DQ20 - Talking 'Bout Regeneration Special Edition

ISSUE 20 - AUTUMN EDITION

EVERTON F.C. ATKINS OBI PROPERTY AYMING & MORE

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CONTENTS ISSUE 20 EDITOR: SOPHIE ROONEY DESIGNER: JACK HUNTER CONTRIBUTORS: FRANK MCKENNA SIMON DANCZUK MARTIN LIPTROT NICOLA RIGBY EVERTON F.C. ALAN CROSS BARRY ROBERTS WILL LEWIS BEN VAAS PHIL MAYALL RICHARD BAYLEY DAVE SEED CRAIG MOORE

INVEST FOR THE FUTURE –

04 AND LET CITIES LEAD OUR

RECOVERY FRANK MCKENNA

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SAFE AS HOUSES? IS THE U.S. PROPERTY MARKET HEADED FOR BOOM OR BUST? MARTIN LIPTROT

MAINTAINING THE HERITAGE

38 OF LANDMARK NORTH-WEST BUILDINGS KROL CORLETT

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BROCK CARMICHAEL LEADING THE WAY WITH SUSTAINABLE DESIGN SOLUTIONS BROCK CARMICHAEL

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RE-PURPOSING TOWNS AND CITIES IN PARTNERSHIP IS VITAL TO CREATING CONNECTED, INCLUSIVE COMMUNITIES PHIL MAYALL

THE POLITICS OF PLANNING

10 SIMON DANCZUK 14

GROWTH WITHOUT GIMMICKS - WHAT NEXT FOR THE NORTHERN POWERHOUSE NICOLA RIGBY LESSONS FROM SOHO

17 SIMON DANCZUK

THE WORLD MAY BE CHANGING,

44 BUT THE FORMULA REMAINS THE SAME RICHARD BAYLEY

NORTH WEST STILL BOOMING, AS

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EVERTON BREAKS GROUND ON NEW STADIUM PROJECT EVERTON F.C.

48 STAMP DUTY HOLIDAY BEGINS TO

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IT’S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE: HOW THE PROPERTY SECTOR CAN USE THE POWER OF SATELLITES ALAN CROSS

50 BIRMINGHAM BUSINESS

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DON’T LET THE PERFECT STORM SINK YOUR DEVELOPMENT PROJECT - ENGAGE EARLY WITH THE EXPERTS BARRY ROBERTS

TAPER OFF DAVE SEED

CELEBRATING THE BEST OF CRAIG MOORE

UNLEASHING POTENTIAL FOR

30 OCCUPIERS WILL LEWIS LOOKING AHEAD

32 SUTCLIFFE

UK’S NET-ZERO GOAL RELIES ON

34 R&D IN CONSTRUCTION BEN VAAS

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INVEST FOR THE FUTURE – AND LET CITIES LEAD OUR RECOVERY WORDS BY FRANK MCKENNA CHIEF EXECUTIVE & GROUP CHAIRMAN, DOWNTOWN IN BUSINESS There is a growing opinion that the restrictions we have experienced in the UK will lead to long-term changes in people’s behaviours. In turn, we will see our great cities struggle to return as the natural drivers of economic growth that they were prior to COVID-19.

We cannot afford to repeat the mistakes of the past by seeing cities as a problem rather than a solution during this latest challenge – and as our human instincts kick-in I am more than confident that, in fact, cities will be the leading forces of our return to economic recovery in 2022.

Working from home, a realisation that there are better things to do with your life than spend three hours a day on a painful commute and a continued underlying fear of the virus will, say some commentators, result in a sharp fall in the demand for office space, hospitality venues and city centre apartments.

What we must recognise, however, is the crucial role our major towns need to play in the future too – and the importance of improved connectivity across the country, both in terms of transport links and digital infrastructure.

For the sake of our economic health, we must hope that such predictions are wrong. The good news is, they most probably are.

In the Seventies and Eighties, our cities were abandoned in favour of characterless out-of-town industrial parks, retail outlets and new town developments.

The economic and human impact of that move away from cities was devastating. Communities were decimated, thousands of individuals felt alienated and unemployment rocketed to over 3 million.

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As the Chancellor Rishi Sunak prepares to deliver a budget that will create the framework for the election battleground that will be fought in the run up to a likely 2023 General Election, I hope he will take a look across the pond and see the Trillions of Dollars the United States is investing in infrastructure as the way forward for Britain too.

If that doesn’t happen, the economy will take much longer to recover.

Investment in our infrastructure is not only necessary if we are to globally compete in the future and ‘build back better’ – but it will also create much-needed short-term employment opportunities and contribute to the

government’s ‘levelling-up’ agenda which, lets face it, is looking more like an election catchphrase than a serious policy commitment as every week passes by (a bit like the Northern Powerhouse and the Midlands Engine).

And, in terms of the working from work/working from home debate, the corporate community should be leading that discussion and encouraging their workforces back into the office as soon as they can.

Not only is working from home less productive and, indeed, soul destroying for some – but it stops the creative processes, the collaborative and the deal-making environment that occurs when people are working alongside each other, able to share thoughts and ideas.

It has been disappointing to see some big corporate entities, usually headquartered in London, instructing their staff to work from home indefinitely. Equally, government departments and some, not all, local authorities have been too slow in encouraging their teams back into the office.

This lack of leadership will come back to bite us all in the not-too-distantfuture. For all the health concerns

DOWNTOWN QUARTERLY around COVID-19, there must now be a more balanced and nuanced debate about the implications of this half-life existence we have had to endure over the past eighteen months.

Cancelled cancer operations, mental health challenges, poverty and sluggish growth will have consequences. Poverty has been the biggest and most consistent killer for generations, both nationally and globally. We cannot and must not allow ‘lockdown’ to become anything more than it was intended. A temporary measure.

The vaccination, and its successful roll out in the UK, must be the magic bullet that allows this country to live with the virus, throughout this Autumn, Winter, and beyond.

And, once we get through this most difficult of times, it is leadership, investment, and cities that will regenerate UK PLC.

“WHAT WE MUST RECOGNISE, HOWEVER, IS THE CRUCIAL ROLE OUR MAJOR TOWNS NEED TO PLAY IN THE FUTURE TOO – AND THE IMPORTANCE OF IMPROVED CONNECTIVITY ACROSS THE COUNTRY, BOTH IN TERMS OF TRANSPORT LINKS AND DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE.” 5

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SAFE AS HOUSES? IS THE U.S. PROPERTY MARKET HEADED FOR BOOM OR BUST? WORDS BY MARTIN LIPTROT COMMENTATOR ON PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND POLITICS, BASED IN FLORIDA

Will the bubble burst? I think not, perhaps a slow deflate.

Unlike the 2005 collapse this is not the fault of greedy bankers lending unsuspecting homeowners vast sums of money they have no hope of repaying. This price boom is simply a good old-fashioned supply and demand issue.

So where are all the new properties coming to market to fill this gap?

The ugly truth is many of these sales and transactions are at the top end of the market where only the wealthy shop. Home builders are saying shortages of labour and materials and the rising costs of both are making it difficult to meet demand, especially for more affordable homes at scale.

Sure, prices can’t continue to rise at 23% a year for ever. Rising inflation and higher mortgage rates will take some of the pent-up demand out of the system and if developers meet the predictions of The National

Association of Home Builders millions of new homes will be delivered each year through 2024.

push hundreds of thousands of affordable homes quickly into the market.

Property investors for ‘buy-to-let’ have also deserted the market.

Furloughed staff and lay-offs have made long-term renting an uncertain option for many and the government’s moratorium on evictions and repossessions had made clawing back unpaid rent a challenge for many rental property owners.

And as our shopping and dining habits seem to have changed fundamentally, many of the strip malls which have closed across America’s network of suburban highways will be re-purposed freeing up land for apartment complexes and town homes.

But as the economy starts to normalise again, those default protections will expire. After that, bank foreclosures and evictions will restart. As always, it is working families who will be hit hardest by this uncertainty and homes in more affordable communities are where the defaults lie.

But the fortunes of the big cities and the sprawling suburbs is still far from certain.

Sadly, it is expected that there will be huge numbers of foreclosures but we will see short sales and auctions

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DOWNTOWN QUARTERLY Real Estate brokers in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles are discounting top end condos and town homes by hundreds of thousands of dollars and “mega-tower block” developments are being mothballed until there are signs, if ever, that the well-heeled and urban will eventually tire of their relaxing beach life and long for the hustle and bustle of the city again.

Many firms have already decided to go WFH permanently, savouring the savings they will make not having to pay for expensive Manhattan or LA real estate. The banks and finance houses have already decamped from NYC to Florida and cities like Tampa, St Petersburg, Jacksonville and West Palm Beach are welcoming the super wealthy and their bumper salaries with open arms.

