Planning apps activity rises

Commercial property planning applications jumped by 16 per cent in the final quarter of last year, spelling potential good news for the construction sector.

The law firm EMW counted 531 applications for big commercial developments in the final three months of 2010, up from 459 a year earlier.

Giles Ferrin, from EMW, said: "Investors are definitely back in the commercial property market and that could mean the first tentative sign of green shoots" for the construction industry.