Activist Investor Calls for Whitbread Sale in Response to Sale-and-Leaseback Plan
Activist investor Corvex Management has urged Whitbread plc to consider a sale of the company after the hotel operator announced a sale‑and‑leaseback of a substantial portion of its freehold hotel portfolio. Corvex argues the move is “value‑destructive” and could erode shareholder returns. Whitbread, which owns the Premier Inn chain, plans to monetize assets to fund growth and reduce debt. The clash highlights tension between asset‑light strategies and investor expectations in the UK hospitality sector.
CBRE IM Partners with Moda to Launch Debut Single-Family Housing Fund
CBRE Investment Management has teamed up with UK developer Moda to launch its first single-family housing fund, marking CBRE's entry into the British single-family rental market. The fund will draw on more than 25,000 residential plots owned by Moda’s parent,...
Birmingham Council Appoints Lovell to Lead £1bn Regen Project
Birmingham City Council has appointed development firm Lovell to head a £1 billion (≈$1.27 billion) regeneration scheme at Druids Heath. The master‑plan envisions roughly 3,500 new homes built over a 20‑year horizon, with just over half earmarked as affordable units. Lovell will...
Bellway and Christ Church Oxford Win Approval for 800 Homes
Bellway and Christ Church Oxford have secured planning approval for the Water Eaton scheme on Oxford’s outskirts, authorising the construction of 800 homes. The development will allocate 50% of the units to affordable housing, addressing local demand for lower‑cost homes....
Three Tenants Recommit to 27,000 Sq Ft at Manchester’s Exchange Quay
Three anchor tenants—First Central, RW Invest and Proof ID—have renewed their leases, securing a total of 27,000 square feet at Manchester’s Exchange Quay office campus. The renewals maintain high occupancy for the mixed‑use development, which has become a focal point...
Starlight Secures £100m Cornerstone Investment From National Housing Bank
Starlight has secured a £100 million (≈ $128 million) cornerstone investment from India’s National Housing Bank for its UK Build‑to‑Rent Fund II. The capital will be disbursed in phases to finance the development of roughly 6,000 rental homes across the United Kingdom. The deal...
Women in PBSA Launches Sector’s First Menopause Best-Practice Guide
Women in PBSA, the industry body for purpose‑built student accommodation, has released the sector’s first menopause best‑practice guide. The document offers operators, investors and universities concrete policies, training modules and facility recommendations to support menopausal staff. By standardising support, the...
Avant Homes Gets Green Light for £23.5m Barnsley Scheme
Avant Homes has secured planning approval for a £23.5 million (≈$30 million) development in Great Houghton, South Yorkshire. The scheme will deliver 104 new homes, primarily aimed at affordable and family‑size buyers. It forms part of Avant’s strategic expansion in the North...
Q1 Registrations of Homes to Be Built Down 6% Year on Year, NHBC Reports
The National House Building Council (NHBC) reported that registrations for new housing projects in the UK fell 6% in the first quarter compared with the same period last year. The decline reflects a "perfect storm" of higher borrowing costs, rising...
Outdated Office Space Could Undermine Oxford Street Revival Plans, WPA Warns
The Westminster Property Association (WPA) warns that roughly 3.8 million square feet of office space on Oxford Street falls short of the energy‑efficiency standards slated for 2030. The report says these outdated premises could derail the high‑profile retail and mixed‑use regeneration...
Former Rolls-Royce Site Goes up for Sale as Redevelopment Opportunity
A former Rolls‑Royce industrial site in the United Kingdom has been placed on the market, offering developers a sizable parcel of land zoned for use classes 5 and 6—general industrial and storage/distribution. The zoning permits a range of redevelopment options,...
Grainger Extends £540m of Core Bank Facilities to 2033
Grainger, a UK real‑estate investment trust, has extended its core bank facilities by £540 million (approximately $686 million) to 2033. The extension lifts the weighted‑average facility maturity to 4.6 years, including optional extensions that further lengthen the debt horizon. By securing longer‑term financing,...
City Grants Approval for Redevelopment of Faryners House
The city council has granted planning permission to redevelop the historic Faryners House into a modern office tower. The approved scheme will add 97,000 square feet of Grade‑A workspace across the building’s ten upper floors. Renowned Fletcher Priest Architects have been...