Property will always be a tradeable commodity, but for many, how and where we live has also changed fundamentally. Main Street not Wall Street is now hip, open spaces and stunning coastlines continue to be the desired destinations for the nations’ better-off.

Maslow would be happy: They will be free at last to be the most that they can be.

In these new centres of ‘Self-Actualization’ they can work remotely, unshackle themselves from the 9-5, unleash their entrepreneurial spirit by opening vegan-coffee shops, gluten-free pizza restaurants and dabbling in the arts, photography and design and raise their kids in the ‘space and clean air’ money most definitely can buy.

MARTIN LIPTROT IS A WRITER AND COMMENTATOR ON PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND POLITICS BASED IN FLORIDA. HE RUNS 98REPUBLIC, A BOUTIQUE MARKETING, PR AND ADVERTISING AGENCY AND SELLS BEACH FRONT LUXURY REAL ESTATE.

“PROPERTY WILL ALWAYS BE A TRADEABLE COMMODITY, BUT FOR MANY, HOW AND WHERE WE LIVE HAS ALSO CHANGED FUNDAMENTALLY. MAIN STREET NOT WALL STREET IS NOW HIP, OPEN SPACES AND STUNNING COASTLINES CONTINUE TO BE THE DESIRED DESTINATIONS FOR THE NATIONS’ BETTER-OFF.” 8

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TRANSPORT, INFRASTRUCTURE & CONSTRUCTION PARLIAMENTARY RECEPTION 18.10.21 “SO, WHAT WILL BIDEN’S INTERNATIONAL POLICY LOOK LIKE AND, IMPORTANTLY, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR THE ‘SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP’ WITH THE UK? BIDEN HAS A LOT OF WORK TO DO JUST TO DELIVER THIS MAMMOTH DOMESTIC AGENDA.”

SPEAKERS INCLUDE: LINDSAY HOYLE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS

TIM SHOVELLER PETER FREEMAN REGIONAL MANAGING CHAIR OF HOMES DIRECTOR, NETWORK RAIL ENGLAND

ANDREW STEPHENSON HEIDI ALEXANDER TRANSPORT MINISTER DEPUTY MAYOR FOR FOR HS2 TRANSPORT, LONDON

MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED

IN ATTENDANCE: BARONESS FOSTER

ALISON MCGOVERN MP SHADOW MINISTER FOR CULTURE, MEDIA & SPORT

JESS PHILLIPS MP

MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED

INTERESTED IN ATTENDING? HEATHER.THORNTON@DOWNTOWNINBUSINESS.COM 9

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THE POLITICS OF PLANNING WORDS BY SIMON DANCZUK CHAIRMAN, DOWNTOWN LONDON IN BUSINESS “Radical reform… a whole new planning system for England” is how Boris Johnson framed the Government’s White Paper, ‘Planning for the Future’, in August last year.

There’s been a lot of water under the bridge since then, as they say.

And interestingly, it’s not just the Conservatives who come in for some flak when it comes to reforming the planning system, Labour are also being accused of opportunism and nimbyism.

The proposals, which have been out for consultation – 40,000 responses are now being analysed – talk about creating three categories of land type: protected areas (like greenbelt), renewal areas (suitable for development), and growth areas (which presume consent for development). It’s also suggested that local housing plans would be written

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and agreed in 30 months – down from the current seven years which it often takes.

Every area would also have a local plan in place – currently only 50% of local areas has an up-to-date plan to build more homes. The Government also talk about the planning system being made more accessible, by harnessing technology through online maps and data. They state that the planning process will be overhauled and replaced with a clearer, rulesbased system to stop the current third of planning cases going to appeal but which are then overturned.

Their nod to the environment includes green spaces being protected by allowing for more building on brownfield land and all new streets to be tree lined. All new homes would be ‘zero carbon ready’, with no new homes delivered under the new system needed to be retrofitted, to

help achieve the commitment to net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

A new simpler national levy is also proposed to replace the current system of developer contributions (Section 106).

And there is talk about the creation of a fast-track system for beautiful buildings and establishing local design guidance for developers to build and preserve beautiful communities.

All sounds very positive you might think. And it will help meet the need to build an extra 300,000 homes each year for the foreseeable future – a figure as often quoted by Labour politicians, as it is now by the Conservative Government.

Leaving aside the validity, or not, of the 300,000 figure (which is certainly disputed by some) nobody can argue

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“EVERY AREA WOULD ALSO HAVE A LOCAL PLAN IN PLACE – CURRENTLY ONLY 50% OF LOCAL AREAS HAS AN UP-TO-DATE PLAN TO BUILD MORE HOMES.”

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“IT IS HARDLY SURPRISING THAT NUMBER 10 IS NOW SAID TO BE “IN LISTENING MODE” – WHICH BASICALLY TRANSLATES INTO THE PROPOSALS ARE GOING TO BE WATERED DOWN.” that we do not need more homes.

There is a housing shortage which requires radical action.

Even the public agree. In a recent survey for the New Statesman magazine, 57% of Britons supported the construction of more houses by the Government and just 14% opposed them. When asked if they would support construction in their local area, this changes to 50% and 27% respectively – still a sizable proportion in favour of housebuilding.

Then why has planning become a hot potato? Well, survey findings don’t always match the situation on the ground. Many Conservative councillors, particularly in the south of England, blamed planning decisions and a fear of housing development for their poor local council election results in May. A case in point was said to be losing control of Tunbridge Wells.

Added to this was the Chesham and Amersham Parliamentary by election, on the 17th June, which the Conservatives lost for the first time since the seat’s creation in 1974. Both HS2 and Lib Dem scaremongering

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over housing development is said to have helped that party win it.

There are now reported to be well over 90 Conservative MPs prepared to rebel against any legislation that comes forward in the proposed form.

Lord William Hague has said: “This could be Boris Johnson’s poll tax.”

hard to be the champion of tackling homelessness and trying to be on the side of those that need housing, or re-housing, when you’re opposing reforms to build more homes.

It is hardly surprising that Number 10 is now said to be “in listening mode” – which basically translates into the proposals are going to be watered down.

Labour retreating into nimbyism isn’t a great look, and as the surveys show, there is public support for house building, at least on the face of it. If Labour are seen to be playing politics with a highly sensitive issue, it will reinforce a public perception that they are opportunistic.

In a speech at the Local Government Association conference, in July, Robert Jenrick, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, started to suggest a more conciliatory tone, hinting at scrapping the idea of a national infrastructure levy, and modifying the new categories of land type.

Expect more of the same throughout the party conference season in September and October.

But for the moment, it’s mainly a problem for Boris and his Cabinet.

And what they need to remember is that they are not called the ‘Conservatives’ by chance, they are called it for a reason. That reason being that they listen to their grassroots and act accordingly. Boris can talk about being radical, but he doesn’t lead a radical party, he leads a conservative one, and he’s just being reminded of it.

Whilst these policy proposals have been something of a mess for the Conservatives, it isn’t all plain sailing for Labour. They have called it “a developer’s charter.” But it’s

SIMON DANCZUK IS THE CHAIR OF DOWNTOWN IN LONDON, A BUSINESS CONSULTANT, AND A FORMER MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT.

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GROWTH WITHOUT GIMMICKS – WHAT NEXT FOR THE NORTHERN POWERHOUSE? WORDS BY NICOLA RIGBY PRINCIPAL, AVISON YOUNG

Governments like slogans – and in the north, having been used to the Powerhouse label since 2014, we are now trying to understand where we fit in the latest ‘levelling up’ agenda. We are left asking ourselves whether the Northern Powerhouse remains relevant, and perhaps more importantly whether it will leverage the strategic public investment we continue to critically need to maximise our potential.

HERE, NICOLA RIGBY, PRINCIPAL AT AVISON YOUNG SHARES HER INSIGHTS.

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DOWNTOWN QUARTERLY From 2014, we embraced the Northern Powerhouse. We understood the context for George Osborne’s focus on the north of England, we recognised the initial backdrop to Osborne coining the name – linked to a trade mission to China (and dare I say winning votes), and we also knew he was building on something arguably dating as far back as the 1995 formation of the Core Cities Group, as well as ‘The Northern Way’ strategy and associated £100m investment fund launched in 2004.

In summary, nobody knew the need for collective working, lobbying and strategic intervention better than us in the north. And we were prepared to work with whatever slogan the Government wanted to use to get it.

In 2016, we (Avison Young, then GVA), wrote a property market commentary on the Northern Powerhouse, ‘Realising its full potential,’ and noted at the time the incredible momentum that was building with significant devolution deals in place or imminent across our core city regions, and huge levels of public funding announcements. But if we look back through an honest lens, what has come to fruition following the early flurry of headlines and photo opportunities?

