Briggsy’s Property Blog: Message key for regional success

THE recent Unfold conference in Leeds offered a good opportunity to get a handle on how the region’s commercial property sector is faring.

The general message from the professionals I spoke to was somewhat expected: times are tough, we’re working hard, but there are opportunities.

But it was during one of the panel discussions that things got interesting.

A mainly positive session about why developers such as Wilton Developments and Land Securities are developing in Leeds and the wider city region was punctuated by a bit of a moan from MEPC’s chief executive Rick de Blaby.

Mr de Blaby, the driving force behind MEPC’s Wellington Place scheme in the heart of Leeds, argued that although Leeds has much to be positive about from a property perspective, the message is failing to reach those that matter.

By that he meant potential investors and occupiers from outside the region looking to come in.

And it’s those investors and occupiers who Mr de Blaby is concerned could pump their money into other towns and cities because Leeds hasn’t got its message right.

Too much back slapping from those in power on a job being well done is going on, rather than realising that the work starts now, seemed to be the subliminal message.

Leeds is expert in talking to people in Leeds about what is happening in Leeds was a view shared by the panellists.

And for all the positives that the commercial property event Unfold could demonstrate, a look at who was in the exhibition hall appeared to back up that stance.

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IT was during Unfold that we broke the news that a deal looks to have been brokered that could finally see progress made at Bradford’s ‘hole in the ground’, as it is less than affectionately known.

Australian developer Westfield is understood to have agreed to sell its Broadway scheme to real estate investment company Meyer Bergman.

Following the announcement of the tie-up, Westfield was quick to play down the speculation and further commit itself to the scheme, declaring that it was still looking to secure pre-lets.

Whatever comes of this latest episode in a saga that has been ongoing since 2008 when Westfield put building on the scheme on hold, let’s hope it’s the beginning of a positive chapter for a site that is undoubtedly holding Bradford back.