Business London Press

Council tax increase will fund 500 extra PCSOs

News

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21/01/2023

Council tax increase will fund 500 extra PCSOs

Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, has moved to protect public services by increasing council tax to fund vital police recruits.

In his draft budget for the Greater London Authority Group, the Mayor will announce that he’s planning to increase council tax by £15 for an average ‘Band D’ property in 2023-24.

The cash raised – thought to be around £29 million – will be specifically invested to fund 500 additional Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) to work in areas of London which are disproportionately impacted by crime.

The new Commissioner has set out how the Met needs an additional £827 million a year to have the same real-terms per-head budget as in 2010-11.

But after years of cost-cutting, ministers are refusing to provide the complete investment that the city needs – around £160 million.

The Mayor has previously invested record amounts for police support, enabling another 1,300 officers to be present on the streets.

Mr Khan said: “The last thing I want to do is increase council tax at a time when many household budgets are stretched, but the Government’s refusal to provide the funding our city needs means I’ve been left with no viable alternative but to help plug the gap by raising council tax by £3.21 a month.

“Bearing down on violent crime and making our city safer for everyone remains my number one priority. The extra funding for the police will go directly towards putting an additional 500 Police Community Support Officers into neighbourhoods across London. This will help us to build on the progress we’re making to reduce violent crime in London.”

Why Choose A Bridging Loan? by Mike Collins, Mortgage Expert

News

News Desk

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20/01/2023

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Why Choose A Bridging Loan? by Mike Collins, Mortgage Expert

Independent financial consultant Mike Collins explains why a bridging loan can be a handy prospect

With property chains still flagging after the pandemic, you may be keen to buy your new house.

But what if your mortgage offer is due to expire? With interest rates sky high, you might end up paying much more than you want to on your monthly payment if your offer ends up running out.

If you’re fearing the worst – that you might lose your dream home – there is something you can consider.

What’s a bridging loan?

An interest-only bridging loan can be used where you need access to funds immediately. It’s a good short-term cash answer to help you fill the gap between selling your home and buying your onward purchase.

Perhaps you want to buy a property at auction and need funds upright. A bridging loan could help here too.

Mike Collins, who has 17 years’ experience in financial planning, said: “Delays are inevitable at the moment but there is definitely a sign of shorter times ahead from sale of your existing home and completion of your new.

“A bridging loan can be particularly helpful in situations like these, but it is important to note that interest rates are much higher on these. They can be paid back over a few short months now which could be the difference between you managing too grasp or losing your dream home.”

Interest rate for bridging loans

When it comes to bridging loans you could pick a fixed interest rate which is best if you like to know exactly what you’ve got to pay out each month.

Whilst the Bank of England is ever-increasing its base rate, a variable loan is not your friend just now.

The type of loan you choose will also determine the interest rate. It can vary depending on the length of loan you want but terms are only for up to a year.

Access to cash immediately

If you need your hands on the money quickly, bridging loans are fast to arrange – much more so that mortgages or other forms of secured loans.

You could expect to see funds released in as few as three days. This sets bridging loans apart from other financial products.

Ultimately the best way to get a bridging loan is to have a great exit strategy. If you can prove you can pay the loan back when the term ends, you’re onto a winner.

No worries about bad credit

As many financial products, your credit rating signifies the rate on your bridging loan. If you do have other loans or credit card debt, it’s good to know that lenders to place emphasis on the property value related to the loan rather than your credit score alone.

You can find out fairly quickly whether you qualify too as there is not a big list of checks. The loan is secured against a valuable asset.

Fix a broken chain

If you’re in a broken property chain, bridging loans are a good means to purchase a property which otherwise might seem impossible.

However, it’s worth remembering that interest rates are the highest they’ve been for years, so you’d need to really do your research or talk to a financial advisor about your options.

These loans can be deemed lifesavers for buyers and property developers.

Just ensure you pick a lender that is accredited by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

Mike Collins Mortgage Expert – What kind of property development finance is required?

TAS Hospital Istanbul opening marked by live demonstrations of rhinoplasty, face lift, and neck lift surgeries

News Desk

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20/01/2023

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TAS Hospital Istanbul opening marked by live demonstrations of rhinoplasty, face lift, and neck lift surgeries

Renowned surgeon Prof. Dr. Suleyman TAS leads training course in rhinoplasty, face lift, and neck lift at TAS Hospital Istanbul opening

The 4th Closed Atraumatic Rhinoplasty, Face Lift, and Neck Lift Course was held to celebrate the opening of TAS Hospital in Istanbul, drawing hundreds of surgeons from around the world. Led by world-renowned surgeon Prof. Dr. Suleyman TAS, the course featured live surgeries and the opportunity for attendees to practice on fresh cadavers. Remote surgeons were able to watch the course online.

