Peter Bill
Peter Bill is a former property editor, journalist, columnist for the Evening Standard from 2007-15 and author of Planet Property. You can follow him on Twitter @peterproperty
Insight2019 forecast: decade of disruption beckons
Come September, there will be an outbreak of punditry with punning ‘20/20 vision’ headlines forecasting the property trends over the next decade.
- News
Rothesay Life ready to move from Cheesegrater to Post
The insurance firm’s planned move to a new office in The Post Building would triple its London footprint.
- Insight
WeWork hipsters work the TRADS room
“Hi! We are the pretentious tossers,” cried Greg Miley, director of Broker and Real Estate Partnerships for Europe, Israel and Australia at WeWork, as he bounded out in front of an audience of dark-suited agents, a bearded pocket dynamo and one-time footballer in skinny jeans, his reddish hair scrunched in ...
- Insight
“Is Compass a money-blowing residential version of WeWork?”
Last week, WeWork backer SoftBank pumped $400m into Compass, a high-end US residential property site absurdly valued at $4.4bn. Some of that cash may well be splashed in London.
- Insight
Zap factoids; build homes on firm foundation of facts
For sanity’s sake, change the tune. Sixteen housing ministers since 1979 have accepted a factoid suggesting they are responsible for the number of new homes built.
- Insight
Croydon council prepares for Crexit possibilities
On 17 May, Westfield shareholders ticked the £18.5bn takeover offer made in December 2017 by French retail giant Unibail-Rodamco. A week earlier I’d asked Croydon council chief executive Jo Negrini if she was worried that the coming surrender of Westfield to the French might further delay the £1.4bn Whitgift Centre, ...
- Insight
Ditch CVAs for BVAs to keep stores turning over
”It’s like kicking a sick dog,” said one young analyst working at a major US fund last week at the Freehold drinks party.
- Insight
Will property’s social enlightenment survive a punch in the face?
Three comments over the past month have left me in two minds.
- Insight
The story behind British Land moving forward with Canada Water scheme
Developer hails submission of planning application as ‘important milestone’ in the delivery of the project.
- Online
British Land submits planning application for Canada Water scheme
British Land has signed a master development agreement with freeholder Southwark Council for the 53-acre Canada Water scheme and submitted a detailed planning application for 285 000 sq ft of office, retail and leisure space and 270 homes, 35% of which would be affordable.
- Insight
A vision being developed for Whitehall in darkened rooms
Fresh political thinking on the state’s real estate is due to be published next month.
- Insight
Planet Property: London Wall development shows why Make is making it big in London
Expect a whopper planning application soon-ish from Make Architects for the second phase of The Crown Estate’s St James’s Market, which sits on the stretch of Regent Street below Piccadilly.
- News
Grosvenor to redevelop two-acre site in Mayfair
Masterplan will increase height and density of buildings opposite Claridges.
- Insight
Grey panther Richard Desmond on the property prowl after Express sale
Richard Desmond is planning to Go Big on property after selling his Express newspaper interests to the owners of the Daily Mirror last week.
- Insight
Planet property: Khan’s heartless London Plan is good news for developers
Hail Sadiq Khan. Champion of developers. Any thoughts a leftie mayor would skew his post-Grenfell draft London Plan in favour of poor families can be discounted.
- Insight
Hammerson purchase of Intu highlights doubts over values
No wonder Hammerson made an all-share offer for Intu on Wednesday.
- Insight
Hellish row between Duchy and the Palace over ‘Paradise Papers’
At some point this week the trustees of the Duchy of Lancaster will surely have sat down with a senior courtier from Buckingham Palace to discuss the ‘Paradise Papers’.
- Insight
The long slow march on St John’s Wood and Hyde Park barrack sales
Malaysian billionaire Ananda Krishnan must be going up the wall.
- News
Westbrook to submit plans for Dolphin Square upgrade
Westbrook Partners is about to unveil ambitious plans to add 150 flats to London’s notorious Dolphin Square and upgrade the entire 1930s estate.
- News
Sellar Property at odds with NHS trust over Paddington Cube’s effect on ambulance route
Sellar Property Group has lambasted an NHS trust for attempting to stymie construction of the £775m Paddington Cube.
