B&Q owner Kingfisher sells underperforming Romanian arm December 18, 2024 Kingfisher has agreed to sell its Brico Dépôt Romania business for £58m to Altex Romania. The sale, which is expected to be completed in the first half of the next financial year, comprises the entire Brico Dépôt Romania business, including its network of 31 stores in 24 cities, distribution operations, and head office in Bucharest. It [...]
Heathrow to invest £2.3bn as Ardian and Saudis take stake December 18, 2024 Heathrow's investment is an uplift from prior forecasts of around £244m and will be used for upgrades across all its terminals.
Inflation spike ‘raises questions’ over health of UK economy December 18, 2024 The spike in inflation to 2.6 per cent today has raised questions about the health of the UK economy, according to analysts. The news comes ahead of the Bank of England’s meeting to decide the path of interest rates tomorrow, with markets agreeing that combined with higher-than-expected wage growth yesterday, a cut is off the [...]
National Grid plans to double energy transmission with huge investment December 18, 2024 National Grid said its business plan would be the "most significant step forward in the UK's transmission network for a generation."
Shoe Zone: Firm slams Budget tax hikes as it’s forced to close ‘unviable’ stores December 18, 2024 Shoe Zone has said it has been forced to close “a number” of stores following higher costs announced in the Autumn budget. The affordable footwear company said a combination of lower consumer confidence following the budget, plus “significant additional costs” due to the increases in National Insurance and the National Living Wage, have made the stores [...]
UK inflation spikes ahead of Bank of England rates decision December 18, 2024 UK inflation spiked to 2.6 per cent ahead of the Bank of England’s meeting to decide interest rates later this week. Year-on-year inflation matched expectations of 2.6 per cent in November, up from 2.3 per cent in October, data from the Office for National Statistics revealed. Meanwhile, core inflation, which strips out volatile commodities like [...]
Why Canary Wharf has just topped the list of UK retail destinations December 18, 2024 The phrase ‘London retail’ tends to conjure up images of crowds on Oxford Street, boutiques in Marylebone or Chelsea, maybe a Westfield. Green Street, however, has just rated Canary Wharf as the number one retail destination in not only London, but the UK as a whole. Canary Wharf is certainly having a good year: In [...]
Ministers push back decision on Luton Airport expansion for third time December 17, 2024 Luton Airport wants to increase passenger capacity from 18m to 32m per year through a £2.4bn expansion project.
Lack of bids keeps 17,000 homes stuck in development purgatory December 17, 2024 Around 17,000 affordable homes are stuck in development purgatory due to a lack of demand from housing providers, according to new research. Under the English planning system, housing developments must set aside a proportion of the site for affordable housing via a Section 106 deal. These Section 106 houses have become an increasingly important mechanism [...]
Navantia on cusp of £70m rescue deal for Titanic shipyard Harland & Wolff December 17, 2024 Ministers are hoping to announce Harland's acquisition by the Spanish shipbuilder Navantia as early as Thursday, according to Sky News.
