Placing London in Tier 3 would deliver ‘killer blow’ for hospitality venues December 8, 2020 Placing London in Tier 3 would represent a “killer blow” for the capital’s hospitality venues, the UK’s leading business bodies have told City A.M, amid fears that tougher restrictions lie on the horizon following a rise in infections. Latest data from Public Health England showed that London’s infection rate now stands at 169.6 per 100,000 [...]
Ofgem unveils £40bn spending package but cuts investor returns for next price control period December 8, 2020 The UK’s energy companies will be able to spend a combined £40bn in investment into the country’s energy networks over the next five years, but will see returns limited under stricter new rules from Ofgem. This morning the energy regulator laid out its plans for the next “price control” period, which runs from 2021 to [...]
Exclusive: Enviva’s CEO on biomass, climate change and pandemic challenges December 7, 2020 As climate change efforts and environmental considerations are increasingly an integral part of any mature investment strategy, investors turn more and more to providers of alternative energies. One of those solutions is biomass energy. City firms, however, are divided over whether they should pump capital into biomass as the technology of burning raw substances for energy [...]
Sadiq Khan calls for Sunak to U-turn on scrapping VAT exemption for tourists December 7, 2020 Sadiq Khan has added his voice to the chorus of figures calling for Rishi Sunak to U-turn on his decision to scrap the UK’s VAT exemption for tourists. Khan today said the move would be “hugely counter-productive” as the UK economy recovers from the Covid crisis next year and that revenue lost from the change [...]
Tory mayoral candidate calls for Night Tube and Waterloo & City line to open December 7, 2020 Tory mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey is urging Sadiq Khan to reopen the entire London Underground network, including the Night Tube and City & Waterloo line. Bailey also called for all Transport for London (TfL) staff to be given a free flu jab this winter. TfL closed the City & Waterloo line – which is a [...]
Sadiq Khan launches £1m Resilience Fund for London’s post-pandemic recovery December 4, 2020 The Mayor of London announced the launch of a £1m Resilience Fund, partnering community groups and innovation experts to tackle London’s most pressing challenges. The Resilience Fund will be delivered in partnership with Nesta Challenges, an innovation foundation. Local authorities, public agencies, social enterprise will be asked to identify specific challenges they need solved. Sadiq [...]
Only 3,600 households have signed up to Sadiq Khan’s energy company December 3, 2020 Fewer than 4,000 London households have signed up to Sadiq Khan’s green energy company that he set up this year for £3.2m. City Hall figures shows that London Power has just 3,658 customers, meaning City Hall has spent £875 per customer. London Power, which is run by Octopus Energy, was set up by City Hall [...]
Government agrees £825m loan to finish Crossrail December 1, 2020 The government has agreed a £825m loan to finance the completion Crossrail train link, Grant Shapps today announced. Writing on Twitter, Shapps said that the loan was a “fair dal for taxpayers across the UK”. The loan takes the total cost of the project, which has been plagued by difficulties over its lifespan, to £18.6bn. [...]
Tiers are here to stay until vaccine rollout, says minister November 27, 2020 England’s three-tier system is designed to stay in place until a vaccine becomes available to the general population, housing minister Robert Jenrick said this morning. “The point of the tiered approach is, can we get tiers that are sufficiently robust to steer the country through the last few months before we manage to get the [...]
Coronavirus cases ‘levelling off’ across England ahead of three-tier system November 26, 2020 Coronavirus cases have begun to level off across most of England, with London reporting a decrease in new infections over the past week, according to the latest official data. Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed cases in the west Midlands, east of England, London and the south are now decreasing. The highest [...]