LONDON-Rental growth in the retail warehouse sector has continued to slow throughout 2001 according to new research from FPDSavills, with just 2.3% growth in the year to September 2001.

LONDON-AXA Real Estate Investment Management has re-let a high-profile Oxford Street site to Italian retailer Expensive Fashions. The 20,000-sf store was part of a mixed-use portfolio bought from Legal & General earlier this year.

LONDON-A 250,000-sf computer factory in Northern Ireland has won an international award for innovation in construction techniques. Seagate Technology's plant in Derry, Northern Ireland, has won an award from the Design Build Institute of America.

LONDON-Threadneedle Property Investments has let a 15,000-sf office building in Watford, Hertfordshire to the US-based lottery company GTECH, which is moving out of the nearby headquarters of the UK national lottery operator Camelot.

LONDON-Rental growth in prime office space in the majority of European markets has now stopped, according to the latest European rent survey released by Atis Real Weatheralls.

MILAN-Barclays Capital and WestDeutsche Landesbank have submitted a planning application for a new 540,000-sf shopping centre close to Milan's airport at Linate.

LONDON-Lend lease has launched a new closed-ended European property fund along the lines of its successful Value Enhanced funds in the USA. The

LONDON-The UK economy was cooling even before 11 September, although there are no indications that the UK will follow the USA into recession. According to Lambert Smith Hampton this means lower rental growth for the foreseeable future.