CONNECTING THE DOTS By way of example, in October 2014, George Osborne and the then Prime Minister, David Cameron, announced that the Government would support a high-speed rail link across the north – initially coined HS3 and later NPR (Northern Powerhouse Rail).

As of today, we remain embroiled in debate as to whether HS2 will ever get past Birmingham – with very little room (or funding confidence) for any investment to connect the dots between our northern towns and cities. From almost every event I've attended since 2014, there should be no doubt in the commentary coming from the north – HS3 was always and will continue to be our strategic infrastructure delivery priority.

At the more localised level, in

November 2015, the Government allocated £105m to enable an ‘Oyster style’ ticketing system across the whole of the north – a commitment reversed in January 2021 with the slashing of Transport for the North funding.

And now we have new gimmicks, new terminology, a period of ‘levelling up’.

The rhetoric has shifted – levelling up is not really about the north of England reaching its full (and still latent) potential, rather it is about the continued gap between London and everywhere else – and pits locations against each other in this context to secure government support.

A person more cynical than me might point to the funding programmes that have emerged undermining the great progress that has been made across the north – increasing competition rather than collaboration and collective lobbying. Why does this matter? The only way we will leverage strategic investment and intervention in the north (think HS3) is if we work together.

It will be interesting over the coming months, as more clarity emerges on the level of commitment this Government retains for HS2 delivery, whether we will be in a situation which pits our northern cities against each other to ensure that the line does extend beyond Birmingham as planned.

We also need to be under no illusion that this continued uncertainty undermines our ability to leverage private investment into our northern cities.

THE NEXT STOPS ON THE LINE Without confidence in the hub investments – in the HS2 stations in Liverpool, Manchester and Leeds, and the HS3 connections between them and to Newcastle – how can we genuinely establish the associated investment strategies that are needed for the next stops on the line? In Manchester think Swinton, Stalybridge, Bury, Bolton, to name a

few. In Liverpool think Birkenhead, Huyton, Bootle. The original case for HS2 recognised the importance of capturing these wider benefits that should be able to be progressed with sufficient confidence to come onstream concurrently with HS2. In each case, regeneration programmes are progressing – but all would benefit from a HS2 boost.

The other obvious observation about the recent Government funding mindset is the now almost entire shift to capital funding support for regeneration. Not talked about nearly enough – but in an era where our Local Authorities are operating under significant budget pressures, and where our communities face such acute socio-economic challenges, we have to ask ourselves if we are really tackling the causes of deprivation rather than the symptoms.

Without robust approaches to leveraging social value, which if we’re honest, remain a work in progress, we also have to ask ourselves whether physical intervention can really make the difference needed. We only need to look to Marcus Rashford to find the answer to that question. We simply must do more as an industry to connect growth and investment to need – through revenue funding that can and should be leveraged through public funding, contracts, and our own social responsibility.

Unless communities feel the benefit of the investments being made – in new roads, in new buildings and town centre interventions – are we genuinely levelling up?

This isn’t to say that infrastructure delivery is not important. It’s crucial.

There is an infrastructure deficiency in the UK, which is exacerbated by a severe lack of investment, in comparison to the rest of the developed world, so the cause for these projects is definitely there.

But does the legacy of Northern Powerhouse really hold its value for the communities it was supposed to benefit?

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DEVOLUTION Devolution is perhaps the most obvious flag, waved to support the positive impact of the Northern Powerhouse. Most devolution discussions – certainly in Greater Manchester – pre-dated Osborne’s 2014 speech. But this is an area where more momentum was created – and certainly as more city regions secured their deals, the incentive and blueprint for others to build on was clear to see.

These are interesting times to discuss how significant devolution really is.

Over the last 12 months we have seen genuine tensions between our City Region Mayors and Central Government – most evidently in the introduction of localised restrictions relating to the COVID-19 lockdown.

Critically however, if anything, this pulled our Mayors closer together – with really strong and evident working relationships clear for all to see.

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This raises questions over the Government’s genuine commitment to devolution. With the age of many of the deals in place – Greater Manchester from 2014, and West Yorkshire, North East combined, Tees Valley, Sheffield and Liverpool City region all dating from 2015 – and the obvious budget pressures on Government in a post-COVID world, we definitely need a refresh and refocus. If we are to achieve levelling up, then devolution has to be real, with our city regions’ leaders having a greater say in how and where they spend the money, to deliver maximum positive impact for their communities.

Perhaps the most important thing to come from the Northern Powerhouse period is the greater understanding of the relative identities of our cities – working together and playing to our strengths. Northern cities will always have their own identities and priorities. After all, although close in proximity, they are different places with different issues, cultures and communities, and that is something

we celebrate across all our city regions.

We must once again work together to establish a common ground across the issues we face and opportunities we represent so that we can leverage the greatest benefit from devolution, secure the strategic investment we so need, and derive from it, genuine social value to truly level up across our communities.

Through the Powerhouse (or perhaps despite it...), Our Metro Mayors have formed strong working relationships and this dynamic will be important going forward.

Rising above party politics, our Metro Mayors must come together and lobby for the places and people they represent, with a strong set of local priorities and well evidenced position.

Only then can we genuinely claim we are levelling up and leveraging the legacy of the Northern Powerhouse.

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WORDS BY SIMON DANCZUK CHAIRMAN, DOWNTOWN LONDON IN BUSINESS

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In 1978 John James, an economic migrant from Whitehaven in Cumbria, lands in London and manages to secure a job running the Embassy Club in Bond Street.

An offshoot of the famous New York nightclub, Studio 54, it attracts the same celebrity clientele. James recalls “I remember David Bowie; he would just walk through the door and a frisson went around the room. I’d never felt anything like that...

There were loads of famous people at that time, at its height.”

It’s James’s introduction to the hospitality industry and he eventually moves to running clubs for Paul Raymond, the ‘King of Soho.’ This job morphs into running the strip-club owner and publisher’s property empire and marrying his daughter, Debbie.

Fast forward decades and the wife he divorced and ex-father-in-law have died.

His daughters, Fawn and India Rose James inherit what is now Soho Estates and John James is the Managing Director.

This is a major property portfolio valued well over £1 billion. It’s prime real estate, as he points out: “Soho represents the centre of the West End, and the West End represents the centre of London as a city.

It brings in the most revenue, the most people, the most vitality and is one of the most prosperous areas.”

And what he and his team have been doing in recent years is: “a process of renew, redevelop, repair and replace. Since Paul’s death, making the buildings fit for a modern purpose.” The achievement can’t be underestimated. They invested in Soho House, now a major international chain, helped renovate that property and Kettner’s Hotel next door. They are just developing the former Foyles bookshop site, own property in Leicester Square, and have numerous other buildings that have, or are to be, renovated.

He rebuts any suggestion of gentrification: “Soho was a slum… you could call ‘gentrification’ giving a place a toilet, or hot and cold running water. I would say it’s become more usable by modern people and modern families and we, as a company, Paul Raymond was always in favour of the small owner/occupier business.”

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This philosophy has stuck with James.

Speaking to others in the commercial property industry, not known for its compassion, they describe him as: “benevolent,” and “altruistic.” This shines through not least because we are speaking during a pandemic, the economic impact of which is truly shattering.

James describes the situation: “46% of the businesses on our roster are in hospitality that’s the centre of hospitality in London.”

Normally: “52 million people walk from Piccadilly to the Hippodrome [in Leicester Square] per year. That tourism industry isn’t coming back quickly.”

He describes part of Soho Estates solution: “I’ll talk to my tenants about rent after a month of trading, about how to pay the rent, to defer the rent, forgive the rent.”

But he goes on to explain the other bit of his solution, the Soho Summer Street Festival campaign. We now know it’s been a success. He persuaded Westminster Council to temporarily pedestrianise many of the streets in Soho, allowing hospitality venues to spill onto the road. You can tell he understands the sector. “We need to get people trading again so we can start to recover.”

Credit to the local authority for listening, and for all those who backed his campaign, from Bill Nighy to Damien Hirst, through to Amanda Holden, and thousands more besides.

John James is one of those people you can’t help liking. He has a warm humour, has seen so much of the world and whilst has a duty to the family business, you know he also carries an exceptionally strong responsibility for part of the Capital in which he has spent most his life.

In many ways, John James arrival in London mirrored the lyrics of a Bowie song: “Bright lights, Soho, Wardour Street. You hope you make friends with the guys that you meet.” But over 40 years on James is no longer that outsider, he is now framed by the title of the song itself, he is one of ‘The London Boys.’

