An artist’s impression of what the area near The Hague’s main station could look like There will be a major shortage of suitable offices in The Hague in the coming years, and the vacancy rate is set to plunge, according to new research by property advice group CBRE. The currency office vacancy rate in The Hague is 8.3%, but that will drop to around 3% by 2022 and therefore drive up rents, CBRE says. ‘This is the perfect time to improve the quality of The Hague’s office supply as much as possible by realising new projects and renovating existing buildings,’ the agency says in a new report. The Hague’s current plans include building 130,000 square metres of new offices by 2025 but this should be speeded up, the agency says. ‘When new offices are they developed it is essential that proximity to a railway station and a multifunctional environment are taken into account, Bas Thijsen, director of CBRE in The Hague said. Last week, … [Read more...] about The Hague needs more offices and Amsterdam is relaxing its regulations
Amsterdam
You can currently bag two-night stays in Amsterdam from £89pp including flights
If Amsterdam has been top of your list for a city break but you're on a tight holiday budget, then you may want to check out Wowcher's latest deal. The discounts website has teamed up with Via Holidays to offer up Amsterdam city breaks from £89pp. That's £89pp for two nights in either the XO Hotels Blue Tower or XO Hotels Blue Square, as well as return flights from London, Manchester, Bristol and Edinburgh. You can book the Wowcher Amsterdam deal here but you'll need to be quick as the offer expires at midnight on Tuesday 9th April. It's worth noting that the £89pp holidays are on offer for October travel dates, but there are still other discounted breaks to be found under the deal. For example, if you're considering a trip during peak seasons over June, July and August, there are two-night breaks from £179pp. Still, October can be a great time to visit as you won't have the peak crowds, and while temperatures are a bit cooler around 11 degrees, you can still … [Read more...] about You can currently bag two-night stays in Amsterdam from £89pp including flights
Amsterdam’s scooter ban on bike paths not immediately enforced
All types of scooters, even the slower ones with blue license plates, are banned from most Amsterdam bike paths from today. But the ban, as well as the obligation to wear a helmet, will not be immediately enforced. The 500 enforcement officers in the Dutch capital are threatening to strike if the municipality does not meet their demand for better equipment, the Volkskrant reports. The municipality already announced that for the first month only warnings will be issued against scooter riders who drive on bike paths or don't wear a helmet. During this month, traffic regulators will be deployed throughout the city to instruct scooter riders on where they are and aren't allowed to ride. After that, violators will be fined 95 euros. Enforcing the ban and helmet obligation, and issuing fines, will mainly be in the hands of the enforcement officers. But the enforcement officers in Amsterdam will not enforce the ban on scooters driving on bike paths until their demands are met, according … [Read more...] about Amsterdam’s scooter ban on bike paths not immediately enforced
Hand grenade explodes at club under W Hotel Amsterdam
An explosion at the Mad Fox club early Friday morning was caused by a live hand grenade. There were no injuries reported in the incident, but it was followed up by another report later in the day of a hand grenade seen in front of the club's front door. Amsterdam's mayor, Femke Halsema, ordered the club shut down, according to a statement from her office released late on Friday. The Spuistraat club is located underneath the luxury W Hotel in Amsterdam. It will be kept closed for an indefinite period of time to protect the peace. The early morning explosion took place out in front of Mad Fox, which was closed at the time. Police were later called to the scene to investigate another reported hand grenade, but were unable to find anything suspicious. The statement from the city said there was another report of a hand grenade at the club about a month ago, and again police found nothing. Citing the repeated disruption to public order, Mayor Halsema ordered the club to be shut. "The … [Read more...] about Hand grenade explodes at club under W Hotel Amsterdam
Amsterdam updates EU vote info, tells Brits they can vote whatever happens
Photo: Depositphotos.com Amsterdam city council has updated its online information about voting in the European elections to make sure British nationals are aware they have the right to vote, whatever happens about Brexit. A city council spokeswoman told DutchNews.nl that while a letter sent to European nationals in Amsterdam was technically correct, it ‘may cause some confusion’. The later, dated March 7, stated British potential voters would be removed from the voting register after Brexit. The city has now changed the website and send out messages on social media to make sure British nationals continue to register. Call centre staff had also been made aware of the rights of British nationals, she said. ‘We hope people will register and we hope that everyone has the opportunity to vote,’ the spokeswoman said. DutchNews.nl revealed on Thursday that British nationals will be able to vote in the May 23 European elections, even if Britain had withdrawn from … [Read more...] about Amsterdam updates EU vote info, tells Brits they can vote whatever happens