New homes deliver construction firms with 12 months of growth May 11, 2014 NEW HOUSING demand helped the construction sector record 12 months of consecutive growth for the first time in six years at the start of 2014, a survey suggests. Construction firms across the sector reported a rise in activity between January and March, adding to the previous three quarters of upbeat figures from building firms. Around [...]
Slump in May construction adds to industrial woes across Europe July 17, 2014 CONSTRUCTION output in the Eurozone dipped during May, according to new official figures – the worst drop in nearly a year and a half. Production in the sector fell by 1.5 per cent from April, with Germany being the hardest hit of the bloc’s major countries. The powerhouse economy’s building output dropped by 4.9 per [...]
Contactless Tube payment: Just the latest advance in the UK banking revolution September 15, 2014 You could be forgiven for thinking that London’s trams might be an unlikely place to find cutting edge technology. But from today, this iconic and characterful mode of public transport – along with our more conventional Tube stations and buses – are offering technology that allows you to pay your way with just a flash [...]
Cost of living crisis myths: How Miliband could deliver a real pro-poor agenda September 22, 2014 Labour’s party conference will see Ed Miliband try to shift public focus away from the Scottish referendum fallout and back towards the choice at next year’s general election. In particular, he’ll seek to refocus our minds on the “cost of living crisis” narrative that he’s been composing since 2011. Policy announcements over the weekend suggest, [...]
Property tax could deter foreign investment, specialists warn July 26, 2014 A capital gains tax that the government is planning to impose on some property owners could hinder investment in the private rented sector, tax specialists and investors have told the FT. The tax, due to begin in April next year, would affect anyone holding homes through a company structure. It was originally developed to [...]
Business figures get behind Maggie’s campaign July 14, 2014 City figures such as Centrica’s Sam Laidlaw and Gerald Kaye of Helical Bar, have got together to back a £5m scheme to build a new cancer care centre in the centre of the capital’s banking district. The scheme for St Barts Hospital, put forward by charity Maggie’s at Bart’s request, will be presented to the [...]
Living in luxury in London… as a student? September 5, 2014 Students deserve better and they’re willing to pay for it. At least, this is what some of the country’s leading estate agents and developers are starting to realise, and they’re happy to oblige with a range of quality alternatives to traditional student digs. Gone are the days when students were expected to put up with [...]
L&G backs social landlord June 2, 2014 Legal & General (L&G) has provided social landlord Housing Solutions with a £50m loan as part of its expansion into the UK housing sector. The Berkshire-based group plans to use the 40-year loan to help build 1,600 homes around Maidenhead over the next six years, where housing is in short supply.
Firms launch TripAdvisor for bank loans in a bid to lift competition May 27, 2014 SMALL businesses are now able to compare banks on a new site designed to show which lenders can help them the most. The Business Banking Insight website has been put together by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) and the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC). The pair commissioned a survey of 5,000 small firms by pollsters ICM [...]
UK now No1 destination for European investment June 10, 2014 Inward investment to the UK rose by 15 per cent last year, making it Europe's favourite among global investors, according to a survey by Ernst & Young. While the overall European market grew by four per cent, the UK secured a fifth of all the new projects: 799 in total. This has extended its lead [...]