BSR’s Gateway 2 Approvals Hit 71% in 12 Weeks to May
The Building Safety Regulator reported that 71% of Gateway 2 applications were approved in the 12‑week period ending 1 May. During that window, 323 Gateway 2 decisions were made, with 62% of cases originating from London. The high approval rate signals that developers...
JTRE London on Being a Cheerleader for the South Bank Market
JTRE London’s managing director Nigel Fleming told Property Week that the firm is positioning itself as a champion for the South Bank office market. The developer is rolling out a new SE1 office project that aims to meet rising demand...
Blackstone Secures £562m iQ Student Accommodation Refinancing
Blackstone has secured a £562 million ($714 million) refinancing for its iQ Student Accommodation platform, with MUFG serving as bookrunner and lead arranger. The loan will fund refurbishment of nine purpose‑built student housing sites totaling over 3,600 beds in UK university cities...
Avison Young Reports Regional Office Shortages ‘Intensifying’ as Completions Fall
Avison Young warns that office completions across eight UK regional markets will fall 48% below the ten‑year average by 2028, deepening an existing supply shortage. The cities affected include Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Newcastle, Leeds, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Glasgow. The...
NewRiver Unlocks £6.2m of Synergies as CapReg Deal Strengthens Balance Sheet
NewRiver REIT announced it has unlocked £6.2 million ($7.9 million) of annual cost synergies after integrating Capital & Regional, raising its London retail exposure to 43% of the portfolio. The REIT generated £9.1 million ($11.6 million) in rent from 930,700 sq ft of leasing, with new...
OnTheMarket Reports 40% Spike in PRS Homes Listed for Sale
OnTheMarket data shows a 40% month‑to‑month jump in private rental homes listed for sale in March 2026, with a 120% increase compared with March 2024 and a 94% rise since January 2024. The surge coincides with landlords grappling with higher...
Upwards-Only Rent Reviews Ban Looms as Devolution Bill Becomes Law
The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill received royal assent, granting the government authority to prohibit upwards‑only rent review clauses in commercial leases. The legislation also introduces a Community Right to Buy, mandates local growth plans, and expands mayoral powers...
RICS Partners with Retrofit Academy to Improve Skills Shortage
RICS has teamed up with The Retrofit Academy (TRA) to offer its members heavily subsidised training on high‑demand retrofit qualifications, including the Level 4 Retrofit Assessor course. The partnership is funded by the government‑backed Warm Homes Skills fund, which can cover...
Big Six Regional Office Markets to Rebound as Demand Rises, JLL Predicts
JLL forecasts UK regional office take‑up to reach 4.5 million sq ft in 2026, a 15% rise over 2025. Occupier demand is strengthening while new‑build vacancy rates sit below 2%, creating a tight supply environment. Prime rents have already climbed to £41.50‑£52 per...
Housing Finance Corporation Makes £550m Affordable Housing Funding Pledge
The Housing Finance Corporation (HFC) announced a £550 m (~$704 m) pledge to boost affordable housing in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The money is divided into three ring‑fenced programmes – £250 m for Wales, £200 m for Scotland and £100 m for Northern Ireland...
Flex Office Operator Frameworks Expands London Portfolio with Five Sites
Flexible office operator Frameworks has added five new sites in London, bringing its portfolio to 16 locations—a 53% increase from the prior year. The new spaces include 14,000 sq ft in Westminster, Watchmaker Works and Topham Works in Farringdon, Talbot Works at...
Sector ‘Alarmed’ as Reeves Mulls One-Year Residential Rent Freeze
Chancellor Rachel Reeves is reportedly considering a one‑year freeze on residential rent increases in England to cushion households affected by the Middle East conflict. The proposal clashes with housing minister Matthew Pennycook’s recent declaration that the government will not adopt...
Legendre UK JV Wins Consent for London Hammersmith Office-to-Hotel Conversion
Legendre UK, together with Central & Provincial and Candour Properties, secured planning consent for a 70,000 sq ft office‑to‑hotel conversion at Grove House in Hammersmith. The mixed‑use scheme will include a 171‑room hotel, a 131‑seat auditorium, 2,691 sq ft of office space and 1,764 sq ft...
