Office cycle bays risk being spectacular ‘eco-own goal’ February 14, 2025 A property group has warned that London’s cycling policy is actually harming the environment, with too many cycle bays and not enough cyclists to fill them. The City Property Association (CPA) has calculated that under the current London Plan, the City of London’s target to deliver 1.2 million sqm of new office space by 2040 [...]
Shein: Tariffs and cheap goods crackdown could hit London listing February 14, 2025 Fast-fashion retailer Shain faces an uncertain future amid the threat of Trump tariffs and a crackdown on the sale of cheap goods overseas. There were rumours that Shein planned to list in London with a £50bn float around this Easter, but according to the FT, this boon for London’s market is likely to be shelved [...]
Elizabeth Line train drivers to strike in dispute over pay February 13, 2025 Train drivers on London’s Elizabeth Line will stage a series of strikes over the next month in a dispute over pay, a union has announced. Members of Aslef, which represents nearly all of the UK’s train drivers, will walk out on 27 February, and on the 1st, 8th and 10th of March for 24 hours. [...]
HS2 pushed government to keep ‘unjust’ compensation rules for ousted locals February 12, 2025 Bosses at HS2 pushed the government to keep an obscure law that enabled it to pay millions less in compensation to residents and businesses forced from their homes during construction, City AM can reveal. Internal documents obtained via FOI show how HS2 understood the arcane clause would cause “significant distress” and destroy jobs and livelihoods, [...]
Tired of London: Why is the capital losing hope? February 12, 2025 City dwellers tend to be more optimistic about their neighbourhood than those who live in town but, worryingly, London is bucking the trend. We all have a stake in our capital’s success. So what’s going wrong? Asks Simon Clarke “When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life”. Samuel Johnson’s famous aphorism [...]
Heathrow to unveil billions in investment and pledge to use UK steel for third runway February 11, 2025 Heathrow has confirmed a multibillion-pound investment in major upgrades to the airport, including plans for a third runway, in a move expected to unlock thousands of UK steel jobs. Heathrow chief executive Thomas Woldbye is expected to lay the groundwork for what is the largest private investment programme in Heathrow’s history in a speech on [...]
Sadiq Khan: Home-working risks London ‘hollowing out’ February 11, 2025 Sir Sadiq Khan has raised the alarm on working from home, saying London “cannot afford” to be a city where “the centre has been hollowed out”. The London Mayor urged employers to consider the post-lockdown effect on commuters across the capital, as first reported by the BBC. Khan added unease regarding the amount of young [...]
Commercial real estate: Why London needs 15 new Walkie Talkies February 11, 2025 Commercial real estate can be the growth lever the government is looking for, but as the industry gathers in London today, the global investment community has its eyes on the current shortfall of London offices, says Philip Hobley As Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Chancellor Rachel Reeves cast around for the `growth lever’ there [...]
City of London seizes dockless e-bikes in Lime and Forest crackdown February 10, 2025 The City of London Corporation has seized more than a hundred dockless e-bikes as part of a crackdown against operators’ Lime and Forest. The Square Mile’s local authority said it had confiscated bikes that were found to have obstructed or caused immediate danger to others, over a two-week enforcement period. The bikes were stored in [...]
Battersea Power Station: How London’s newest village was brought back to life February 6, 2025 From the UK’s biggest power station to international cultural fame on Pink Floyd’s tenth album, to near-ruin, Battersea Power Station has claimed multiple identities over the years. Now, the power station has entered its newest – and quite possibly cleanest – phase, as a multi-use residential, arts and office hub. A £9bn project has transformed [...]