retailer Fix Price this morning announced plans to launch a London listing. The company, which is the largest value retailer in Russia, said the potential initial public offering on the London Stock Exchange would allow it to pursue growth and international expansion. Fix Price, which launched in 2007, has more than 4,200 stores [...]
Mitchells & Butlers seeks £350m cash injection as major shareholders take control February 15, 2021 Major shareholders in Mitchells & Butlers (M&B), the owner of All Bar One and Toby Carvery, have taken control of the pub group as it seeks to raise £350m to keep it afloat. The firm said this morning that it intends to raise £350m through an underwritten fully preemptive open offer to address its “significant [...]
London property developer Avanton launches £500m build-to-rent fund February 15, 2021 London property developer Avanton has launched a £500m fund to build new rental homes in the capital. The company said the fund will be used to buy land in inner London boroughs and deliver 5,000 build-to-rent homes by 2023, in a vote of confidence in the city’s recovery after Covid. It said that “despite the [...]