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“JOHN JAMES IS ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE YOU CAN’T HELP LIKING. HE HAS A WARM HUMOUR, HAS SEEN SO MUCH OF THE WORLD AND WHILST HAS A DUTY TO THE FAMILY BUSINESS, YOU KNOW HE ALSO CARRIES AN EXCEPTIONALLY STRONG RESPONSIBILITY FOR PART OF THE CAPITAL IN WHICH HE HAS SPENT MOST HIS LIFE.”

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EVERTON BREAKS GROUND ON NEW STADIUM PROJECT Everton Football Club has held a project commencement ceremony at Bramley-Moore Dock to mark the breaking of ground in the construction of a new £500m stadium.

The momentous occasion was attended by Everton Chairman Bill Kenwright, Chief Executive Denise Barrett-Baxendale and Players’ Life President Graeme Sharp alongside some of the project’s key planning, construction and engineering partners.

“EVERTON CHAIRMAN AND CLUB CEO HAIL “MOMENTOUS” AND “EXTRAORDINARY DAY” IN DEVELOPMENT OF £500M WATERFRONT STADIUM”

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Everton Football Club has held a project commencement ceremony at Bramley-Moore Dock to mark the breaking of ground in the construction of a new £500m stadium.

The momentous occasion was attended by Everton Chairman Bill Kenwright, Chief Executive Denise BarrettBaxendale and Players’ Life President Graeme Sharp alongside some of the project’s key planning, construction and engineering partners.

History was made as an Everton branded excavator made the first incision into the eastern quayside at BramleyMoore Dock as work to develop the Club’s new 52,888 capacity waterfront home begins to gather pace.

The Club took possession of the site, which forms part of Peel L&P’s £5bn Liverpool Waters scheme in the city’s Northern Docks, on Monday 26 July with construction partners Laing O’Rourke immediately working on putting in place welfare facilities for the near 12,000 construction staff that will be required during the estimated three-year build.

Everton Chairman Bill Kenwright said: “This is a momentous day. One that we have all been waiting for.

To know that Evertonians and the people of this great city

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are together with us on this journey is a special feeling.

Now that the work has commenced we can all watch our magnificent home as it comes to life. I am stating the obvious, but must reiterate that this day could not have happened without Farhad’s continued support on every level and the drive and determination of our CEO Denise, and her team.

“In a few years’ time we will, of course, be bidding the fondest farewell imaginable to our cherished home at Goodison Park. That sad day will be made easier because we know we are going to an astonishing new stadium that will bring our fans and their children - and their children’s children - the kind of joy throughout the next century that we have all shared in Liverpool 4.”

A ceremony to mark the first breaking of ground is traditional in development and forms part of the required enabling works to the eastern quayside, which will eventually become home to the Fan Plaza – an area that could welcome more than 9,000 fans on matchdays. Work is currently continuing to repair and preserve the Grade II listed dock wall, to stabilise the listed hydraulic tower, the raking of the dock floor and preparation for the demolition of existing non-listed structures. Pipework is also being

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laid ahead of the infilling of the dock in the autumn.

Everton Chief Executive Denise Barrett-Baxendale added: “Breaking ground is a significant milestone for this project, for our football club and our city region. It is a tangible symbol of Everton’s future and a clear signal of our Club’s ambitions.

contributing an estimated £1.3bn to the UK economy, creating more than 15,000 jobs and attracting 1.4m visitors to the city of Liverpool. Once complete, the scheme will have acted as a catalyst for more than £650m worth of accelerated regeneration directly benefiting Peel L&P’s Liverpool Waters and the nearby Ten Streets development.

“Today’s ceremony represents the culmination of an extensive and robust planning process. It delivers an exciting new future for our football club, invests in our local and national economy and supports our community as our region builds back better following the impacts of the global pandemic, while also ensuring the city’s oldest professional football club remains in our spiritual home of North Liverpool.

To bring fans closer to the stadium development as construction gets underway the Club will be launching a new website in the coming weeks. The site will offer news and information about progress on the Bramley-Moore Dock site as well as give supporters and stakeholders the chance to view activity on-site through a web-cam.

“I’m delighted we have been able to share today with the internal and external team of planning, construction and engineering partners who have worked tirelessly to make this project happen. I know for them it signifies a real starting point in the development phase of this transformational scheme.”

“WORK IS CURRENTLY CONTINUING TO REPAIR AND PRESERVE THE GRADE II LISTED DOCK WALL, TO STABILISE THE LISTED HYDRAULIC TOWER, THE RAKING OF THE DOCK FLOOR AND PREPARATION FOR THE DEMOLITION OF EXISTING NON-LISTED STRUCTURES.”

Everton’s new stadium project is recognised as the largest single-site private sector development in the country

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IT’S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE: HOW THE PROPERTY SECTOR CAN USE THE POWER OF SATELLITES WORDS BY ALAN CROSS AMBASSADOR NETWORK, REGIONAL AMBASSADOR NORTH WEST ENGLAND & NORTH WALES, ESA BUSINESS APPLICATIONS UK

From the moment we wake up, to the moment we arrive at our place of work, we interact with around 25 individual satellites in Space.

Of course, as well as enabling the outside broadcasts we watch on the news over breakfast, satellites also underpin the routing and traffic avoidance apps that, in an ideal world, de-stress our commute, and provide unprecedented foresight into weather and climate conditions. Even with this in mind, it’s all too easy to think that ‘Space’ is something that only the richest governments can be involved in, but of the UKs £16.4bn space economy, more than two thirds comes from the innovative commercial use of data generated or relayed by satellites in orbit, and a further £360bn of GDP is directly supported by these services.

Consider the property sector; SME ‘Orbital Witness’ employ satellite imagery to enable

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regular updates on construction sites anywhere on Earth, automatically red flagging issues such as boundary violations, accelerating due diligence enquiries, and enhancing and hastening insurance queries at reduced costs.

Airbus provides a Geospatial Financial Hub that delivers flood and subsidence data at address level, as well as providing a peril assessment of a customer’s portfolio with geographic concentrations of existing risk exposure. They also use space based synthetic aperture radar (SAR) to monitor the ever changing height and shape of buildings under construction so that property insurers, lenders, and investors can keep an eye on developments of interest.

Essentially, satellites can be divided into three categories: Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) such as GPS; Satellite Communications (SatCom); and Earth Observation (EO). We’re all familiar with GNSS, it guides us on road trips

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and allows us to track our takeaway deliveries, but these systems have also been used to provide live data concerning wind shear on tall structures, to provide clear, accurate routing for complex supply chains and logistics, and to ensure unparalleled security for high value assets and equipment, and in the coming years we will see accuracy for GNSS improve from metres, to centimetres. Satellite communication (SatCom) is currently undergoing a revolution, with cost effective high bandwidth, low latency capabilities now available that cover almost every inch of the planet. These new services employ a ‘plug-and-play’ approach, meaning that one only need point the hub-cap sized array at the sky (rather than employ a small army of technicians) and broadband speeds become available without the need for underground cables. There also

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exist dedicated Internet of Things (IoT) SatCom solutions, offering match box sized robust transmitters whose battery life is measured in years – ideal for getting small amounts of data in and out of remote, mobile, or otherwise inaccessible assets that might not always be able to rely on terrestrial mobile phone networks.

Finally, as the cost of manufacturing sensors, and launching them into orbit, continues to plummet, hundreds of Earth Observation (EO) satellites as small as shoe-boxes are now operated by an array of commercial entities, offering high resolution (30cm) data in the form of optical video, infrared, ultraviolet, and radar, which can revisit targets as frequently as every 24 hours. That means that changes in height, shape, boundaries, subsidence, temperature, moisture, even fallen trees or invasive structures or vehicles can

be automatically detected to allow accelerated and informed decision making and actions.

It’s a lot to take in, and there are far more use-cases out there than can be highlighted here. Fortunately, both the UK and European space agency’s work together to support the development and uptake of satellite enabled services across all non-space sectors, and networks of experts are on hand to help you to understand the power of satellites, to sign post you to existing services and, should the opportunity arise, to support you in developing innovative new commercial applications for your sector.

The space above our heads bristles with thousands of beacons, sensors, and transceivers, representing a treasure-trove of data and, in the right

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hands, competitive insights.

In the coming decade or so, this number will grow to tens of thousands of satellites. Meanwhile, the UK is committed to doubling its space economy to 10% of the international market which, in the same time frame, could surpass a trillion USD. Whilst some of this growth will come from the sovereign development and launch of British built spacecraft and launch vehicles, more than two thirds will come from businesses like yours utilising and developing insightful products; combining your unique sector knowledge with the ever growing, ever present power of satellites.

“THE SPACE ABOVE OUR HEADS BRISTLES WITH THOUSANDS OF BEACONS, SENSORS, AND TRANSCEIVERS, REPRESENTING A TREASURE-TROVE OF DATA AND, IN THE RIGHT HANDS, COMPETITIVE INSIGHTS.”

