HOW TO MAKE YOUR WORKPLACE SOMEWHERE YOUR STAFF ACTUALLY WANT TO BE

Will FOMO (fear of missing out), or FOBO (fear of being overlooked), be enough to encourage you back into the office?

With Zoom, Skype or Teams negating the need to physically gather for a meeting, and e-commerce meaning we no longer need to go into a shop to buy things, what will it take to encourage a return to office life?

If employees think their continual no-show at work might result in them missing out on a promotion to a colleague who is showing up to the office regularly, they are more likely to return, but perhaps that’s not enough.

Landlords can help, and many are, by making their office building, business park or even shopping centre feel safer, more

Building a community from scratch

Associated British Foods, which owns the retailer Primark, also owns The Quadrangle, a newly-built mixed-use development in Cheltenham.

It has appointed placemaking consultancy Activate to help it create a community within the building from scratch. Activate is also advising on Aztec West Business Park in Bristol on behalf of the park’s management company, and Lower Precinct Shopping Centre in Coventry.

The Quadrangle in Cheltenham is a mixed-use development which will offer four floors of office space and two floors of retail and restaurants. Activate has been commissioned to create and deliver a comprehensive occupier engagement programme to the 70,000 sq ft scheme. The programme has been designed and costed to promote collaboration, wellbeing and enrichment among the business space’s occupiers, with the ultimate goal of improving employee satisfaction and productivity.

Andrew Sparrow, director of placemaking at Activate, said: “The first phase of the community and occupier engagement programme will consist of building relationships with local stakeholders, including the council, the business improvement district, Cheltenham Festival Organisers and the Friends of Imperial Gardens, as well as interim pop-up comfortable and as attractive as possible – and that doesn’t just mean a few fresh flowers in public areas, colourful seating or benches outside the building. opportunities in any vacant ground-floor commercial units.

Real consideration is needed as to what tenants want to ensure staff and visitors feel safe. We talk to landlords who are investing in placemaking to entice us back to work.

“In the longer term, and once occupiers have begun to move into the office units, Activate will organise networking and social events, introduce health and wellbeing activities, meet environmental, social and governance targets through incorporating things like sustainable travel initiatives, and strengthen internal communications with and between occupiers.”

Eagle Tower is probably Cheltenham’s most prestigious office address. This iconic building, Cheltenham’s only tower block which was constructed in 1969 for its original tenant Eagle Star Insurance, was bought by its current owner, successful property development veteran Mel Griffin, in 2003.

Fast forward nearly 20 years and Mel retains a great affinity with the building, which has undergone continual investment over the last two decades. So much so that during last year, at the height of the pandemic, he spent more time there than ever before.

“My main home is near London, but I partially relocated here last year to support everyone. Even when I’m not here I speak to our management team five or six times a day,” he said.

It’s this personal connection and continuity of ownership which helps make Eagle Tower a community. If any of the tenants have issues, they can talk to the boss, Mel and his team face to face.

“At the height of the pandemic we stayed open for those who really needed to be here, or if they wanted to pop in,” he said.

It must have felt a bit odd for his core team, which included the Eagle Star receptionist, maintenance and security teams, who were all there throughout. Normally the building houses up to 1,000 workers. But there were times during last year when the whole building hosted the grand number of just 10 people in the offices.

The plight of the town has not gone unnoticed by Eagle Star’s management team either.

Earlier this year they pledged to work with the Cheltenham charity Caring for Communities and People (CCP) through to the end of next year to help raise money. The charity will also be able to use some of the building’s facilities.

As a location, Eagle Tower has the best views in Cheltenham, parking and competitive rents thanks to its long-term private ownership, and a hands-on owner who loves the building enough to want to be in and amongst those working there. It seems there’s no substitute for the personal touch.

Whether you’re looking for a small/medium office or a larger space, Eagle Tower can offer flexible terms to suit all needs

Flexible terms from 3 months to 10 years

Office for 2-100 people, giving your business scope to grow

5 minute walk from Cheltenham Town Centre

The best office views in Cheltenham

On-site parking available

24 hour secure access

Meeting rooms for tenants and non-tenants to hire

Last year, Midlands property developer Godwin Developments, working in partnership with Lowesmoor Regeneration Ltd, submitted plans for a new £85 million waterside community in Worcester city centre.

Proposals for Lowesmoor Wharf are set to completely transform the 3.2-acre canalside site, off Lowesmoor Terrace.

The development will provide 330,000 sq ft of home, office and retail space, and create a new urban destination in central Worcester.

The measures mean the word “beauty” will be prioritised in planning rules for the first time since the system was created in 1947 – going back to a previous time when there was a greater emphasis on whether a building was considered attractive to local people.

Matt Chandler, Development Director at Godwin Developments, said: “Our vision is to deliver a lifestyle-led destination that is similar to other standout schemes – such as Gloucester Docks and Eagles Works in Oxford. We plan to pay homage to the rich canal history of Worcester and the wider Midlands region. These will provide a focal point of the development and its new waterside apartments, cafes and restaurants, proposed as a part of the scheme.” an urban conservation area with industrial heritage, town centres, new neighbourhoods, rural settlements and urban regeneration sites. Each pilot receives a £50,000 grant to carry out the project.

A new national design code meaning areas are beautiful, well-designed and locally-led is being tested across 14 areas in England, including in Herefordshire and Nuneaton and Bedworth in Warwickshire.

The code will ensure future developments are beautiful and fit in with local character.

The 14 successful applicants include

The code gives local planning authorities a toolkit of design principles for new developments, such as street character, building type and façade as well as environmental, heritage and wellbeing factors.