MAPIC Nov. 2011 – "The future of the high street: lessons shared"

Moderator: Damian Wild, Editor, Estates Gazette (UK)
Speakers:
Justin Taylor, CEO of Cushman & Wakefield’s UK Retail & Leisure
Barry Hughes, HOK International Ltd (UK)
Richard Akers, Managing Directork, UK Retail, LandSecurities (UK)
Link

Railways: Build the Infrastructure, and They Will Come

Link to Evening Standard

"Crossrail is set to have an astonishing impact on regeneration in the capital, as exclusive new research reveals, says David Spittles.

"Many experts believe that transport-led regeneration is the single most important factor boosting the value of property. And, if they are right, then Crossrail, the east-west link through the capital, is the upgrade that will have the biggest impact in London yet."

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Link to Transport page.

Cyclists: Henlys Corner and the Crossing of Doom

Link to Barnet Cyclists web site

Sunday 25 March, 10am: Barnet’s Great Divide Ride

"Barnet’s Great Divide Ride is a “Giro d’Juntions”, if you will. The North Circular Road (A406) is a challenging barrier to cycling to and from north London. Join us as we zig-zag our way over all of the crossing points on the A406 from New Southgate to Staples Corner.

"The ride will finish around lunchtime, with a picnic at the secret park in the center of Staples Corner.

"This a fun ride, the pace will be slow and it will be suitable for all ages. It will be orderly and professionally marshaled, so that all the family can safely make their way over some of the worst junctions for cyclists in north London."

The Lawyer: Hammerson in Cannes

MIPIM 2012, Cannes, France: key figures: 4200+ real estate investors, 19000+ participants, 4 days of intensive real estate business

Link to web site

Despite sleeping in, Eversheds London real estate head Bruce Dear’s luck was in on the way to Mipim, where he plans to punctuate his cocktail drinking with a spot of thought leadership. Tuesday, 3.32pm:

"Of course, Mipim’s not all cocktails and promenades along the Croisette you know (no - really!). We have a big thought leadership event tomorrow afternoon on the Future of the Market, which I am chairing, with some key figures from Hammerson, Legal and General and the Swedish National Pension Fund, and colleagues and I have meetings with clients on new fund structures to be launched in the autumn. We also have a substantial international lunch tomorrow to introduce clients to our global network and a big set piece dinner on Thursday.

Should be fun and hard work (“Call that work”, as my Dad would have said) and the train rumbles on under a sky that’s (disappointingly) more Cleethorpes than Cannes."

Wealth Manager: "Property: is London office market about to peak?"

Link to Wealth Manager / City Wire

"Last week, FTSE 100 real estate company Hammerson announced it was quitting the London office market and selling £500 million worth of property.

"The move came days after an industry survey by Investment Property Forum (IPF) showed office forecasts for 2012 have fallen significantly over the past three months, stoking fears that a peak in London’s office market is looming."

The Jewish Mother: "BRENT CROSS: A LOVE HATE AFFAIR"

Link to 'The Jewish Mother'

"North-West London just wouldn’t be North-West London without it! And we all just love to hate it. We all do it, sometimes without even knowing. Someone will ask where we’ve been, and we’ll all give it a good old bashing!"

Here are just a few of our favourites:

• “Went to Brent Cross, IT WAS A NIGHTMARE!!”
• “Brent Cross was CHAOS!”
• “TRAUMA”
• “Brent Cross nearly KILLED me today”
• “Going to Brent Cross later, been putting it off for so long but just gonna have to do it!”
• “Are you CRAZY?? Brent Cross on a SUNDAY???”
• And of course the standard “I HATE Brent Cross!”

Barnet Times: "£4.5bn Brent Cross Cricklewood project unaffected by announcement, says developer Hammerson" (oh, yeh?)

Link to Barnet Times

"The £4.5 billion Brent Cross Cricklewood regeneration project will still go ahead despite the site owner announcing a change in its business strategy.

