Archive for December, 2009
Tesco plans £160m superstore scheme in east London
December 5th, 2009 | 
Author: Scheme designed by ColladoCollins will include 400 residential units, shops, cafes, a library and hotel
Tesco has submitted plans for a superstore with a large s106 agreement in Bromley-by-Bow, east London.
The £160m scheme, designed by architect ColladoCollins, is set to replace the existing Tesco store next to the A12 with a new district centre which includes a hotel, Idea Store community library, 403 residential units and 18 shops and cafes anchored by a new Tesco superstore.
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London mayor will miss affordable homes target for 2011
Recession is blamed for delay in creating 50,000 affordable homes
London Mayor Boris Johnson will miss a target of creating 50,000 affordable homes in the capital by 2011 due to the recession.
But Sir Simon Milton, deputy mayor for policy and planning, told the London Assembly’s planning and housing committee yesterday that Johnson was “confident” he would now achieve the target by 2012.
Sacked Barratt director will not face police fraud inquiry
A marketing director at Barratt who was fired after his friends and family allegedly bought homes at bargain prices before selling them for a large profit will not face police action
Stuart MacColl, west of Scotland sales and marketing director, was sacked last month after a whistleblower raised concerns to Mark Clare, Barratt’s chief executive.
Eco-towns round two begins
The government has unveiled a list of nine potential eco-towns for the second wave of the scheme, and has released £5m to councils to work up plans for the developments
John Healey, housing minister, said existing schemes including Northstowe in Cambridge and Shoreham Harbour in West Sussex were being considered.
Galliford Try buys Cornwall housebuilder for £200,000
Galliford Try has bought Cornwall-based housebuilder Rosemullion Homes for £200,000
The deal includes nine sites, comprising 24 units under development and a land bank of 132 units.
In its last financial year to 31 December 2008, Rosemullion Homes’ turnover was £7.5m.
Abbey returns to profit
Housebuilding division of Anglo-Irish group contributes to £3.7m pre-tax profit but plant hire business makes a loss
Anglo-Irish housebuilder Abbey made a pre-tax profit of €3.6m (£3.27m) in interim results for the six months ending 31 October. The figure compares with a loss of €5.39m for the same period last year.
Bellway’s reservations up 51%
Trading update shows improvement for the four months to end of November on last year mainly in south England
Housebuilder Bellway has said reservations for the four months to the end of November were 51% ahead of last year.
Optimistic Berkeley buys 12 sites in six months
Housebuilder’s chair Tony Pidgley says there are signs of stabilization in London and South-east market
Berkeley Group has said there is an “increased number of land opportunities” coming to market.
Announcing its half-year results, the developer said it had bought 12 sites covering 1,800 plots in the six months to the end of October, having not bought anything in the previous financial year.
HCA to increase upfront grant for affordable housing
Move by Homes and Communities Agency is an attempt to meet housing targets by end of financial year
The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), the UK’s housing and regeneration quango, will increase upfront grant payments for affordable housing from 60% to 75% so that the agency can be sure to meet housing targets by the end of the year.
New sky-line of Paris
La Defance will start big building boom soon. The projects is designed from wellknown architects, like Daniel Libeskind, Norman Foster, Jean Nouvel etc. But it doesn´t change that most of the projects are quite boring. On our opinion the best project is from sir Foster, which is diferent with his simplicity and surpreising interieor space.