Solid business for Balfour Beatty as firm readies for Olympic conversion January 14, 2014 Construction firm Balfour Beatty has seen trading in line with the board's expectations from the time of the group's third quarter interim management statement on 5 November 2013. In professional services, performance was as expected. Balfour anticipates the year end order book for continuing businesses to be broadly in line with the £13.5bn from 31 [...]
A trade war with Russia would be Lehman Bros 2 March 3, 2014 MORALITY and foreign policy make uneasy bedfellows. In 1997, when Tony Blair called for an ethical foreign policy, the country cheered; 17 years later, any politician calling for such idealism would be laughed out of town. After 9/11, Afghanistan, Iraq, Georgia, the Arab Spring and so on, a battlehardened realism is the order of the [...]
Sales from the riverbank February 27, 2014 The future landmarks set to transform London’s river and make living Thameside even cooler LONDON is finally starting to follow the example of its European neighbours by making the most of its meandering river. Luxury developments are beginning to pop up all along the riverbank, proving that the place to be seen in the next [...]
Business anger at plans to hike congestion levy January 6, 2014 LONDON’S congestion charge could rise from £10 a day to £11.50, under plans revealed yesterday by Transport for London that were criticised by hauliers and some business groups. The levy on motorists in central London has already doubled from £5 a day when it was launched in 2003, though TfL said the charges have been [...]
Online retailers take £10bn in a bumper November December 16, 2013 ONLINE retailers took over £10bn of sales in November, a new monthly record that raises further fears that high street retailers have been left behind in the key Christmas trading period. Online retail sales jumped by 30 per cent in November compared with the previous month – the highest monthly increase in 10 years. This [...]
Warnings that London property is over-priced as investors battle for assets January 16, 2014 The war is on to get hold of the best property assets in London and for many investors that means moving up the risk curve and taking on more development projects than before, according to research by PwC and the Urban Land Institute. The survey of 500 property professionals revealed that 71 per cent of [...]
A new public square for north London November 21, 2013 New homes in West Hampstead will be inspired by Bauhaus architecture and contemporary design ACCORDING to rock legend, The Rolling Stones wrote their first song while locked in a West Hampstead flat in 1964. The tale goes that, despite The Stones’ success, The Beatles were making more money because the talented rascals had the cheek [...]
Aukett snaps up rival architects’ firm for £1.6m December 19, 2013 AIM-LISTED architectural firm Aukett Fitzroy Robinson (AFR) has snapped up the European arm of American rival Swanke Hayden Connell (SHCE) for £1.6m, in a further sign of returning confidence in the market. The new company will be called Aukett Swanke and is expected to generate £16m in annual sales, employing 340 staff across eight countries. [...]
Great Portland lifted by return in confidence November 14, 2013 WEST End property developer Great Portland Estates posted a 9.2 per cent leap in first-half net asset value and said it expected the strengthening economy to support the capital’s property market as more companies find confidence to move. The company, which owns offices and shops in central London, said diluted net asset value per share [...]
Debenhams demands a little help from its suppliers (again) December 17, 2013 SUPPLIERS to Debenhams got a nasty shock yesterday when the retail giant wrote to them asking for a contribution to the group’s recent investment programme. It’s not the first time they have been asked for extra support. Earlier this year they were asked to extend payment terms from 90 to 120 days. In the latest [...]