The housing dilemma our new special report
How can Britain build more homes? June 4, 2021
Successive governments have known that Britain has needed more housing and the construction industry agrees. So why hasn’t it happened?
That is the question behind this collection of articles by experts, politicians and architects. The picture that emerges from what they have to say is a frustrating one. At the centre of it all is the planning system, designed to make sure new developments are socially and economically suitable, but which acts as a brake on progress. Politicians instinctively suspicious of large companies like the restraining influence of regulation but in this case, one of the consequences is a shortage of places for people to live.
Scots shopper numbers well above expectations on first week of reopening
Footfall seen in Scotland s shopping centres and high streets rose by 21.8% on April 26 compared to pre-pandemic figures for the same day in 2019.
15:41, 5 MAY 2021
Shoppers flocked to high streets across Scotland on the first day of reopening on April 26 (Image: Daily Record)
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Back to the shops! Middlesbrough in top 10 areas enjoying biggest retail surge after lockdown gazettelive.co.uk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from gazettelive.co.uk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Published:
7:00 AM April 22, 2021
Shops and pubs reopened last week in Romford Town Centre as Covid restrictions are eased. Picture by Ellie Hoskins
- Credit: Ellie Hoskins
Romford has one of the UK’s best retail recoveries since shops reopened on April 12, according to an index monitoring the number of people entering stores.
Based on research from Ipsos’ Retail Recovery Index, footfall in Romford last week was found to have the second-biggest increase nationally compared to the same period in 2019.
Romford ranks highest in London, followed by Chelsea and Kingston Upon Thames, and is only beaten by Worcester in the country.
Published on
Pent up demand and savings accrued during lockdown are set to improve the health of the retail sector over the coming months as the UK moves to the next phase of its recovery plan, according to the KPMG/Ipsos Retail Think Tank (RTT).
Following its latest health assessment, the RTT has determined that pent up demand from consumers will see the Retail Health Index (RHI) rise by 3 points to 71 in Q2 2021, a considerable improvement from its nadir of 61 points for the same quarter last year.
The main driver of the improved RHI – a quantitative and qualitative assessment of retail demand, margin and costs – is predicted to be demand over the next quarter, as a result of a shift in spending patterns, with consumers choosing to spend on fashion and clothing as they shop for occasions and get back to socialising. The mood of the nation will be about spending on looking good again and making up for lost time. The RTT predicts the shift in spend will see a gradual move a