Here’s what the property sector is expecting in this week’s Budget – from stamp duty to landlords to luxury homes March 7, 2017 It’s that time of year again: the days are getting longer, the trees are blossoming, and the one-time-only Spring Budget is rapidly approaching – with homeowners and landlords alike steeling themselves for more punishment from the chancellor. The good news is it looks unlikely there will be much to punish homeowners or lower house prices [...]
TfL just came a step closer to building 400 homes in Kidbrooke March 6, 2017 One of the capital's largest housing associations will help Transport for London (TfL) build 400 new homes on a former RAF base in South East London TfL named Triangle London Developments – a consortium comprised of Notting Hill Housing and U+I – as the partner which will develop homes on a four-acre site close to [...]
London has been named the least friendly place in the UK again (but it’s getting friendlier) March 6, 2017 No prizes for guessing what the UK's unfriendliest city is: yep, yet again, London has been given the dubious honour. But new figures suggest the capital, which has just been ranked bottom in a list of the UK's 30 friendliest cities suggest the capital has become marginally more welcoming in the past six months: the study, [...]
Barratt has sold 172 luxury London new-build flats as rental homes, including an entire block at Nine Elms March 6, 2017 Here's an unusual move by a housebuilder: Barratt Homes has bundled together 172 flats at various developments across London and sold them off as rental homes. The housebuilder said it had sold the units to Henderson Park for £140.5m. The portfolio includes 29 units at Aldgate Place, a joint venture with British Land, 25 in Fulham Riverside and all 118 at [...]
Stephen Hawking will be given Honorary Freedom of Canada today March 6, 2017 Professor Stephen Hawking will be awarded the City's highest honour today, after he is given Honorary Freedom of Canada. Hawking, whose research into black holes has transformed our understanding of the universe, will be presented with the award by Canada Corporation at a ceremony at the Guildhall today. Dr Peter Kane, [...]
Capita chief executive falls on his sword as profits drop by a third March 2, 2017 Shares in troubled outsourcing giant Capita fell today after its chief executive, Andy Parker, stepped down – and profits fell by a third. Shares were down 7.9 per cent at 520.1p in late morning trading after the company, which administers the London congestion charge and TV licencing among many other things, said today Parker will step down later this year, [...]
Growth in the UK’s construction industry was stronger than expected in February – but housebuilding floundered March 2, 2017 Growth in the UK's construction sector was stronger than expected in February, figures published today showed – but housebuilding struggled. Markit's purchasing managers' index for the sector rose to 52.5 in February, up from 52.2 in January – and beating forecasts it would stay flat. Any figure below 50 denotes a contraction. However, activity in the residential [...]
Cobham unveils £500m rights issue as profits fall by a third March 2, 2017 Troubled defence giant Cobham today announced a £500m rights issue – as it unveiled a 37 per cent fall in pre-tax profits. The aerospace company, the inventor of air-to-air refuelling, said underlying pre-tax profits fell to £175.2m in the year to the end of December, from £280.4m last year. Revenues fell to £1.94bn, from £2.07bn, [...]
It’s official: This is the deadline if you want to make a PPI complaint March 2, 2017 After years of nuisance phonecalls and bankers' misery, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has finally set a deadline for complains over payment protection insurance (PPI). The FCA said today all complaints must be lodged by 29 August 2019 – several months later than previously hoped. Although this isn't the end of PPI: the regulator said [...]
Bitcoin has hit yet another record high March 1, 2017 It's another good day to be a bitcoin investor, after it hit another record high ahead of a landmark ruling by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The cryptocurrency rose as high as $1,228.56 in the mid-afternoon, London time – more than two per cent higher. The gain means bitcoin has now risen more than [...]
