What Next For London?

  Our Competitiveness Director Matthew Fell sits down with Debapratim De, Economic Research Director at Deloitte, to discuss why Spring has not yet sprung for the UK economy and the roles that public investment, consumer confidence and policy certainty can play in accelerating growth. The pair also talk through findings from Deloitte’s Chief Financial Officer Survey, which details how corporations are responding to the current trading environment, and what the evolving landscape for global trade could mean for the UK's prospects.    Follow us on LinkedIn at BusinessLDN and on Twitter at @_businessLDN. Music is provided by Coma-Media.

Our Programme Director for Infrastructure John Kavanagh is joined by Chris Whitehouse, Technical Director at WSP, and Anna Hart, Senior Corporate Finance Manager at Transport for London (TfL), to discuss how new financing models can support delivery of much-needed infrastructure projects across the capital. The trio cover lessons learned from the Northern Line extension to Battersea, as well as the Elizabeth Line, outlining how a new way of taxing properties which benefit from infrastructure investments could help fund extensions to the Bakerloo, DLR and Overground lines, unlocking thousands of new homes and jobs in the process.  

Our Programme Director for Infrastructure John Kavanagh sits down with Daniel Kelly, Commercial Director for Public Sector and Next Generation Infrastructure at Boldyn Networks, to discuss how the company’s neutral host model is helping to address the capital’s connectivity challenges while significantly reducing the environmental impact, including through its planned £1bn investment programme via its partnership with Transport for London. The pair also talk through Boldyn’s work in supporting Sunderland to become the smartest city in the UK, the importance of public-private collaboration, and how improved connectivity can drive local growth, attract inward investment and address social challenges and opportunities.

BusinessLDN's Policy Delivery Director Jonathan Seager unpacks findings and recommendations from our ‘Case for a new town in London’ report with Kathryn Firth, Director at Arup, Ellie Evans, Senior Partner at Volterra, Craig Tabb, Board Director at DP9, and Karen Alcock, Managing Director at Kanda. The group discuss key considerations for the Government’s New Towns Taskforce as it formulates its recommendations and the challenges and opportunities that London holds as a place to build thousands of new homes.   Follow us on Twitter at @_businessLDN and on LinkedIn at BusinessLDN. Music is provided by Coma-Media.  

Our Programme Director for Infrastructure John Kavanagh sits down with BT Wholesale Directors Ian Cottingham and Steven Mitchell to discuss how the roll-out of 5G mobile networks, smaller, more localised data centres and enhanced cyber security measures are enabling London’s businesses to embrace new innovations, including artificial intelligence. The trio also discuss the planning implications of the capital’s digital transformation and what that transformation means for sustainability strategies Follow us on Twitter at @_businessLDN and on LinkedIn at BusinessLDN. Music is provided by Coma-Media.

Our Programme Director for Infrastructure John Kavanagh speaks to Martin Sudweeks, Managing Director for Cost Management at Turner Townsend, about what increased digitalisation means for delivery of major infrastructure and real estate projects, as well as sustainability strategies.      Follow us on Twitter at @_businessLDN and on LinkedIn at BusinessLDN. Music is provided by Coma-Media.

Our Programme Director for Transport Polyvios Polyviou sits down with Paul Lynch, Managing Director for Stagecoach in London, following the Chancellor’s speech last week to discuss what the future holds for the capital’s coach and bus networks.   The pair talk through the implications of a new fare cap, an ongoing fuel duty freeze, measures needed to help fleets achieve net zero and the importance of government at all levels working collaboratively with transport bodies to drive progress. Follow us on Twitter at @_businessLDN and on LinkedIn at BusinessLDN. Music is provided by Coma-Media.    

Our Chief Executive John Dickie is joined by Peter Hogg, UK Cities Director at Arcadis, to review findings from the group’s new Sustainable Cities Index. The pair discuss what London can learn from other leading centres of commerce, and how thinking about cities as webs of interconnected systems can improve outcomes, in-line with the Government’s new mission-based approach to policy. You can see the full findings of the index on the Arcadis website.   Follow us on Twitter at @_businessLDN and on LinkedIn at BusinessLDN. Music is provided by Coma-Media.

Our Competitiveness Director Matthew Fell sits down with Lai Wah Co, the Bank of England’s Deputy Agent for London, and James Worsnip, Managing Director at AlixPartners, to discuss implications of the Bank’s decision to cut interest rates for the first time since 2020, the thinking behind the Bank’s improved growth forecasts for the UK and what could lie ahead for the labour market. The trio also assess which sectors could be set to outperform in the coming months and what a period of political stability could mean for businesses.      The discussion forms part of our quarterly economic insights series for members which we run alongside the Bank of England and AlixPartners. Follow us on Twitter at @_businessLDN and on LinkedIn at BusinessLDN. Music is provided by Coma-Media.

Our Programme Director for Sustainability Ioanna Mytilinaiou catches up with Stephen Thompson, UK Offsetting Lead and Associate at Arup, about latest developments in carbon offsetting: the means through which businesses reduce, remove and avoid harmful emissions which cause climate change. The pair also delve into key findings and recommendations from our recently published Blueprint for a UK Cabron Offsetting Fund: https://www.businessldn.co.uk/news-publications/news/uk-businesses-urged-to-join-forces-to-tackle-carbon-emissions.   Follow us on Twitter at @_businessLDN and on LinkedIn at BusinessLDN Music is provided by Coma-Media