The North East’s office sector is defying the tentativeness of the broader market thanks to the vibrancy of its town centres and the region’s strong transport links, according to Patrick Matheson, partner at Knight Frank’s Newcastle office. Matheson is the UK’s highest-placed office agent in the Radius On Demand Rankings for January, with 38,727 sq ft transacted across seven deals. He believes occupiers are now more settled in how they want to operate space post-pandemic, and says workers are welcoming the return thanks to the ease of commute and the pull of the city centre. Although availability in Newcastle city centre is tightening, Matheson says there are requirements for a further 230,000 sq ft of space across the North East, making him optimistic about the year ahead.

Jess Harrold is joined by Rebecca Francis, associate director at Osborne Clarke, to discuss the most significant decision yet under the Building Safety Act 2022: Triathlon Homes LLP v Stratford Village Development Partnership and others, involving remediation of cladding that poses a fire safety risk at five residential blocks in the former Olympic Village in east London. Francis talks through the various parties involved and the remediation contribution order applied for, and explains how the First-tier Tribunal made its decision on where the responsibility for footing the bill for remediation works should lie. According to Francis, the decision really "shines a light" on the importance of the 2022 Act and its implications may come as a "bit of a shock" in particular for building owners and landlords that were not involved in the construction of a relevant building.  

Today's episode of Bricks & Mortar features the story of residential surveyor, Neil Trewick, who tells EG's Sarah Jackman how he changed his career from teaching to real estate. He discusses his motivations, the practicalities of studying while still working in teaching and why he has no regrets about making the move and setting up his own practice.

Teesside is in a period of dramatic development and reinvention thanks to huge sums of public investment through which it is establishing itself as a player on the world stage, according to Parker Barras founder and director John Taylor. Middlesbrough agency Parker Barras sits at the top of the Radius On Demand Rankings for 2023 in the two counties which Teesside straddles: in North Yorkshire it let or sold 136,549 sq ft of space across 43 deals, while in County Durham it is out in front in deals numbers, with 15 through which 33,950 sq ft of space was transacted. Taylor believes developments such as Teesside’s freeport are prompting an unprecedented level of international interest and it will spark a boom in the local supply chain which will have far reaching benefits for commercial property across the entire region.

This week’s guest on Bricks & Mortar is James Simondson, associate director in the strategic communications team at planning and development consultancy Turley, who discusses the growing importance of social value and how it can be delivered through the planning process. Simondson emphasises the importance of community engagement in the process and talks through examples of how that might look in practice. He also discusses Turley’s approach to delivering social value, as well as reflecting on how strong credentials in the field can help to attract and retain talent in a business.

In on the Act kicks off its 2024 series with a deep dive into the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill. Part of the government’s commitment to leasehold reform, the Bill was introduced in November 2023 and is now working its way through the Parliamentary process. To unpack its detail, EG’s Sarah Jackman is joined by Stephen Jourdan KC, barrister at Falcon Chambers, who sets the scene by discussing the drivers for leasehold reform and recent work undertaken by the Law Commission in the area. He then details the main provisions set out in the Bill, including changes to the lease extension term for houses and flats, as well as covering other elements such as the administration of service charges and buildings insurance costs. He also highlights the Bill’s omissions, notably commonhold and a ban on new leasehold property. But with a general election looming, how likely is the Bill to make it onto the statute books in 2024?

Welcome to The School of Hard Knocks, a new six-part series brought to you by EG Property Podcasts that will off up a bounty of lessons from those who have experienced a rough time or two that will enable us to better navigate the tough times ahead. Over the course of this series, we’ll meet people who have lived through some of the highs and lows of this wonderful business of real estate and through our conversations we will dig deep into the skills, the mindsets and the structures you need in place to successfully navigate tricky times. Joining EG editor Samantha McClary for our second lesson in the School of Hard Knocks curriculum is Lynda Shillaw, the chief executive of Harworth Group who very nearly let her 18-year old self’s dream pass her by. With decades of experience in a range of different businesses from BT, to Scottish Widows, Manchester Property Group and Town Centre Securities, Lynda shares her story of the ups and downs of deal making, regeneration and very nearly deciding to take it a little bit easier. The conversation is packed with insights and intelligence and tips of how to make it through the tough times and rides the waves well, with people, planning and persistence all featuring heavily. So, sit back, get your pen and paper ready, because it is time to enrol yourself in EG’s School of Hard Knocks. Listen hard and enjoy. And, if you missed part one, click here to listen now.

EG’s Sarah Jackman welcomes the CEO of the Chartered Surveyor’s Training Trust, Terry Watts, back to the podcast to discuss its latest initiatives. They catch up on the My Environment, My Future schools programme and how that’s now reached over 500 teachers; the launch of its latest schools competition (see its website at https://www.cstt.org.uk/Home/My-Environment-My-Future for more details); and the plans it has to be even more ambitious in helping new talent into the profession in 2024.  

The politics and real estate podcast ends the year with EG's Piers Wehner and former housing minister Mark Prisk looking back over some highlights and themes of 2023, while looking ahead to 2024. (This podcast has been republished following a technical issue)

Sarah Jackman and Jess Harrold count down EG's official list of the most important property law cases of the year - featuring a strong showing from the Supreme Court in what has been a busy 2023 for the highest court. The cases covered include major developments in planning, service charges, the growing impact of the Building Safety Act 2022 and the law of nuisance – but what will take the coveted number one slot?