The property business is booming… and space means business.

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DON’T LET THE PERFECT STORM SINK YOUR DEVELOPMENT PROJECT - ENGAGE EARLY WITH THE EXPERTS WORDS BY BARRY ROBERTS MANAGING DIRECTOR NORTH WEST, MORGAN SINDALL CONSTRUCTION

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“NOW, MORE THAN EVER, EARLY CONTRACTOR ENGAGEMENT IS KEY – A VITAL FORM OF RISK MANAGEMENT IN CHALLENGING TIMES. BUT ITS VALUE EXTENDS FAR BEYOND THIS. “ The construction industry is chomping at the bit to realise the Government's 'build, build, build' vision, but ongoing materials and skills shortage represent challenges.

client appoints design consultants to map out detailed plans of the project first, before then going on to separately appoint a contractor to deliver the works.

Development projects of all sizes and types are experiencing a squeeze on supplies and talent right now. In many instances this is causing significant delays and inflated costs and is even throwing some projects off track completely.

By separating design and construction, this process can produce knowledge gaps and an illusory promise of competitive pricing and cost certainty. It often results in project budgets being exceeded and does not allow contractors the opportunity to add value for the client by collaborating with designers.

Unsurprisingly, it can also cause detrimental friction between the various parties delivering the project.

The issue is being caused by a perfect storm of adverse market conditions.

Covid-19 and the impact of Brexit have combined to result in transport and manufacturing delays. This has coincided with a worldwide increase in demand, not only for vital building materials, such as timber, steel and glass but for builders and expert tradespeople too.

With industry experts now predicting that the shortages could remain a challenge for another six months, mitigating any potential risk to project delivery must come to the fore. It's here that the early engagement of contractors can make a big difference.

This was recently identified as key principle of the Government’s recently published Construction Play-book and regardless of prevailing conditions, early engagement offers a multitude of added value benefits and should be the norm for any property team seeking to achieve the most efficient results.

EARLY ENGAGEMENT EQUALS EFFICIENT ENGAGEMENT In recent years, the development market has seen increasing use of single-stage procurement on construction contracts, where the

The alternative is to involve contractors at the earliest stage possible, an approach described by the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) as 'a non-traditional procurement route, where a contractor’s skills are introduced early into a project to bring design ‘buildability’ and cost efficiencies to the pre-construction phase’.

This collaborative route, if managed effectively, ensures that insight from supply chains can be provided early, and designs can be tailored more appropriately to budget. In turn, this can mean fewer snags and projects getting to site more quickly. By working more closely with clients from the outset, contractors can anticipate and address any potential issues relating to materials and skills. The sooner they are brought on, the sooner they can liaise with their supply chain partners to source materials – providing the longer lead time needed where materials are scarce or subject to delivery delay.

An excellent illustration of early engagement in action is our work

with Liverpool City Council (LCC) on the Paddington Village Central site within the city’s Knowledge Quarter.

Over recent years we’ve worked on numerous projects within the site including The Spine, which was handed over earlier this summer and will be the new northern home for the Royal College of Physicians.

Here, our role goes far beyond that of traditional main contractors – our remit includes full project management, including commercial and cost planning, design procurement, programming, technical and legal.

The development of a master-plan necessitated a highly strategic partnering approach. Early engagement and full integration of Morgan Sindall Construction as contractor partner meant there was no requirement for LCC to use a separate developer to oversee the scheme, creating both efficiencies and cost savings. All projects are being designed to cost from first principles, ensuring high quality and functionality is achieved within budget.

Now, more than ever, early contractor engagement is key – a vital form of risk management in challenging times. But its value extends far beyond this. Whether your goal is maximising what you can deliver for a fixed sum, or simply lowering costs while maintaining the very highest aspirations, early contractor engagement is the answer. Through close collaboration at every stage of project delivery – including the design phase - we can create efficiencies, mitigate risk and drive greater certainty of outcome across time, cost and quality.

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UNLEASHING POTENTIAL FOR OCCUPIERS WORDS BY WILL LEWIS FOUNDING DIRECTOR, OBI PROPERTY

Hybrid and agile working was implemented by some companies prepandemic, but following March 2020 it became relevant to all, forcing every business to pilot remote working.

The main question occupiers have now is; 'what should their workplace be for the future'.

The most popular aspects for the future workplace include; sustainability, flexibility and human centric design, which includes a heightened awareness of neurodiverse needs which refers to the variation in the human brain

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regarding sociability, learning, attention, mood, and other mental functions. However, as every business is different it isn't advised to roll out changes until the right questions to both employees and leadership have been asked to create the most suitable workplace strategy that is unique to that business. Our advice for businesses is to give time to thoroughly explore what has been learnt about their business since March 2020 and compile a brief for their new workspace which takes more than the attributes of 'days in the office' into consideration.

In the initial stages of compiling a brief, many occupiers are stumbling over their differences between leadership and employees' aspirations. This is where the sweet spot of a successful workplace is found by understanding the ‘why’ and the motives that employees and leadership have within the business.

Asking 'how many days in the office would you like to work' is a hollow question that doesn’t reveal the instrumental elements to cultivating happiness and productivity.

Asking two simple questions that bring out the deeper levels of motives from leadership and employees

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“ASKING 'HOW MANY DAYS IN THE OFFICE WOULD YOU LIKE TO WORK' IS A HOLLOW QUESTION THAT DOESN’T REVEAL THE INSTRUMENTAL ELEMENTS TO CULTIVATING HAPPINESS AND PRODUCTIVITY.”

goes much further than office size requirement.

Instead of asking how many days ask ‘what do you want to protect that you gained during Lockdown?’ and ‘what are you most looking forward to when returning to the workplace?’.

The answers to these questions provide much more than hot desking arrangements and goes further into fostering a sense of belonging to all.

Research led by MyKindaFuture found that just 32% of UK office workers feel as though they completely belong within their company. In fact, as

many as 80% of those who don’t feel a sense of community within their workplace are considering leaving their jobs within the next 12 months.

A 2019 study by BetterUp found that workplace belonging can lead to an estimated 56 percent increase in job performance, a 50 percent reduction in turnover risk, and a 75 percent decrease in employee sick days. The study found that a single incidence of “micro-exclusion” can lead to an immediate 25 percent decline in an individual’s performance on a team project.

To conclude; sustainability, flexibility and human centric design can provide many benefits to an occupiers space but without deep exploration of the ‘whys’ for their unique business culture and people, a sense of belonging and purpose will be harder to foster in the space they occupy.

At the heart of a successful and productive workplace is empathy, putting the people at the forefront, and now is the time to seize this post-pandemic opportunity and revolutionise the spaces where we work.

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LOOKING AHEAD The last 18 months have been an unusual and unprecedented time for businesses, business leaders and employees, not only in the UK but across the world.

One thing that months of lockdowns and restrictions has taught us though, is that we are all more resilient than we could have ever imagined pre-2020, and despite plenty of woe, there have been numerous success stories that have come from the

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pandemic, with the construction sector in particular bouncing back.

Civil and structural engineering firm, Sutcliffe has excelled in the face of adversity, and after announcing a 5% increase in profits in the first half of its financial year, the Liverpoolbased company is very much looking forward not back, with another 12 months of growth planned.

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“AS SUTCLIFFE GEARS UP TO ATTEND THE DOWNTOWN IN BUSINESS TALKING ‘BOUT REGENERATION CONFERENCE AT THE BELFRY HOTEL, THE FINAL QUARTER OF 2021 WILL BE ONE OF REFLECTION AND CONSOLIDATION, WITH THE COMPANY WELL ON ITS WAY TO REPORTING ANOTHER RECORD YEAR IN 12 MONTHS TIME.” Having already secured £250m worth of new projects this year, further demonstrating the company’s reputation as market leaders, Sutcliffe’s managing director, Sean Keyes has continually placed a huge impetus on his staff over the last three decades, with the firm's headcount also increasing by 16% since the start of 2021.

Discussing the on-going success of the multi-disciplinary, BIM-accredited chartered consultants, Sean Keyes has again sung the praises of his team, stating that framework wins, growth and multi-million pound project work would not have been possible without the dedication and hard work of his apprentices, engineers and directors: “From March 2020, we’ve focused all of our attention on ensuring that our clients and staff are happy, and we’ve made sure that every aspect of what we do from housing, to schools and hospitals, has been a great success.

We’re now reaping the rewards and that is shown by the amount of repeat and new work that is coming through our doors.

“Our growth is very important to us, but it is vital that we grow organically and slowly. We’ve managed to retain all of the frameworks that we’d previously been on before renewal, which is testament to the quality of our work. We are always looking to promote and recruit from within, and by growing our geographical area, we’re in a good position to win more work throughout the North West and beyond.”

