Growing inequality and financial strain is a threat to London’s social cohesion August 11, 2022 OUR great city works well because we Londoners muddle through together without too much friction. “Live and let live”’ has a claim to be the defining London motto. But there have been times where that harmony has shattered. I remember the shock of Tottenham and Croydon burning in August 2011 and of shops being boarded [...]
Government to review short term holiday lets like Airbnb in tourist hotspots June 29, 2022 The UK government said on Wednesday it was launching a review into short term rentals in popular tourism areas in England, including Airbnbs. Ministers said they wanted to support rental platforms like Airbnb but acknowledged concerns that such businesses could drive communities out of their area – for example if landlords opt to run their [...]
Fuller’s toasts return to profit amid ‘fragile’ consumer confidence June 9, 2022 Pub chain Fuller’s is back in the black after posting an adjusted profit before tax of £7.2m, as the licensed trade recovers from the pandemic. In results for the year to 26 March, the pub operator saw profit back in growth after posting a £48.7m loss in 2021, when Covid lockdowns enforced the closure of [...]
New West End Company chief leaves role as chief of business group for down under April 28, 2022 The head of the New West End Company is departing to oversee improvements to Sydney’s Western Harbour shopping district. After six years at the industry body, Jace Tyrell is leaving to head Australia’s first business improvement district (BID), the New Sydney Waterfront Company. NWEC works across 80 streets in the central London heartland, representing 150,000 [...]
Westminster must relax its grip on the purse string to fix regional inequalities February 2, 2022 Last week, Michael Gove visited Wolverhampton as he prepared to release the levelling up white paper out today. The central aim of this government has been to re-energise regions across the country to ensure investment and opportunities are shared widely. In the West Midlands, we have already begun the journey to create more opportunities and [...]
Westminster Council: West End to receive millions in recovery support fund February 1, 2022 Westminster Council is to inject millions of pounds into reviving the borough’s hospitality industry. Within a £190m investment to support the area, the council has announced a dedicated £1m to recruit waiters, baristas and bar staff, it said yesterday. Some £150m is to be used to redesign the Oxford Street district and make Strand Aldwych [...]
Aviation chiefs call for ‘new normal’ now with testing ditched for fully-jabbed fliers January 24, 2022 AIRLINE bosses have called on the government to rule out the introduction of border closures even if a new Covid-19 variant emerges. The government last week brought an end to so-called Plan B restrictions, which saw self-isolation rules and work from home guidance scrapped. With the UK believed to be past the peak of the [...]
Airline bosses call on government to rule out more border closures January 24, 2022 Airline bosses have called on government to rule out the introduction of border closures even if a new Covid-19 variant emerges, as the UK begins to put the pandemic behind it. Government last week brought an end to so-called Plan B restrictions, which saw self-isolation rules and work from home guidance scrapped. With signs of [...]
Belfast is Kenneth Branagh at his sentimental best January 21, 2022 While many might associate him with his acting roles, Sir Kenneth Branagh has been prolific behind the camera, too. Belfast is his nineteenth film as a director, with a CV that has included everything from his epic 90s adaptation of Hamlet to the first Thor movie. This new film, however, comes from a personal place. [...]
Crackdown launched on second home owners who pretend to let properties out to holidaymakers to save tax January 15, 2022 The government is proposing strict new measures to crack down on second home owners who pretend to let their properties out to holidaymakers to save on taxes as they will be forced to pay more under the proposals. The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) is moving to close a loophole in the [...]