Legal trends in the housing market

Brian Dowling, residential development partner at law firm Boyes Turner, joined us for the latest Battle & Bunce Talking Property podcast.

Based in Reading, Brian works across the Berkshire and South East UK property markets representing developers of all sizes, but in particular, SME housebuilders and sees, first hand, the challenges facing the sector from finding land to the planning system.

The legal profession plays an essential role in the residential property market helping to oil the wheels on development deals, the purchase of land, advising on the construction process and, of course, representing tenants.

Brian gave us his thoughts on how the market could be improved from his perspective.

Discussion included Permitted Development Rights, Build-to-Rent and co-living but also went into the influence of AI on the legal profession and how the residential planning process could be corrected and improved.

A rare overview of the residential market from someone activity engaged in the doing deals and advising clients.

The Battle & Bunce podcast Interviews the people making the headlines across key property markets of Reading, Oxford, Cambridge and west London, loosely labelled the 'The Golden Triangle'.

Additional notes and details can be found in the weekly journal The Forum published by UK Property Forums.

www.ukpropertyforums.com

Almost exactly a year after Andy Jansons first joined us for the Battle & Bunce Talking Property podcast, he’s back – and this time he had some key developments to talk about.

Fresh from his acquisitions of two office parks, Andy, managing director of Jansons Property, explained his options for developing The Boulevard at Bracknell (Dell’s former head offices) and Kingsmead Business Park at High Wycombe. Subject to planning he is confident he can find value by redeveloping for industrial or converting to residential use as market sentiment changes.

Andy commented that the combination of poor office take-up and the high cost of refurbishment means that values and yields have plummeted across the Thames Valley secondary business park market, creating opportunities for entrepreneurial developers such as Jansons Property.

He also assessed the commercial property scene in towns in Berkshire and Buckinghamshire, including Reading, Maidenhead, Wycombe, Slough, and Newbury.

The discussion concluded on the office market across the region, the industrial scene, and the new Labour Government. NB: References were made by Andy to Article 14 and this should have been Article 4.

The Battle & Bunce podcast Interviews the people making the headlines across key property markets of Reading, Oxford, Cambridge and west London, loosely labelled the 'The Golden Triangle'.

Additional notes and details can be found in the weekly journal The Forum published by UK Property Forums.

www.ukpropertyforums.com

Blenheim Palace is much more than just a stately home these days and we are really pleased to have Roger File, the property managing director and chief operating officer at Blenheim Palace as our speaker on this episode of Battle & Bunce Talking Property.

In 21 years at Blenheim Palace Roger has accumulated a unique knowledge of how the estate has evolved into becoming a world class destination / brand with interests in the visitor economy, natural capital, carbon sequestration, house building (Blenheim Homes/ Pye Homes), and strategic land promotion.

Roger talks passionately about all these subjects, including the estate's drive to become net zero by investing in infrastructure and connecting with the local community by investing in new schemes, including Park View and Hill Rise in Woodstock. He also talks about the Botley West Solar Farm and finally, how The Blenheim Estate has helped the local community to save a historic local pub.

Starting next year, the palace will be re-roofed in a £12.5 million project, and visitors will have a rare opportunity to learn about the work.

The Battle & Bunce podcast Interviews the people making the headlines across key property markets of Reading, Oxford, Cambridge and west London, loosely labelled the 'The Golden Triangle'.

Additional notes and details can be found in the weekly journal The Forum published by UK Property Forums.

www.ukpropertyforums.com

Thames Valley UK: The Prop Market Update

Guy Parkes, partner at Vail Williams in Reading, joined the Battle & Bunce Talking Property podcast at Apex Reading to go over the office market in the Thames Valley prop market, situated to the west of London and bordered by the M3, M4 and M40 motorways.

Guy, a veteran of the office industry, sees a pattern emerging in which home workers are being tempted back to the office, especially where the employer can boast today’s best-in-class stock. This positive story resonates in the key towns in the region but is tempered by the changing narrative for secondary business parks and locations.

He sees optimism in the Reading market, difficulty in Slough, the Oxford market being shaped by the need for lab space and major changes in Bracknell where the once dominant office market is giving way to a return to the town’s industrial origins.

Some occupiers are benefitting by taking fully fitted out space which has become surplus for an existing occupier. Guy is optimistic that the region will keep evolving given its proximity to the economy of London and the transport links of Heathrow.

The Battle & Bunce podcast Interviews the people making the headlines across key property markets of Reading, Oxford, Cambridge and west London, loosely labelled the 'The Golden Triangle'.

