Four London infrastructure projects that unravelled in 2019 December 23, 2019 Boris Johnson “loves infrastructure”. At least, that’s what the Prime Minister said when he was asked about the High Speed Two rail project on the campaign trail earlier this month. And it is just as well. Because some of London’s biggest infrastructure problems are creaking at the seams. If the PM were not so keen on [...]
Landsec swings to first-half loss after retail property values plunge November 12, 2019 Landsec swung to a pre-tax loss in the first half of the year after the value of its retail and leisure assets suffered in an increasingly challenging market for tenants. The figures The company reported a pre-tax loss of £147m, compared to a profit of £42m the previous year, resulting in a loss per share [...]
Heathrow told to keep check on credit rating amid expansion plans August 29, 2019 Heathrow airport has been warned it may be obliged to maintain an investment grade credit rating to reassure investors of its financial position while its third runway gets built. The UK’s aviation regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority, said it would explore a proposal to make it mandatory for Heathrow to hold such a rating, to [...]
This week: Why the Pound shone over the Euro January 24, 2020 After a poor end to last week, the pound responded with a dominant performance this week, gaining an average of 0.8 per cent against the other major currencies. Indeed, it was only the Japanese yen that it lost out to (dropping 0.2 per cent). Such a performance has helped the pound climb to the top [...]
The great British sell-off: Three ways for investors to profit September 13, 2019 As the final act of the Brexit saga approaches, investors are still locked in a state of perpetual uncertainty. We can’t know what will unfold, but what business is continually telling the government is how difficult it is to plan in the current environment. Brexit is the moment when we will receive some clarity, for [...]
Hästens partners with world renowened sleep specialist Dr. Michael Breus April 23, 2020 Dr. Michael Breus – or ‘The Sleep Doctor’ as he is widely known – is the one of the world’s most preeminent sleep experts. A clinical psychologist and Diplomate of the American Board of Sleep medicine, Dr. Breus is celebrated across the globe for his unrivalled understanding of the process and power of sleep. Known [...]
Naked houses: Unfinished homes give buyers a discount price – but are they practical? July 24, 2019 In case you hadn’t noticed, Britain is in the grip of its worst housing crisis since the 1940s. The verdict, delivered in a recent report from the Centre for Policy Studies, will be endorsed by anyone who has endured the vagaries of the London rental market, where a ‘cosy one-bed’ can be a garage with [...]
Galliford Try shares plunge as builders warns construction scale-back will hurt 2019 profits April 16, 2019 Galliford Try’s shares plummeted 19 per cent this morning after it revealed plans to scale back its core construction arm, projecting a subsequent fall in 2019 profit. Read more: Galliford Try tasked with building Ealing Council HQ The FTSE 250 firm said it was reviewing the construction business so as to focus on its “key strengths [...]
Initial costs for HS2 civil works costs are £1bn over budget June 12, 2018 Costs for main civil works on the government's controversial High Speed 2 (HS2) project are coming in £1bn over budget. HS2 currently has a target for construction costs of £6.6bn, while its overall budget for the project is £56bn. The New Civil Engineer has reported that interim costs submitted by contractors are currently above the [...]
Meet Beam, the social enterprise crowdfunding training for homeless people December 12, 2019 Charitable giving is one of the hallmarks of the festive season. And with the weather getting colder at Christmas, it’s important to highlight the desperate situation facing London’s homeless population. Estimates vary, but it’s believed that roughly 170,000 people are homeless in the capital. The vast majority of these are living in homeless shelters, hostels, [...]