100,000 new homes could be built on government-owned land in London November 19, 2014 Potential sites for new homes on government-owned land in London (Source: Savills) As many as 100,000 homes could be built on land in London owned by the government, according to research by property services firm Savills. The figures, which also found that across the whole of the UK, public land could provide enough space for [...]
Living near a noisy London road could shorten your life June 24, 2015 Living near a noisy main road in London shortens life expectancy, according to a new report published in the European Heart Journal. Read more: Living in a noisy area increases your chance of being overweight By comparing noise levels with incidences of death across the whole M25 zone between 2003 and 2010, researchers at [...]
Northern powerhouse project: Finance, science, and tech industries creating two-speed housing market, could boost north June 24, 2015 A big boost for the northern powerhouse project? Areas that have embraced the science, technology and finance industries have enjoyed disproportionately high house price growth, according to research from Savills. The fillip given to areas with a large number of companies in key industries suggests encouraging growth in such industries in the north could lead [...]
London takes the lead in Bitcoin innovation June 28, 2015 London is fast becoming a global hub for development of innovations using digital currency Bitcoin. City institutions including the Bank of England, Barclays, UBS and Goldman Sachs are all looking into the potential for using Bitcoin to speed up processes in traditional finance. TRANSPARENCY Bitcoin is a digital currency which is bought online and [...]
New West Ham stadium roof problems may have forced Balfour Beatty to seek more cash October 20, 2014 Problems with the new roof planned for the West Ham stadium may have led beleaguered construction company Balfour Beatty back to the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) to ask for extra cash. A spokesman for LLDC, which was established in 2012 by the Greater London Authority to regenerate the area in and around the Olympic [...]
Budget 2015: A quick guide to all the key measures March 18, 2015 Chancellor delivers good news for savers and first-time buyers as he turns up heat on banks in play for votes ahead of election. UK ECONOMIC OUTLOOK ● The UK was the fastest growing economy in the G7 last year. However, the economy grew by just 0.5 per cent in the final three months of 2014, [...]
July Budget 2015: Is it too early to get excited about the government’s “northern powerhouse” plans? July 9, 2015 In his Summer Budget announcement, chancellor George Osborne made no apologies for highlighting the point that the Conservatives have boldly done something that previous governments haven’t been able (or possibly willing) to do – addressing the huge gap between the North and South. Making several references to the government’s "northern powerhouse’ plans, the chancellor confirmed [...]
Selling public land is just the start: Three steps to solve London’s housing crisis November 19, 2014 WE HAVE got to the stage that, if you don’t know there’s a serious housing shortage in London, I’d assume you must be living in a cave. This shortage comes with increasingly obvious social and economic ramifications. London First recently published research showing that more than half of workers (56 per cent) have difficulties paying [...]
Greece makes further euro integration unavoidable – with big risks for the UK July 13, 2015 After months of wrangling, Eurozone leaders and the Greek government finally seem to have reached an agreement on a third bailout deal. EU politicians and the markets may breathe a sigh of relief at the prospect of some short-term stability being restored. But even if this new deal manages to stave off Grexit in the [...]
Sharing cities have come to the UK – and London will be next June 11, 2015 If you're a Londoner, it’s pretty likely that you will have used a sharing economy business. From driving a Zipcar or hiring a local Hassle.com cleaner, to staying in Love Home Swap apartments around the world, we are increasingly confident using sharing economy services. But there are cities around the world – Amsterdam, Seoul and [...]