"Some community groups feel the huge number of offices and houses due to be built there represent an overdevelopment of the site, and some had hoped the announcement would mean a re-think of the plans."

Network Rail: Alternative Solutions

Link to PDF file

"This scoping document is different from all of the previous Rail Utilisation Strategy (RUS) consultation documents, because it considers a range of solutions which may go beyond the current rail network. It also considers solutions from other industries and contexts which may still be in development.

"No organisation has a monopoly on good ideas [although Hammerson thinks it has]. Indeed, we believe that there may be other areas where alternative approaches or technologies have the potential to drive costs down."

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Link also to Department for Transport:

"Green light for Light Rail"

(September 2011)

LSE: Ratings Agency: "Hammerson's strategic change could herald US-style REITs in Europe

Link to web site

"Fitch Ratings says that Hammerson plc's recent strategic decision - to concentrate on the retail sector - could be the catalyst for [European Real Estate Investment Trusts] to transform themselves into sector-specific US-style ones in the medium term.

"... In Europe in the next two to three years, [Hammerson and others will likely] apply much more stringent capital allocation models than previously, placing greater emphasis on optimising their operational excellence and competitive advantage within single sectors, rather than retaining their traditional multi-sector approach." 

[So we say: Get out of your appalling Brent Cross scheme!]

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Link to Barnet Council: "Community Infrastructure Levy"

The Guardian: "Pension funds back infrastructure plan with £4bn" (The Brent Cross Railway? That will do nicely)

Link to The Guardian

"British pension funds aim to launch a multibillion-pound infrastructure fund next year that will invest up to £4bn in government projects from roads and high-speed rail lines to power stations.

"The Pension Protection Fund and the National Association of Pension Funds are in discussions with 20 others, to create a vehicle that will consider investing in the projects outlined by the chancellor, George Osborne, in last year's national infrastructure plan."

CoStar interview: "Hammerson's Atkins in no rush to sell out of offices" (but never to build any at Brent Cross?)

Link to CoStar Group web site
(Picture is of 99 Bishopsgate)

"Speaking to CoStar News, chief executive David Atkins said Hammerson had for some time been reducing its exposure to offices, as part of a strategic belief that the company needed to be specifically focused on one sector to run 'more effectively and efficiently'.

"... [There was] a clear decision to reinvest capital in becoming 'dominant' in retail, by creating a fully multi-channel offering over the next five years:

"This means there are no distractions, as we invest in scaling up and delivering best practice and innovation."

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CoStar Group: 
"Hammerson sells Paris luxury retail block"

"David Atkins, chief executive of Hammerson, said:

"... We have maximised our asset management opportunities and this disposal crystallises a substantial profit on cost, further enhancing our financial flexibility to undertake refurbishment, development and acquisition opportunities within our retail portfolio.''

[Possibly suffering from translation from English to French, to English.

Or he could just speak like this.]

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The Hammerson Brent Cross Transport Plan

 

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Link to HOME (see all posts).

MoveHut: "The Commercial Property website"

Link to MoveHut web site

"The developer Hammerson will now focus [instead] on pumping cash into a host of commercial property retail assets, and adding to the range of commercial property outlets it already owns, such as London’s Brent Cross commercial property shopping centre, Cabot Circus in Bristol, and The Bullring [sic] in Birmingham.

"It also owns commercial property retail centres in France, and is currently building a major commercial property shopping and leisure complex in Marseille, which is due to open in 2014."

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[That's enough commercial property phrases. Ed.]

Barnet Times: "Travelodge reveals plans for five new hotels in Brent Cross, Golders Green, Hendon, Mill Hill and New Barnet"

Link to Barnet Times
(This one's in Bolton)

"Travelodge has announced its intention to build five hotels in the Barnet borough by 2025.

"The budget hotelier is currently looking for space to open new branches in Brent Cross, Golders Green, Hendon, Mill Hill, and New Barnet."