Prof. Dr. TAS said: “This year, the course that we organize annually was held in honor of the opening of the TAS Hospital”.

Participating surgeons were given the opportunity to learn more about best practices in different surgical procedures, especially in rhinoplasty, face lift and neck lift from Prof. Dr. TAS, who has been organizing similar courses for domestic and international consumption for the past 6 years, while patients also attended to view the best results from operations. Every year, patients from all over the world visit Turkiye to undergo procedures to alter their appearance, leaving the country more confident and happier. Prof. Dr. Suleyman TAS, who has made a significant contribution to the Turkish health sector, also showcased his book.

RHINOPLASTY, FACE LIFT AND NECK LIFT PROCEDURES BROADCAST LIVE

During the 2-day event, Prof. Dr. Suleyman TAS performed live rhinoplasty, breathing surgery, face lift surgery, a neck lift, facial and fat injection procedures, and gave information to over 100 attendee surgeons about the latest developments and technologies used in these operations. Although there are other courses on rhinoplasty, this event was unique as it included the first-ever comprehensive course in which surgeons were presented with the opportunity to learn about performing procedures encompassing the entire body using cadavers.

STATE-OF-THE-ART TECHNOLOGY

Prof. Dr. TAS commented, “We use state-of-the-art technology to achieve the best results before, during, and after the surgery. Micromotor, Fractional Rejuvenation Technology, and Surgical Laser Technologies are just some of the examples of the cutting-edge technologies we use in our procedures. Also, we use our own patented devices to execute any required improvements, transcending the limits set by the current technology. TAS-patented instruments used in operations and the TAS Cast, which offers rapid recovery and pain relief after surgery, are our prominent innovations.”

About TAS Hospital

The TAS Health Group was founded by Prof. Dr. Suleyman TAS. The group’s first clinic, the TAS Aesthetic Surgery Clinic, was opened in Istanbul, followed shortly after by the TAS Global Headquarters, again in Istanbul, aiming to achieve maximum patient satisfaction. TAS Health Group also established TAS Health in London, UK, taking its top-notch services abroad. To offer the best possible services to its patients, TAS Hospital was opened in Istanbul in November with a ceremony attended by over 100 surgeons. The 8-story building has a total indoor area of 5,000 square meters and TAS Hospital employs over 100 experts at the largest private hospital in the most strategic area of Istanbul.

TAS Hospital has a thirty-bed capacity, three operating rooms fully equipped with the latest technology, five hair transplant rooms, three dental treatment rooms, five medical aesthetic rooms, doctor’s polyclinic rooms in 16 different branches, audiometer, radiography, MR, and tomography rooms, 24/7 emergency services, and a medical laboratory, all combined to provide excellent service to patients.

The hospital offers comprehensive services for Plastic Surgery and Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery services (Rhinoplasty, Face Lift, Neck Lift, Fox Eyes, Breast Aesthetics, Hair Transplantation, and Aesthetic Dentistry), Dermatology, Ear Nose and Throat (ENT), Pediatrics, Internal Medicine, Physiotherapy, Orthopedics and Traumatology, Gynecology and Obstetrics, Radiology, General Surgery and Metabolic Surgery, Hair Transplantation, Dental Diseases, Laser Epilation and Beauty Unit, Mammography, Ozone Therapy, Nutrition and Dietician, Psychology, Medical Check Up, and Medical Home Services.

With more than 200 employees worldwide, TAS Health Group continues to take confident and rapid steps to becoming Turkiye’s most prominent health institution.

Why TAS?

Although the word “TAS” taken from the surname of the founder Prof. Dr. Suleyman TAS, it is also an abbreviation that stands for Timeless Aesthetic Surgery. TAS Health Group has chosen to use this brand to reflect the company’s goal of offering health services that transcend time, and to highlight its dedication to perfectionism and pursuing the impossible task of achieving the eternal.

“Using the latest scientific and technological innovation, we at TAS Hospital always offer reliable health services in line with our mission to achieve the best quality.”

Contact:
Ahmet Tas
[email protected]

RMT members to join thousands on strike in February

Helen Greaney

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17/01/2023

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RMT members to join thousands on strike in February

Train drivers who belong to the RMT union will strike on February 1 and 3.

