The Map Group have announced it’s moving it’s main offices from Westland Way Business Park in Stockton to a brand new office development in Tees Valley.
The company, a leading provider of communication network services, will move into the recently completed George Stephenson Court Building which has 16,000 square feet of 
office space over 4 floors. Between 50 and 60 of their 750 staff will move to the new base from their former premises on Portrack Lane. Because the Map Group doesn’t need all the space at first, it’s sub-leasing one floor to Henderson Insurance Brokers. (more…)
New research out this week claims the rising rates of insolvency across the UK are more likely hit smaller businesses harder than their larger counterparts.
Information services company, Experian, said that businesses with between 11 and 100 employees are the enterprises which are most likely to fail, year on year. On average 15 out of every 10,000 small businesses have gone bust every three months since 2000. That figure rose to a peak of 87 in the first quarter of 2009. This September the number of SME’s with 11 to 25 employees saw a marked increase in insolvencies, up to 0.26% from 0.21% in September last year. (more…)
A new report out by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors reveals a large majority of UK surveyors are seeing a rise in the number of enquiries they receive and an increase in lettings activity for the first time in 2 years.
It suggests the London commercial property market is leading the recovery and is recovering at a faster rate than the rest of the UK. Central and Greater London office markets saw tenant demand activity rise for the second consecutive quarter and at more than twice the rate of the previous survey period. 42% more surveyors, the highest number since 2007, saw a rise than a fall in letting activity – up from 18% in the last quarter. (more…)
A new report out this week shows that confidence in the letting and sales of office space is increasing in Yorkshire.
The report, based on figures gained by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, showed that 33% of surveyors in the area were reporting a rise in activity against – 6% in July. This could be the biggest hint yet that business confidence in the UK is rising, slowly but surely, and could mark the start of the recovery of the British economy. (more…)
A new £70 million office space development is to be built on the edge of Liverpool’s commercial district.
Developer West Bay Capital received planning permission from the council this week for two new buildings at 30 Pall Mall. The two buildings, designed by architect Broadway Malyan, have been praised for their modern architecture and design. (more…)
New research out this week shows the recession has hit many areas in Britain hard, with costal towns in particular suffering very badly.
Hull has been worst hit with 26.6 bankruptcies per 10,000 adults, with Poole and Plymouth not far behind. Experts are saying the drop in tourism and poor weather this summer are two of the main factors which have contributed to this. The decline in shipbuilding and fishing has also taken a negative toll on many towns who rely on these as their main incomes. (more…)
British Land marked a key milestone in the UK commercial property market this week when they bought an office development in London‘s West End worth £40.25 million.
It’s the listed building company’s first acquisition since the start of the credit crunch in 2007. They bought 39 Victoria Street from Aviva Investors and the company have said the purchase fits in with their strategy of balancing their office portfolio and increasing their presence in the West End. (more…)
With two day’s of postal strikes causing disruption to almost every small business this week, business leaders across the country are bracing themselves for yet more walk-outs next week.
Yesterday the CWU announced more strikes, with the first hitting the country next Thursday. Members are protesting about pay, conditions and proposed postal reforms and have been unable to reach an agreement with Royal Mail after a number of meetings this week. News of the further action was described as “appalling” by Royal Mail. (more…)
In an exciting move this week the British Olympic Association and the British Paralympic Association jointly moved into a contemporary office suite in London‘s West End.
Their new home is the newly-refurbished offices at 60 Charlotte Street which will provide the ideal base for the organisations as the games draw closer. The move marks a groundbreaking change for the British Olympics Association who have resided in South London’s Wandsworth for the past 27 years. The change comes as Britain gets ready to stage the Olympics in 2012. (more…)
The restructuring advisory firm, Begbies Traynor, has warned Britain may be in the middle of a “W” shaped recession.
It predicts current business confidence won’t last, with next year looking to be just as financially unstable as this past one. Up to as many as 40,000 companies could go bankrupt in the bloodbath of 2010′s recession with lack of available credit being to blame.
(more…)