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Link to Carrentals.co.uk: "Travelodge Plans 184 London Hotels"

"There are currently 47 hotels with 6,531 rooms under the Travelodge brand in London, and the company is on target to have another six open before the games. However, the group is planning to open 184 new hotels across the capital by 2025, which will create 5,000 new jobs."

BigHospitality: "Ed’s Easy Diner to open first al fresco site at Brent Cross"

Link to BigHospitality web site

"1950s-style American diner chain, Ed's Easy Diner, is to open its first alfresco unit, and the ninth site in the UK for the group, at Brent Cross Shopping Centre at the end of March.

"Andrew Guy, director of operations of Ed's Easy Diner, said:

"We're delighted to be opening our first outdoor unit at Brent Cross, a landmark return to one of London's busiest shopping centres."

ShoppingCentre: "Hammerson to ditch offices"

Link to ShoppingCentre
web site

"Hammerson has signalled a radical rethink of its corporate strategy, that will see it selling off its office assets to become a specialist retail investor. Until now it had trumpted the advantages of a balanced portfolio of shopping centres, retail parks and offices, across the UK and France."

Evening Standard: "New flats threaten City's future, MPs told"

Link to web site

"City chiefs warned that the Square Mile's success as a financial centre is threatened by an explosion in the number of offices being
converted into homes.

"A Communities and Local Government department spokeswoman said:

"The department is reviewing how change of use is handled for applications involving commercial buildings being converted to residential buildings and is considering responses."

iPanema Returns 17 March to 5 August

"You know Spring/Summer has arrived once iPANEMA returns to Brent Cross. 

"This year you will find us in the Lower West Mall opposite Hollister. 

"The New [sic] stunning Summer 2012 Collection of Women's, Men's and Children's Flip Flops is full of the seasons [sic] must have colours and prints. Over the summer your [sic] also have a chance to customise your flip flops with iPANEMA's exclusive UK launch of the iPANEMA PiN."

Hammerson's David Atkins and his REIT RNS

Big Cheese report

"Real Estate Investment Trust: Regulatory News Service" (We knew that)

"Following a full review of strategy, Hammerson will now focus as a specialist retail REIT operating in the UK and France. Our standing office investments will be sold over the medium term in order to maximise value, with capital redeployed to retail assets, increasing our focus and scale.

"David Atkins, Chief Executive of Hammerson, said:

"These results prove the benefit of high quality assets combined with active management, which have delivered good income and capital growth in a challenging environment.

In addition, we have enhanced the prospective returns from the portfolio through targeted acquisitions and development activity, but retain a strong, flexible financing structure which will allow us to take advantage of further investment opportunities.

Following the review of our strategy we will focus on being the best owner-manager and developer of retail property within Europe. Hammerson has created a retail business delivering outperformance from prime assets in winning locations.

We now intend to sell our standing office investments over the medium term to maximise returns, redeploying capital into the retail sector to exploit our expertise and build on our existing scale. This will create efficiencies that lead to further cost savings and income growth from our portfolio."

The Observer: "Why we need to rethink our cities if Britain is to thrive"

Link to The Observer

"If London is going well, the country is likely to be going well, but if London is into trouble, it spells trouble beyond. London, however much its dominance may be resented, needs to be vigorous both for its own citizens and for the broader national economy.

"... One way of thinking about Britain's economic challenge is to recast it as an urban challenge. If our cities can grow, so will the economy. We should celebrate urban density. We should find ways to concentrate our people in enjoyable urban spaces. We should make sure that our burgeoning cities connect with each other. 

"And the best way to achieve this is to make sure that our cities have greater powers to govern and tax themselves."

PropertyWeek The Movie: "Why is Hammerson exiting offices?"

Giles Barrie and James Whitmore analyse Hammerson's decision to sell its £600m office portfolio, in order to concentrate on retail.

They also consider if a "tidied-up" Hammerson is more likely to be a takeover victim. 

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Link to web site

"Property firm Hammerson caught the market on the hop with its decision to sell off all its office developments to focus on its retail assets, but with the employment situation looking bleak, the market was quick to applaud the decision.