The union said members at 14 train operators – Chiltern Railways, Cross Country Trains, Greater Anglia, LNER, East Midlands Railway, c2c, Great Western Railway, Northern Trains, South Eastern, South Western Railway, Transpennine Express, Avanti West Coast, West Midlands Trains, GTR (including Gatwick Express) -will join the walk out.

Drivers union Aslef already confirmed that thousands of their members will strike on the same days, as well as teachers and civil servants.

Nationwide protests will also be held on February 1, over the government’s controversial new law on strikes.

Mick Lynch, general secretary of the RMT, said: “Our negotiations will continue with the rail operators to create a package on jobs, conditions and pay that can be offered to our members.”

Paperchase lines up administrators with nearly 100 stores at risk

Helen Greaney

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17/01/2023

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Paperchase lines up administrators with nearly 100 stores at risk

Stationery chain Paperchase has put administrators on standby as it races to find a rescue buyer.

Sky News reported that Begbies Traynor has been lined up to handle any potential insolvency, which would potentially include store closures.

The firm has suffered since the pandemic and was only recently saved in January 2021 before retail investor Steve Curtis took the chain on in August 2022 before putting it up for sale just four months later.

Paperchase, which faces rising costs and poor sales, now requires additional funding.

It has been put up for auction under the advisory firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).

Bidders could include Hilco, a restructuring firm, which attempted to buy the stationery retailer last summer.

A spokesman for Paperchase said: “We confirm that we have retained BTG and PwC to advise Paperchase on strategic options, including the sale of the business as a going concern to new owners.

“Talks are continuing with a number of interested parties.

“All Paperchase stores and the website will continue to trade as normal during this period.

“We can’t comment further on this process until discussions with interested parties have been concluded.”

Does your favourite meal deal match up with the nation’s?

Helen Greaney

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16/01/2023

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Does your favourite meal deal match up with the nation’s?

We’ve all been into Tesco and grabbed a ‘meal deal’ – sandwich, snack and drink for £3.40.

But now the supermarket has unveiled the nation’s favourite one as it expands its Clubcard service with its own year-in-review tool.

Clubcard Unpacked will share data gathered by the retailer over the year, including their top three best sellers, favourite aisle and preferred meal deal combination.

And the round-up will allow customers to see where they have saved money by using Clubcard promotions.

Nation’s favourite

The Sausage, Bacon & Egg Triple Sandwich, McCoy’s Flame Grilled Steak Crisps and a 500ml Coca-Cola is the nation’s best combination!

It’s the newest scheme following other retailers like Sainsbury’s who already package up what they’ve found for social media.

Tesco’s Clubcard scheme launched in 1995 and enjoyed a 20 per cent increase in members in 2022, driven by cheaper prices for members.

Britain has the highest electricity bills in the world, data finds

Energy
News

Helen Greaney

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15/01/2023

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Britain has the highest electricity bills in the world, data finds

New stats reveal that the UK has the highest electricity bills in the world.

The data compiled by BOXT, looks at government stats on electricity prices over the past five years.

Research has been used to analyse the impact of the cost of living crisis and discover which countries have had the biggest year-on-year increase in energy prices.

The UK’s energy price cap was raised from 29p to 34p per kWh last year, with price increases blamed on the reduced supply from Russia due to the conflict with Ukraine, as well as post-pandemic effects.

Brand new for 2023, Nordic-inspired restaurant, Aquavit London in St James’s Market, is launching Comedy Fridays, an evening guaranteed to be full of seriously good food and lots of laughs. Kicking off on Friday 3^rd February, enjoy a delicious three course menu created by Head Chef Jonas Karlsson followed by first class comedy from an exciting line up of special guests, for just £80pp.

The menu will change for each event, but you can expect dishes such as herrings with sour cream and crushed Charlotte potatoes; venison crudo with blackberries, apple gel and blue cheese; and Swedish meatballs with lingonberries, mushrooms, pickled cucumbers and creamy mashed potato.

Once you have finished your meal, head up to Aquavit London’s beautiful Stockholm Room where the comedy will kick off from 9pm. Laugh out loud as you sip on a cocktail or two, with a wide range of classic and signature choices available, alongside beers, wines and spirits.

