Despite strong denials there is increasing evidence that ING Group — the Dutch multinational banking and financial services corporation — is preparing to shift at least a part of its operations to London. Reports in the Dutch financial daily, Financieele Dagblad, initially suggested that Frankfurt was also a potential relocation... Read More
Local firm Exchange Street Properties has this week approached Wyre Forest District Council with a planning application regarding the former premises of carpet maker Brintons, located in Kidderminster town centre. Should the plans be given the green light by the local authority, the disused Grade II listed building will be restored and... Read More
South Yorkshire is getting its first IKEA after planners approved plans for the £60m regeneration of a former Sheffield wire manufacturing site. It’s hoped the scheme will create at least 400 jobs. The Swedish furniture giant — which each year sells £13bn worth of goods through its 349 stores in 43 countries — has yet to submit... Read More
“Ugly” sixties and seventies buildings to be hidden from view It has been popular in Venice for centuries, but now one British city is planning to use the European technique of trompe l’oeil to cover up some of its ugliest buildings. From next September thousands of fans will flood Gloucester for the Rugby World Cup. Rather... Read More
During the recession, many upcoming development projects ground to a halt as banks and investors were reluctant to pump money into commercial schemes. Fortunately, economic growth has provided a kick-start to long-stalled projects – one of which is the Battery Park redevelopment in Selly Oak, Birmingham. The site, which has lain... Read More
Property professionals attending the International Festival for Business, which opens today, will have the opportunity to take in three events over 36 hours. Scheduled speakers include Liz Peace, chief executive of the British Property Federation (BPF), Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson (pictured, right) and the chief executive of Manchester City... Read More
Daniel Thwaites has plans to build its new headquarters at a farm north of Blackburn. The brewery will be moving from its current home in the Lancashire town centre to a seven-acre site located at Sykes Holt, Mellor Brook. Thwaites is expected to submit plans for a new brewery facility, a head office for 200 staff, and a visitor... Read More
As the High Street recovery continues to build, with sales of non-food items growing steadily for the first time since the recession, local authorities and shopping centre owners are keen to examine opportunities to further lift footfall levels within town centres. It is for this reason that Knight Frank Investment Management (KFIM),... Read More
CBRE has been retained by CommonWealth REIT to provide property management services for the trust’s 42.9 million sq ft portfolio, which consists primarily of office buildings located throughout the United States. As part of its business plan, CommonWealth REIT has been selling certain properties to reposition its portfolio. The... Read More
A West Midlands council has launched a campaign to attract businesses to one of its prestige developments by offering a series of business rates incentives. It’s hoped that as many as 1,600 jobs could be created at The Waterfront in Brierley by encouraging businesses to take-up space in the 200,000sq ft of office space at the Dudley... Read More
As the economic recovery continues to gather momentum and consumer confidence heads towards pre-recession levels, many retailers have seen their profits rise and bottom line strengthen. Until recently, this recovery has failed to positively affect clothing retailers, but the warm summer weather in June took great steps towards rectifying this... Read More
The European Regional Development Fund has agreed to pump £1m into a scheme to transform a Victorian shopping arcade in Manchester into a high-tech business hub. The like-for-like funding will be matched by developer Jersey Street Properties which owns the 120-year-old Clarence Arcade in Ashton-under-Lyne. As part of the revamp the... Read More
Southampton City Council has unanimously voted to grant planning permission for a £70 million leisure development, to be known as Watermark West Quay. Spearheaded by Hammerson, the new development will see a landmark 10 screen cinema and space for up to 20 restaurants created on the Southampton coastline, along with a new public piazza... Read More
Bonds secured by commercial property in Canary Wharf have fallen to their lowest level in three years, Bloomberg reports. The fall is due to concerns that the debt may be bought back at a lower value than the market price. The £954.3m class A1 securities decreased in value by 5 per cent after the issuer, Canary Wharf Finance II Plc... Read More
The plight of beleaguered shop keepers has been raised in Parliament by an MP who claims that one-in-ten retailers in her North-East constituency pay more in business rates than they do in rent. Speaking during an adjournment debate with high street minister Brandon Lewis, South Shields’ MP, Emma Lewell-Buck, said that even big names... Read More
A Lincolnshire town which for years has carried hundreds of thousands of square feet of unused warehouse and office space has seen its stockpile of vacant commercial property halved as the post-crisis recovery gathers pace. At the depths of the recession there was three-million sq ft of large property available in Scunthorpe — that... Read More
With banks pumping billions of dollars into the commercial property sector, Westpac and ANZ Bank are taking the lead in increasing their lending practices. There has been little growth in business lending and commercial property is one area outside of the residential housing market where demand is strong. According to the latest... Read More
The West Midlands has become a hotspot for industrial activity over the past 12 months, with increasing numbers of international firms choosing to expand their interests in the region. However, thanks to widespread marketing initiatives throughout mainland Europe and beyond, it is fast becoming a prime tourist destination too. This... Read More
Since the plastic bag tax was introduced in Wales, the country has seen a vast reduction in the number of carrier bags dispensed by retailers and a rise in households choosing to recycle during the weekly shop. However, new research has indicated that when the same tax is introduced in England in October 2015, the number of plastic bags used... Read More
InfraRed Capital Partners has exchanged contracts for the purchase of Mill Gate shopping centre in Bury from Scottish Widows Investment Partnership. The deal for the 400,000 sq ft centre, is worth £52m. It adds to Infrared's portfolio in the region, which includes two shopping centres in Liverpool city centre, Clayton Square and St.... Read More
After being abandoned for almost a quarter-of-a-century the 130-acre former Skelton Grange power station site in West Yorkshire is finally on the market. Built to serve the city of Leeds and the surrounding areas, the coal-fired power plant closed in 1990 and the site — adjacent to the Aire Valley Enterprise Zone in Stourton — has... Read More
CBRE has received instructions to offer the Tower Hotel in Derry for sale. This sale will provide buyers with what has been described as an "excellent" opportunity to acquire the 93-bedroom hotel, which is located within the Derry City walls. Offers of more than £3.75m are being invited for the hotel. The Tower Hotel was built in... Read More
