Basingstoke close to decision

In a few days Basingstoke council will decide who will redevelop the 1.8m sq ft Basing View office district. But with many of the town’s biggest employers leaving, what are its chances of success?

A less than united front

What a difference a few feet of water makes. East of the River Tamar the talk is of regional solidarity, a united South West facing the world.

Last of the big spenders?

Money matters With the last of the major mall schemes planned before the recession emerging from the pipeline, development may not have shrunk to a trickle, but financial factors are affecting how it’s done. Annabel Dixon reports

Look to the east

Fund facts Germany is drawing major investment despite unimpressive growth figures, while the UK is again attracting US attention. But for the decade ahead, the best retail prospects are in Eastern and Central Europe, writes David Quinn