07/31/2018

Vail Williams partner, David Thomas, weighs up the pros and cons of co-working spaces for occupiers.    At a recent seminar the hosts posed the question of whether the office was dead, with the conclusion in part, that ‘it wasn’t dead but just smells a bit funny’. If you follow the press documenting the gargantuan expansion and growth of co-working spaces, not only in London but across the UK, you may jump to the conclusion that traditional office space may have had its day. With the

07/06/2018

Buckinghamshire law firm Blaser Mills Law sets out the progress of the third runway at Heathrow Airport from the commitment given by the Government almost a decade ago to the future the expansion offers the region. “Check in” – a look back on events leading to the crucial vote​ In 2009, the incumbent transport secretary Geoff Hoon declared that the cabinet at the time supported the notion of a third runway to be built at Heathrow Airport. On June 5, 2018, almost 10 years later, the transport

06/11/2018

‘Just do it’ was the resounding response from Thames Tap’s Voices of the Valley when we asked their thoughts on Heathrow expansion – and some had a little more to say. A mix of positivity and exasperation was evident when we asked our panel for their views on the long-awaited third runway which came a step closer when transport secretary Chris Grayling set out the Government’s final proposal for an Airports National Policy Statement (NPS) on June 5. A vote will take place in Parliament within

05/21/2018

UK Property Forums researcher Andrew Gibson reports from the FT Future of Construction summit at One Great George Street in London on Wednesday, May 16. Technology has been at the forefront of discussion when looking beyond the horizon in any industry - and construction is no different. But is it all hot air? A recent report by the McKinsey Global Institute found the construction sector to be one of the least digitised global industries.  While there has been great progress in the development

05/14/2018

Thames Tap spoke to two of the leading figures behind the multi-billion pound regeneration of Basingstoke; Cllr John Izett, former managing director of Rogers Chapman at the time it was sold to JLL, and Victor Nicholls, former deputy chief executive of Bracknell Forest Council. Both public and private investment is flowing into Basingstoke and the councillor overseeing the town’s regeneration has no doubts why. A combination of an 8,000-home Garden Town, the £300 million rebuilding of its main

08/06/2018

Thames Tap is taking a break. We will be posting stories again from Tuesday, August 21 and the next Thames Tap newsletter will go out on Monday, August 27. You can always drop us an email at [email protected] and we will reply as soon as we can.

08/06/2018

Theale-based housebuilder T A Fisher is hopeful its latest plans for homes in Sonning Common will be approved after an extensive round of consultation with residents and councillors. The developer’s initial plans for 30 homes on a site, known as SON5 in Kennylands Road, were refused by South Oxfordshire District Council in October 2017. An appeal was lodged but T A Fisher also drew up a new proposal for 25 homes (10 of them affordable) and began an extensive consultation process with Sonning

08/06/2018

Plans for a foodhall concept as part of Thackeray Estates’ vision for Queen Victoria Street in Reading seem to give an indication of the future for town centres. And it’s not the only scheme of its kind in Reading. Blue Collar, the organisation behind the successful ‘Feastival’ events in the Forbury Gardens in May and June, is known to be looking for a more permanent indoor venue and the City Pub Group has plans for a foodhall in the former Lloyds Bank in Market Place. At the same time, the