‘Once you legislate, people will rebel’: Why a vibes-based WFH policy is working for Vitality insurance The debate-stirring issue of working from home (WFH) has never been far from the headlines so far in 2025. The likes of FTSE 100 giant WPP, Lord Alan Sugar and London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan have all made waves with where they stand on the topic. Now Neville Koopowitz, the chief executive of health and [...]
‘First of its kind’ sustainable skyscraper gets green light from City of London Property Planning permission for an innovative 33-story tower at the old headquarters of M&S has been approved by the City of London Corporation, the latest in a string of top-quality skyscrapers approved in the capital. The building at 70 Gracechurch Street, originally constructed in 1990s as the headquarters for Marks and Spencers, will deliver over 550,000 [...]
‘Prohibitive building costs’ stunting UK growth projects – Deloitte Property “Prohibitive costs” involved in construction projects in major UK cities led to a sharp decline in the number of new developments breaking ground in 2024, according to a new report from Deloitte. Deloitte’s latest Regional Crane Surveys, which covers the central areas of Belfast, Birmingham, Leeds and Manchester, has revealed the number of new starts [...]
EY to relocate 1,200 employees to new city office February 3, 2025 Professional services giant EY has revealed plans to relocate 1,200 employees in Birmingham to a new office. The move, scheduled for 2026, will see staff switch from One Colmore Square to Three Chamberlain Square, which is part of the Paradise Birmingham development. EY has been based at its office at One Colmore Square for the [...]
FTSE 100 giant Auto Trader gears up for £87m HQ move January 13, 2025 FTSE 100 giant Auto Trader has confirmed plans to relocate its headquarters from a building named after a Manchester legend to a new base worth £87m. The company is to leave its home at 1 Tony Wilson Place in First Street and move to Bruntwood SciTech’s 3 Circle Square in 2026. Auto Trader has been [...]
City rents rise as return to the office drives up demand for prime locations December 3, 2024 Available office space in London’s most sought-after areas has slumped to near record lows as businesses continue to reverse pandemic-era working from home rules. According to global property consultancy Knight Frank, availability in newly constructed office buildings has fallen to 0.3 per cent in the West End Core – which includes Mayfair and St James’s [...]
Wework: UK firm owes almost £840m to bankruptcy-hit US owner November 28, 2024 The UK arm of troubled US co-working startup Wework lost almost £150m in the year before its parent company filed for bankruptcy. The division suffered a pre-tax loss of £147.9m in 2023, according to newly-filed accounts with Companies House. The latest figure comes after the arm racked up a pre-tax loss of £122.6m in 2022. [...]
Compass: European deals on the cards as growth accelerates November 26, 2024 Catering company Compass has reported double-digit growth in 2024 as it looks to grow its presence in Europe. Compass told markets this morning that underlying revenue grew by 10.6 per cent, to $42.2bn (£33.6bn) in the year ended 30 September, up from $38.1bn last year. Underlying operating profit grew 16.4 per cent year on year, from $2.6bn [...]
Landsec returns to profit as London property market stabilises November 15, 2024 British property investment trust Land Securities, known as Landsec, swung back into profit and hiked its forecast for the year today after a rebound in occupancy and rental income in London. Landsec told markets this morning that it had returned to the black in the first half of the year, reporting profit after tax of £243m [...]
Derwent London upgrades rental guidance thanks to ‘world class’ London August 8, 2024 An acceleration in rental growth and a more stable investment environment has helped office giant Derwent London upgrade its rental guidance off the back of “really active demand”, its boss said. In its half-year results this morning, the FTSE 250 office specialist said its income grew but valuations continued their decline. Derwent, which owns flagship [...]