John Walker is the former planning director for Westminster City Council and executive director at CT Local. He shares a day in mid-September at the firm’s Mayfair offices exploring back-to-office polling results and client responses to the planning white paper.
Having spent most of the past 37 years working and socialising in the West End at least five days a week, lockdown has come as a bit of a shock. However, I quickly adapted to the five-second commute to my study and became accustomed the new phrases “You’re on mute” or “We can’t hear you”.
We made a conscious decision to return to the office when the rules were relaxed, first of all by car, before braving the Underground. I soon found I had a choice of seats whatever the time of day. Clients have slowly returned to central London for the odd day, but the recovery rate is slow.
I arrive at our Mayfair office at 8am. It is about 30% occupied, to keep to social distancing. Outside the local coffee shops are slowly reopening, but with so few people around there is no need to queue.
Once you overcome the fear of travelling it feels great to be in the office. I can see many of my younger colleagues look delighted to be in and holding face-to-face discussions rather than over a screen.
CT Group’s latest research data tells us only 41% of the UK workforce think it is right to return to the office, while only 39% thinking it is safe to return, compared to 72% in the UAE, for example.
We found some 70% of UK workers want regular testing and temperature tests before they will return to the workplace and 65% want permanent flexible working. The research was carried out just before the current jump in Covid-19 cases, so next week’s data is not likely to be any more comforting.
The first virtual meeting of the morning is about the effects of Homes England’s 80:20 rule. This prevents northern towns from benefiting from infrastructure grant money, which is directed towards the least affordable places in the South East.
The meeting concludes flexible working is here to stay and many younger people would rather live in the North, because they can afford larger, better homes. They don’t mind a long commute to London one or two days a week. I wonder – is the government’s focus on increasing housing in the least affordable areas misguided given the new working way of life post-Covid-19?
Next, it’s another virtual meeting with several clients about the planning white paper. This time it’s about the lack of any mention of employment. Logistics has been the big winner, but the industry is working at full capacity, as if it’s Christmas every week since lockdown. The logistics industry needs space to expand but is getting priced out by the residential market.
The big worry is London and the priority that residential development is getting over employment sites. With PPE distribution the central issue when lockdown commenced, logistics has not been able to get across the need for sites to be factored into new plans.
Ordering from home is a big growth area and could create many new jobs. But not if the infrastructure cannot cope. Additionally, government must recognise mixed-use development is better than single-use housing regeneration schemes.
I have a lunch meeting with a client who invests in London real estate and is interested in our data on the return to the workplace. We discuss the measures needed to encourage people back into London.
Next, I walk to the offices of a developer to present our in-depth research and polling results, examining the local public perceptions of their regeneration proposals for a large site in London.
The news is good: the majority of local residents and businesses will support the scheme and we highlight the elements of the proposals that have attracted particular support. A combination of groundwork in the area and social media advertising should drum up around 1,000 letters of support for the scheme.
One of CT Local’s specialisms is ensuring a few noisy objectors do not dominate a planning committee meeting. Supporters rarely bother to write in support, unless incentivised to do so. Members are also more likely to grant permission if they have the comfort of knowing the wider community supports the proposals.
Back to the office for a final phone call to provide a development update for a client based in New York. I then turn my attention to the next batch of schemes for the International Property Awards. The projects are judged by country, then continent, before awarding the best of the best at the end of the year. Today it happens to be schemes from the UK including hotel interior design, single residential, hotel, mixed-use and conservation projects. Thankfully, the standard is very high and some will be able to compete with the other winners from around the world for the top prize.
Finally, I clear a few e-mails before making my way home in another empty Tube carriage.
