Putting the Heart Back into Town and City Centres

The changing face of town and city centres up and down the country has long been a hot topic of conversation in offices, pubs, council meetings, and over the dinner table.

Of course, needs and consensus on what will revitalize these built-up areas vary from location to location. But, if there is a blueprint for success, I believe these three areas should be in sharp focus:

1. Planning Policy

There needs to be a fundamental change in planning policy to allow more repurposing of buildings. Quite simply, the original purpose of many buildings is no longer the best purpose for them. Look no further than central London.

A lot of what we're working on is office space that is now not fit for purpose. And that's not just to do with the building’s age. It’s about configuration and layout. If you can change that, and you can fast-track development for different uses like hotels or residential, then I think that would help.

We've got several projects where they're crying out to provide residential accommodation. Top-end or affordable housing - both of which big cities need - the planning policy just won’t allow it.

2. More Vibrant Workplace

How do we create more vibrant workplaces?

Think about central London again. Parts are thriving because the developers and landowners have created spaces where people want to work and visit. It's not just about the buildings; it's the environment that the landowner creates.

If you break it down to a micro level too, with our office. We've just finished it and moved in - it's a very different place to what it was.

Our 85 staff are mainly mid-20s to late 30s. They want an inspiring and motivating place to work, so it’s got hot desking and team booths. Developers are providing this, and it is for all businesses, not just professional service firms.

3. Employee Happiness

A more intangible facet but no less important.

The way we connect in our professional roles has changed. Whatever the profession, employers need to ensure they’re giving their staff the ability to work in a hybrid way - and to make it attractive too.

That means investing in tech and the office infrastructure. We’ve kitted out our office space with helpful tech, the best screens, strong WiFi, and aircon so our teams actually want to work from there. And when they need to be out of the office, they need that connectivity to be seamless. The tech is there to facilitate this, too. My laptop and phone, and the software we use allow it. We use the Edozo Platform – we can access the property data we need to advise clients whenever, wherever we are. It’s software that’s updated in real time.

There’s a proven connection between employee wellbeing and performance, so all employers should focus on this.

So, where to start? The government - central government, local government - needs to be lobbied hard to fast-track the ability to change the use of buildings. What the government did in 2020 to change the use classes was good, but I think they need to go again.