Planning permission granted for Build to Rent development in Edinburgh
Grosvenor has been granted planning permission for its Build to Rent (B2R) scheme in Springside, Edinburgh. Volterra’s Ellie Evans authored an Economic Impact Report which outlined the social and economic benefits of the scheme and the benefits of B2R schemes in Edinburgh more generally. The scheme will provide up to 400 residential units; building these […]
Major upgrade of Bank Tube station gets the green light for work to begin
The Mayor and Transport for London (TfL) have announced that work to dramatically transform and improve Bank Tube station will begin in the new year after the plans were given the go-ahead by Government. The £563m upgrade, commencing in April, will increase the busy station’s capacity by 40 per cent, improving accessibility and reducing interchange […]
Bridget Rosewell writes paper for Montrose Journal
Volterra’s Senior Adviser and leading Economist Bridget Rosewell has written a paper for the Montrose Journal: Winter 2015. Strategic Intelligence and advice. You can read the journal titled New Routes: To prosperity or conflict? Bridget’s article ‘Financing Infrastructure: who foots the bill? ‘ is a fascinating look at the context and necessity for infrastructure for […]
Volterra part of Arriva’s successful rail franchise bid team
The government announced today that it intends to award the Northern rail franchise to Arriva Rail North Ltd. This will see a transformation of rail travel in the North through a £1bn investment programme. Volterra provided ongoing economics support to Arriva throughout the bidding process. This included a comprehensive ‘backcasting’ review where we examined the […]
It is not just the Euro. Southern Europe faces a major structural crisis
Major shocks to social and economic systems ruthlessly expose weaknesses which can be contained in more normal times. When the price of oil quadrupled in 1973/74, the different levels of resilience in the labour markets of Western Europe were quickly revealed. Inflation initially rose sharply everywhere. By 1976, it had fallen to 4 per cent […]
Could Ernie replace Andy? The Bank’s take on automation
The Chief Economist of the Bank of England, Andy Haldane, has been in the news with his predictions that up to 15 million jobs in the UK are at risk of being lost to automation. This is a huge number, around half the total number of people in work today. Haldane injected a note of […]
Bridget Rosewell announced as Commissioner for National Infrastructure Commission
Volterra partners Paul Ormerod, Paul Buchanan and Ellie Evans are delighted to announce Bridget Rosewell’s appointment as Commissioner on the independent National Infrastructure Commission. On Friday 30th October at the National Railway Museum in York George Osborne announced Bridget Rosewell as one of the seven highly experienced Commissioners to work with Lord Andrew Adonis. The new National Infrastructure Commission has […]
Do markets solve the problem of discrimination?
The Prime Minister recently announced that the civil service will now introduce name-blind recruitment. When people apply for public sector jobs, their name will not appear on the documents sent to the appointment panel. Major companies such as HSBC, KPMG, the BBC and the NHS are following suit. Economists have produced a substantial body of […]
CEO compensation and Jamaican demands for reparations: two sides of the same coin
David Cameron’s visit to Jamaica last week led to vociferous demands for the UK to pay the Caribbean island billions of pounds in reparations for slavery. Most people here reacted with predictable eye-rolls and sighs. Slavery was abolished throughout the British Empire in 1833, nearly two centuries ago. Jamaica has been independent since 1962, over […]
Bridget Rosewell speaks at RGS event: Is London too big to succeed?
Last week leading Economist Bridget Rosewell spoke at the Royal Geographical Society’s 21st Century Challenges event titled ‘London: Too big to succeed?’. Chaired by City Hall Editor for London’s Evening Standard Pippa Crerar; Bridget Rosewell, Lord Adonis and Jules Pipe discussed London’s ever growing economy and population and the toll of this on its infrastructure. […]