News | Page 26

Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has approved plans put forward by developer Berkeley Homes to build almost 1,000 homes in Islington, in a bid to alleviate some of London’s pressing housing needs and regenerate a part of London that is in need of improvement. According to a recent news report, the scheme will comprise a 42-storey tower block and a 36-storey tower block in an area already designated by Islington Council as suitable for locating a cluster of tall buildings.

A host of Welsh businesses will receive a £1000 discount on the business rates bill as part of a £15m package that has just been announced by the Welsh government. The Wales Retail Relief Scheme includes an £11.5m funding package to help cut rates bills for retailers and food and drink premises with a rateable value of less than £50,000, a news report in the local business media has revealed.

Network Rail has revealed plans to start a five-year £38bn spending and investment programme designed to meet the British passengers’ needs for more trains, more seats, reduced congestion and bigger, better stations.

The Welsh government has announced funding for two new residential developments in South Wales that are set to create 2,300 new jobs and generate an economic boost of around £225m, a news report in the local business media has recently revealed.

Building work on a development featuring 40 new energy-efficient houses has started in Grange over Sands, in Cumbria, at a former swimming pool site, a news report in the local business media has recently revealed.

Japan-based electronics giant Hitachi has revealed plans to relocate its entire global rail business from Japan to the United Kingdom and significantly expand its manufacturing operations at its County Durham site, a recent news report on the matter has revealed.

A fresh £42m investment from the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) will help push forward the development of a 3,300-home urban extension at Great Western Park in Didcot, a news report in the local business media has recently revealed.

Two new developments comprising 46 affordable homes are set to be built in Barnsley after the project received £736,000 funding from the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), a news report in the local media can reveal. Both developments will be completed Berneslai Homes on behalf of the council and will become social rented housing once they’re done.

The number of employees working on zero-hours contracts has reached a staggering 583,000, up from just around 183,000 back in 2010, a new report from the ONS (Office for National Statistics) has recently revealed. Business secretary, Vince Cable, said: "These figures provide welcome clarity over the number of people on this type of employment.

One of the UK’s most important retailers, the Co-operative Group, has just revealed plans to effectively double its convenience store base over the next 5 years, from the existing 2,000 sites, a news report in the business media has revealed.

Kier Construction, one the UK’s biggest players in this segment, will be in charge of carrying out £1m of internal and external renovations, including chimney works, roof repairs, replacement doors and windows and floor and stair repairs on 33 empty properties in Stoke-on-Trent, as part of a partnership with Stoke-on-Trent City Council.

The former Press and Broadcast Centres on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park are set to undergo a very serious redevelopment programme, following which they will be transformed into a world-leading creative and digital cluster, a media news report on this topic has recently revealed. The development will be called Here East and iCITY will be the company in charge of overseeing the works, after managing to win the tender put out by the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC).