BW: UNCUT. IN CONVERSATION.

Town Centres: What are the best means of resuscitation?

June 15, 2020 Ghislaine Halpenny, British Property Federation; Kevin Cowin, Mace; Matthew Shefras, Forty Group; Nicole Role, Barton Willmore; Iain Painting, Barton Willmore Season 1 Episode 5
BW: UNCUT. IN CONVERSATION.
Town Centres: What are the best means of resuscitation?
Show Notes

With ‘non-essential’ shops set to open this week and the 2-metre distancing requirements under review, our town centres are poised for return, but will they be able to offer a resilient response to the changing retail habits COVID-19 has accelerated in recent months? Are they on the operating table or merely in need of some therapeutic care? 

Our guests: Ghislaine Halpenny, British Property Federation, Kevin Cowin, Mace, Matthew Shefras, Forty Group joined by our very own Planning Associate and High Streets Task Force shortlistee Nicole Roe, and Senior Partner, Iain Painting

The discussion could have gone on well beyond our usual 30 minutes, but key thoughts included:

  • Fragmented ownership and the collaboration/LPA ambition required to overcome this;
  • Flexibility and creativity of taxation and affordable retail models; 
  • The numerous existing planning structures we have to get better at applying; and
  • Fundamentally a move away from quantitative to qualitative thinking

Listen in to hear more on how these practitioners view their adoption!