Debenhams chief executive Michael Sharp remains optimistic despite the retailer’s disappointing annual sales results. In the year to the 30th of August, Britain’s second largest department store recorded a profits plunge of 24.8 per cent, with pre-tax profits amounting to £87.2 million. However, like for like sales did manage to... Read More
Seven years after the completion of a £25m upgrade to Sheffield railway station the value of commercial property in the area has increased by two-thirds and almost 3,000 new jobs have been created. The figures were revealed during a parliamentary committee hearing which was told that at least £74m of traditional investment would have... Read More
A neglected Suffolk hotel — once the home of a pioneering Royal Navy seaplane unit — has been sold for more than £400,000. Abandoned and vandalised for more than two decades the North Sea Hotel on Felixstowe’s Sea Road was recently branded “a scab on our seafront” by the town’s mayor, Graham Newman. For more than a year... Read More
Chancellor George Osborne is rumoured to be considering a business rates reform which would see local authorities in cities such as Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds keep a greater proportion of revenue raised for use in local enterprise projects. Following the Scottish independence referendum campaign, during which Scotland was promised... Read More
Three landmark office blocks are among plans being considered for the former site of one of Britain’s oldest daily newspapers. In February, 2012, it was announced that printing of The Yorkshire Post and Yorkshire Evening Post would be switched from the papers’ Wellington Street, Leeds, plant to a new base at Dinnington near... Read More
Those with a little experience in the field of the supernatural will know that castles tend to attract more than their fair share of ghosts, and Tamworth Castle is no different in this respect. The 800 year old medieval building has seen centuries of horror and hauntings, and this is reflected in the reportedly dozens of resident ghosts... Read More
Home Retail Group has made the decision to implement a programme of store closures in its Homebase chain. A review of the chain’s store portfolio earlier this year found that a number of the 323 outlets currently operating in the UK are “unprofitable or are in decline”, meaning that urgent action is needed to ensure group profits... Read More
A North-East car dealership has kept its expansion plans local by commissioning Newcastle-based Silverstone Building Consultancy to oversee a series of construction projects. The four-showroom Pulman Group — which has two sites in Durham and two in Sunderland — recently unveiled an ongoing investment programme that includes a major... Read More
Lloyds Bank has confirmed it is considering three final bidders for a €2bn (£1.5b) Irish commercial buy-to-let portfolio it is selling. The three global contenders are Californian-based Oaktree Capital Management, investment bank Goldman Sachs working with CarVal, and Kildare Partners. The Project Parasol portfolio — which has 50... Read More
Unseasonably warm weather has taken its toll on retailers, with the milder than expected temperatures putting something of a dampener on the launch of autumn and winter collections, and adversely affecting footfall levels throughout the country. Overall, retail destinations in the UK suffered from a 0.9 per cent dip in footfall levels... Read More
The Commonwealth Games gave Glasgow the opportunity to showcase true Scottish hospitality, with a number of different areas of business benefiting hugely from the influx of guests to the city. One of the major beneficiaries of the Games was the hotel sector due to the rising demand for beds during the event. During July, the sector... Read More
As a town known for having a pivotal role in the English Civil War, one could expect Nantwich to appear in a number of “most haunted” lists. Therefore, paranormal enthusiasts will not be disappointed by a visit to this market town as it is not only the annual Battle of Nantwich re-enactments which give a haunting tribute to the area’s... Read More
Whitbread has slowly transformed itself into one of the leisure sector’s strongest competitors. In part, this is due to its commitment to investing in its subsidiary chains, with consumer demand for both Costa Coffee and Premier Inn pushing up the group’s first half sales in, what is becoming, an increasingly familiar story. At... Read More
Trinity Leeds’ street food concept, Trinity Kitchen, has celebrated its first anniversary by welcoming Rola Wala, to the award winning destination. The Indian street food vendor will open its first permanent restaurant site in a 452 sq ft unit following a successful stint as a pop-up in the centre. Rola Wala joins a host of... Read More
It has been confirmed that an offer has been made for Wolverhampton’s Mander Centre, which current owner Delancey placed on the market only a few months ago with a £50 million price tag. Although the identity of the potential buyer has not been revealed, city council deputy leader Peter Bilson has confirmed that a “very credible... Read More
The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) has agreed to part finance a £10m eco-friendly office scheme at one of Britain’s regional airports. Doncaster International Business Park — adjacent to the town’s Robin Hood Airport — is being developed in two stages by the Prospect Property Group (PPG) and is expected to create more... Read More
When you think of the sleepy town of Congleton, ghosts, ghouls and things that go bump in the night are not the first attractions which spring to mind. However, following a visit to The Lion & Swan Inn, visitors may leave the Cheshire town with a whole new perspective on the paranormal. First built in the 16th century, The Lion... Read More
Land Securities has taken 100 per cent control of Glasgow’s Buchanan Galleries in a sale-and- share deal that sees it relinquish its 50 per cent stake in Princesshay shopping centre in Exeter. Confirming the transaction, Land Securities — the largest commercial property company in Britain — said the £127.9m sale of the... Read More
With the increase in self-employment and the growth in micro businesses, demand for coworking space across the United Kingdom is likely to exceed four million square feet in the near future and is predicted to rise rapidly over the next 10 years, according to a report released by DTZ. The growth of online, creative and technology industries,... Read More
The developer behind a £400m Yorkshire regeneration project has claimed the scheme will create almost 2,500 jobs and will pump £5m into the local economy each year. Commercial Estates Group (CEG) recently named Perth-based contractor, I & H Brown as the builder chosen to deliver the 57-acre mixed-use scheme at Kirkstall Forge and... Read More
Scotland’s leading property organisation is warning that proposals to shake up the country’s land and building tax structure could have an adverse effect on development and make it “less competitive than the rest of the UK”. Announced in this week’s Scottish Budget the Land and Building Transaction Tax (LBTT) will replace... Read More
When the television series Most Haunted first aired in May 2002, it sparked a love of all things supernatural in the British public. However, despite appearing on the show itself, Capesthorne Hall remains one of the most perplexing paranormal cases in the UK today, with mysterious sightings and a ghoulish past leaving even the most vigilant... Read More
