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Candice Matthews
— What are the
challenges facing house-builders in
the capital, and what does it take to
be successful?
Ingrid Osborne
— Availability of land
across the capital continues to be
a major factor. The most sought-
after locations within Zones 1 and
2 often present a greater number
of complex redevelopment sites,
in contrast to the larger sections
of land found further afield. The
former is where we’ve been able to
thrive as a specialist central London
developer: our ability to be flexible,
coupled with a highly experienced
team, has enabled us to capitalise on
these complex sites and tackle the
challenge they pose head on.
London has forged a world-
renowned reputation for excellence
- whether in education, the arts or
architecture. We need to preserve
this commitment to quality and
progress during a time of increased
uncertainty. It’s crucial that as an
industry we maintain momentum
building good quality homes and
continue working together to develop
solutions to improve the current
status quo in regards to labour, skills
and diversity.
Over the past six years we’ve built
a diverse portfolio of schemes across
prime central London, each of which
is completely bespoke to its location
with handpicked designers and
architects with intimate knowledge
of each area. Our success stems from
responding to the market in good
time and we’re continually evolving
to meet the needs of discerning
buyers in the capital. Last month we
launched our first show home at our
Paddington Exchange development,
in order to showcase the quality and
finish on offer, and we’ll be continuing
to demonstrate our product
throughout 2017 as we open further
site-specific sales and marketing
suites across the portfolio.
CM
— What opportunities has Brexit
brought, or failed to bring about?
IO
— It’s still too early to tell. The
industry is only just starting to see
meaningful data emerge from the
immediate aftermath of the vote,
which shows less impact on the
market than predicted. The gradual
change in market conditions that
we’ve seen is the accumulation of a
number of factors and it would be
unwise to pin-point this solely to the
result of June’s referendum.
Despite initial uncertainty, London
remains a highly desirable city in
which to live, visit and invest. It’s one
of the leading cities for commerce,
culture and education and will
continue to attract visitors from
across the globe. This sentiment
mirrors the positive performance
of our portfolio and our outlook to
secure new land opportunities in
prime locations in Zones 1 and 2.
CM
— What do you see as the real
opportunity areas for residential
developers in London?
IO
— We’re seeing the boundaries of
prime central London shifting beyond
the traditional ‘golden postcodes’
of Kensington and Chelsea. As a
business, our goal is to remain ahead
of the curve and secure opportunities
in these emerging prime areas,
such as Westminster and Victoria.
Our latest scheme, Ebury Place, will
introduce a rare new-build option in
Pimlico – an area renowned for its
desirability. The new apartments will
provide a fresh opportunity to live in
an area that has historically lacked
new-builds.
Likewise, the natural expansion of
London’s built environment and its
rising population means global super
brands will continue to be attracted
to our commercial hubs. You don’t
have to look any further than
Battersea and King’s Cross to see
the huge impact companies such as
Apple and Google have had. News of
these flagship tenants, coupled with
the arrival of landmark mixed-use
schemes, provides new and exciting
opportunities, bringing sought-after
retailers, cultural institutions and
improvements to the public realm,
unlocking the true potential of these
emerging areas for all Londoners.
IN CONVERSATION
CUSHMAN & WAKEFIELD
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IN CONVERSATION