EMERGING LONDON 2018

MY LONDON Another strand of the trend is a focus on affordability. James Overall one-third of our housing is affordable – that’s important because we want to create an integrated community that reflects other parts of London. We’re confident that demand for high density flats is there for the long term. The key is to offer a rental product that’s really in tune with what people want. Presumably part of what they want is thriving retail and leisure on their doorstep? Matt Indeed. And the demand works both ways – retailers are rightly looking carefully at potential footfall. Our core retail offer is an outlet centre which, incidentally, is extremely resilient during dips in consumer confidence. The other retail spaces benefit from close integration with the new housing. From a retailer perspective, we’re bringing customers right to their front doors. Achieving an optimum retail mix must be an engaging task. Matt WithinWembley Park we’re creating distinct districts with their own purpose. To create a place that’s vibrant we need to find really interesting retailers. That means working with the local community to source the best of the best producers and to nurture local heroes. JAMES SAUNDERS CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, QUINTAIN MATT SLADE RETAIL DIRECTOR, QUINTAIN How do you describe what you’re doing at Wembley Park to people who aren’t aware of what exactly is happening here? James Wembley is so well-known, but at the same time so misunderstood. It’s very easy to characterise what we’re doing as stadium-led regeneration. It is not. What we’re about is creating a whole new district and a proper mixed-use community. It must be challenging to alter mindsets which people may have held for a long time. James Completely so. This is not about creating a citadel in zone 4. We want Wembley Park to be an integrated part of London, that could just as easily sit in any other part of the capital. However, we’re also bringing a lot of the attributes of central London into what some would consider to be the outer suburbs. We think that’s really exciting. You mention travelcard zones. Does having several rail connections as well as numerous bus routes enhance Wembley Park’s appeal as somewhere to live? James Totally. It makes a massive difference to how people think about a place when they know they’ve got multiple transport options. We also have 3,000 car parking spaces. Residents are choosing places not just on what’s there, but what they can connect to. Travel time to work is really important, as is feeling connected to the rest of London. So, Wembley is becoming a contender as somewhere to move to as well as visit. James Yes, our original housing (which we started building in 2008) was taken by people living and working in Brent; now we are appealing to a wider London catchment, using Wembley as their hub and travelling to other places. We’re part of a wider trend for people to reconsider the outer London boroughs as a location to live which has been driven by affordability so long as the transport links are there. And that trend has also seen a shift toward renting. James Absolutely right, rental is very much part of the millennial DNA. We developed expertise in the rental market here and that gave us a lot of confidence to look at build-to-rent (BTR) early on. Now, with our major shareholder Lone Star’s backing we are focusing on BTR. James Saunders What is your favourite part of London? Richmond Park and Borough Market. Do you have a personal ‘hidden London’ location you’d like to share? Putney Pies on Putney Bridge. Best location in London to shop for quirky gifts? Northcote Road, near Clapham Junction – a great shopping street for families. Wimbledon Village - fantastic retail, carefully curated. Best location in London to eat? Eight over Eight and Chelsea Street food in Borough Market - I recommend the macaroni cheese out of a cardboard box. Parts of London you’d like to explore more and why? East London – the place fascinates me, both with its naval history and the sheer amount of regeneration going on there. Areas like Wapping and Canning Town will be really important for London’s future. What is your favoured form of transport around the capital? Black 300cc Vespa scooter trike. No motorcycle licence required and the third wheel makes its safer. It allows you to see London in a different way with no congestion charge. We want Wembley Park to be an integrated part of London, that could just as easily sit in any other part of the capital. Wembley Park Profile Interview In one of the few areas of London that hardly needs an introduction, the 85 acres at Wembley Park are steadily transforming an events led-location to a full-time community. JAMES SAUNDERS , Chief Operating Officer and MATT SLADE , Retail Director at Quintain set the record straight on London’s arguably most misunderstood location, tell us about the enduring value of operating an outlet centre on site and their obsessive attention to detail. They also suggest why two (or even three) wheels are better than four for getting around London. 39 38 CUSHMAN & WAKEFIELD  | EMERGING LONDON SPOTLIGHT ON WEMBLEY PARK