Recently in City Category

One swallow doesn't make a summer. But how about four?

Today Savills announced it thinks London office rents will rise to as much as £56 per sq ft in the City this year and up to £98 per sq ft in the West End next year.

That's a lofty 18% rise in the square mile and 11% in the West End.

That follows the news yesterday that Land Securities is to dust off plans at three speculative developments in London (the EGi story is here). And earlier this week, both Knight Frank and Jones Lang LaSalle issued up-beat statements about how 2009 ended.

The snow has got Focus in a festive mood again this week and in the mag we're already pretending its Christmas 2010. 

In the London market pages I've asked the capital's experts to cast their minds forward and tell us how they think they'll be summing up the market come December.

Up for discussion is the possibility of a hung parliament, and expiring planning permissions at Sellar Property's New London Bridge House more commonly known as Baby Shard, as well as phase 2 of Hammersmith Embankment.

Talk of rental growth is always on agents lips and indeed there's plenty of that in the predicitions. But, with the news today that both Australian bank Macquarie and law firm Stephenson Harwood have been shunted from newly occupied City schemes (EGi subscribers can read the story here) it seems some of their forecasts are already coming true.

In the south-west boroughs Battersea Power Station's future hangs on the Northen Line extension. Melanie Smith looks if the sums will add up. And Daniel Cunnigham asks what's next at Elizabeth House in Waterloo after planners rejected initial proposals. The naming of a new developer is long overdue and most are desperate to see its future crystallised.

Picture courtesy of anniemullinsuk on Flickr