"Hammerson chairman John Nelson said:

"We believe that occupier and investment demand for retail space will be concentrated on modern, well-maintained properties in the very best locations, such as those owned by Hammerson. Properties without these attributes may experience rental and capital value declines in 2012,

Our regionally-dominant shopping centres and convenient retail parks continue to generate demand from successful retailers. We will increase our focus and scale in our chosen retail markets, to capitalise further on structural changes in consumer behaviour."

"Extra, Extra!" "Hammerson Pulls Out of Office Developments!" (Brent Cross Cricklewood now an 'Albatross Project'!)

Daily Telegraph: 
"Hammerson to exit London portfolio, to increase focus on retail"

Link to Daily Telegraph

"The company will sell its standing office investments, worth more than £500m, 'over the medium term' and use the proceeds in its retail portfolio.

"... There have been question marks about the future of its London business after Martin Jepson, head of the division, quit last year and law firm Cameron McKenna pulled out of a pre-let deal at Principal Place [above].

David Atkins, chief executive, said:

“Following the review of our strategy, we will focus on being the best owner-manager and developer of retail property within Europe." [And sell off all the 'non-Shopping Centre' parts of Brent Cross, as quickly as they can, no doubt.]

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Evening Standard: 
"Hammerson leaps as it puts its £500m offices up for sale" 

Link to Evening Standard

"Hammerson hung the 'for sale' sign over £500 million of London offices today, as the developer pumps cash into a host of retail assets such as the capital's Brent Cross shopping centre. [ha, bloody ha]

"Atkins [right] insisted Hammerson would get a good price for the buildings, despite a backdrop of sales by Ireland's banks and state-backed Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds Banking Group, as they get rid of distressed property loans. The disposals will also be spread over two years, to ensure the firm maximises value."

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"Ah ! well a-day ! what evil looks
Had I from old and young !
Instead of the cross, the Albatross
About my neck was hung."

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(link to Hammerson)

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Link to "A bigger Brent Cross back on the Hammerson agenda".

Link to HOME (see all posts).

Network Rail: "New station concourse at King's Cross opens 19 March"

"The opening will mark a major milestone in the redevelopment of the station. Started in 2007, it will be fully completed by the end of 2013, once we’ve removed the 1970s extension at the front of the station and created a new public square." 

Link to Network Rail web site

"King’s Cross station is being transformed, with better connections to St Pancras International and London Underground, increased capacity for trains, and improved facilities.

"The centre-piece of the redevelopment is a new concourse on the west side of the station, which includes a larger ticket office, shops, waiting areas, a wider range of food and drink outlets, and more modern facilities.

"Following the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, work will start on a new piazza in front of the station. To make way for this, the current concourse will be demolished, revealing [below] the Grade 1-listed Victorian façade, which has been fully restored." [This text has been de-PRspeaked, to make it readable.]

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Link to web site
(if error, try copying
 http://www.constructionatkingscross.com/
to a new browser window)

"Construction News at Kings Cross"

"This website [right] will keep you informed about construction activity required to deliver offices, homes, shops, community facilities, and fantastic new streets and squares to King's Cross. 

"Information within these pages relates to the 67 acres between King's Cross and St Pancras International Stations, extending north, beyond Regent's Canal to the High Speed 1 railway embankment. 

"Feel free to ask us a question or read about construction milestones, technical achievements in our articles, and special notices of future works."

[More than 'London Communications' has ever managed at Brent Cross.]

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Link to the "King's Cross Railway Lands Group", which is:

"active in Camden and Islington, seeking (for 20 years) to secure community benefits from the development at King's Cross."

Link to the "King's Cross Development Forum":

"Under the Localism Act, a neighbourhood such as the King’s Cross area can have a neighbourhood forum that creates a neighbourhood development plan (and neighbourhood development orders) for approval by the local authorities and an independent inspector."

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Evening Standard: "The first affordable homes are unveiled in King’s Cross rebirth"

Link to Evening Standard (page 7 of PDF file)

"One Housing Group has 41 one-bedroom flats and 23 two-bedroom apartments for sale, across two top-notch blocks on the northern edge of the site. 

