Land Securities' lettings soaring

Deals may be taking longer to get done, but the UK's biggest landlord Land Securities has had its best quarter for five years, its chief executive Rob Noel said yesterday.

The company has signed up an array of tenants from Jimmy Choo to broker Panmure Gordon across its London portfolio, while the insurer Markel is the first to sign on the dotted line for its Walkie-Talkie skyscraper.

Land Securities has made lettings worth £9.3m since the beginning of April. Mr Noel said: "I would say this is our best quarter since we were letting Cardinal Place [its office and retail scheme in Victoria] in 2007."

Tenants are taking longer to sign up but the level of interest in London is still high. Rents struck are "ahead of plan" and Mr Noel expects to let the top of the Walkie-Talkie for close to £70 a square foot.