Comedy Fridays Line-up

3^rd February 2023 | Paul F Taylor (As seen on Harry Hill’s Clubnite & BBC Radio 4)
17^th February 2023 | Pete Selwood (As seen on The Emily Atack Show & Radio 4’s The Likely Dads)
3^rd March 2023 | Ignacio Lopez (As seen on Live at the Apollo, The Now Show & Celebrity Pointless)

Tickets to Comedy Fridays at Aquavit London are priced at £80 per person including a three-course meal with one glass of wine, prosecco or bottle of beer per person, and entry to the comedy show. For those wishing to just visit for comedy, entry only tickets are available at £15.

Book your ticket here: http://sevn.ly/xmgy0Qlk or by calling the restaurant on 020 7024 9848

Chancellor slashes financial support for businesses

Helen Greaney

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10/01/2023

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Chancellor slashes financial support for businesses

The treasury has announced a scaled-back energy support scheme for businesses from the start of April.

A new energy scheme for businesses, charities, and the public sector has now been confirmed ahead of the current support ending in March.

But from April, the support level will be reduced to just £5.5 billion of energy bill discounts after “unprecedented support” was estimated at £18 billion in the six months to March, under the existing scheme.

All eligible UK businesses and other non-domestic energy users will receive a discount on high energy bills until 31 March 2024.

The new measures will see firms get a discount on wholesale prices rather than their costs being capped as under the current scheme, which began in October.

Industries using high levels of energy, such as steel, glass and ceramic producers, are expected to get a larger discount than those in other sectors.

The British Chambers of Commerce said more than a third of firms admitted they were having difficulty paying their energy bills even with the existing government support.

Immersive Dining With A Difference: M Canary Wharf Launches Symphony Experience

News Desk

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09/01/2023

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Immersive Dining With A Difference: M Canary Wharf Launches Symphony Experience

Award-winning ‘Best New Opening of the Year’*, M Canary Wharf, brings the magic of multi-sensory dining to London with the arrival of its Symphony Experience. Combining experimental plates and creative drinks with state-of-the-art Bang & Olufsen Audio Visual Theatre Technology and a specially curated soundtrack, this is a unique immersive dining experience like no other and one designed to evoke a series of memories, associations, ideas and emotions.

Available from 1^st February 2023, the sense-ational Symphony Experience takes place in one of the restaurant’s private dining rooms with a six-course menu created by Executive Chef, Mike Reid. Each playful plate uses texture, taste and smoke to heighten the primary senses.

Starting with a mind reset, the dinner begins with a blindfolded course, celebrating taste and touch as guests embark on an adventure to France with ‘champagne served five ways’. From a journey through the seasons with a dish made using extreme temperatures and extraordinary flavours, to a cosy candlelit meal by a crackling fire, and a multi-sensory climatic rave-inspired plate, each dish transports you far beyond the restaurant walls of M Canary Wharf.

Head Sommelier, Zack Charilaou, has created the drink pairings for each course, from a raspberry and port cocktail through to a smoked pinot noir and basil martini gimlet, whilst DJ Woody Cook has curated a symphonic soundtrack to enhance the culinary adventure. Expect a smorgasboard of sounds, from those of travelling the forest and busy restaurants through to tracks from The Doors and Dusty Springfield, Sinatra and The Supremes. Thought provoking visual projections further bring the experience to life.

The Symphony Experience costs £295 per person and is available for parties of four or more. For Valentine’s Day, parties of two will be available for an immersive evening to remember. Bookings open in January, visit mrestaurants.co.uk.

Mike Reid, Executive Chef of M Restaurants says: “This menu brings together my two greatest loves – music and food. The experience has been made that much better by being able to do it with my friend Woody, who is an insane talent and understood the vision and the story I wanted to tell through food. This menu will truly take you on a journey that you didn’t know you needed to go on. “

DJ Woody Cook, says: “Curating the music with Mike, Zack and the team at Bang & Olufsen was a chance to flex my obsessive musical brain to create a unique sound soundscape as flavourful as the food and drink menu.“

Scott Anderson, Market Director UK & IE, Bang & Olufsen says, “M Canary Wharf benefits from Bang & Olufsen’s latest sound and vision offering, Beosound Theatre, a class-leading solution that delivers the timbral range required to immerse guests in the moment. We look forward to hearing the reactions from those who get the opportunity to take it in.”

Independent financial consultant Mike Collins explains why a bridging loan can be a handy prospect

What’s a bridging loan?

Interest rate for bridging loans

Access to cash immediately

No worries about bad credit

Fix a broken chain

Nation’s favourite

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