Here’s a wrap-up of some of the top stories on EG from the past week.
The former head of UK retail at CBRE, Rhodri Davies, is teaming up with Chris Harris at his newly established company Vedra Group. Davies will join the former John Lewis property director at Vedra following the conclusion of his six months of gardening leave, having left CBRE in September.
Ex-CBRE retail head joins Harris’s Vedra Group
The City of London Corporation’s planning and development director has said heritage body opposition to major projects in the Square Mile is “the single biggest risk to the City”. Gwyn Richards was asked on a panel to launch the City Property Association’s Supporting the City’s Economic Growth report for his views on objections from Historic England. He replied: “It’s probably the most significant threat affecting the City in my entire time at the City [Corporation] – the last 15 years plus.”
Heritage objections ‘single biggest risk to the City’, says planning director
Singaporean developer Ho Bee Land has lodged plans for the redevelopment of 1 St Martin’s Le Grand, EC1, a 10-storey, 19th century office block near St Paul’s Cathedral in the City of London. The new building will be pitched as a “retrofit-led global HQ”, reusing some 70% of the structure and materials and minimising the project’s embodied and operational carbon.
Ho Bee Land launches City office redevelopment
Two outgoing London Legacy Development Corporation employees have launched a placemaking consultancy. Beyond the Red Line will initially focus predominantly on gender-informed planning, led by Marina Milosev, co-author of the LLDC’s handbook on gender-informed planning Creating Places that Work for Women and Girls. She will be joined next year by Anne Ogundiya, whose role as the corporation’s head of planning and transformation is due to come to an end in March.
Former LLDC colleagues launch placemaking consultancy
LLDC hands planning powers back to Olympic Park boroughs
Mansion Group Holdings is under offer to acquire a five-asset, 795-bed purpose-built student accommodation portfolio that was being marketed for offers over £84m. “The Collection” is held by 90 North Real Estate Partners and Rasameel Investment Company as part of the Academy Investment Fund. It was marketed as a value-add opportunity.
Mansion Group under offer on 795-bed PBSA portfolio
Other stories you mustn’t miss:
Pioneer’s asset management boss heads to Longfellow
Blackstone adds auditorium to new London HQ
Ares eyes Crown Estate office prelet
L&G and PGGM prepare for Senator House market return
Radical planning reform required to hit housebuilding target
Rayner gives M&S redevelopment the go-ahead
City restaurant fails in bid to reduce rent arrears
Montagu Evans appointed on Scotland’s first Center Parcs site
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