BlackRock Gets Green Light for 151,000 Sq Ft Spec Bristol Office Redevelopment
BlackRock has secured planning consent to redevelop its 151,000 sq ft Portwall Place office in Bristol, creating floorplates up to 38,000 sq ft – the largest in the city. The refurbishment will add a café, gym, a 4,000 sq ft rooftop terrace, terraces on every level,...
Arada London Wins £152m Loan to Deliver 251 Mixed-Tenure Homes in Swiss Cottage
Arada London, the UK arm of UAE developer Arada, secured a £152 million loan (≈$195 million) from ICG Real Estate to fund a mixed‑tenure project at 100 Avenue Road in Swiss Cottage. The scheme will deliver 172 private for‑sale units, 79 affordable homes and...
London’s Supply Squeeze Tightens as New Office Construction Starts Fall 35%
Deloitte’s 2025 London Office Crane Survey shows new office construction starts slumped 35% year‑over‑year to 4.8 million sq ft, while refurbishments now account for two‑thirds of all activity. Central London delivered 7.1 million sq ft in 2025, an 8% rise and the third‑largest annual...
Taylor Wimpey Reports ‘Steady’ Sales as Order Book Dips
Taylor Wimpey reported a net private sales rate of 0.74 homes per outlet per week for the year to 26 April, slightly down from 0.77 a year earlier. The total order book fell to £2.23 bn (about $2.85 bn), representing 7,689 homes, a...
CBRE Predicts London’s AI Occupier Boom Will Create 4m Sq Ft of Take-Up by 2033
London is poised to absorb up to 4 million square feet of AI‑driven office space by 2033, according to CBRE research. Tech firms have already leased 17.9 million square feet in central London since 2013, and CBRE forecasts 600,000 square feet of tech...
High Court Nixes Bid to Remove East London Pub’s Spirit for Resi Scheme
The High Court dismissed Pridewell Properties' appeal to redevelop the Railway Bell pub in South Woodford, allowing Spirit Pub Company to retain its tenancy. Pridewell had proposed three mews houses and a reduced‑size pub with six flats above, but the...
Prescient Secures Funding Package for Spec Prime Office Development in Leeds
Prescient Capital secured a £27 million (≈$34 million) funding commitment from BGO to build a speculative grade‑A office tower at 31 Wellington Street, Leeds. The £60 million (≈$75 million) project will replace the demolished Wellington Plaza with 80,000 sq ft of workspace across nine stories, slated...
L&G Unveils Partnership Model Set to Unlock £9bn of Investment a Year
Legal & General released a white paper outlining a new partnership model that could channel roughly $11.4 billion of pension and insurer capital into England’s affordable‑housing sector each year. The framework targets the delivery of about 80,000 affordable homes annually without...
Savills Raises £55m at April Auction Despite Bidder ‘Caution’
Savills’ 21‑22 April auction raised over £55 million (≈$70 million) from 163 lots despite a “more challenging” sale and cautious bidders. The top‑priced asset, a 162,000 sq ft industrial estate in Gwynedd, fetched £4.7 million (≈$6 million) and generates £564,356 (≈$722,000) annual rent. Other highlights included a...
Barratt Redrow Partners with Buckinghamshire Council to Deliver 1,100-Home Masterplan
Barratt Redrow has teamed with Buckinghamshire Advantage, the council‑owned arm of Buckinghamshire Council, to deliver the 1,100‑home Woodlands masterplan on a 495‑acre site south‑east of Aylesbury. The scheme, already granted planning permission, will feature 220 affordable homes, a 40‑acre sports...
Inheritance Tax Valuation Referrals Rise 25% Following HMRC Crack Down
HM Revenue & Customs has intensified its review of inheritance‑tax property valuations, driving a 25% year‑on‑year rise in referrals to the Valuation Office Agency, reaching 14,631 cases in the latest year. The crackdown coincides with a 61% surge in inheritance‑tax...
Ward Group Buys £30m Durham PBSA Scheme
Ward Group Investments has purchased the Three Tuns purpose‑built student accommodation (PBSA) scheme in Durham for roughly £30 million (about $38 million). The historic site now hosts three new residential wings with 178 rooms, and the company is upgrading the units to...
