All Leader articles | Property Week https://www.propertyweek.com/subject/leader News, analysis, insight and events for UK property professionals Wed, 01 Apr 2026 09:34:56 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.1 https://wp-eris.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/07/favicon-70x70-1.png All Leader articles | Property Week https://www.propertyweek.com/subject/leader 32 32 https://www.propertyweek.com/wp-content/themes/mbm-mops-2017/images/logo.gif Property Week https://www.propertyweek.com/subject/leader 125 75 News, analysis, insight and events for UK property professionals Canada Water tests London’s resi temperature https://www.propertyweek.com/insight/leader/canada-water-tests-londons-resi-temperature Wed, 01 Apr 2026 09:34:56 +0000 https://www.propertyweek.com/?p=658615 New planning terms for British Land's Canada Water scheme reveal the viability challenges faced by residential developers in London

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]]> Larry Fink’s wake-up call https://www.propertyweek.com/insight/leader/larry-finks-wake-up-call Wed, 25 Mar 2026 18:17:57 +0000 https://www.propertyweek.com/?p=658130 I woke on Wednesday morning to a snippet on Radio 4’s Today programme from a BBC interview with BlackRock chief executive Larry Fink.

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]]> Reeves sets out her plans to pick winners https://www.propertyweek.com/insight/leader/reeves-sets-out-her-plans-to-pick-winners Wed, 18 Mar 2026 18:04:51 +0000 https://www.propertyweek.com/?p=657585 As expected, chancellor Rachel Reeves used Tuesday’s Mais Lecture, delivered at Bayes Business School in the City, to announce new policies – items notably absent from the Spring Statement earlier in the month.

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]]> Black clouds over base rates https://www.propertyweek.com/insight/leader/black-clouds-over-base-rates Wed, 11 Mar 2026 16:43:00 +0000 https://www.propertyweek.com/?p=656948 As I write, rainclouds have evaporated on the second day of Mipim, but the outlook remains far from sunny.

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]]> Reeves gave a Spring Statement without much substance https://www.propertyweek.com/insight/leader/reeves-gave-a-spring-statement-without-much-substance Wed, 04 Mar 2026 17:46:43 +0000 https://www.propertyweek.com/?p=656441 This week saw chancellor Rachel Reeves deliver her second Spring Statement – or Spring Forecast, as the Treasury seems to have rebranded it.

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]]> PBSA sector feels the squeeze https://www.propertyweek.com/insight/leader/pbsa-sector-feels-the-squeeze Wed, 25 Feb 2026 17:55:31 +0000 https://www.propertyweek.com/?p=655699 Unite Group was at pains to point out this week that the ‘profits plummet’ headlines that followed its 2025 results announcement were not truly representative of the company’s performance.

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]]> Heat is a hot topic https://www.propertyweek.com/insight/leader/heat-is-a-hot-topic Wed, 18 Feb 2026 17:41:08 +0000 https://www.propertyweek.com/?p=655126 Some time ago I found myself chasing after Roger Madelin, who sets a brisk walking pace when he’s not leading the redevelopment of British Land’s £4bn Canada Water scheme in south-east London.

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]]> Strictly no confidence in Labour performance https://www.propertyweek.com/insight/leader/strictly-no-confidence-in-labour-performance Wed, 11 Feb 2026 17:26:01 +0000 https://www.propertyweek.com/?p=654558 When I sat down with Berkeley Group executive chair Rob Perrins last month, he seemed, for a moment, to be channelling TV judge curmudgeon Craig Revel Horwood.

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]]> Seeking commercial MEES clarity is like waiting for Godot https://www.propertyweek.com/insight/leader/seeking-commercial-mees-clarity-is-like-waiting-for-godot Wed, 04 Feb 2026 18:12:34 +0000 https://www.propertyweek.com/?p=653958 Earlier this week, the British Property Federation (BPF) rang a warning bell on Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) for non-domestic properties. These proposed rules remain stubbornly up in the air.

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]]> Life science, but not as we know it https://www.propertyweek.com/insight/leader/life-science-but-not-as-we-know-it Wed, 28 Jan 2026 18:08:05 +0000 https://www.propertyweek.com/?p=653353 British Land’s move to acquire Life Science REIT (LABS) and its five remaining assets may represent a minor addition to the larger firm’s portfolio, but it underscores its thinking in the life sciences sector. Namely, that there’s not much life in life sciences.

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]]> Expect more ‘block, baby, block’ than ‘build, baby, build’ https://www.propertyweek.com/insight/leader/expect-more-block-baby-block-than-build-baby-build Wed, 21 Jan 2026 17:26:00 +0000 https://www.propertyweek.com/?p=652874 Who are local authority planning committees most afraid of? It ain’t Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government secretary of state Steve Reed, that’s for sure.

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]]> Will the government’s new towns plan add up? https://www.propertyweek.com/insight/leader/will-the-governments-new-towns-plan-add-up Wed, 14 Jan 2026 17:46:30 +0000 https://www.propertyweek.com/?p=652139 There will be much to keep an eye on as 2026 unfolds, but few initiatives are likely to be as significant or as problem-prone as the government’s new towns programme.

