Paper round: Bankers to advise NHS on plan to raise billions in sale of hospitals

Bankers hired to advise NHS on plan to raise billions in sale of hospitals

Ministers have begun a review of London NHS property in a move that could lead to the sale of some or all of the capital’s biggest hospitals to raise billions of pounds for new projects, the Times reported on Saturday.

Eco community is really a Tesco town

Tesco is the secret bidder behind one of the new “eco-towns” shortlisted for development by the Government, reported The Sunday Telegraph. It plans to build a large “environmentally friendly” store in the centre of Hanley Grange in Cambridgeshire. The town was put forward by a company called Jarrow Investments, which owns much of the land on behalf of Tesco. The proposals contain no mention of Tesco but a spokesman said Tesco would look to build a store there.

New chaos hits Terminal 5

Heathrow’s new terminal ran into yet more trouble as new glitches in the baggage system caused the cancellation of 24 flights. The Observer reported that the computer system which sorts bags before they are loaded onto flights crashed, forcing staff to load them manually.

Tchenguez moves for Trillium in spite of credit squeeze concerns

Vincent Tchenguez and private equity firm Apax have emerged as bidders for Trillium, the property management business put up for sale by Land Securities as part of a three-way break up, according to Saturday’s Times.

Dearer power if EDF wins British Energy

Saturday’s Times reports on the leap in British Energy share prices to 7% on Friday on the hopes of an EDF bid for the UK’s main nuclear generator. There are fears that EDF would use all the power generated by nuclear in this country if a deal goes through, leaving other energy companies to pay more in wholesale markets.

Terminal 5 chaos may have grounded BA’s staff bonus

Tens of thousands of British Airways staff are likely to miss out on their annual bonus following the opening to Heathrow Airport’s Terminal 5, the Sunday Telegraph reported. Airline analysts said the £16m hit on BA’s finances could mean its 43,000 employees forgoing an estimated £50m bonus pool.

BAA escapes fine for T5 shambles

Chaotic it might be, but Heathrow operator BAA looks as if it will escape punishment for its part in the botched opening of Terminal 5, according to the Observer. BAA may even be awarded a ‘performance bonus’ from the Civil Aviation Authority for meeting cleanliness targets.

Pressure on Leahy as Tesco feels the pinch

News that Tesco is freezing expansion plans on its American ‘Fresh & Easy’ convenience store programme spells trouble for chief executive Sir Terry Leahy, said the Observer. The Tesco boss will almost certainly face fierce scrutiny when the supermarket’s results emerge next Tuesday.

Revealed: how immigration ‘costs Britons jobs’

Mass immigration has been accompanied by a fall in the number of Britons with jobs, said The Sunday Telegraph. Since 2004 when citizens of eight central and eastern European countries were given the right to work in Britain, the number of UK-born people working here has fallen by 500,000, from 24.4m to 23.9m, according to the Office for National Statistics.

Coastal path ‘will wipe 20% off beachfront property values’

Owners of beachfront properties could lose 20% off the value of their homes because of plans to create a route for walkers along the English coast, said The Daily Telegraph on Saturday. Surveyors predict owners will take the Government to court over plans set out in the draft Marine Bill published this week

Musicians loses only copy of his new album in T5 fiasco

A pop star has lost seven months of material for his new album after his baggage was caught up at Heathrow Terminal 5, reported The Daily Telegraph on Saturday. Calvin Harris, whose single ‘Acceptable In The 80s’ reached the Top 10 last year, was on a flight from America to the £4.3bn flagship building when a bag containing his laptop computer went missing.

Tesco seeks damages for Guardian tax claims

Tesco is to take legal action against the Guardian newspaper and its editor Alan Rusbridger after a series of articles that claimed it avoided paying £1bn in tax by using an offshore structure for property joint ventures, said The Daily Telegraph on Saturday. In a High Court writ the retailer seeks special damages for “libel and malicious falsehood”, citing complaints from customers.

Private schools shun new diplomas

New diplomas set up to rival A-levels could flop as fewer pupils than expected sign up, The Daily Telegraph said on Saturday. Minister said fewer students will sit the courses ad no independent schools will offer diplomas from September, with just one agreeing to offer them in 2009. The admission was made in a series of Parliamentary written answers.

Britain’s biggest landowner hit by vacancies at Liverpool mall

The Duke of Westminster, one of Britain’s richest men, is facing a further setback on his £1bn Liverpool shopping centre due to open next month, said The Sunday Telegraph. When the 43-acre Liverpool One scheme opens next months a quarter of its units will be closed and not let. Just 60 of the 80 shops will be open for business.