What once might have been a nice-to-have in terms of a real estate project’s environmental impact will soon be a must-have. From November, any commercial development will be subject to a planning condition requiring developers to show how they can increase biodiversity onsite by at least 10%. It marks the first time such a requirement will be statutory rather than voluntary.

At UKREiiF, EG deputy editor Tim Burke sat down with Alexa Culver, general counsel at Environment Bank, and Ben Stansfield, partner at Gowling WLG, to discuss the new biodiversity net gain regulation, the challenges developers will face in factoring the new requirements into their planning proposals, and how an initiative from Environment Bank could give developers – and landowners – a new opportunity.

As Birmingham’s leaders map out a path for transforming the city, one project looks set to set the tone in terms of scale and ambition.

The 42-acre, £1.9bn Smithfield project will eventually have 3,000 homes, 1.7m sq ft of commercial space and 40,000 sq ft of space for commercial use. Some 1,000 trees will green the city centre site, a new home for historic markets will be built and a new plaza, Festival Square, will be able to hold 8,000 people.

In this podcast recorded at UKREiiF, EG deputy editor Tim Burke ios joined by Deborah Cadman, chief executive of Birmingham City Council, and Neil Martin, chief executive for Europe at Lendlease, to discuss the ways in which they want the project to become an impossible-to-ignore illustration of public and private partnership in action in Birmingham.

Lendlease’s Silvertown Partnership, a joint venture with Starwood Capital, has lodged plans for a sprawling £3.5bn scheme at Silvertown in London's Royal Docks that will include some 6,000 homes as well a redevelopment of the Millennium Mills into a new community centrepiece with more than 780,000 sq ft of work and creative space.

In this podcast, recorded at the UKREiiF conference, EG deputy editor Tim Burke is joined by Bek Seeley, managing director for development at Lendlease Europe, and Dan Bridge, Royal Docks programme director at the Greater London Authority, to discuss the scheme.

“Silvertown is, in our world, the opportunity to bring forwards the east of London, here and now,” Seeley says. “It's not often when you're doing a really large-scale regeneration project that you are gifted such history and such evolution."

Jess Harrold is joined by Chanté Bohitige and Akanksha Soni for the latest weekly round-up.

Bohitige tackles the news that office refurbishments in London are at an all-time high - but what does the demand for prime, modern, environmentally friendly offices mean for values of secondary and tertiary space?

Soni rounds up bumper activity in the PBSA and BTR arenas, and shares her experiences at UKREiiF in Leeds.

But who will triumph as the quiz of the week returns? And what track will DJ Chanté add for your bank holiday listening pleasure to the EGLSM Certified Bangers playlist?: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0pBand693O5IhhaScVM6uZ

In this week's Bricks & Mortar, EG's Sarah Jackman starts a new career development trilogy, with ex-finance lawyer and former managing partner of Brecher, Nicky Richmond.

First up is networking: what it means, how to do it effectively - both in person and online - and how to approach it if you're an introvert. 

Richmond draws on her own experience of networking, explains why advance preparation can be helpful and provides her top tips for getting started.

She also explains what her networking acronym "APURR" means and why it's key in maintaining a strong network.  

EG's senior writer and former housing minister Mark Prisk are back for another episode of the property and politics podcast. 

What will be the impact of this month's local elections on development? Is Labour a dead-cert to form the next government, or is some form of coalition more likely? And what policies can we expect either way?

And, vitally, is this government running out of time to pass crucial legislation before the nation goes to the polls once more?

Jess Harrold is joined by deputy editor Tim Burke and offices reporter Chanté Bohitige for the latest weekly round-up.

Burke surveys the deals market and finds little optimism out there for the rest of 2023 - but, between him and Bohitige, they find some players who do have plans to shout about, including flex office provider Clockwise and developer Art-Invest.

Plus, Burke has details on this year's EG Awards - find out more and enter at: https://www.eg.co.uk/eg-events/eg-awards-2023/

And be sure out the ever-evolving EG Like Sunday Morning: Certified Bangers playlist at: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0pBand693O5IhhaScVM6uZ

This week’s episode of Bricks & Mortar sees EG’s Sarah Jackman discuss job sharing with Shoosmiths partners Lisa Tye and Kathryn Jump, who, together, run the firm’s planning department. The pair attribute their success to their job share, which has been running for 15 years and has seen them move job as a pair three times.

They discuss the motivation behind their job share, how it has evolved over the years and why, despite the post-pandemic move towards flexible working, job sharing remains underutilised.

They walk listeners through the benefits, dispel the perceived negatives and suggest how anyone interested in pursuing job sharing might go about approaching it.

Jess Harrold is joined by news editor Pui-Guan Man and offices reporter Chanté Bohitige for the latest weekly round-up.

Bohitige offers an update on plans for a £5bn revamp of London's Fleet Street, set to take shape over the next five years.

Man tackles Hammerson's sale of its 50% stake in a major redevelopment site in Croydon, south London, to its joint venture partner Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, after more than a decade in which the scheme never got off the ground.

And, for your bank holiday listening pleasure, Bohitige adds a chilled-out track to the EG Like Sunday Morning: Certified Bangers playlist at https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0pBand693O5IhhaScVM6uZ

Jess Harrold is joined by senior writer Julia Cahill and residential reporter Akanksha Soni for the latest weekly round-up.

Soni shares insights from her EG Interview with Socius Development, including their approach to mixed use, views on the future of the office, and integrating life sciences into schemes. She also offers an update on land values across various sectors.

Cahill addresses Landsec's plans for its £20m Landsec Futures fund, including internships, student bursaries and data collection aimed at improving socio-economic diversity.

Plus, the joy of the "walking office" - and be sure to share your views in EG's fifth annual LGBTQ+ Attitudes and Actions in Real Estate Survey at: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/EGLGBTQ23