Editor: We read with interest the article by Paul Patenall of the British Council, praising current workspaces. Nothing wrong in that – we support SMEs, big time.

Sadly, ‘amenity’-rich offices such as Facebook’s offices in King’s Cross might be great for high-salaried graduates who work there, but they are disastrous for the income stream of the already heavily taxed, local amenity companies – cafés, shops, clubs, restaurants etc. This is not just a problem in London but in San Francisco, Canary Wharf and other fintech-type districts.

In the future, new-build office developments should be required to dedicate the ground floor to retail – many are just left as cavernous empty entrance halls anyway.

Marcus Gibson, Gibson Index

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