"One has been designed by the Stirling Prizewinning architects Maccreanor Lavington as a cluster of three buildings up to 16 storeys tall set around a private residents’ courtyard. The other, by PRP architects, has 16 storeys of dramatic pre-cast concrete and black glass, with shops at ground-floor level and another private courtyard."

BBC: "David Cameron criticises 'snobbish' attacks on business"

Link to BBC web site and iPlayer

"Prime Minister David Cameron has said attacks on business are motivated by 'snobbery' and that enterprise is a force for 'social progress'.

"In a speech in London, he urged people to resist the 'dangerous rhetoric' of those who say business is inherently self-interested, and cannot be trusted." [Only Hammerson, David, only Hammerson.]

"... Mr Cameron said he was 'sick of anti-business snobbery', adding:

"The snobbery that says business has no inherent moral worth like the state does, that it isn't really to be trusted, that it should stay out of social concerns, and stick to making the money that pays the taxes."

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Reports and reaction:

Evening Standard: "Sunshine in Southwark"

Link to Evening Standard

"... It was with some trepidation that I visited the latest colourful addition to Southwark's social housing stock on Brandon Street in SE17, on the southern fringes of the notorious and soon-to-be-demolished Heygate Estate at Elephant and Castle, as part of the area's 15-year £1.5billion regeneration. The £2.45million Brandon Street building, which will be managed by London & Quadrant Housing Association, is one of two recently completed in the area by Shoreditch-based Metaphorm Architects.

"... It's a strident answer to a timeless architectural challenge: how can individual residential housing nurture sociable public life? If Metaphorm's Brandon Street building gives one answer in its decorative sunset of an eastern face; it adds a more functional one in the bench at the foot of the façade. Both the architects and Southwark council should be praised for doing this: this is a piece of urban furniture that most planners would have tried to remove for fear of people making noise, or having too much fun, near where the electorate lives. They did it anyway, and it's lovely, generous and already well used."

Hammerson's new Brent Cross
(Er..., no, it's the Heygate Estate)

Oh, that's Brent Cross

20-22 March: Ecobuild Exhibition

Link to ecobuild web site

"Ecobuild, the world's biggest event for sustainable design, construction and the built environment, opens in less than a month.

Click here for your free ticket now, for:

• More exhibitors than ever - over 1,500 suppliers, thousands of products, hundreds of new launches
• Dozens of attractions and live demonstrations - new for 2012 include ZEDlife, the LoCal House, Cool Concrete and Fabric First
• Building on the Olympics - a dedicated series of events focusing on the learning legacy from the 2012 Games
• Hundreds of seminars every day - Sustainable architecture & design, Standard guides & regulations, Better through BIM, Sustainable by design, Refurbishing Britain and more
• Plus RIBA CPD sessions, BREEAM awards, TRADA timber tours, the UKGBC 'big tent' and many more highlights."

Barnet Times: "John Lewis, Starbucks and Wallis at Brent Cross Shopping Centre win Hammerson's We Love Retail awards"

Link to Barnet Times

"Brent Cross Shopping Centre won three awards at last week’s We Love Retail award ceremony.

"David Atkins, Hammerson chief executive, commented:

"We work with the best retail, catering and leisure brands in the UK and there was tough competition for each award."

'Better Buildings Partnership' - Steady Eddie's chair

"The Better Buildings Partnership (BBP) has appointed Paul Edwards, Hammerson’s Head of Sustainability as its new Chairman. 

"The BBP is a collaboration of fifteen of the largest commercial property owners in the UK, who aim to improve the sustainability of existing commercial building stock and deliver significant savings in CO2 emissions. 

"As Head of Sustainability at Hammerson, Paul drives value from the REIT’s portfolio focusing on five main performance areas: climate change and energy; resource use; community regeneration [ha!]; supply chain and customers. 

