The Northern Line Extension, Nine Elms: "Public transport infrastructure for massive regeneration scheme" (Sob,sob)

(Click to enlarge)

"The Northern line extension (NLE) from Kennington will provide the fast, high capacity transport link, needed to support a major increase in the number of residents and businesses based in Nine Elms on the South Bank. It would provide two new tube stops within the area – one would be located on Wandsworth Road and the other at Battersea Power Station.

"The scheme would be funded largely through a levy on the area’s development sites and through future growth in business rates revenue. Three years of detailed planning and design work are already been complete and the scheme received widespread backing during its first and second round public consultations.  Transport for London is now preparing a planning application for the scheme under the Transport and Works Act which it expects to submit in 2013.  The new Tube link could open for business by 2019.

"The Government pledged its support for the Northern line extension in the Chancellor’s 2011 Autumn Statement.

"Find out more about the plans to extend the Northern Line on the TFL website.

Driving Growth

"An independent study by leading economic consultancy Volterra has concluded that the wider economic benefits of extending the Northern line would pay for the scheme between three and nine times over.

"The Volterra’s economic benefits study concluded that the new Tube link would:

• expand the Central London Activity Zone – one of the most productive commercial districts in the world.
• generate up to £7.9bn in wider economic benefits and up to £4.5 billion in additional tax revenue for the Exchequer.
• repay the money spent delivering the NLE between three and nine times over through increased economic outputs and increased foreign investment in the UK .
• more than treble the number new of jobs created in the area – up to 25,000
• provide capacity for 16,000 new homes in the area."

(Click to enlarge)

Our Vision

"The greatest transformational story at the heart of the world’s greatest city.

"This is how we see Nine Elms on the South Bank and how important the area’s regeneration is for the boroughs of Lambeth and Wandsworth, the rest of London and the UK economy as a whole. This is the last piece of the central London jigsaw and will complete the redevelopment of the South Bank.

"The area will become an ultra-modern, exciting destination in central London offering 16,000 new homes, 25,000 new jobs, new schools, parks, culture and the arts."

[We just get Hammerson 'Living Bridge' (sic).]

Link to Nine Elms web site

The Partnership

"The Nine Elms Vauxhall Partnership was created in 2010 to coordinate and drive forward the transformation of an entire district of Central London. Co-chaired by the leaders of Wandsworth and Lambeth Council, it includes the area’s main developers and landowners, the Mayor of London, Transport for London and the Greater London Authority.

"It is responsible for setting and delivering the strategic vision for the area, including the £1 billion infrastructure investment package."

[We just get B-list Hammerson, and dysfunctional Barnet's ever-changing Regeneration Team.]

Dune at Brent Cross Shopping Centre - plus Christmas Opening Hours

"Offering unique designs, premium customer service and an unparalleled combination of quality and fashion-forward trends, Dune is the go-to destination for women and men’s footwear.

"Visit the Dune store at Brent Cross's Upper Mall, to try on this season’s latest footwear collections."

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The Brent Cross Christmas Survey

"At Brent Cross, Christmas is a favourite time of the year! We never tire of hearing interesting facts & figures about shopping, especially at this time of year, but most of all we're always interested to hear feedback from our customers!

"We'd love to know a bit more about your shopping experience here in the centre over the festive period, so why not fill us in by filling out our Christmas survey? It'll only take 1 minute, and is sure to make the elves smile!" [sic]

Just click the link below:
http://svy.mk/SFPBH8

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The Guardian: "High house prices? Inequality? I blame the Normans"

One in the eye for The Guardian

"I have come to a slightly disquieting conclusion: we are still being governed by Normans.

"Take house prices. According to the author Kevin Cahill, the main driver behind the absurd expense of owning land and property in Britain is that so much of the nation's land is locked up by a tiny elite. Just 0.3% of the population – 160,000 families – own two thirds of the country. Less than 1% of the population owns 70% of the land, running Britain a close second to Brazil for the title of the country with the most unequal land distribution on Earth.

"Much of this can be traced back to 1066. The first act of William the Conqueror, in 1067, was to declare that every acre of land in England now belonged to the monarch. This was unprecedented: Anglo-Saxon England had been a mosaic of landowners. Now there was just one."