Lincoln MGT Secures £115m Refinancing of Reading’s One Station Hill
Lincoln MGT, a joint venture between Lincoln Property Company and MGT Investment Management, secured a £115 million senior debt facility (approximately $146 million) from Fiera Real Estate Debt Strategies to refinance its One Station Hill office development in Reading, Berkshire. The 15‑storey,...
BTR Sale Volumes Slump to Lowest Levels Since 2017, JLL Reveals
JLL’s Q1 data shows UK build‑to‑rent (BTR) transaction volume fell to $935 million, the lowest quarterly total since 2017. Multifamily investment slipped to $327 million, while single‑family activity rose 4% to $609 million, buoyed by a $381 million infusion from Kennedy Wilson and the...
Construction Falls 20% as Iran War Chokes Activity, Glenigan Finds
Glenigan’s latest Construction Review shows UK construction starts slumped 20% year‑on‑year in the three months to March 2026, with planning‑approval values down 29% quarter‑on‑quarter and 51% versus the previous year. Despite the slowdown, main contract awards rose 30% from the prior...
Salboy Launches Aparthotel Brand with First Site in Cornwall
Salboy Group, a major UK property developer, has launched a boutique aparthotel brand called Hidden, debuting with an 18‑unit property in St Ives, Cornwall. The development features 16 two‑bedroom apartments with private terraces and more than half equipped with outdoor...
Octopus Capital Funds Two Care Homes in Stafford and Norwich
Octopus Capital has agreed to forward‑fund two new care homes for Abora Developments, part of Xanadu Care Group, in Stafford and Norwich. The 66‑bed facility in Stafford and the 70‑bed home in Taverham will be built to EPC ‘A’ and...
Visionary Completes £25.5m Loan for Luxury London Residence
Visionary Finance arranged a £25.5 million ($32.6 million) loan for an ultra‑high net worth client, secured against a £42.5 million ($54.4 million) prime residence in Holland Park, London. The facility refinances the existing mortgage and provides additional capital for recent development works. The borrower, a...
Foxtons Sales Drop 35% Amid Slowdown in Challenging Market
Foxtons Group reported a 35% year‑on‑year decline in Q1 2026 sales, falling to £10.7 m ($13.6 m) from £16.4 m ($20.8 m) a year earlier. Revenue slipped 10% to £39.6 m ($50.3 m), while lettings income rose 5% to £26.4 m ($33.5 m). The slowdown reflects weaker buyer activity...
Hortons Gets Green Light for 175,000 Sq Ft Pre-Let Leicestershire Warehouse
Birmingham‑based developer Hortons has obtained planning permission for a 175,000 sq ft fleet‑management centre in Old Dalby Business Park, Leicestershire. The warehouse is already pre‑let to Toyota Material Handling UK (TMHUK) on a 15‑year lease, with construction underway and practical completion targeted...
Trampoline Park Operator Bounces Into Clearbell Unit in Tunbridge Wells
Clearbell UK Strategic Trust has secured AirHop as a new tenant for a 30,000 sq ft unit on North Farm Road in Tunbridge Wells, signing a 15‑year lease. The trust completed a full refurbishment, upgrading mechanical and electrical systems and lifting the...
Queensway Gets Green Light for Two Office-to-Hotel Conversions in the Capital
Queensway Group has obtained planning permission to convert two central London office buildings into hotels, creating a total of 341 rooms under its Point A Hotels brand. The larger project at 29 Clements Lane near Monument will deliver 236 rooms...
Lambeth to Launch High Court Case Against Loughborough Estate Management Board
Lambeth Council is preparing a High Court claim against the Loughborough Estate Management Board (LEMB) over serious governance, operational and financial concerns. The council alleges audit failures, unjustified foreign travel expenses, and an invalid annual general meeting that breached LEMB’s...
City of London Partners with Developer for West Smithfield Revival
The City of London Corporation has teamed up with developer General Projects and Sir Lloyd Dorfman’s Esselco Group to redevelop the historic Annexe buildings in West Smithfield. Phase 1, slated for early 2028, will introduce a contemporary food market, while Phase 2, due...