Covent Garden portfolio sends Capco property values soaring July 30, 2013 CAPITAL & Counties (Capco) said a strong performance from its bustling Covent Garden estate helped push the total value of its property up by 13 per cent to £2.1bn in the first half of the year. The developer has been sprucing up its Covent Garden portfolio, attracting trendy restaurants and retailers including Dior and the [...]
How awful would the market for cars be if we treated them like houses? July 30, 2013 The market for housing in the UK is perverse. By comparing it with the market for cars, Duncan Stott, affordable housing campaigner for PricedOut, shows just how mad our system is: Imagine if every car that got made had to get planning permission to be manufactured, with the aim of protecting the environment and avoiding [...]
Assembly talks up Crossrail 2 July 29, 2013 BUILDING a second Crossrail route running from south west to north east London will generate up to £49bn for the capital’s economy, a report by the London Assembly’s transport committee claims today. It said a new rail service stretching out to the suburbs would also open up new areas for housing. But it conceded that [...]
London housing begins to price out businesses July 28, 2013 BUSINESSES warned the government today that rising property prices could undermine investment in the capital, as firms struggle to keep up. According to the statement by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and KPMG, the shortage of housing has risen from companies’ third most pressing concern to their second since December, overtaking transport. The number [...]
Forget disastrous Heathrow and build a more efficient hub to London’s east July 28, 2013 AIRPORT policy is getting a lot of headlines, as different organisations (including the airports themselves) make their submissions to the Airports Commission. That attention is well-deserved, because it is a subject that is critical to our economy and its future. Much of our most valuable trade moves by air, and relationships with emerging markets are [...]
Where to Drink July 28, 2013 TOAST the arrival of the Royal Baby at one of London’s new bars and clubs. Ascend to the rarefied heights of Aqua Shard, where it’s claimed a generous amount of space for its standalone lounge bar. Situated in a three storey atrium with immense windows bathing the room in light, it’s the perfect place to [...]
Boris losing battle over London rail | City A.M. July 28, 2013 BORIS Johnson has failed to convince Whitehall that he should be given control over suburban rail services in London, with civil servants in the Department for Transport fighting a rearguard action to block his bid for control of routes into Liverpool Street, Cannon Street, and London Bridge. City A.M. understands that the Mayor’s ambitious proposal [...]
Focus on: Chiswick July 25, 2013 NEED TO KNOW | AREA INSIGHT DESPITE being known as the a go-to destination for foodies, there’s more to Chiswick than its impressive stable of quality delicatessens, greengrocers and top-notch eateries. The affluent west London suburb is one of the top commuter hotspots due to its close proximity to central London and offers large properties [...]
London makes up the lion’s share of overcrowded trains July 24, 2013 THE DEPARTMENT for Transport yesterday confirmed what most of the city’s commuters already know: that London-bound trains make up the most overcrowded services in the country. A fifth of passengers, or around 100,000, were forced to stand during the peak of a typical morning rush into the capital in 2012. The DfT said this has fallen [...]
Commuter crush: Seven out of 10 most overcrowded trains in Britain go to London July 24, 2013 The latest figures from the Department for Transport show that of the 10 most overcrowded train services in Britain, seven are London-bound. All of the worst journeys started at or ended in the capital last spring. Services running during spring and autumn of 2012 were monitored by the government, and this top 10 list represents [...]