Greater London Authority: "Barriers to Housing Delivery"

Link to report (PDF)

"Concerned to realise the considerable housing potential of the development capacity in London's planning pipeline [sic], and to explore how the construction sector can make a greater contribution to economic recovery, the Mayor commissioned independent consultants to identify the barriers to housing delivery in the capital.

"The report suggests that considerable private sector construction activity is underway, but has yet to inform official statistics. However, because nearly half the private sector capacity in the pipeline is controlled by companies who, for a range of reasons, are unlikely to actually build, [now, who might that be?] the full potential of the pipeline is unlikely to be realised. 

"This is not the only barrier to delivery. Others include the amount of new housing on individual sites which can be absorbed by local markets; funding constraints; capacity among 'active' builders and the need for consistency in the national planning regime. Of a lesser order are constraints imposed by some of the bodies involved in local and strategic planning bodies in London.

"On 8th February 2013, the Mayor proposes to hold a symposium for strategic partners in private sector housing development to discuss the consultant’s recommendations and ways of addressing them. For further details, contact jonathan.finch@london.gov.uk."

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5.1 PLANNING SYSTEM

"By and large, the developers Molior interviewed had very positive things to say about local authority planners and the GLA. That isn’t to say there weren’t some gripes and moans – but the consensus seems to be that workable deals are struck eventually, and that the planning system is flexible and helpful.

"The main concern amongst developers is the speed at which the planning system operates – there is a general feeling that the planning system doesn’t appreciate that time is money.

"We are told that pre-application negotiations have become elongated. One person familiar with the way the system is working observed that planners might consider ‘time’ to be their main negotiating tool. Some planning departments are considered under staffed.

"Interviewees also commented on a perceived skills gap in some planning departments.

"A third area of concern is the range of borough specific requirements which are unhelpful. Examples would include: 

• The requirement to replace employment space (Lewisham / Hackney) even when the space is un-lettable. 
• The inflexibility over required affordable housing quantities (Islington). 
• The inflexibility over affordable housing mix (Tower Hamlets). 
• The borough’s own development standards (Islington).

"A fourth concern is the speed with which local planning policy alters following changes in national guidance. Officers seem to be too keen to stick with adopted policy when national guidance changes in favour of developers, but are quicker to react with changes in the opposite direction. One might comment that such behaviour is only natural.

"Finally, there is also evidence of what we would prefer to call ‘questionable’ local authority behaviour. To Molior as an outside observer the behaviour of a minority of planning officers is, at best, bullying. At worse … the words we would like to use would almost certainly be struck from this report by the GLA’s legal team. 

"Developers are loath to take a confrontational stance against such behaviour, as they are aware they need to continue working with the boroughs in the medium and long term. The situation is reminiscent of the kid in the playground being bullied, but not telling anyone – because if they do, they are concerned the bullying will get worse."

---

Link to:

"... Hammerson has planning permission for an expansion
of its shopping centre in Brent Cross, 
but it is understood conditions imposed
have made going ahead uneconomic."

[here]

Angle-French Hammerson, and the Future of Europe

"In his new book, The Re-emergence of Europe, World Economic Forum Founder and Executive Chairman Klaus Schwab examines the events that have led to Europe’s current challenging political and financial climate.

"By looking at potential solutions through social, political and economic lenses, the book suggests likely outcomes to what Europe will look like in the future.

"Drawing on a career spanning five decades of change in European and world affairs, Professor Schwab looks beyond the short-term to consider the long-term implications that global trends and challenges will have on the region. How can Europe remain true to its social democratic traditions and yet return to the top of global competitiveness? How can it best make use of its human capital to become a leader again in innovation and sustainability?

"The Re-emergence of Europe acknowledges that Europe is not through the pain barrier yet and that greater integration and structural reform must be undertaken. The challenge for Europe’s leaders, he sees, is to present a vision that is bold yet inclusive, that takes account of younger people’s aspirations and leaves no one behind.

"Optimistic that this can be achieved, he believes Europe [and Hammerson?] 'will even surprise us positively' again.

The Re-emergence of Europe

TfL: "Transport for London Business community backs the case for stable and sustained investment in London's transport services"

EXCEPT ISOLATED,
OUT-OF-TOWN ONES.

---

LIKE BRENT CROSS.

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Link to
TfL Business Plan PDF

"A survey shows strong support from businesses for investment in the capital's transport infrastructure, to support jobs, economic development and growth in London and across the UK.

