Public funds committed to infrastructure and construction have increased by £40bn since March December 8, 2016 The total amount of public money locked in to infrastructure and public construction projects has leapt by almost £40bn, or eight per cent, in the last six months. Figures from KPMG show that the total value of a combined government infrastructure and construction pipeline is now £502.3bn, up from £463.4bn in March. 60 per cent [...]
Affordable housing could be about to become an asset class in its own right November 14, 2016 Affordable housing could become an asset class in its own right, new research has suggested. A report published today by management consultancy CIL has suggested that, despite having historically been regarded as a challenging area for the construction industry, affordable housing now represents a significant area of opportunity for the sector and for investors. The [...]
Higher oil prices alone won’t rescue failing petro-states like Venezuela March 1, 2017 At the annual International Petroleum Week at Grosvenor House on Park Lane last week, all eyes were on Mohammed bin Saleh al-Sada, the Qatari energy minister. The dignitary was honoured with a special award, “International Oil Diplomacy Man of the Year 2016”, as one of the masterminds behind the production cuts agreed to last November [...]
An ageing population, robots taking jobs and increasing inequality: The 10 biggest dilemmas facing the UK in 2030 December 29, 2016 It's not even 2017 yet, but think tank the IPPR has turned its attentions to the year 2030, to work out what challenges the UK will be facing by then. The resulting report, Future Proof, suggests we'll be grappling with an ageing population, increased automation of jobs – and increasing inequality. But what will be the [...]
Terra Firma boss Guy Hands on buying Agent Provocateur, dyslexia and moving on from multi-million EMI loss February 27, 2017 In June last year, Terra Firma dropped a £1.5bn lawsuit against Citi over the acquisition of EMI. It is reported that Guy took a €200m (£168m) hit to his personal fortune as a result of the deal. The Terra Firma boss alleged that Citi misled him into overpaying for the music publisher in 2007. How’s [...]
Construction demand stays strong for small to medium-sized firms in quarter following Brexit vote October 19, 2016 Consumer demand for building work stayed strong in the three months following the EU referendum, according to the Federation of Master Builders (FMB). The continuing skills shortage and growing cost of doing business are the greatest challenges to construction firms, rather than demand, the FMB’s survey of small and medium-sized companies found. The positive growth [...]
This is why a Silicon Valley entrepreneur believes London could produce the next Facebook February 12, 2017 By the time Clara Shih turned 30, she was a Starbucks board member, had raised $21m (£16.7m) for her social media startup and had become a bestselling author. A Stanford and Oxford graduate, the Silicon Valley entrepreneur founded software company Hearsay Social [now Hearsay Systems] in 2009 to make financial giants look slick on social media [...]
HS2 announces CH2M’s European boss Mark Thurston as new chief executive January 26, 2017 HS2 has appointed CH2M's Mark Thurston as its new chief executive. His appointment comes after a five-month hunt, which considered 20 potential candidates working on projects across the globe. Thurston is currently the regional managing director overseeing CH2M's European operations and will take up his new role in the spring (after handing over leadership duties [...]
We can renew London once again post-Brexit – if we channel the can-do spirit of our ancestors in facing up to our housing and infrastructure challenges October 31, 2016 London has always risen again. This is the 350th anniversary of its greatest resurrection. Our ancestors in 1666 reacted to the Great Fire with a speed and coordination that defies belief. They tax-incentivised developers, ran the first national charitable appeal, invented modern fire insurance, and worked day and night for free. Compared with the Great Fire, [...]
Will Philip Hammond free up nearly £20bn to be ploughed into businesses with a dramatic VAT cut next week? November 14, 2016 Philip Hammond could free up nearly £20bn to be ploughed into UK businesses by cutting VAT next week, according to figures from commercial insurer NFU Mutual. Hammond will present his first Autumn Statement on 23 November, and research by the firm has found that two-thirds of consumers would increase spending if VAT was reduced. Read [...]