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]]> NPPF: Labour revs up its bulldozer again https://www.propertyweek.com/insight/leader/nppf-labour-revs-up-its-bulldozer-again Wed, 17 Dec 2025 16:51:15 +0000 https://www.propertyweek.com/?p=650896 Prime minister Keir Starmer first pledged to clear a path through planning restrictions well before he won his current job.

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]]> Property ownership needs more transparency https://www.propertyweek.com/insight/leader/property-ownership-needs-more-transparency Wed, 10 Dec 2025 17:33:56 +0000 https://www.propertyweek.com/?p=650195 David Lammy’s unveiling of a new anti-corruption strategy in London this week was more than just a handy reminder, to anyone who might have forgotten or possibly never even realised, that he is deputy prime minister.

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]]> Business rates (and appeals) to rise as 2026 valuations revealed https://www.propertyweek.com/insight/leader/business-rates-and-appeals-to-rise-as-2026-valuations-revealed Wed, 03 Dec 2025 17:46:05 +0000 https://www.propertyweek.com/?p=649531 The Budget confirmed that many firms across the country will face higher business rates from next April, with the overall take due to rise 10.2% from £33.6bn in 2025-26 to £37.1bn in 2026-27.

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]]> Budget 2025: Mansion taxes and massive fibs https://www.propertyweek.com/insight/leader/budget-2025-mansion-taxes-and-massive-fibs Wed, 26 Nov 2025 18:00:49 +0000 https://www.propertyweek.com/?p=648863 To a chorus of jeers and cheers, chancellor Rachel Reeves concluded her Budget speech on Wednesday by saying she’d kept “every single one of our manifesto commitments”.

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]]> Data is ESG’s best defence https://www.propertyweek.com/insight/data-is-esgs-best-defence Wed, 19 Nov 2025 18:25:51 +0000 https://www.propertyweek.com/?p=648161 Last week we hosted our second ESG Edge conference and awards, both discussing and celebrating progress on environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues.

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]]> Which provider is cleaning up in the PBSA sector? https://www.propertyweek.com/insight/leader/which-provider-is-cleaning-up-in-the-pbsa-sector Wed, 12 Nov 2025 18:15:16 +0000 https://www.propertyweek.com/?p=647498 This week we publish our inaugural ranking of the top 10 UK purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) providers – an attempt to learn which student brands are rising or falling among their competitive set.

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]]> Any bets on a Budget boost? https://www.propertyweek.com/insight/leader/any-bets-on-a-budget-boost Wed, 05 Nov 2025 17:55:52 +0000 https://www.propertyweek.com/?p=646833 Whatever nice surprises chancellor Rachel Reeves might have in store for the Budget remain shrouded in mystery. Never mind rabbits from hats, everyone expects rats from a sack.

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]]> AI has arrived: enjoy the ride https://www.propertyweek.com/insight/leader/ai-has-arrived-enjoy-the-ride Wed, 29 Oct 2025 18:22:24 +0000 https://www.propertyweek.com/?p=646293 We recently rolled out a new feature for online subscribers called Ask Property Week. It uses artificial intelligence (AI) to tackle questions posed in ordinary language.

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]]> The BSR gateway creaks open https://www.propertyweek.com/insight/leader/the-bsr-gateway-creaks-open Wed, 22 Oct 2025 16:57:43 +0000 https://www.propertyweek.com/?p=645636 Late last week, the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) released new figures describing the state of the gateway 2 queue – the planning stage at which the regulator is meant to give a green or red light to higher-risk residential building applications.

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]]> Boxing clever: is self-storage market ripe for more takeovers? https://www.propertyweek.com/insight/leader/boxing-clever-is-self-storage-market-ripe-for-more-takeovers Wed, 15 Oct 2025 17:09:26 +0000 https://www.propertyweek.com/?p=645131 Blackstone’s very public interest in Big Yellow has put the self-storage sector in the spotlight.

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]]> Unite’s takeover of Empiric: will bigger really be better? https://www.propertyweek.com/insight/leader/unites-takeover-of-empiric-will-bigger-really-be-better Wed, 08 Oct 2025 16:45:48 +0000 https://www.propertyweek.com/?p=644605 The management team at Unite Group will have breathed a sigh of relief on Monday, with the successful conclusion of a shareholder vote on its proposed acquisition of rival listed REIT Empiric Student Property.

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]]> Talk of the new towns: time for government to act https://www.propertyweek.com/insight/leader/talk-of-the-new-towns-time-for-government-to-act Wed, 01 Oct 2025 17:32:09 +0000 https://www.propertyweek.com/?p=644038 Mixing state business with political campaigning is a questionable tactic, although not entirely uncommon.

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]]> Bitter medicine for life sciences sector as projects put on hold https://www.propertyweek.com/insight/leader/bitter-medicine-for-life-sciences-sector-as-projects-put-on-hold Wed, 24 Sep 2025 16:54:46 +0000 https://www.propertyweek.com/?p=643528 Last Friday’s news from Life Science REIT that it would start the piecemeal sale of its properties marked the latest piece of grim news for an asset class once expected to deliver outsized returns this year.

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