Latest letters
We must design safe, inclusive spaces
Editor: Your recent article on designing spaces with a wide range of needs in mind struck a chord with me.
Government support key to greater gender equality
Editor: New schemes to champion gender equality in the construction industry are a promising step, and we must also continue to focus on the broader work required to empower women across the property sector as a whole (‘Two industry leaders appointed to spearhead campaign tackling gender inequality in construction).
Do not ignore ESG when recruiting
Editor: As the property industry embraces ever more ambitious sustainability targets, we are right to be cautious about the rising threat of ‘greenwashing’ (‘Greenwashing is a threat we should all seek to challenge’). One area where that threat is most acute for the real estate industry is talent attraction and ...
Greenfield sites needed to meet housing demand
Editor: The CPRE’s latest report is right about one thing – too few homes are being planned for the north of England.
WeWork is Icarus of flexible workspace
Editor: Last week, WeWork published its Q1 results for 2021. Its losses – both financial and including a quarter of its members – come as little surprise (‘WeWork loses £1.48bn and quarter of members due to Covid’).
Boosting later living will aid UK’s recovery
Editor: News that increasing numbers of over-65s will seek a sense of community in later life as a result of the pandemic adds urgency to the elderly living sector’s need for modernisation (‘Pandemic shifts view of later living for quarter of over 65s’).
There are more landlord v tenant cases to come
Editor: It seems that Dan Taylor’s article in Property Week celebrating the Westfield vs Fragrance Shop CVA wins for landlords was premature.
Tech-driven offices are key to attracting tech occupiers
Editor: I echo the optimism shared by Manish Chande in his recent article regarding the growth of the UK technology sector and its potential to underpin demand for workspace in the years ahead.
A tremendous response from industry
Editor: On behalf of LandAid, we want to say thank you for the support of the industry on the launch of First Step, our three-year strategy to provide 1,000 beds for homeless young people and to facilitate £1m of pro bono work every year by 2023.
Social housing REITs are a win-win for everyone
Editor: Civitas released a strong trading update recently, highlighting that 99% of rent was collected this past year and announcing an uptick in its dividend target for 2022. It was another indication of social housing REITs’ continued outperformance against other property REITs.
Data can drive down retrofitting costs
Editor: Last month, the government axed the £1.5bn Green Homes Grant scheme, having reached just 10% of the 600,000 homes chancellor Rishi Sunak promised would be improved (‘Anger as Green Homes Grant is scrapped’).
The time has come to pay for profit
Editor: We express our thanks to the emergency services whose prompt actions prevented the recent fire at New Providence Wharf from becoming a tragic sequel to Grenfell Tower.