"Paul Edwards commented: 

"The BBP is a fantastic organisation, and I am extremely proud to take on this role and excited about the challenge. We have achieved some great results so far, and I hope we can continue to deliver toolkits and take forward initiatives that help the property industry to move forward towards a low carbon future."

The Guardian: "London office developments 'at risk from eurozone crisis'"

Link to The Guardian

"A property consultancy has warned that more office developments could stall in the City of London as the eurozone debt crisis affects tenant demand and funding.

"...  Developer Hammerson suffered a blow last month when law firm CMS Cameron McKenna pulled out of a partial pre-let at Principal Place in the City. At about the same time, work on the £800m Pinnacle tower on Bishopsgate stalled again. Funding from a group of lenders including HSBC hinges on the developer, Arab Investments, pre-letting a large chunk of the planned 63-storey building."

E C Harris: London Office Development Pipeline (Going down the tubes)

Link to E C Harris web site

"A new report out today from EC Harris, the global built asset consultancy, reveals that the size of the London office development pipeline is unprecedented, with over 150 potential projects ready to deliver 53 million square feet of gross internal office floor space by 2016. However; [semi-colon??] the report warns that many of the developments are in a precarious position with projects struggling to attract pre-let tenants and external funding which could see 50% never even reaching the construction site.

"The report, entitled 'London Office Development: The Challenge Ahead' confirms that the City of London remains the centre of attention for developers and investors alike, with over 60% of the total area (34m square foot gross internal area) and over 50% of the number of potential projects located there. The average size of a City project is circa 420,000 square foot gross, nearly twice the size of those planned for the West End or Midtown, reflecting the large scale tower schemes that are planned or under construction such as 20 Fenchurch Street and the Leadenhall Building.

"Richard Taylor, Head of Commercial Development at EC Harris and author of the report said:

“On paper, the development pipeline for London offices shows massive potential and investment. However, in reality the market is very different, with a large number of these projects unlikely to be delivered as they struggle to find pre-lets and external funding. To stand a chance for success, projects need to differentiate and create a significant market advantage if they are to maximise their chances of completion."

Croydon Guardian: "Developers to talk up Croydon in Cannes" (and Hammerson cans much of its development in Brent Cross)

Link to Croydon Guardian

"Some of the biggest developers in Croydon are set to be the keynote speakers for 'Develop Croydon' at this year’s MIPIM event.The annual trade fair in Cannes starts on 7 March.

"... Speaking on behalf of the plans will be Lawrence Hutchings, UK retail managing director for Hammerson plc, ... as well as Jon Rouse, chief executive of the London Borough of Croydon."

Fenwick Brent Cross: No pretension

Link to Fenwick web site

Fenwick Brent Cross

Family-friendly fashion and homewares

"Fenwick Brent Cross is one of North London's finest department stores, a permanent fixture of the ground-breaking Brent Cross Shopping Centre since it opened in 1976.

"Whether it's a designer handbag, a shiny new set of saucepans, a super-sized sofa, the latest toys or the hottest lip gloss in town, Fenwick Brent Cross delivers. 

"And it does so in a fun, family-friendly way. No pretension, just great shopping, free parking, a memorable day out."

Brent Cross Shopping Centre Opening Hours and other information

Brent Cross Centre Opening Hours

Monday - Friday 10am - 8pm

Saturday 9am - 7pm

Sunday 12noon - 6pm

"Sign up here and you can take advantage of our fab theatres and events ticket-buying service find about more sustainability at green matters and spot the hottest new offers form your favourite stores."

[They may also offer a grammar course.]

Home is where Hammerson isn't

"A Place to call Home: Where we live and why"

16 February - 28 April

Monday - Saturday 10am - 5pm
Tuesdays until 10pm

Venue:
Gallery One, RIBA, 66 Portland Place, London W1B 1AD

Description:
Home is an essential part of us all. The houses, flats, tower blocks and estates that we live in are extensions of our everyday lives. They are practical places - buildings for us to eat or sleep in - yet for most, home is the most expensive thing that we ever buy, a complex thing offering a lifetime of investment and preoccupation.

