2013 was an extremely positive year for small business growth in the UK, with a record number of entrepreneurs launching companies and experiencing success. However, while SMEs were able to reap the benefits of a more receptive economic environment, many still struggled to access growth capital and even more remained worried about their... Read More
With two multi-million pound developments on the horizon, a Midland’s city is preparing its annual visit to the world’s largest commercial property show with “its most optimistic message for the last five years”. Last year Coventry — which has attended the MIPIM property expo for more than two decades — was joined at Cannes... Read More
2013 was the year the commercial property market began its recovery from the downturn that followed the financial crisis of 2007. It has been a year of improving news with stories of new developments and rising values regularly featuring on our pages. However, there is still some way to go before we reach pre-recession levels and the... Read More
This year has seen London’s West End leap above Hong Kong to regain its status as the most expensive office market in the world. The cost of Grade A office space in the area has risen by almost 15 per cent during 2013, as the resurgence in the UK economy drives demand. Average rents have now reached £100 per sq ft placing the West End... Read More
Plans to redevelop Kidderminster town centre have been submitted to Wyre Forest District Council by Henderson Global Investors. The scheme will create a new public square flanked by shops, cafés and restaurants with the River Stour as its centrepiece. It will require the demolition of a number of existing retail outlets and offices... Read More
UK commercial property values have risen for seven straight months, reports the Investment Property Databank (IPD). And, even more encouragingly, there is nothing on the horizon to stop the upward climb as we enter 2014. In a separate report, Ignis Asset Management forecasts that we could well see a 11.5 per cent return on UK property... Read More
Environmentally aware landlords who attempt to reduce their property’s carbon footprint are continually penalised for their efforts. And changes due to come in over the next few years will only make this situation worse, warns North-East rating surveyor Chris Wilkinson. One of the biggest obstacles to making commercial property... Read More
Strong balance sheets and growing business confidence look set to make 2014 an “uplifting” year, for global commercial property markets according to Jones Lang LaSalle. Next year’s markets could grow by at least 10 per cent with international sales topping $500bn, predicts the firm’s Global Market Perspective Report for the final... Read More
Leeds city centre office take-up is set to surpass 2012 levels. For the first time in six years, figures are on par with pre-recessionary levels, according to research conducted by BNP Paribas Real Estate. The total Leeds office take-up between Q1 and Q3 2013 reached 829,000 sq ft, an increase of 36 per cent over the same period one... Read More
The number of high-growth companies and enterprises in the North West has increased over the past 12 months. The results of a survey, conducted by Barclays and BGF Entrepreneurs Index, reveal a 0.5 per cent rise in the number of enterprises in the past year. This amount represents the joint third highest increase in the UK, trailing... Read More
Since the community right to neighbourhood planning was introduced, as part the government’s Localism Act, over 500 locations in England have produced neighbourhood plans. The majority of these are residential, but a number of plans focus on commercial areas as a means of establishing planning policies for the development of land in a... Read More
Although Crossrail won’t arrive in Southall for five years, plans for the regeneration of the west London suburb are underway and open for consultation. A draft document, the Southall Opportunity Area Planning Framework (SOAPF), sets out a vision that includes provision for 6,000 new homes, the redevelopment of Southall station and... Read More
David Beckham has signed a deal with international leisure group and property developer Las Vegas Sands according to women’s magazine Marie Claire. Beckham joins artist Damien Hirst and former Manchester United teammates Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville among the growing number of celebrities entering property development. In this... Read More
A new property register for Malta would level the commercial playing field and close a tax loophole, according to supporters of the online database. If it receives government approval the Mediterranean island should see its Property Market Value Index published early next year. The register — similar to one introduced in Ireland this... Read More
Let's face it, ever since you thought you saw Santa zipping across the night sky you've been disappointed by what he left at the end of your bed. And it doesn't go away with age. Each Christmas somewhere, deep down, a little spark of envy flickers into life for that one thing you craved, but never got. Either you weren't insistent... Read More
T’was the night before Christmas, and Mum was aflutter, as the milk had gone off and she’d run out of butter. Consumers across the UK today will be thrown into a panic as supermarkets close their doors for a 24 hour period, which in the modern world of constant access to essentials can be something of a shock to the... Read More
Christmas has finally arrived, giving retailers and consumers a much needed rest following the shopping frenzy of the past few weeks. This window of respite has certainly been earned by retailers in the West End in particular, with bosses in the popular shopping district predicting that the results of Christmas 2013 will prove that last... Read More
On the night before Christmas it’s not very pleasant to find you’ve forgotten to buy Granny’s present. This is a sentiment shared by thousands across the UK, with an ever increasing number of consumers hitting the shops before closing on Christmas Eve. Although Christmas falls on a Wednesday this year, giving consumers the... Read More
Never a company accused of thinking small, Google is apparently planning to anchor three giant floating stores on both coasts of the United States. Details of the internet giant’s pioneering retail project were leaked recently after suspicions heightened about a vessel taking shape in a Californian shipyard. Code named “Hangar... Read More
Leading artist Damien Hirst has turned to property development after submitting outline plans for a mixed use scheme to North Devon Council. Hirst is one of the UKs most successful artists whose works, which include a pickled shark and a diamond encrusted skull, change hands for huge sums. During London 2012, the Turner Prize winner... Read More
With Christmas just around the corner, consumers will be in the midst of a last minute purchasing frenzy aiming to acquire the perfect gift for their friends and family members. However, if you have found yourself in the position of urgently needing to hit the shops, you may wish to consider a cash gift instead. According to research... Read More
Many of us will now be getting into the full swing of the festive celebrations and anticipating a few days of over-indulgence. Yet, for those on low incomes, Christmas can bring a whole new set of pressures and push family budgets to the limit. In a study, entitled Monitoring Poverty and Social Exclusion, conducted by the Joseph... Read More