"As the Board of Transport for London (TfL) considered the organisation's Business Plan, a survey by ComRes has shown that there is significant support among the business community for the Mayor and TfL's case for stable and sustained levels of funding for the Capital's transport network, to support economic development and growth in London and across the UK.

"Businesses cited the upgrade of the Tube, construction of Crossrail and investment in roads as their top three investment priorities for TfL."

(More)

Evening Standard: Zombie Commercial Property Loans: "Why pretending protects the banks"

Link to web site

"Lenders dare not disclose the true value of [commercial property] assets, for fear of the consequences.

"... Nobody wants to rock the boat. Pretending helps the banks. But it is extending the recovery of the commercial property market. 
...

"... There has also been a dramatic increase in the cost of financing commercial property deals in the last six months.

"Since 2008 interest charges have soared by 56% - and fee costs by 25%. At the same time the amount the bank is willing to advance has dropped from 80% to 60% of what they judge the building to be worth."

---

Link to Evening Standard

"We must avoid the lost decade that still blights Japan"

"Earlier this week Business Secretary Vince Cable was asked if something similar [to the Japanese 'lost decade'] could happen here — being Vince, he said it could. The similarities are disconcerting.

"For a time the British also thought they had cracked it as we surged to prosperity on a debt-fuelled finance-driven bubble of easy credit and soaring house prices. Gordon Brown told us, correctly and often, that never before had the UK enjoyed such a long period of uninterrupted growth.

"But it burst in 2008, and since then we have struggled with the legacy. Much, though by no means all, of Britain is crushed under a mountain of debt, with bust banks, crippled companies and under-water households all keeping the wolves at bay thanks to rock-bottom interest rates but actually going nowhere and with no way of escape other than bankruptcy.

"These are the zombie households and zombie companies which the outgoing Bank of England Governor, Sir Mervyn King, said he was so worried about late last month, and which are a huge drag on the bits of the economy which would otherwise have the capacity to grow."

Hammerson recruits from the Magic Kingdom

New director at Hammerson

Hammerson has appointed Jean-Philippe Mouton to its Board as an executive director, with effect from 1 January 2013.

He is currently managing director for France, a position he has held since 2009. He will retain management responsibility for France, as well as assuming responsibility for Group marketing.

Mr Mouton joined Hammerson in 2003 to head up property leasing, development and asset management in France. In February 2006, he assumed responsibility for management of the French portfolio as director of operations for Hammerson France.

Prior to joining Hammerson, He worked for Disneyland Paris as strategic planning director, and previously was with Standard Chartered Bank.

The Guardian: "Silicon Roundabout: Tech City to pioneer a radical new public space"

Dismissed as a trophy project for David Cameron's Big Society, a bold new plan by Architecture 00:/ aims to take the workspaces of the future to London's East End

Link to web site

"As David Cameron announced plans to invest £50m in a 'visionary project' to regenerate the Old Street roundabout at the heart of east London's 'Tech City cluster' last week, it should have come as no surprise that the reaction was less than warm.

" 'As well as backing the businesses of today, we are creating an aspiration nation and also backing the innovative, high-growth businesses of the future,' Cameron proclaimed at the LSE's Urban Age conference on Thursday. 

" 'That's why we're investing in creating the largest civic space in Europe – a place for startup companies and the local community to come together and become the next generation of entrepreneurs'."

---

Boris Johnson was at the Urban Age Conference
(but don't let that put you off)

Link to more videos

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00:/ 
is a London-based strategy & design practice. 

"With a foundation in delivering award-winning architecture and commissioned research into the built environment, we are driven by an aspiration to create genuinely sustainable places founded on evidenced social, economic, and environmental principles.

"We are currently working with a broad spectrum of clients and collaborators on a range of innovative projects from new civic institutions, neighbourhood development strategies, and self-led housing masterplans to new service delivery infrastructures for healthcare, learning, and creative enterprise, alongside a number of ultra-low-energy private houses."

[Reposted] And despite the quick-profit horizons of the developers, it was decided a justified transport solution for Brent Cross's expansion was light-rail...

'Past the Brent Cross shopping centre car parks,
via the lower-rise business campus than was orginally planned,
and towards Brent Cross Northern Line tube station'
(click to enlarge)

(Source)

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"The entrance to Bockenheimer Warte station in Frankfurt"
Link to Daily Telegraph images

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Link to:
"Hammerson & Standard Life reinstate larger Welsh Harp..."

