First-time buyer price inflation nears 10 per cent as London house prices shoot past £500k November 6, 2021 First-time buyer annual house price inflation is now at a five-month high, at 9.2 per cent, and has pushed ahead of the equivalent measure for home movers, at 8.1 per cent, according to property experts. In London, the average house prices have shot passed £500k. The average UK house price hit a record high of [...]
Focus On: Islington – An area that has all a savvy buyer needs November 5, 2021 One of those neighbourhoods that has it all, Islington combines lively restaurants and bars, inviting pubs and attractive residential areas with Georgian townhouses, garden squares and quaint terraces. Less bourgeois than west London, it attracts a mix of high-earning middle class millennials and boomers, families, and hipster house sharers with a liking for arts and [...]
COP26: Global pact will ‘consign coal to history’ says Alok Sharma – CityAM : CityAM November 4, 2021 The end of coal production is in sight, argues Cop26 president and cabinet minister Alok Sharma, as 46 countries agree to phase out the world’s most polluting energy source. Coal is responsible for 46 per cent of carbon dioxide emissions worldwide. The countries have committed to ending coal power usage in the 2030s across major [...]
COP26: China, US, India and Australia absent from global coal pact November 4, 2021 China, US, and India and Australia have not joined 48 nations pledging to phase out coal production. All four countries are collectively responsible for over 50 per cent of coal emissions. The pact was agreed at the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow, and commits countries to ending coal power usage in the 2030s across major [...]
Cherries on top: Bournemouth and Scott Parker the perfect match November 3, 2021 Tonight on the south coast, AFC Bournemouth will be looking to continue a start to the Championship season that has gone from impressive to record-breaking. Heading into their match against struggling Preston North End, the Cherries have amassed 37 points from their opening 15 games, with a positive goal difference of 18. That’s the best [...]
Promoting ESG to align the insurance industry to new stakeholder demands November 2, 2021 The global re/insurance industry faces both asset and liability exposure to the climate crisis, as well as opportunities to drive meaningful progress towards global resilience. As a result, insurance and reinsurance are crucial elements in a successful and inclusive transition to a green economy, helping clients to implement ESG mandates, as well as focusing on [...]
£19bn Crossrail mess: Uncertainty over how loans will be repaid while £150m funding gap looms October 29, 2021 The estimated cost of completing London’s new east-west railway exceeds current available funding by £150m, according to a new report by the Commons’ Public Accounts Committee (PAC). Moreover, Crossrail is facing a “serious” funding gap and there is uncertainty over how loans will be repaid, MPs have warned. The predicted cost of finishing the project [...]
London titans fear business rates relief cap will leave them with ‘same old headache’ October 28, 2021 Central London businesses and landlords have been left disappointed after a cap on a new business rates discount. At the dispatch box on Wednesday, Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced a one-year discount of 50 per cent for businesses in the hospitality, retail and leisure sectors. Eligible businesses will be able to claim a discount on their [...]
Why sport is playing against the clock when it comes to the climate crisis October 26, 2021 It is becoming increasingly apparent that the climate crisis touches everything and sport – often played outdoors and shaped by the weather – is, not surprisingly, no exception. Winter sports are in serious trouble. Alpine glaciers and skiing seasons are rapidly shrinking. Not a single event on last year’s biathlon circuit could proceed without using [...]
Driving in London: Calls for one-month ULEZ pollution charge amnesty October 26, 2021 City Hall Tories are calling for the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, to provide a one-month fines amnesty for drivers who fail to pay the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) charge during the first month of the expanded zone. Drivers of vehicles which do not comply with minimum emissions standards are being charged £12.50 to [...]