Battle and Co Talking Property

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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 & Co Talking Property podcast Interviews the people making the headlines across 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

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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 & Co Talking Property podcast Interviews the people making the headlines across 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

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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 & Co Talking Property podcast Interviews the people making the headlines across 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

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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 & Co Talking Property podcast Interviews the people making the headlines across 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

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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 & Co Talking Property podcast Interviews the people making the headlines across 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

Send us Fan Mail

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 & Co Talking Property podcast Interviews the people making the headlines across 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

Send us Fan Mail

Interview with Alison Foster, programme director for the re-development of the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading. The podcast explores how a major project could total £1bn+ in construction value and become one of the major projects in Berkshire and possibly the South East if it gets the go-ahead from the Government. 

The Battle & Co Talking Property podcast Interviews the people making the headlines across 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

Send us Fan Mail

Former Reading FC chief executive Nigel Howe, the man central to finding a buyer for the club, joins the Battle & Bunce podcast for a candid conversation about how it's going . 

He also looks back on the other major projects he's been involved with in Reading including the stalled Royal Elm Park scheme and Station Hill. He reveals his hope that the Royal Elm Park site (the SCL stadium car park) could be sold along with the club and stadium.

Nigel, who is nephew of former Arsenal and England coach Don Howe, initially joined the club nearly 30 years ago to work on its relocation from Elm Park. He soon became chief executive and, along with Sir John Madejski, helped steer the club to its most successful era.

He's now back as consultant and head of property where he is working to find a new owner who can rescue the club from its current struggle.

The Battle & Co Talking Property podcast Interviews the people making the headlines across 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

Send us Fan Mail

Alistair Elliott was senior partner & group chairman of Knight Frank with responsibility for 16,000 people across  400 offices spread around the globe.

Despite retirement in 2022, he remains heavily involved in the real estate sector. He currently has roles with the Prince's Council, is chair of the Commercial Property and Development Committee for the Duchy of Cornwall, chair of London Metric Property plc, a non-executive director to the board of Grosvenor Great Britain & Ireland and chair of Learn2Live youth clinic.

Alistair talks through is involvement in the early development and letting of Green Park, originally an office park but now considered a suburb of Reading.

He talks through the dotcom era and how that has influenced the direction of the current property environment.

He reflects on the changing market conditions across the Golden Triangle and addresses the current housing crisis head on. His substantive views carry some weight, given his new positions at Grosvenor and the Duchy of Cornwall. 

A thought-provoking podcast from someone with experience, insight and depth of knowledge in the real estate sector. 

The Battle & Co Talking Property podcast Interviews the people making the headlines across 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

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode we explore the rapidly expanding Next Gen Chapters which have been established over the past 12 months in Oxfordshire and Berkshire with the aim of connecting, informing and educating the members of the under 35 Next Gen. To help us we interviewed Liv Thomas, based in the Savills Oxford office, and Caitlin Attrill from Lichfields who is based in their Reading office. Both it is fair say have been instrumental in the creation of their respective Next Gen Chapters.

With a database of over 700 members in Oxfordshire and a similar growing group in Reading, the Chapters Committees  regularly enjoy 'sold out' events and have managed to fill the  gap between the more senior - Director level - events such as OxPropFest and TvPropFest as graduates join the real estate sector. In the post Covid world we now live, their is a real need for groups such as Next Gen to provide support and education through its growing CPD events programme across the Golden Triangle region of South East England.

This podcast provides an excellent delve into not only Next Gen and will be expanding into Cambridge in 2024 but also the early careers of two ambitious and creative property professionals. 

The Battle & Co Talking Property podcast Interviews the people making the headlines across 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