Evening Standard: "Charity's plan to create cycle lane within half a mile of every home in London"

Link to web site

"Every household in London would be within half a mile of a cycle lane under an £80 million plan published today to create the world’s biggest urban network for bicycle users by 2020.

"Transport charity Sustrans is in talks with City Hall to revolutionise cycling in the capital, with a 1,000km network being built using some of the £900 million-plus fund secured by the Mayor for cycle schemes over the next decade.

"The project would require minor upgrades to roads over eight years, with the £10 million-a-year cost being shared between Transport for London, councils and the Big Lottery Fund."

---

Sustrans

Evening Standard: "Fixing a system that just isn’t working"

Link to Evening Standard

"Pension funds and other shareholders had average returns from investing in equities after inflation of 4% to 5% in the 40 years up to the millennium. 

"But in the 12 years since then, the stock market has returned just 1%.

"... Paul Woolley, a fund manager-turned-academic, [says] in answer to a question at a conference in November, that in his view, the system should shrink to just a third of its size and would still meet all the needs of the real economy.

"Everything above this is driven by the excess profit resulting from dysfunctional markets. The logic of his position is that more than half the vast edifice of the City is about wealth transfer — skimming off the cream — rather than wealth creation, and of no benefit and indeed probably harmful to the wider economy. 

"Crudely speaking, that banker’s bonus has come at the expense of your pension fund. 

Click to enlarge
(Update at Evening Standard)

[Reposted] Hammerson's Paul Edwards, Head of Sustainability: statement in 2010

Click on the mug shot below for 

'Hammerson Corporate Responsibility Summary 2010'

Selected quotes:

David Atkins, Chief Executive

"Our work in corporate responsibility is central to Hammerson. I’m proud of the achievements we have made to date, but I want to build on these strong foundations, as it is clear that we have significant challenges ahead."

Paul Edwards

Paul Edwards, Head of Sustainability
(the report forgets to say who he is)

"Sustainability continues to grow in importance as we aim to reduce costs, increase income and improve the value of our portfolio. In 2010, we created a new CR strategy, which defines our next set of long-term goals and measures. Alongside this, we also reviewed our community strategy, which is essential to our ability to grow the business and to meet the new localism agenda."
...
"We are committed to providing benefits to the communities we work in, and we are always looking for ways to improve the support we can provide. Our approach is to work in partnership with our communities, which is vital to our involvement in the new 'Local Enterprise Partnerships' (LEP)."

---

[Gossip corner: Barnet Council put forward Hammerson to chair an 'A5 Corridor LEP', partly because boroughs to the east of Barnet have grown unhappy about Barnet being in the 'North London Strategic Alliance', and presumably therefore, its LEP. 

Brent Council, to the west, started to say "Go to hell", but Mayor Boris Johnson then stopped the formation of all London LEPs, for a review. This may have affected deliverabilty of the "Go to hell" message. If so, please allow us to help out.]

Daily Telegraph: "'Taxman's favourite' Costa [Brent Cross] gets lift from Starbucks [Brent Cross] woes"

Link to Daily Telegraph

" 'Costa has always been the nation's favourite coffee shop and now it's the taxman's,' said Andy Harrison, the chief executive, on Tuesday.

"Starbucks is fighting to overcome the damage to its reputation from the tax row. It paid just £8.5m in corporation tax in 14 years on UK sales of £3bn, and a pledge last week to voluntarily pay £20m to the taxman to defuse the row appeared to backfire, triggering protests at branches across the country at the weekend." 

---

"A favourite destination for all coffee lovers, Costa prides itself on real coffee made by real people. Every Costa barista is unique - not only expert at making the perfect coffee with speed and precision, but each bringing their own flair and creativity to every cup they make. 

Drop into Costa at Brent Cross, and get to know your Costa baristas for yourself, while you rest amid stylish modern décor. Indulge in authentic Italian coffee, hot chocolate, teas and frescato, and enjoy a wide range of hot and cold sandwiches, cakes and pastries."

"The world’s favourite American coffee house, Starbucks is the place to relax with friends or take a break from your shopping. 

Enjoy high-quality whole-bean coffees, fresh, rich-brewed, Italian-style espresso beverages and a variety of pastries and confections. Starbucks also sells coffee-related accessories and equipment."