Additional notes and details can be found in the weekly journal The Forum published by UK Property Forums.

www.ukpropertyforums.com

Jonathon Clarke, development director for Oxford United FC, joined us for the Battle & Bunce Talking Property podcast to update listeners on the club's proposed new stadium.

The man steering the £140 million project talked us through the highs and lows so far and the research the club has carried out to come up with the design for the 16,000-capacity ground along with its hotel and conferencing facilities.

Mr Clarke spoke of the stadiums and venues the club visited to learn how to create the best possible match day experience and how there will be a focus on community involvement.

He said discussions are being held relating to what the club will do during the period when the lease runs out on the Kassam Stadium which will be before the new stadium is complete.

Property in the modern football world is, he said, hugely significant, a comment which echoed the thoughts of Nigel Howe, former chief executive of Reading FC, in a previous podcast.

The Battle & Bunce podcast Interviews the people making the headlines across key property markets of Reading, Oxford, Cambridge and west London, loosely labelled the 'The Golden Triangle'.

Additional notes and details can be found in the weekly journal The Forum published by UK Property Forums.

www.ukpropertyforums.com

An overview of the changes planned by the Labour Government and how they will revolutionise the planning system to create economic growth across the Golden Triangle region - Oxford, Cambridge, Reading and west London.

Urban design director for WWA Studios Johnathan Headland joined us for the first Battle & Bunce podcast since the General Election.

And it was the new Labour Government’s plans to get housebuilding moving and improve the planning system that provided the basis for a thorough look at where we are headed over the next five years.

Johnathan named councils where the Local Plan hasn’t been updated since the 1990s and he sees the new urgency to unclog the system likely to bring about many more of the homes the country needs.

He argues that new towns will not relieve the crisis quickly enough and shares his thoughts on the restrictions on building in legacy cities such as Oxford where developers cannot build as high as they would like due to the impact on views of the dreaming spires.

And infrastructure, both in terms of transport and energy, and schools and hospitals, was up for discussion along with the NIMBY debate happening cross the Home Counties as the Green Belt comes under increasing threat.

The Battle & Bunce podcast Interviews the people making the headlines across key property markets of Reading, Oxford, Cambridge and west London, loosely labelled the 'The Golden Triangle'.

Additional notes and details can be found in the weekly journal The Forum published by UK Property Forums.

www.ukpropertyforums.com

When Lichfields director Dan Lampard wrote about the planning issues around Jeremy Clarkson's Diddly Squat farm for Thames Tap in June 2023, the response was beyond our wildest expectations.

Dan, who is senior director and head of Thames Valley, and lives in West Oxfordshire, not far from Diddly Squat, gave a rare perspective on life and planning in that part of the world and, in the process, brought us our most-read story ever – around 100,000 page views.

So, after months of trying to match our various diaries, and just as a new series of Clarkson's Farm is under way, Dan joined us to talk about the issues almost a year on from his original article.

Is Clarkson's Law now a part of the planning process? What are his thoughts on Green Belt, the Grey Belt and brownfield development? How will density levels be managed in a county like Oxfordshire? And will the problems of the planning system event ever be solved?

Dan offers a knowledgeable insight.

The Battle & Bunce podcast Interviews the people making the headlines across key property markets of Reading, Oxford, Cambridge and west London, loosely labelled the 'The Golden Triangle'.

Additional notes and details can be found in the weekly journal The Forum published by UK Property Forums.

www.ukpropertyforums.com

These two great UK Cities have been competing against each other for over 1000 years in some respect whether it be in the provision of education, accumulation of knowledge, or success of their research. And whilst many still associate the Oxford v Cambridge with sporting rivalries such as the annual Boat Race or Rugby Varsity Match, they are now competing in a far bigger league to become the leading provider of Life Sciences. And it is this wave of growth that is fuelling the property markets and creating halcyon days for the Cities of Oxford and Cambridge.

On this Battle & Bunce - Talking Property podcast, we interview Richard Venables from CBRE Oxford and Henry Godsal from the Savills Cambridge office, to compare and contrast these two markets and with a surprising conclusion that reflects the increasing synergy of these markets as they begin to compete with its noisy neighbours, Boston and London.

Additional notes and details can be found in the weekly journal The Forum published by UK Property Forums.

www.ukpropertyforums.com

The Battle & Bunce podcast Interviews the people making the headlines across key property markets of Reading, Oxford, Cambridge and west London, loosely labelled the 'The Golden Triangle'.

Additional notes and details can be found in the weekly journal The Forum published by UK Property Forums.

www.ukpropertyforums.com