All Expert comment articles – Page 38
-
InsightHow to decarbonise efficiently
While the views concerning the success of COP26 in Glasgow were mixed, the conference certainly increased the visibility of the built environment as a major contributor to carbon emissions and consequently its role in decarbonising. And with visibility comes responsibility.
-
InsightReading the ‘crisis’ smoke signals
These are difficult times for Britons: a nation still divided over Brexit, polarised views over whether to lock down or to be free, a truly appalling UK government with little to commend the performances of the devolved nations in truth, busted public finances – should they be rectified by taxation ...
-
InsightWill China slowdown affect the UK?
China is home to 1.4 billion people, a major producer and consumer of goods and commodities and a leading engine of global economic growth. Clearly, what happens in mainland China matters.
-
OnlineA bright year ahead for UK property investors
Making predictions is hard and this year is no exception. Concerns around escalating geopolitical tensions and inflation loom large in the background, the latter driven by unprecedented growth in the money supply during the Covid pandemic.
-
InsightSettlers Court judgment is a boon for landlords
The Supreme Court has given a ground-breaking judgment in the Settlers Court case [FirstPort Property Services Ltd v Settlers Court RTM Company Ltd & ORS [2022] UKC1 (Settlers Court) 12 January 2022], an appeal on the extent of the statutory right to manage a residential building under the Commonhold and ...
-
InsightGrant-funded heritage projects are heading towards no-man’s land
The effects of Covid-19 and Brexit on the property industry’s ability to complete projects are well-documented. Material and labour shortages have seen major developers face myriad challenges that are not expected to go away anytime soon.
-
OnlineDevelopers need apprentices more than they realise
With National Apprenticeship Week (7-13 February) fast approaching, it is time for the property industry to re-evaluate its attitude towards skills and employment.
-
OnlineThe future is bright for dark kitchens
Since the pandemic, one of the biggest changes we have seen in the industrial commercial property market is the rise of dark kitchens.
-
OnlineShort-term rental sector faces challenges
With a rise in alternative accommodation being sought by renters in place of traditional-style hotel rooms, short-term lettings such as those offered by Airbnb have become a booming business, giving property owners far more flexibility on how they rent their property.
-
InsightSocial value is key to the future of work
Creating offices is easy. You need a building, good architects and designers and the right range of office furniture. Creating ecosystems, however, is an entirely different challenge.
-
InsightEvidence of levelling up is scarce
Well, all I can say is that it’s good to be back. After 22 years away – in Edinburgh, briefly Johannesburg and more substantially London – I moved home to Newcastle in the summer. A pandemic cliché? I am also investigating buying a puppy, which is more complicated than I ...
-
InsightOptimism creeps into the CRE sector
Commercial real estate (CRE) has certainly felt the impact of the pandemic. From empty hotel rooms to remote working affecting urban office space requirements, the concerns about the aftermath of Covid-19 touch each sector.
-
InsightBoris is a party pooper for the Tories
“I get it and I will fix it” was the prime minister’s response to Sue Gray’s damning report asserting “failures of leadership and judgement” over the antics of No 10 and the PM himself in what we now refer to as Partygate. The question, of course, is whether that is ...
-
InsightBattersea’s power is community
This year, the doors to Battersea Power Station will open to the public for the first time ever.
-
InsightThe levelling-up white paper has great potential for the North
For many in the North of England, the commitment to ‘build back better’ centred on the extension of HS2 from Birmingham to Leeds, and so its cancellation in November last year came as something of a shock.
-
OnlineVOA should give hospitality sector some slack
At a time when the hotel, hospitality and pub industries are trying to get back on their feet following the onslaught of Covid-19 and lockdowns, it is desperately disappointing to see the government’s Valuation Office Agency (VOA) stepping up aggressive demands.
-
InsightNet zero: we must walk the walk
In his address to the Global Investment Summit at COP26 last year, prime minister Boris Johnson announced nearly £10bn of private investment in green projects. “The market is going green,” he said, predicting that one day we will be able to bring down the prices of green tech such as ...
-
InsightIt’s time to support the hospitality sector
Two years into the pandemic and two rocky years for the hospitality sector of yo-yoing in and out of restrictions, reaching the pinnacle at the end of 2021 with the well-timed arrival of Omicron (just in time to ruin another Christmas). This resulted in the industry being hit hard during ...
-
InsightLooking forward has more value
Duodecimals allowed the ‘taker off’ to calculate area by multiplying feet and inches by feet and inches, measured by ivory scale rule off paper plans.
-
InsightIt’s time to embed ESG in our DNA
Real estate is arguably the world’s most visible industry, impacting the way we live, work and travel, and the way we interact with each other. As a result, our sector is uniquely positioned to create long-term environmental and social value, assimilated alongside creating shareholder value (its traditional purpose).