"On the 12th day of Christmas ... your gift will just be junk"

"Every year we splurge on pointless, planet-trashing products, most of which are not wanted. Why not just bake them a cake?"

Link to The Guardian

"...Many of the products we buy, especially for Christmas, cannot become obsolescent. The term implies a loss of utility, but they had no utility in the first place. An electronic drum-machine T-shirt; a Darth Vader talking piggy bank; an ear-shaped iPhone case; an individual beer can chiller; an electronic wine breather; a sonic screwdriver remote control;  bacon toothpaste; a dancing dog. 

"No one is expected to use them, or even look at them, after Christmas day. They are designed to elicit thanks, perhaps a snigger or two, and then be thrown away.

"The fatuity of the products is matched by the profundity of the impacts. Rare materials, complex electronics, the energy needed for manufacture and transport are extracted, and refined, and combined into compounds of utter pointlessness."

Evening Standard: " ‘M25 on rails’ boosts Mayor bid to run commuter lines"

Another orbital route across outer north London next?
(Er, no, not yet)
Link to Evening Standard

"London's first orbital overground train link — dubbed the 'M25 on rails' — opened to rush-hour passengers today, as the Mayor stepped up his campaign to take control of more commuter lines.

!The completion of the London Overground line between Surrey Quays and Clapham Junction means people can make short journeys around the capital without having to travel via central stations already at full stretch.

"... The Overground now has 77 miles of track and 83 stations, from Watford to Croydon and Richmond to Barking. A trip on the orbital section lasts about 90 minutes, but cannot be taken uninterrupted, with changes at Highbury and Islington and Clapham Junction."

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Link to HOME (see all posts).

"Cocoba comes to Brent Cross"

"If you are in need of a chocolate fix, look no further than one of our newest retailers, Cocoba. Cocoba chose Brent Cross as the perfect place for their first outlet, and we are happy to give them a very warm welcome.

"The concept for the chocolate brand started with a memory. Cocoba’s founder, Darren, grew up sharing delicious hot chocolates that his grandfather carefully made, not from powder, but using real, premium chocolate. Today the same love and care can be found in every one of Cocoba’s chocolate drinks.

"Cocoba offers the most delicious hot chocolates found in London, all made from real Belgian chocolate. You can choose between their Signature Hot Chocolate or one of their many flavoured hot chocolates including Raspberry, Toasted Marshmallow, Hazelnut, Banoffee, and limited edition Christmas flavours Cinnamon and Gingerbread.

"If you want something other than hot chocolate, Cocoba serves a great mocha, a delicious triple chocolate brownie and a multitude of flavoured iced chocolate drinks too.

"They also have a fantastic range of premium, beautifully wrapped, chocolate bars, truffles, pralines, chocolate coated coffee beans, salted toffee truffles, and much more. From 90% dark chocolate bars to chocolate covered ginger, they have a chocolate for you.

"But don’t just take our word for it. You will find Cocoba on the Upper Mall, between Fenwick and the Arsenal store. And once you’ve tasted their delights, share your thoughts on their Facebook page: www.facebook.com/CocobaChocolate"

The Independent: "Pressure on dwindling resources 'threatens global chaos'"

"Demand for basic commodities set to soar over the next 20 years"

Link to web site

"Pressure on the world's resources is becoming so great the situation could trigger a proliferation of hunger and warfare hugely damaging to the global economy, according to an analysis published today.

"With demand for basic commodities such as wheat and copper set to soar over the next 20 years, relatively small shocks to supply risk causing sudden price rises and triggering 'overreactions or even militarised responses', says a report by the Chatham House think tank. 

"Global trade is so interconnected that no importer of resources is insulated from the problems of key exporters – a fact of concern to the UK, which imports 40 per cent of its food and a high proportion of the fossil fuels and metals it consumes, the think tank warns."

Evening Standard: "Shit London Awards winners are revealed" (Hammerson's "Brent Cross Living Bridge of Out-of-Town Retail and Leisure Attractions" was not entered this year)

Link to Evening Standard

"After what has been a golden year featuring the Olympics and Diamond Jubilee, the capital is ending 2012 with a bump.

"The winners of the Shit London Awards have been revealed, celebrating the very worst the capital has to offer.

"The ugliest building, the most depressing view from work, the worst shop name ... all are honoured."