With an illustrious history and a longstanding reputation in the Liverpool City Region, having been a prominent

fixture of the construction sector since 1985, Sutcliffe takes great pride in its city and the infrastructure in it.

Working on the likes of Liverpool Women’s Hospital, Liverpool Lime Street and the University of Liverpool over the last three decades, Sean Keyes and his team have overseen Liverpool’s growth, and with recent large scale projects also including the Royal Liverpool University Hospital, the company is continuing to strive within the healthcare sector.

“The pandemic has seen us work on a number of healthcare projects, including the new Covid ward at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital, which is of course incredibly rewarding. We’ve also helped out several other local authorities including Wigan Council, to ensure that all of our regions are in a position to have the very best extra-care facilities available, which not only benefits the economy, but also those that require healthcare the most.”

Earlier this year, Sutcliffe appointed three new directors to its board - promoting Jacqui Johnson to communications director, Anoop Jayakkar to technical director and Ian Robinson to finance director, and with the trio working at the company for a combined four decades, there is a clear pathway of growth at the firm.

Starting as an apprentice YTS himself at Sutcliffe alongside fellow director William Baldwin, Sean Keyes has further stressed the importance of not only progressing the careers of those already at the company, but also unearthing and nurturing the ‘stars of tomorrow’, which he has done so far through the recently founded Kickstart scheme.

“Our apprenticeship scheme, as well as the government’s Kickstart programme, is very important to the economy and to Sutcliffe. We’ve been very vocal about the fact that it is difficult to recruit the right calibre of apprentices, who have the right work ready attitude and skill set, but slowly we are filling the gaps and finding those young and hungry engineers that are ready to grab this opportunity with both hands.

“All of our directors know the importance of finding the next generation who will be building our new schools, homes and hospitals, and I have no doubt that Sutcliffe will continue to play a large role in the evolution of the construction sector, both in the Liverpool City Region and throughout the North West.”

As Sutcliffe gears up for the final quarter of 2021, it will be one of reflection and consolidation, with the company well on its way to reporting another record year in 12 months time.

Sean Keyes finished by saying: “In the next year, we’re looking to bring on at least another director to the company, and I hope that we will also have been appointed on several new high-scale school and hospital contracts, which will be huge for the company.

“In 2022, I hope that we will have built another £500m worth of new home contracts in the region, and with the construction industry on an upward curve, I predict a very bright future ahead for us all.”

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WORDS BY BEN VAAS COMMERCIAL LEAD, AYMING UK

The UK aims to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, yet, at the same time has pledged to build more houses and invest heavily in infrastructure projects across the UK. Achieving both will only be possible if the construction sector finds ways to reduce its carbon footprint, which cannot be achieved without devoting time and resources to innovation.

There should be no illusions at the scale of the problem faced: building accounts for 40% of carbon emissions in the UK and 60% of all waste. According to the Committee on Climate Change,

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the industry has little more than 10 years to make all new buildings netzero to comply with climate targets.

Part of this problem stems from the construction sector being slower to innovate compared to other industries.

This has been caused, not by a lack of willingness, but a lack of funding, as construction companies generally make less profit, which means they have often cannot spare the cash to pump into innovation projects.

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“FIRMS MUST ACT IMMEDIATELY TO DECARBONISE ENERGY USE ON CONSTRUCTION SITES, WHERE DIESEL POWER IS STILL THE DOMINANT POWER SOURCE.” BUILDING FOCUS ON R&D However, it is dawning on construction firms that allocating capital for R&D is essential for progress and the sector is now taking strides as businesses begin to implement technology that has been talked about for a long time, whether that be robotics, digitalisation, or alternative materials. Part of this progress has come from construction borrowing from advances in other fields, but there has also been a wealth of construction-specific R&D, such as advances in material science

and understanding of structures and failure modes.

A key aim for going forward must be to use these advances to design new buildings to be net-zero or, even better, energy-positive buildings that give back more than they consume over their lifetime by using battery storage and other smart solutions.

As well as the structure itself, companies must look toward the building process. Firms must act immediately to de-carbonise energy use on construction sites,

where diesel power is still the dominant power source. Some major contractors are trialling hybrid generators but the technology is still small scale, which means R&D has to be ramped up.

Additionally, there is a huge scope for materials producers and contractors to utilise technology to tackle construction’s huge waste stream.

Major firms such as AIUK and Hanson are already doing this, focusing on re-purposing raw materials. There isn’t just an environmental incentive but a business one. In Ayming’s

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“THEY CAN UTILISE THIS INFRASTRUCTURE TO DEVELOP TRACING AND DATA TO UNDERSTAND WHERE THE KINKS IN THE SUPPLY CHAIN LIE. THIS IS PARTICULARLY VALUABLE FOR CONCRETE, FOR EXAMPLE, WHICH ACCOUNTS FOR 8% OF HUMANITY’S CARBON FOOTPRINT.” recent report into the state of global innovation, we found that the most popular answer for why businesses are undertaking sustainable innovation projects is because it will improve business performance.

Firms can also reap the rewards of data and analytics. The cost of IT infrastructure has come down to such an extent that firms can reap the benefits for minimal overheads.

They can utilise this infrastructure to develop tracing and data to understand where the kinks in the supply chain lie. This is particularly valuable for concrete, for example, which accounts for 8% of humanity’s

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carbon footprint. The availability of technology to support innovation is vital and is seen as the most important factor that firms need to help them to not only successfully innovate but innovate sustainably, according to our recent IIB report.

Covid-19 might help achieve the netzero goal for construction.

Despite many worrying that Covid-19 would slow this progress down, it has increased innovation in the construction sector. Companies have seen innovation as a way to cut down costs and innovate in the face of uncertainty, which is encouraging.

The sector has realised that they must change to survive. Firms must continue on this course, and don’t cut back on R&D. The past few years have seen incredible progress, as a sector that was once seen as lacking any innovation at all, has progressed leaps and bounds in such a short space of time. This progress must be continued – the national commitment to net-zero will require the whole construction sector to prioritise sustainable innovation going forward, through Covid uncertainty and beyond.

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MAINTAINING THE HERITAGE OF LANDMARK NORTHWEST BUILDINGS The North-West of England is home to some of the most prestigious buildings in the entire United Kingdom. Some of these are cultural landmarks, while others are business complexes at the heart of local communities.

In the wake of the appalling decision to remove Liverpool’s UNESCO world Heritage status we believe it’s more important than ever to highlight the rich heritage the city has and the continued investment into the region.

The Liverpool City region in particular has a wealth of heritage buildings from Edwardian and Victorian to Pre and Post-War years. Between their incredible detail, eye-catching decoration, and unique history with renowned tales from their past, all these buildings ensure that the region stands out. However, many of these buildings have been altered and changed over the years due to their changing usage requirements.

The complexity that the renovation and restoration of these buildings

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brings including Grade I and II listed limitations requires, not only attention to the detail and decoration of the building but also that any construction works are sympathetic to the building’s history and its quirks.

Krol Corlett have and continue to play a major role in honouring, restoring, and developing the heritage of these buildings so that their impact continues to be felt for many years to come.

Each project provides several challenges specific to the area and location of the property, some of which are now embedded within other modern city centre buildings.

With a long-standing 50-year history, the team at Krol Corlett have perfected an empathetic approach to these buildings and working alongside the challenges that they bring. Over this 50-year tenure we have worked in several landmark building across Liverpool City region including the Municipal Building, Port of Liverpool Building, Cunard Building

and St Georges Hall.

More recently, Krol Corlett have completed the £1.5 million refurbishment of Fraser House in Lancashire. The brief was to transform this unused office building into an innovative IT and digital hub on behalf of Lancashire County Council. The project began in July 2020 and was completed ahead of schedule. This was despite challenges along the way, such as the necessary extensive preparation and sand blasting of the existing steel structure covered in lead paint and a fire rating change that delayed the process of installing all-new lighting. Despite this Krol Corlett were able to adapt and overcome, thus completing their tasks on-time regardless while also preserving the complex’s historical features, a vital requirement of this project.

Krol Corlett have completed other significant local projects in recent years. One of these is the extensive external restoration of Moor Lane Mills in Lancashire. This required

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a total refurbishment that would transform the external façades and regain structural stability of the high-level maintenance platforms. A key element here was to protect the retained features that have made this recognisable Mill Building a favourite amongst locals for so long.

On a larger scale, Krol Corlett also successfully worked with the Liverpool World Museum. Now, this would need the development of the popular New Egyptian space for visitors to enjoy. But the construction firm also produced a fresh commercial kitchen as well as upgrading the café, retail, and teaching areas by converting the Richard Foster wing and utilising it for all to enjoy. As you can see, the company works with big names, meets its targets, exceeds expectations, and does all of this well within the budgets set out by task managers.

