‘Twas (the morning before) the night before Christmas, and all through the land
Every creature was rushing through the deals they had planned!
The transactions were all being wrapped up with care
In the hopes that a well-earned break soon would be theirs.
In Bluewater, Landsec was building its stake
(But then giving away a slice of the cake)
And while the values are lower, it gives a good justification
For investing its millions in the “strong retail location”.
LondonMetric scooped up a big sack of logistics
From Savills IM – £133m pulled off that trick!
While UKCM took a Midlands business park,
With its eyes on the prize of the life science at its heart.
And Michael Gove had a list – he was checking it twice –
Some of the housebuilders hadn’t been nice!
With a cry of “We’re coming for you” – which he certainly meant! –
He would hunt down the bad ones, who ramped up the ground rent.
(Taylor Wimpey joins those who are choosing the carrot –
But the stick might be used if that won’t persuade Barratt.)
A Cheshire Hospital deal – £89m sale-and-leaseback –
Has put Spire Healthcare’s year right back on track.
In Oxford, Redevco bought NewRiver’s shopping mall –
But that will mostly be turned into housing now.
And Countryside’s stocking is filled with new habitations –
Thirteen hundred in Maidenhead, Salford and environs.
While in Chiswick, west London, Blackrock and Reef,
Will build 300 homes to a high-tech brief.
And if you fancy a recap on mergers and floats
EG’s latest review of the year gets our vote.
But a slower recovery(£) than expected this summer
Has made the economists(£) look dumber than dumber.
Office levels of occupancy have fallen, again,
With those in the office down to just one in ten…
While takings for venues(£) are chillingly low
And the West End’s dropping footfall is a hammering blow.
Impact has raised £75m more debt,
While Lendlease teamed up for a Stratford office bet.
A German fund targeted US PRS
(Nice that the sector gets a bit of good press).
RE Capital has sold off a few bits of kit,
And Barings boosted its PELV fund – by quite a bit.
The North and the Midlands vie for first place
As resi prices grow, thanks to a race for the space(£).
And in China, developers were quickly undone
As credit rating downgrades(£) soared in 2021.
(The Guardian, in other news quiet as mices,
Takes a long-form look at Lisbon’s housing crisis.)
But if, this Christmas, father-in-law acts like a diva,
Here’s advice on how to handle it – from Jackie Weaver.
And the old wartime bunker that Churchill would use
Has now been rented out to the actor Tom Cruise(£)!
While Stanley(£) in the Falklands(£) thinks it would be a pity
If the Queen didn’t choose to make it a city.
That pretty much finishes the last morning recap,
As the alerts settle in for a long winter’s nap.
BUT! EG still has goodies under its tree –
So be sure to check in to see what they will be.
(OK, maybe a hint then, just because you’ve been good
And improved ESG like you know that you should…)
Reviews of the year! Every day we’re not here!
(Not that 2021 was entirely good cheer)
And an audio treat – you’d be mad not to listen
To the EGLSM Christmas special edition!
There’s nowt else to say, as we welcome the dawn in
But happy Christmas to all, and to all a good morning!
