Mortgage approvals fell 15 per cent in September October 26, 2016 The number of mortgages approved by high street lenders fell 15 per cent in the year to September, figures published today showed. The British Bankers' Association said the number of mortgages given approval hit 71,738 in September – up from 69,499 in August. But the figure was down on the 74,252 six-month average, and three per cent lower in [...]
Nationwide posts strong profit growth as mortgage lending reaches pre-recession levels May 24, 2016 Nationwide lent more money to house-buyers last year than it has done since the financial crash starting in 2007, helping the society to post strong profit growth. The figures Gross mortgage lending at the building society was up 20 per cent to £32.6bn, as the firm helped 57,200 first time buyers into a home of their own. [...]
How blockchain technology could revolutionise global trade January 20, 2017 Blockchain technology could revolutionise trade – making it cheaper, quicker and simpler for businesses to trade internationally. From “letters of credit” to “bills of lading”, merchandise trade today is heavily reliant on paper documents. In our digital, connected world, there is a growing need to modernise trade’s many paper-based processes. Digitisation would reduce bureaucracy, improve [...]
General Election 2015: Osborne promises to get 2.4m first-time buyers onto housing ladder with property “revolution” April 5, 2015 Chancellor George Osborne has pledged to bring about a “property revolution” in the UK, helping 2.4m more first-time buyers to get on the property ladder. In an interview with The Sunday Telegraph, he said he intended to double the number of first time buyers to 500,000 a year over the next five years, should the [...]
US giant Ford criticised after Mustang sports car scores just two stars in crash tests January 25, 2017 US car giant Ford has been criticised by industry body Thatcham Research after its Mustang sports car achieved just two stars in official European crash tests. The Euro New Car Assessment Programme (NCAP) puts all new cars through thorough crash tests and awards them a star rating out of five. Recent changes have made it [...]
Oil falls two per cent as concerns rise that increase in US production will undercut Opec deal January 9, 2017 Oil prices fell more than two per cent today after figures indicated US production is growing and could undercut global deals to cut supplies and boost the global market. Data released by US oilfield services provider Baker Hughes today showed US energy companies added oil rigs for a 10th week in a row to 529, extending a [...]
Housebuilding in London has plummeted in the run-up to the mayoral election: Here’s which boroughs are approving the fewest new homes April 28, 2016 It seems the capital's local authorities have got a case of the heebie-jeebies in the run-up to the mayoral election – after a new report showed approvals for new homes have plummeted. The report, by estate agent Stirling Ackroyd, found London boroughs gave the thumbs-up to a mere 4,320 homes in the first quarter of the [...]
New homes on sale in London this weekend: from Maple & Co’s old furniture factory to apartments near the Hurlingham Club May 19, 2016 The Maple Building, Kentish Town From £525,000 The old Maple & Co furniture factory in Kentish Town has been transformed into 57 one, two and three bedroom apartments and penthouses. The six storey building, which dates back to the 19th century, has been restored by The Linton Group and retains its red brick facade alongside contemporary [...]
UK house prices: Bank of mum and dad ranks among UK’s top mortgage lenders as parents spend £5bn helping children onto property ladder May 3, 2016 Parents will lend over £5bn this year helping their children get a leg up onto the UK's slippery housing ladder, placing the "bank of mum and dad" firmly in the ranks of the top 10 mortgage lenders in the country, a new report today reveals. The study – by FTSE 100 insurer Legal & General and Cebr, [...]
Tata’s UK steelworkers face a “make or break” vote on pensions as union leaders back reforms January 26, 2017 UK steelworkers are set for a "make or break" vote on reforms that could determine the fate of Port Talbot. Today unions united behind proposals that will see Tata Steel pump £1bn into the sprawling Port Talbot steelworks in exchange for workers accepting changes to their pension schemes. The ballot on the changes will run from Monday to mid-February. [...]