This new RIBA exhibition, guest curated by Sarah Beeny, charts the story of the design and appeal of everyday homes in the UK. It explores the advent of mass building from the late 18th century, through to the present day via suburban expansion and post-war experiment.

It reveals the characteristics of a British obsession and the experiments that have shaped how and where we live.

Part of the RIBA's Home Season 16 February - 28 April 2012 - talks, displays, film screenings and more.

Free admission
Admission to all RIBA exhibitions is free. Please note, galleries may be closed early for special events. Call +44 (0)20 7307 3694 to check opening times.

Other events in the series:

• High Society
• The Home I Grew Up In
• BBC Radio Four's Thinking Allowed - HOME at RIBA
• A Place Called Bata-ville
• Your House, Your Home
• Land of Promise
• Dilapidated Dwelling
• A House to Call Home

Organiser:
RIBA

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BBC: "A history of British homes - Sarah Beeny"

Link to BBC web site

"From the first Georgian townhouses to back-to-back Victorian terraces - and from 1960s towerblocks to sprawling modern estates - British homes have changed their shapes and sizes, and changed with the times, through the past 250 years.

"In a new exhibition - A Place to call Home: Where we live and why - the Royal Institute of British Architects studies the way housing was adapted to meet the needs of a growing population entering the modern age.

"Here, guest curator of the exhibition, property developer and television presenter Sarah Beeny takes a journey through time."

It's Hammerson. It's Glitzy. It's Swanky. It's Tonight.

Link to web site

"A GLITZY bash awaits retailers at an awards ceremony ... Hammerson is hosting, in its first-ever retail awards, at the swanky Royal Opera House in London.

"The 'We Love Retail' ceremony is being held [tonight] to reward shops which have delivered exemplary service in Hammerson’s ten UK shopping centres."

Fred'sDaysOut: Until 19 Feb: Zippos Circus 2012

"There are more than 7,000 free parking spaces" (Two shown)
Link to Fred'sDaysOut web site

"Zippos new show for 2012 comes to Brent Cross, combining the best of traditional and contemporary circus, bringing together performers from Africa, Argentina, France, Japan, the Ukraine, Brazil and the UK.

"New performances in 2012 include:

• The Delbosq Clowns from France, Emil and Andrea

• New routines for Yasmine Smart’s liberty and dressage horses, built around pulsating drum rhythms and modern rock anthems, with the beat of bolas eching the pounding of hooves in the sawdust

• The Kenya Troupe of African hip-hop dancers, acrobats and tumblers, providing a touch of Swahili Nashati (strength) in their pyramid building and limbo

• Anya, from the Ukraine, who juggles within a Perspex and steel triangle and with fire.

"The Globe of Death motorbike display is also back by popular demand (see photo) to ensure that the final minutes of the show provide a last, massive adrenaline rush!"

[Reposted from Sep 2010] Brent Cross Coalition Raises Questions on Planning Application Viability

Has the Planning and Environment Committee been misled, regarding delivery of the full BXC scheme?

Our interpretation of the planning documents for this scheme leads us to believe that the committee may have been misled.

In the planning meeting of 29 July to discuss the Brent Cross Cricklewood development (BXC) one councillor asked an incisive question:

“I am experienced in large regenerations. How is this protected against developers coming back to renegotiate?”

Hammerson makes bold investment in outer London borough

Link to The Guardian G2

"And so to the top of a windswept multi-storey car park in Brent Cross, er, Croydon, to take in the view on a day when the drizzle is face-slappingly sharp and it's so cold you can no longer feel your toes. On a good day, you can see Wembley stadium to the north, and Golders Green, er, the Downs to the south, but all I see is grey.

"Not many would agree. Is there anything worth seeing in the town? 'Not really,' says Wendy Thomas, standing outside the Whitgift shopping centre. 'It needs a facelift'." [Hammerson is trying to buy Whitgift, and is investing in Centrale.]