Furthermore, Krol Corlett have some very exciting projects in progress

as we write this, Including a £2 million project on the Liverpool Hope University campus in Aigburth. This will see the refurbishment of two incredible Grade II* listed properties, those being the Hermitage and Cloisters buildings. Anyone who has studied at or visited Hope campus will recognise the rich history of buildings like these, and how important it is to maintain them while also upgrading with an eye on the future. Hence why Krol Corlett will ensure that Hope campus’ heritage continues.

Additionally, the construction firm are also working on a £4 million upgrading of the Walker Art Gallery and Midland Railway building just by St. George’s Hall. This will see the protection of the internal galleries while replacing the roof of the complex in a safe manner that also allows visitors to continue coming to and from the gallery. And then there is the £5m refurbishment of another Grade II listed building, that being the highly recognisable Islington Mill in Salford. The project is being

collaboratively delivered alongside Islington Mills Arts Council, Arts Council England, National Lottery Heritage fund and Salford City Council and is due for completion Autumn 2022.

Krol Corlett are proud to be at the centre of these projects that respect the past and pave the way for the future with a combination of preserving history whilst renovating to ensure that new history can be written within these legendary NorthWest buildings. But if these buildings stand, they will always remind locals, visitors, and international tourists of their incredible legacies.

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BROCK CARMICHAEL LEADING THE WAY WITH SUSTAINABLE DESIGN SOLUTIONS Brock Carmichael Architects has been delivering value and business success for clients based on tried and trusted architectural principles since 1974.

They are a RIBA chartered practice combining architecture, planning, urban design and interior design, with an award winning track record of education, residential, regeneration and leisure and hospitality building projects. The practice was born out of helping communities regenerate themselves and their housing. This has informed their business culture and how they view themselves within the construction sector; listening to and understanding others before they respond is their formula for a successful project.

They want to build relationships as well as buildings and believe construction is a social process and collaborative teamwork is essential to successful delivery.

Brock Carmichael strive to remain abreast of all developments of best practice in environmental design and are keen supporters of the growing movement towards low carbon, energy efficient and ecologically responsive development. Recently, the practice are making an extra push to actively research evolving

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environmental design guidance, and send representatives to seminars, training sessions and briefings to better develop skills and knowledge with the ever changing landscape surrounding climate change.

They understand that the delivery of a sustainable development or building will not necessarily deliver a sustainable solution. How the building operates, within its context and the implications for resource use associated with transport, water and waste management, for example, is vital. Brock Carmichael can assist clients to plan for regulatory requirements being placed on our industry, with recent revisions to Building Regulations and step changes towards Zero Carbon, and the need for us to find affordable solutions to these challenges.

Brock Carmichael are acutely aware of increasing budgetary and environmental restrictions being placed on our affordable housing clients, and that our solutions need to be cost-effective yet sustainable, robust, manageable, maintainable and considered over the long-term if projects are to maintain viability.

Brock Carmichael are currently working on a number of sustainable-

led developments including the Foxwood and Sycamore sites; 161 homes in Warrington across two currently dis-used brownfield former school sites. The Warrington sites are both completely gas-free schemes that will be heated using ground source heat pumps (Energy Performance Certificate - A rating).

These developments are the first for Incrementum and will provide the first 27% of 600 affordable homes urgently needed across the Warrington region.

There will be a high level of landscape infrastructure and communal shared spaces over private spaces, and this is provided in a sequence of spaces from landscaped parking courts, the central plaza to more private activity shared garden spaces for apartments along the north and east boundaries.

This will create a distinctive, open plan, urban ‘Home Zone’ streetscape with high quality realm and a strong sense of place through the scheme. The development will also propose measures to protect existing valuable local ecology and wildlife.

All dwellings will have PV 75kW peak systems and electric vehicle charge point infrastructure will also be provided under recent planning requirements.

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RE-PURPOSING TOWNS AND CITIES IN PARTNERSHIP IS VITAL TO CREATING CONNECTED, INCLUSIVE COMMUNITIES Muse continues to deliver its unique brand of placechanging re-purposed regeneration in partnership.

WORDS BY PHIL MAYALL BOARD DIRECTOR, MUSE DEVELOPMENTS It’s safe to say that it’s been a challenging time for everyone. As we move forward, taking positive steps out of lockdown, we’re now in a position where we can see the postCovid landscape.

While there are definitely going to be economic bumps in the road, it’s certainly not the dystopian world many had predicted. There are clear opportunities available to bring forward the right schemes that deliver direct benefits to communities, driving inward investment and prosperity, while creating opportunities for all… which is where re-purposing, or urban regeneration, comes into play.

Urban regeneration or town-centre re-purposing isn’t having a one size fits all approach to deliver shiny new buildings in the hope that ‘if we build it, they will come’. It’s about understanding an area’s specific

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needs and issues, strengths, heritage and aspirations. Then working with the existing grain of the area, creating the right infrastructure and mix of amenity to bring people of all social demographics back and thereby maximising the positive impact on the community.

At the turn of the 20th Century, town and city centres were thriving places full of commerce, people and life. As time moved on, they destabilised, depopulated and became driven by an expanding retail offer, making places indistinguishable from one another, creating a sustained period of flux. What’s clear from this, is that it’s people living, working, studying, shopping and playing in central conurbations will drive their renaissance.

As we know, the structural shift away from ‘faceless’ and generic retail has been accelerated by the pandemic. By

taking a long-term, broad-based view of regeneration, rather than looking at it piecemeal, real long-lasting change can be brought forward. The key now and to make sure our towns and cities are robust and resilient enough to tackle future crises, is making sure we turn them into true 15-minute cities that provide everything needed for work, leisure, education, amenity and living in a safe, vibrant, sustainable and connected place.

Retail will remain highly relevant.

However, it needs to be just that – relevant.

Across the Muse business, we’re increasingly being asked to look holistically at alternative uses for shopping centres that either local authorities have acquired to gain control of their town centre, or by institutional owners struggling with the rise of vacant units and reducing rental income. Again, this has been exacerbated by the pandemic.

DOWNTOWN QUARTERLY Vital to the success of any programme of regeneration is collaboration and partnership. There’s a once in a multigenerational opportunity to transform places for the better. Councils have the ability to take this wider view, but in any event, they’re entirely right in their approach, and now more than ever, public-sector intervention is crucial if our towns and cities are to thrive in adversity. What’s key here is courage. The public and private sectors, working together, must have the courage of their convictions to look forward and take calculated risks where necessary. Essentially what was right for our towns and cities immediately prior to the pandemic will likely be right for the long term.

Success requires a pragmatic, joinedup approach from both sides.

As a business, we’re proud to be part of a strong parent company in Morgan Sindall Group PLC, which is the UK’s leading construction and regeneration group, with strong cash reserves and a robust business model focusing on self-help and organic growth.

This gives us the resources to work alongside local authorities across the North West and beyond to take that long-term view but deliver at pace to deliver the change that’s needed.

Couple this with our tenacious team of development surveyors, project managers and corporate support, means we’re uniquely placed to create sustainable and place-changing schemes that’ll stand the test of time.

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THE WORLD MAY BE CHANGING, BUT THE FORMULA REMAINS THE SAME With talk of levelling up and investment in the North, Richard Bayley a cities and development consultant from Atkins, shares his thoughts on why local communities should have a voice in building back better.

WORDS BY RICHARD BAYLEY CONSULTANT, CITIES AND DEVELOPMENT, ATKINS Recent events have caused many of us to reflect on where we are in societal terms, both individually and collectively. They have also been a catalyst for change, in many cases positive, including the advances made by the science and technology sectors.

What has been interesting is people’s views on where they live, how they work and what is important to them concerning their leisure or downtime.

It has become apparent to many people that “places matter” more so than they may have done.

So how can we transform places into what society needs them to be in the future? Is it about a wholesale redesign and redevelopment or

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a transformational approach? Is it simply about ‘levelling up’ in whatever form that investment may take?

Arguably the answer is and should be much simpler. Every place has a uniqueness routed in history, its commerce, its geography and its people or communities. There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach, however, there is a formula that has existed for centuries which leads to the evolution of places, enabling them to function successfully in a future world. The centre piece of that formula is the people that live there. People matter because, quite simply, they are the heart, soul and driving forces of places.

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Atkins and Faithful+Gould have been working with towns across the country, especially in the North of England, to help develop Town Deals and Levelling up submissions to Government. Many of these towns have a fantastic industrial and cultural heritage. But historically, they have not had the investment and focus that enables them to evolve and have lost their way a little over the last few decades as a consequence.

Our approach has been to focus on understanding what matters to the people that live and work in these towns.

