House prices rose by more than expected in July August 6, 2013 UK house prices rose by a larger-than-expected 0.9 per cent in July, according to the Halifax House Price index. Analysts had forecast a rise of 0.5 per cent following an upwardly revised 0.7 per cent growth in June. In the three months to July, house prices rose 4.6 per cent compared to the same period [...]
Locals buying up riverside apartments in Wandsworth September 26, 2013 Borough bucks international buyer trend OVER the past couple of years a large majority of luxury properties in London have been snapped up by international investors. But the Wandsworth Riverside Development is hoping to buck the trend by creating property aimed at and marketed to south west Londoners. Dr Stanley Quek, chief executive of Frasers [...]
Why the London Docklands hold the key to tackling the UK housing crisis October 1, 2013 HOW DO we solve Britain’s housing crisis? Ed Miliband has promised to see 200,000 homes built each year by 2020. But his pledge was linked to a misguided initiative to stop developers hoarding land (the Office for Fair Trading couldn’t find any evidence that this actually happens). The Tories, meanwhile, are bringing forward the second [...]
Why the London Docklands hold the key to tackling the UK housing crisis September 30, 2013 HOW DO we solve Britain’s housing crisis? Ed Miliband has promised to see 200,000 homes built each year by 2020. But his pledge was linked to a misguided initiative to stop developers hoarding land (the Office for Fair Trading couldn’t find any evidence that this actually happens). The Tories, meanwhile, are bringing forward the second [...]
London Report: FTSE 100 rises to October high amid debt talks October 15, 2013 THE UK’S top share index rose to its highest level so far in October yesterday, buoyed by signs of a deal on the US budget and debt ceiling stalemate that has weighed on stock markets. Miners and banks were lifted after US Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat, said Senate leaders had made “tremendous [...]
UK service sector growth slows slightly but still strong at 60.3 October 3, 2013 The UK services sector is still expanding in September, with a strong PMI reading of 60.3. Although in line with expectations this is a bit of a slowdown from August's reading of 60.5. The sector's strong performance marked the end of the best quarter since Q2 1997, with analysts estimating UK economic growth for the [...]
EDF nuclear subsidy is a naive gamble on the future price of carbon and gas October 22, 2013 RARELY have we seen a policy shrouded in so many what-ifs. The much-anticipated announcement that new French-designed atomic reactors are to finally go ahead at Hinkley Point in Somerset has been greeted with a mixture of elation and caution. The caution is well-founded, and Parliament’s scrutineers need to get ready. We still know very little [...]
Cable and bank boss voice fears on Help to Buy September 11, 2013 BUSINESS secretary Vince Cable and Barclays’ Anthony Jenkins mauled the Treasury’s Help to Buy scheme yesterday, adding to fears about the risk of a new housing bubble. Cable said: “We should certainly think about how it should come into effect, indeed whether it should come into effect in the light of changing market [...]
Growth forecast hiked for UK as recovery emerges September 3, 2013 THE BRITISH economy is expected to expand almost twice as quickly this year as previously thought, according to new forecasts from a major international agency. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the UK’s GDP is likely to grow by 1.5 per cent this year, up from the 0.8 per cent it [...]
London Report: Housing pickup sparks rise in blue chip stocks August 13, 2013 F RESH signs of a recovery in the UK housing sector helped nudge Britain’s benchmark share index higher yesterday, with several traders expecting more minor gains over the coming month. The blue-chip FTSE 100 index closed up 0.6 per cent, or 37.60 points, at 6,611.94 points. A survey by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors [...]