London Land Commission: The capital has room for 130,000 new homes January 26, 2016 London has room for at least 130,000 new homes on surplus land owned by the public sector, according to a report released today. The London Land Commission, which is co-chaired by the mayor and housing minister, has published an interactive map showing which parts of London are owned by public organisations such as boroughs, the police and transport [...]
Visa’s contactless payments soar by 250pc in the UK, as firm reports record revenues in Europe January 26, 2016 Cash is no longer king in the UK, where Visa Europe's contactless payments soared by 250 per cent last year. The electronic payments business said that people purchasing items by waving their Visa credit or debit cards over payment terminals now accounts for 1-in-7 of their transactions in the UK, up from just 1-in-25 a year [...]
How the next mayor can turn London into a truly digital city January 26, 2016 In a little over three months, Londoners will elect a new mayor. When we last went to the polls in 2012, London’s tech industry was only just starting to bloom, but since then it has gone on to become the driving force of the capital’s economy. The next mayor will take the helm of the undisputed [...]
How we can mobilise public sector land to build the homes London needs January 26, 2016 In 1941, under tremendous pressure to increase food production, the war cabinet commissioned a National Farm Survey. It sought to identify uncultivated agricultural land, as well as new land to support the dig for victory. It resulted in 36,000 maps and was nicknamed the “Second Domesday Book”. Under pressure to identify land for new homes [...]
Focus On Hackney Wick: Lack of homes and riverside cool is driving up prices on the edge of the Olympic Park January 25, 2016 With its disused warehouses and abandoned commercial buildings lining the banks of Regent’s Canal, a visit to Hackney Wick may not overwhelm you with its promise initially. But look a bit deeper into its property market and the potential of this industrial plain is clear to see. “Hackney Wick is one of east London’s most [...]
Plans for five-storey office block above Farringdon Crossrail station win approval January 25, 2016 Plans to build a major new office building above Farringdon Crossrail station have been given the go-ahead by City planners today, with construction expected to start next year. Designed by PLP Architecture – the architects behind Lipton Rogers and Axa Real Estate's 22 Bishopsgate skyscraper – the five-storey building will sit above the station's eastern ticket hall on [...]
Tube strike 2016: RMT has called off action scheduled for 26 January at 11th hour – but February’s strikes could still be on January 25, 2016 Update: The UK's largest transport union RMT has called off this week's Tube strike, after receiving a new pay deal from Transport for London. The Tube strike was due to start at 9.15pm on Tuesday 26 January and run until the same time on Wednesday 27 January. This was then to be followed by two further 24 hour strikes [...]
Alan Johnson talks Labour’s relationship with business, its prospects in 2020 and the EU referendum January 25, 2016 Labour is a party in disarray. Under the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn, it is struggling to connect with the public and earn back the confidence of business. Some polls have Labour commanding just 25 per cent of the national vote. And it does not help that the party’s MPs seem constantly embroiled in public rows [...]
Government sells stake in King’s Cross development for £371m to AustralianSuper January 22, 2016 The government has sold it stake in the King's Cross development – currently part-way through a process that will overhaul the 67-acre site – to pension fund AustralianSuper, for £371m. The decision to sell the site was made back in August, when Lazard and Savills were hired to handle the deal. The government's 36.5 per cent stake [...]
London house prices: Crossrail has made Hounslow Emoov’s top tip for first-time buyers who don’t want to break the bank – but would like a healthy return January 22, 2016 The UK property seesaw consists of two influential factors, with house prices at one end and the demand for said housing at the other. The changing face of the London property landscape means there is a tussle between boroughs, as the once desirable become unaffordable, and the not so desirable become the new hotspots – Brixton, for example. [...]