We have intentionally taken a ‘back to basics’ approach with the formula to explore how you can develop the following elements of what we describe as a ‘circular economy’ (see diagram opposite) to deliver a thriving town: •

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ECONOMIC GROWTH: re-energising the ‘engines’ of towns through revolving investment funds that are intentionally designed to kick start the industrial and engineering sectors and, by so doing, underpinning the retail and residential redevelopment within the town centres. In essence, it is about applying a defibrillator to improve the ‘beating hearts’ of the towns to reduce unemployment and increase footfall;

•

TOWNS CENTRES AND INFRASTRUCTURE: projects to improve the connectivity and movement, including active travel to allow better access and to spread the economic benefits around the towns and into surrounding communities;

•

EDUCATION AND SKILLS: projects to increase essential education and technical skill attainment levels and better equipping people to enable them to support the future growth of their towns and reduce unemployment and deprivation levels;

•

HEALTH AND WELL-BEING: creating new ‘one stop’ centres located within the towns that enable people in the communities to access a range of physical and mental health services and improve life expectancy levels;

•

COMMUNITY FACILITIES: an investment fund to provide grants for local charities and communities to improve facilities that support social activities so that people feel part of a diverse and thriving community and remain living there.

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There was a ‘cross cutting’ assessment of how we could embed and sustain carbon reduction and create social value across all of those elements.

Most importantly, the formula required comprehensive community engagement (e.g. online surveys) and participation (e.g. focus groups), so we ensured we designed all of the elements to work for the places or towns concerned. What is clear is that we as an industry and as a society need to improve the way underrepresented groups, especially from the BAME community, are engaged.

In conclusion, yes, investment is important but what is crucial is the formula applied to channel that investment and enable places to evolve and function better in a changing world.

Comprehensive community engagement and participation remains the most vital component, as the people that live in those places are the ones that will make them work. In years to come, history might reflect that the pandemic changed the world but the formula for changing our places should remain the same.

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WORDS BY DAVE SEED MANAGING DIRECTOR, QUBE RESIDENTIAL

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NORTH WEST STILL BOOMING, AS STAMP DUTY HOLIDAY BEGINS TO TAPER OFF Well, what a year we have had!

From the start of the first lockdown in March 2020, we have felt like we have been living in some surreal movie scene. At first, working from home was a novelty for most of us, who were used to a busy working environment. But as time progressed, reality set in and most of us were itching to get back into the office and back to some level of normality.

We had to adapt the way we carried out our normal procedures in the property industry, but we kept on going – letting and selling properties throughout the lockdown. As soon as we were allowed back into the office and to carry out normal viewings and appointments, we seen a real increase in sales and lettings transactions.

More recently though, the number of new buyer enquiries slowed in July as the government’s stamp duty holiday begins to taper off, according to the latest residential market survey released by RICS. Despite this the North West has continued to show extremely positive figures over the past 3 months, especially in Manchester and Liverpool.

New buyer enquiries shrank over the month, with a net balance of -9% of respondents seeing a fall, down from +10% in June, and ending a positive four-month streak for the UK housing market. As a result, the number

agreed sales also reportedly took a dip, posting a net balance of -21% in July across the UK, with sales volumes slowing most notably in Yorkshire & the Humber, the East Midlands and East Anglia.

House price growth was again influenced by the lack of properties ready for sale, with a net balance of -46% of respondents reporting a fall in new listings (down further from the -35% reported in June). It is therefore unsurprising that +78% of respondents reported house prices rising, although this is slightly down from the +82% reported in the past two months.

At the regional level, growth in house prices was seen across the UK, with the North of England, Wales and East Anglia seeing especially strong growth. On the flip-side, London saw more moderate feedback, however the latest net balance of +45% is still up when compared with previous results. With regards to completed transactions, the average sales price in Manchester has been £252,816 which is in an increase of 13.8% in last 12 months. Liverpool’s average of £139,335 has had an increase of 14.5% in last 12 months. Both of the main northern cities have performed extremely well, given the circumstance of the recent pandemic.

A net balance of +66% of respondents nationally predict that prices will continue to rise over the next twelve months, up on the +56% from June.

Demand from tenants looking to rent new homes remained strong for the fifth quarter in a row, with a net balance of +52% reporting a rise – with

all parts of the UK experiencing growth from budding renters.

Manchester has been our strongest city for lettings, with unprecedented demand in the last 3 months. Every new build block we released onto the market has been fully let in record time.

With new instructions from landlords remaining in decline (slipping from -6% last month to -20% in July), rents are now expected to rise over the next three months – this according to a net balance of +50% of respondents.

This is simply down to a supply and demand shortage. As the supply shortens, it is natural for the UK average rent prices to rise.

Several factors could also affect upcoming new instructions, as landlords will begin to assess their future plans. The new tax rates for landlords that is currently tapering in, has seen some investors consider selling their portfolios, due to reduced net income. And the recent pandemic has also worried some landlords, after seeing some tenants struggle to pay their rents due to being on furlough or losing their jobs.

On a positive note, the property market in general remains buoyant and housing demand is currently 22% higher than a year ago. I always tell investors ‘you will never lose on property, as long as you hold onto it long enough’. There will always be peaks and troughs with any investment but investing in property will always prove one of the smartest moves you will ever make.

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EVENT SHOWCASE

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CELEBRATING THE BEST OF BIRMINGHAM BUSINESS WORDS BY CRAIG MOORE DIRECTOR, CJM ASSOCIATES It was a privilege for my company, CJM Accountants to be approached to be the headline sponsor for the City of Birmingham Business Awards, particularly with it being such a high-profile and well regarded event throughout the city. From the off, Downtown In Business, were professional and accommodating in ensuring that CJM had the most positive and beneficial experience. The organisation of the event was deeply impressive, especially considering the uncertainty around the Covid restrictions, despite this the effort Downtown In Business went to was above and beyond in guaranteeing a successful event. The sponsorship process was made totally seamless

and enjoyable thanks to Downtown In Business who worked closely with me to ensure we as a business would feel the full benefit of supporting the event.

After the last eighteen months the awards were a much welcomed sense of normality and the atmosphere was unmatched especially with it being the first live in-person event in the city since the lockdown. With the event showcasing some of the best businesses within the city it was a great opportunity to be able to network face-to-face with the best of the best and explore different business sectors, share knowledge and enhance business connections.

“FROM THE OFF, DOWNTOWN IN BUSINESS, WERE PROFESSIONAL AND ACCOMMODATING IN ENSURING THAT CJM HAD THE MOST POSITIVE AND BENEFICIAL EXPERIENCE.” Aside from the obvious benefit of networking, the award ceremony felt pivotal for both business morale and building confidence within the business world after a hard eighteen months of isolation. The awards themselves were a stamp of quality approval for winners who truly deserved this recognition from such a reputable body and it was fantastic to see businesses to reap the rewards of their continued hard work and dedication through such hardship.

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DOWNTOWN QUARTERLY MALE NETWORKER OF THE YEAR DAN KENDRICK - BIG PROPERTY FINANCE FEMALE NETWORKER OF THE YEAR ELIZABETH MEE - WOODSHIRES COMMUNITY IMPACT AWARD ACORNS CHILDRENS HOSPICE EMPLOYER OF THE YEAR NATIONAL EXPRESS EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR KRISH PATEL - BARROWS & FORRESTER CUSTOMER FOCUSSED BUSINESS OF THE YEAR FAZENDA VENUE OF THE YEAR STAYING COOL AT THE ROTUNDA HOSPITALITY PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR PHIL INNES - LOKI WINE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR HARRIET GILES - DISHOOM YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR HANNAH FLOYD RECRUITMENT COMPANY OF THE YEAR SIMKISSGUY RECRUITMENT LAW FIRM OF THE YEAR VWV ACCOUNTANCY FIRM OF THE YEAR AZETS

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DOWNTOWN QUARTERLY

PR & MARKETING AGENCY OF THE YEAR EAST VILLAGE PR DIGITAL & CREATIVE AGENCY OF THE YEAR LIGHTBOX DIGITAL PROPERTY PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR ROB VALENTINE - BRUNTWOOD THE DECADE OF EXCELLENCE ASTON UNIVERSITY MAN OF THE YEAR TRU POWELL - ASTON PERFORMING ARTS WOMAN OF THE YEAR NATALIE YESUFU ADELE-EDWARDS - TRANSITION STAGE COMPANY BUSINESS OF THE YEAR GRANT THORNTON CEO AWARD ALEX CLARIDGE

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Our deep connection with our members and the places where we have established the Downtown brand sets us apart. Since 2003, everything we have achieved has been driven by a passion to make the businesses that we work with better and the cities where we work, the best that they can be.

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