Open House 2014: Our pick of the best events in the City of London September 4, 2014 It’s hard work running a city – especially one that leads the world in culture, heritage and population growth, like London. The increasing demand for housing in the capital has put more pressure than ever on our open spaces and buildings. The pace of urban change is fast and cities need creative solutions to stay [...]
Middle Eastern buyers seize half of £10m-plus homes in Mayfair August 18, 2014 Middle Eastern buyers have been ramping up their presence in the capital and now account for half of all purchases of £10m-plus homes in Mayfair each year, new figures released yesterday show. According to findings from Mayfair and West End property specialist Wetherell, buyers from the Middle East made up 10 per cent of all [...]
Plot your watch shop route November 6, 2014 If some nifty wristgear features in your beloved’s letter to Father Christmas, you need to plan your shopping expedition with appropriate precision – easy thanks to London’s bulging watch-retail scene The Square Mile The Royal Exchange, Bank Probably the UK’s most luxurious shopping mall, REX has become a mini-hotspot of horology, thanks to the recent [...]
Delaying Crossrail 2 would strangle London – and the private sector can help pay for it August 7, 2014 One of the most encouraging things about ministers considering an extension of Crossrail to Hertfordshire, giving commuter towns like Tring and Hemel Hempstead direct access to the City and Canary Wharf, is that it shows a commitment to long-term planning that has too often been absent in the UK. Admittedly, it’s rather late to be [...]
Crossrail to be run by Hong Kong Metro operator MTR beating British rail firms to £1.4bn contract July 18, 2014 Hong Kong transport company MTR has been awarded the lucrative contract to run London’s new Crossrail train service by Transport for London. MTR already runs London Overground in a partnership with British firm Arriva, which it triumphed over in the bidding. Keolis with partner Go Ahead and National Express were also in the running. The [...]
Budget 2015: Here are George Osborne’s best quotes plus his Budget speech in full March 18, 2015 George Osborne's final Budget during this parliament had few surprises but plenty of great quips, including – to the dismay of bookies everywhere – a quip about Ed Miliband's now-infamous second kitchen. Here's a selection of our favourites from today's big speech. (Source: Getty/City A.M.) (Source: Getty/City A.M) (Source: Getty/City A.M.) [...]
Caliphate in the UK: From Hampshire to the city September 16, 2014 A few months ago, the word "caliphate" suddenly appeared in headlines in every newspaper, signalling the beginning of the sinister rise of Islamic State (IS), the group currently wreaking terror in the Middle East. But IS isn't the only caliphate – there are similar groups all over the world. Although it's safe to say the [...]
Stagecoach meets expectations as confidence in buses grows June 25, 2014 Stagecoach has announced financial results in line with the company's expectations for the year ended 30 April. Profit before taxation was in line with analysts’ forecasts of £180m. The FTSE 250 company's performance in the UK was was boosted by new contract wins in London and solid cost control. North American business has been booming, [...]
The City of London has its own caliphate – and they have away days in Hampshire September 18, 2014 Given what we've learned about caliphates over recent months – largely from the rise of the brutal Islamic State (IS) in the Middle East – the City of London, with its decidedly Western attitudes to money-making, is not where you’d expect to find one. But it turns out the Square Mile is home to [...]
Great Portland seals record rents as demand in West End heats up May 21, 2014 WEST End landlord Great Portland Estates posted a 27.6 per cent rise in net asset value (NAV) last year as the heart of the capital continues to experience hot demand and short supply of new office space. Great Portland, whose schemes include its 200,000 square feet Hanover Square site above Bond Street’s Crossrail station, said [...]