Extraordinary Design for Brent Cross 'Living Bridge' over North Circular Road

View from the 326 bus stop

"The idea is that an enclosed food court would bridge the A406 linking directly into an upper-level shopping mall, approximately 15m in width, sitting alongside the existing Templehof bridge which has planning permission to be expanded from two lanes to four, and would include bus priority and cycle and pedestrian lanes.

A new M1 junction with the A406 would also be triggered by the application, and which has planning permission, subject to detailed approval by Transport for London and the Highways Agency.

Transport for London is a party to the section 106 agreement, and is part of a 'Transport Strategy Group' that will shape the timing and detailed design of infrastructure associated with the Brent Cross Regeneration." 

---

Daily Telegraph:

"Oscar Niemeyer, the architect who has died aged 104, was best known as the designer of Brasilia, the daringly futuristic capital city of Brazil completed in 1960.

"Before construction began in 1957, the site of Brasilia was no more than a featureless and hostile desert without even a road — “the end of the world”, as Niemeyer described it. Within four years an entire city had been constructed.

"But although Niemeyer’s communism lay at the heart of his architectural commitment, Brasilia, like many attempts to reform society through building, was only a partial success. The city never developed into a genuine mixed community, and still today is principally the home of bureaucrats who catch the plane back to Rio de Janeiro or Sao Paulo for the weekend.

"Meanwhile, the workers who service the bureaucrats — the cooks and cleaners to whom Niemeyer was most politically sympathetic — live in shanty towns surrounding the model city."

As recommended by Councillor Rams: "Look out for four steam trains in London this Saturday"

Link to IanVisits web site

"This weekend is a good one for fans of steam trains, as there are four locomotives visiting London on Saturday – with one making a fairly rare visit to East London.

"An early Christmas present to excite the kids – or please the adults who secretly still want to be kids."

"A rough map of the routes – as far as I am aware."

Via BugleVision: Barnet MP argues against new 'high-rise tower blocks' (No, it's not Mr Freer)

Starbucks Brent Cross: Finsbury PR and the tax fightback

The Guardian: "Who'd be Starbucks – assailed from left and right, and picketed at its HQ by unions accusing the company of failing to pay the living wage? No wonder the multinational has turned to City PR firefighters Finsbury for some help with reputation management.

"According to PR Week, the man with the plan is David Henderson, a veteran of No 10 who specialised in economics, finance and foreign policy, and prepped Gordon Brown and Big Dave for prime minister's questions. He also served as private secretary for the PM's first budget and during the Libya conflict.

"He still may not be able to rescue his clients from the stocks."

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Starbucks in the UK

"In May 1998, Starbucks successfully entered the European market through its acquisition of 65 Seattle Coffee Company stores in the UK. The two companies shared a common culture, focussing on a great commitment to customised coffee, similar company values and a mutual respect for people and the environment."

Glasgow subway: 3D visualisation video (Still none for Hammerson's 'Living Bridge', by the way. Just saying.)

BBC: "Great Smog 60 years on: 'New laws needed to clean London's air'"

Link to web site and video

"Sixty years ago, thick smog descended on London, contributing to the deaths of an estimated 4,000 people.

The four-day 'pea-souper', while worse than usual, was a familiar experience for Londoners.

"Visibility was so poor, buses and taxis ground to a halt, forcing commuters to hurry underground to use the Tube."
...

"[2012] ... Lawyer Alan Andrews, of environmental organisation ClientEarth, says an estimated 4,300 Londoners now die each year as a result of air pollution (29,000 UK-wide, according to the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs).

"This is no longer because of coal fires, but is put down to nitrogen dioxide, caused mainly by traffic fumes, he said."

"The UK is failing to meet European Union (EU) air quality standards.

"London is thought to have the highest levels of nitrogen dioxide of any capital city in the EU, with levels on some of London's busiest roads, such as Brixton Road and Putney High Street, currently more than triple legal limits," he said.

ClientEarth says the government's own plans show 16 regions and cities will not achieve legal limits for air quality until 2020, and London will have "illegal levels of air pollution until 2025".

Brent Cross Shopping Centre Christmas Kids' Club

"Over the festive season, our Kids Club is packed full of FREE fun! Take a look at our upcoming activities listed below, running every Saturday from 11am - 1pm & 2pm - 4pm. We look forward to seeing you there!"

