Good morning,
The RICS is on the hunt for a chief executive to run the institution after its search for a director-general last year failed to deliver. The move is an about-turn from Lord Bichard’s recommendation, but has been labelled a necessary shift to turn the RICS around.
But the RICS will continue to change for the better, writes EG’s editor. Not just because it has Martin Samworth on board, nor because new president Ann Gray appears to have a clear passion for the institution. No, it will be better because the next generation won’t let it be anything else.
Continuing our Apprenticeship Week coverage, we hear from CBRE apprentice surveyor and EG Future Leader Callum Wyatt. “Undertaking an apprenticeship really sets you apart – particularly within a competitive jobs market.”
Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield boosted its UK net rental income by 21.4% in 2022. Globally NRI rose by 29% to €2.2bn.
And Great Portland Estates has completed the sale of its first net zero development, 50 Finsbury Square, EC2, to a German buyer for £190m.
Good thing too, as buildings with the highest EPC ratings have a 72% lower gas cost per square foot than those with the lowest efficiency, new research from BDO shows.
The industry has branded the latest cabinet reshuffle as “frustrating”, after being presented with a sixth housing minister in 12 months and a new permanent secretary at Levelling Up. And as the Treasury moves to tighten spending, some say the government is in dire need of a new approach.
Meanwhile, a hopeful CBI has called on chancellor Jeremy Hunt to announce tax breaks for businesses in next month’s Budget. Good luck with that.
Savills Auctions has held its first sale of the year this week, raising more than £45m.
And Various Eateries has hired Red Cat’s Sharon Badelek as its new CFO. It wants her to lead its expansion plans.
But Dragons’ Den star Theo Paphitis may be closing stores, as his Rymans and Boux Avenue businesses announce “material uncertainties”.
And an undiscovered Roman villa faces destruction after developers refused to dig a ditch to see what might be there.
