LONDON-Take-up of Central London offices was up 29%, the highest since 2002. The soaring demand provides ample evidence of a strong recovery in parts of the market, but there is still some way to go, says Cushman & Wakefield Healey & Baker.

LONDON- Millennium & Copthorne Hotels is reviewing its euro 2.1-billion ($2.6-billion) property portfolio partly with an eye to sales and to the possibility of opening casinos in some of its hotels.

LONDON-Office take-up in the UK's regional cities soared 63% to 4.7 million sf in the six months to March 2004 and investment activity by 18% says DTZ. The strongest markets were Edinburgh, Belfast and Newcastle.

LONDON-Renfrewshire council in Scotland has unveiled a blueprint for the euro 757-million ($913-million) regeneration scheme on 200 acres along the south bank of the River Clyde. The council has teamed up with Capital Shopping Centres for the development

LONDON-The London School of Economics has pre-let former offices in Covent Garden that are being converted into student living spaces. The news follows recent research that predicted a fast-looming crisis and an emerging business opportunity in student accommodation.

LONDON-Property-investment company WG Mitchell has bought the feehold interest in the Sauchiehall Shopping Centre in Glasgow for euro 82 million ($98.4 million). The deal is the second biggest Scottish investment deal of the year.

LONDON-Land Securities and Standard Life have won the first stage of a legal battle to block a proposed euro 1.5-billion ($1.8-billion) mixed-use regeneration scheme at Ravenscraig in Lanarkshire. The judge, having heard that the biggest regeneration project in Scotland could damage neighboring towns, ruled that the council had acted beyond its powers in giving consent.

LONDON-The West End saw a 19% increase in occupancy cost, maintaining its title as the most expensive office location in the world, according to new figures by CBRE. Other cities to report increases in excess of 10% in occupancy costs were New Delhi and Hong Kong.