Sadiq Khan hits out at Boris Johnson for “mess” left at Old Oak Common November 1, 2016 Sadiq Khan has given his full backing to the huge regeneration at Old Oak Common, but lashed out at his predecessor Boris Johnson for leaving the plans in "a mess". Laying out the findings of his review of the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation (OPDC), the London Mayor criticised Boris Johnson for rushing the [...]
The road to Brexit: what next for shares, sterling and property? March 9, 2017 The UK government is expected to trigger Article 50 by the end of this month, signalling the start of a two-year process that will see the country leave the EU. The Brexit process started on 20 February 2016 when then Prime Minister David Cameroncalled a referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU. The [...]
This is what the property industry wants from the Autumn Statement November 18, 2016 The big day is almost here – Autumn Statement day. The housing crisis has been at the top of the political agenda for years, but successive governments have failed to get a handle on it. Chancellor Philip Hammond is promising new funding to help get Britain building, but the property industry wants a range of [...]
The Hinkley Point C nuclear reactor shouldn’t be delayed – it should be scrapped August 10, 2016 Theresa May’s government has put the brakes on Hinkley Point C, the first nuclear power station to be built in the UK in twenty years, with a final decision to be made in September. But the government should stop agonising and cancel the project. There is no commercial or environmental sense in investing billions into a [...]
Labour’s City man gets real over green belt October 26, 2016 Building in Britain is not always easy, as the debacle over airport expansion shows. The government satisfied business groups yesterday by revealing its intention to allow a third runway at Heathrow – but even though Theresa May has acted reasonably quickly, the verdict follows years of dawdling, and arrives nearly half a century after Harold Wilson [...]
Inflation and skills shortages on the rise for London construction companies December 6, 2015 A growing skills shortage is causing London’s largest building contractors to turn down one in every two bidding opportunities, new data has revealed. The survey from infrastructure and support services group AECOM estimates that construction costs have risen annually by 10 per cent during 2015, with predicted increases of seven per cent in 2016 before [...]
London must shake off its complacency over housing and infrastructure if it’s to thrive post-Brexit October 31, 2016 Rarely has a ranking of the world’s greatest cities been released in the past few years without London at its top, or very near it. PwC recently named the capital the world’s best city for opportunity, praising its economic clout, its attractiveness to foreign direct investment, its highly skilled workforce, and its status as a [...]
How the chancellor can unlock more private capital for infrastructure November 23, 2016 Chancellor Philip Hammond is widely expected to outline a more flexible approach to deficit reduction when he delivers his first Autumn Statement today. Flexibility seems wise, given the scale of uncertainty as the UK prepares to leave the EU. Ministers have identified investment in infrastructure as a means to boost the UK’s competitive standing. In [...]
Labour shortages are casting a shadow over the UK property market June 14, 2016 Housebuilders are convinced that a lack of labour is one of the biggest challenges facing the property market, according to a survey from Knight Frank released today. The report found that as many as 73 per cent of respondents believed the cost and availability of labour will have a negative impact on future housing supply. Read [...]
City Moves for 18 October 2016 | Who’s switching jobs October 18, 2016 Saffery Champness Accountancy firm Saffery Champness has recruited Dermot Callinan as a partner in its Harrogate office. He joins from KPMG, where he recently served as head of the UK private client advisory team. Dermot is a specialist in domestic and international personal taxation and his clients include wealthy individuals (both UK and non-UK domiciled), [...]