8th December
"Come & get up close and personal with the cute and fluffy animals of Belmont Farm at our Petting Zoo.

"If that wasn't good enough, you'll also have the chance to meet 'The Snowman' from the classic winter tale. Mums and dads, don't forget your cameras!"

15th December
"Meet some of our favourite characters from 'Disney on Ice'! 

"See if you can get some tips & then pop over to our ice rink at Winter Wonderland and show off your new found skills!"

22nd December
"It's time to get creative with Millie's Cookies! 

"Let their experts teach you how to ice the perfect cookie and then take yours home for tea!"

BBC: "Google, Amazon, Starbucks, [Hammerson]: The rise of 'tax shaming'"

Link to BBC web site

"Companies have long had complicated tax structures, but a recent spate of stories has highlighted a number of tax-avoiding firms that are not seen to be playing their part.

"... Everything these companies are doing is legal. It's avoidance and not evasion.

"But the tide of public opinion is visibly turning. Even 10 years ago news of a company minimising its corporation tax would have been more likely to be inside the business pages than on the front page.

"What changed? And is 'shaming' of companies justifiable and effective?"

---

Link to

"Hammerson is developing Brent Cross using a tax haven"

BBC: "Skyscrapers - past, present and future"

Link to web site

"Since its birth more than 100 years ago, the humble skyscraper has grown and matured. Shimmering glass and steel replaced classic stone exteriors, as each incarnation pushed ever skyward. But, for the latest generation of buildings, being the tallest is not necessarily the main concern.

"In the latest in a BBC News series on these giant structures, deputy editor of Architects' Journal Rory Olcayto looks back to the skyscrapers of the past - and considers how their descendants are evolving today."

Westfield -v- Hammerson: Strewth, Cobber: the Aussies Are Strikin' Back

"Over 900 local Croydon residents dialled into Telephone Town Hall to listen to Nick Ferrari, from LBC Radio, interview Westfield’s Director of Development, John Burton, on Westfield's Five Point Plan for Croydon.

 "Click below to listen to the radio podcast and hear questions from local residents on their hopes for a better Croydon." [and defeating Hammerson.]

Staples Corner Out-of-Town Shopping Sheds bought by Orchard Street Investment Management

"Orchard Street Investment Management LLP, the specialist commercial property investment manager, has acquired Staples Corner Shopping Park, London, from the Henderson UK Retail Warehouse Fund (HUKRWF) for c. £24.4 million, reflecting a net initial yield of 5.66%. The purchase was made on behalf of St James’s Place property funds.

"Staples Corner provides 49,437 sq ft of modern retail space, and is currently let to a high quality line up of tenants, including Argos, Dwell, Hobbycraft, Maplin, Wren Kitchens and TK Maxx (trading as Homesense), at an average rent of £29.50 per sq ft. In addition, TK Maxx recently signed a ten year lease at £32.64 per sq ft and the Open A1 consent has been recently updated to include an allowance for food retailers.

"The retail park is in an excellent location on the A5 Edgware Road, adjacent to the junction of the North Circular and the M1 motorway.

"Commenting on the acquisition, Barney Rowe, Partner at Orchard Street, said:

"This is an excellent acquisition with a lot of potential for growth. Staples Corner’s strong location, close to the junction with the M1 and North Circular, [presumably mentioned to emphasise the sustainable public transport links] combined with its proximity to Brent Cross Shopping Centre and Brent Cross Retail Park, where rents are in excess of £50 per sq ft, provide plenty of impetus for rental growth. The recent addition of food retailing to the planning consent will provide even greater flexibility to the tenant mix."

"Michael Neal, Fund Manager of HUKRWF at Henderson added:

"The sale of Staples Corner Retail Park indicates the strength of demand that exists for well let and well located retail warehouse investments. The Fund has successfully completed its re-positioning strategy, taking the asset from a first generation retail park to a quality institutional product. Proceeds raised will be reinvested into the Funds extensive asset management pipeline."

"As a house, Henderson remains committed to the retail warehouse segment of the market, for which it forecasts strong returns as more and more retailers see the benefits of trading from prime shopping parks. Its UK Retail Warehouse Fund continues to perform strongly with a 3 year performance* figure of 19% against an estimated benchmark of 13.5%.

"Jones Lang LaSalle advised Orchard Street, and Morgan Williams advised Henderson Global Investors."

*post performance fees, as at September 30 2012