Which London borough will pay most stamp duty under Osborne’s new rules? December 3, 2014 Buyers moving to Kensington and Chelsea will contribute more stamp duty than any other London borough under new plans revealed by George Osborne in his Autumn Statement today. More than 12,500 homes in the borough will be subject to a higher rate of stamp duty after the changes come into effect. New Westminster residents would [...]
Mansion tax fears and stamp duty changes send the world’s super-rich to London’s rental market December 7, 2014 Anxieties over the outcome of the 2015 general election and new stamp duty reforms are persuading the world’s super-rich to rent property in London rather than buy it outright, according to a new report. London’s lettings market has benefitted from a huge bump in prime rentals, with as much as 21 per cent of [...]
Housing recovery helps Barratt sales rise more than two thirds January 14, 2014 BARRATT Developments said total home sales grew 71 per cent in the first half of its financial year thanks to government measures and a recovery in the housing market across all regions. Britain’s largest housebuilder by volume said yesterday that total forward sales, excluding joint ventures, jumped to £1.27bn in the six months to 31 [...]
Carpetright shares soar 12 per cent as sales rise December 15, 2014 Improving economic sentiment lifted sales at Carpet right and its shares have soared by more than 12 per cent today. The figures Carpetright — the retailer which kits out homes with carpets, rugs and flooring — said group revenues rose 2.6 per cent to £227.9m for the six months to the end of October, up [...]
Topshop and Rihanna return to the courts over T-shirt row November 19, 2014 Topshop may count Kate Moss and Beyonce among its friends, but as one legal battle returns to court it's unlikely to find love with Rihanna. Sir Philip Green's high street giant is challenging Rihanna in London's Court of Appeal, following a ruling last year in which Topshop was ordered to pay damages for using an [...]
Political uncertainty: The greatest threat to Britain’s thriving small businesses January 21, 2015 In the depths of the financial crisis, we were approached by a small house builder in the South East who was looking for finance to refocus his business towards the higher end market. A gamble at the worst possible time, you might say. But five years on, and his business is thriving. It’s a small [...]
Focus on Chiswick: Why are families flocking to west London? November 13, 2014 Many people seem to think that, between oligarchs buying up prime central London and renters occupying the trendy suburbs, the capital is becoming a place of transition. But there’s one place that’s defying that trend: Chiswick. This ancient country retreat, which was once part of Middlesex, is every inch the traditional London village. [...]
Pearson share price drops as finance chief Robin Freestone exits while full year guidance remains on track says John Fallon October 24, 2014 Pearson's share price dropped two per cent this morning after it said it's losing its long-serving finance man, Robin Freestone, who is departing the publisher after 10 years. The Pearson board has already begun the search for a replacement for Freestone when he departs before the end of 2015, and is looking both internally and [...]
Recovery is on track as Britons keep spending September 25, 2014 SALES of clothes and furniture shot up in the year to September, industry data showed today, while department stores saw exceptionally strong growth. A total of 48 per cent of retailers told the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) their sales were up on the year, far outweighing the 17 per cent who saw sales fall, leaving [...]
Lord Myners report rescues Vince Cable over Royal Mail IPO December 18, 2014 The government received unexpected praise over Royal Mail’s float. But the City is being told to make some changes. One quick glance at the share price told the City’s critics’ everything they wanted to hear. The Royal Mail privatisation was another classic case of over-paid charlatans ripping the taxpayer off to the tune of [...]