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It seems the word 'region' could be scrapped from the coalition government's dictionary.

That's was the amusing declaration from the shadow housing minister John Healey at this morning's seminar held by The Smith Institute at Westminster's Portcullis House.

As just down the road in a Westminster Hall debate the BPF said Tory MPs were welcoming secretary of state Eric Pickles decision to scrap Regional Strategies, panelist Healey claimed that in a memo leaked to him the coalition is that against the regional level of government (or more accurately the regional development agencies), that they've issued a directive decreeng the word be erased from the coalition's vocabulary.

The day of reckoning is upon us, and there is a palpable air of anticipation in the newsroom at EG Towers as the editorial team prepares to cover the 2010 emergency budget and what it means for the property industry.

John Forbes, head of PricewaterhosueCoopers' real estate industry practise, is joining us for the afternoon to offer his expert view on George Osborne's cuts and tax hikes.

I'll be updating this post throughout the day to provide images and behind-the-scenes access to EG's coverage, as it happens. (Click on the image below to be taklen to our Flickr page for more detailed descriptions).

12.15pm: Not long now. PwC's John Forbes has arrived at EG Towers and is being briefed by EGi news editor Paul Norman. The TV is on and ready and the team is poised to get covering the budget.

12.30pm: The team is waiting for coverage from Westminster to start. John Forbes has written his initial thoughts for EGi - the main concerns which PwC's clients have about the budget, explains John, is the impact on tenants and interest rates.

12.34pm: The telly's on full blast, hands are poised above keyboards, but question time, apparantly Nick Clegg's first, is yet to finish...

12.35pm: Osborne kicks off and the team listens in silence.

 

Wirral Waters may not flow quite as smoothly for Peel Holdings if the local council takes up recommendations made in a report by GVA Grimley next week.

Recessions are an occupational hazard for any long term project and now it seems politics might be too.

Peel has £4.5bn plans for Birkenhead's waterfront and its East Float application - part of the 20-30 year Wirral Waters scheme - was due to be heard back April when the council was run by a Lab-Lib Dem coalition. May 6 saw that coalition change to Con-Lib Dem and the hearing for the 1.4m sq ft application pushed back to the end of July.

The Integrated Regeneration Study - the clue is in the title - urges that regeneration should concentrate on the existing town centre and that Wirral Waters should be integrated fully into that.

It states: "Although Wirral Waters is very important to the regeneration of the borough, it must be integrated with the surrounding areas, specifically including the [town's housing market renewal] area and Birkenhead town centre."

Two weeks, two deals; and for one lucky Leeds developer they are both in the same building. Wilton Developments managed to secure a second letting at its speculative 10 South Parade (pictured) this time to Odgers Berndtson (a recruitment consultant) yesterday.

But cancel the marching band and rewind the streamers.

Without taking away from Wilton's Development's massive achivements in getting the building over a third let it's worth noting that the deals are tiddlers with 3,200 sq ft (to Odgers Berndston) and 8,200 sq ft to Xafinity Consulting earlier in the month. For Odgers' it was a lease event that triggered the move. I've asked what the rent was and what goodies were given to Odgers to help convince them to move, but the developer has yet to return that call.

As we've said in this week's mag, new supply is edging towards the half a million mark in the Yorkshire capital. The news from the sparkly new buildings is still few and far between.

In the next two weeks the council will go to committee to decide on its own 120, 000 sq ft purchase and relocation. In the running are three of the sparkly great hopes for the Leeds market: Highcross's 170,000 sq ft Broad Gate, Deltalord's 117,000 sq ft The Mint, and IVG's 120,000 sq ft Latitude Red.  

But the Queen's speech yesterday cast a shadow on anything which involves government putting its hand in it pocket and according to the British Property Federation it is looking to do more than just nip and tuck council staff. Talk to Leeds property folk and they're a bit iffy as to whether the requirement will and can go ahead.

Related posts:

Awarding times in Yorkshire

Which is the best city in the UK - and did things only get better under Labour

Trinity Leeds pics and a walk around the Yorkshire capital

Yesterday, I had the distinction of being the last person to meet Joe Anderson, the new leader of Liverpool council in the office reserved for the council's opposition leader.

He has used the office since 2003 but later in the day, Labour man Anderson and his team were relocating into the leader's office which has been occupied by Liverpool's Liberal Democrats since 1998.

BURA's Jackie Sadek seems to have given him the thumbs up over on her EG blog and Anderson seems like a pleasant man who clearly has pride in his home city. He believes that only by genuinely spreading regeneration and opportunity throughout the whole city and not just the centre, will it become a prime target for inward investors.

Get serious; we've had enough with the reams and reams of colourful reports. That's the message from Carter Jonas in Peterborough to the city's urban regeneration company Opportunity Peterborough.

Head of commercial division at the agency Chris Haworth, seems to be a bit fed with progress so far and is not pulling his punches.

"Over the last few years, hundreds of studies have been carried out to assess the feasibility of many schemes in and around Peterborough.

"Many people seem to believe that these reports are outputs.  They are not.  Outputs are cranes on the skyline and new buildings appearing.  That is what Peterborough needs to see."

Well yes, that's certainly true. The only thing for agents to get excited about is Peterborough's shed market. It's been waiting for developments such as Hammerson's promised extenstion to the Queensgate centre for years, something that doesn't look any closer to becoming reality with Hammerson announcing it would sell the centre before then aborted that sale in June last year.

But getting a development plan off the ground in today's market will be easier said than done. Haworth's not unsympathetic but claims there are still a significant number of investors and developers seeking opportunties and the skill needed from organisations like Opprotunity Peterborough is to use the limited public funds available in the most effective way to lever private sector funding at the earliest opportunity.

Putting his weight behind MP Stewart Jackson's call to get serious about promoting the city he says: "A few adverts here and there announcing we're an Environment City won't be enough to attract and convince the serious levels of money needed for development and regeneration."

Ouch. it seems Opportunity Peterborough better watch out.

Picture from Flickr courtesy of Meanest Indian

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While Brown, Cameron and Clegg were gearing up for last night's leaders' debate, a trio of North West heavyweights were busy debating politics and property at the City Inn in Manchester.

Around 80 guests as Young Entrepreneurs in Property, in association with EG, hosted a panel discussion which featured Manchester city council chief executive Sir Howard Bernstein, Argent's joint chief executive, David Partridge, and David Orr, the founder and chief executive of the City Inn hotel group.

EG editor Damian Wild was on hand to referee the debate, Dimbleby-style.

Addressing the young audience, the trio discussed the economy, the high speed rail link and of course the forthcoming General Election including the ramifications of a hung parliament.

 

Labour's manifesto released yesterday got a pretty glib response from the industry (there's a good overview from the regeneration side on Jackie Sadek's blog) but one thing that seems to have ignited regional interest is the prospect of Metro Mayors.

This would give London style powers to Leeds, Manchester and Birmingham along with a few other regional cities allowing one person to act as a champion superhero who could crack the whip much as Ken Livingstone did for London.

Centre for Cities have been lobbying for this for a while and have done a grand job of getting reactions from the likes of Ken Livingstone, Sir Howard Bernstein and Steve Norris amongst others. There's short video clips outlining what they think in full here but below, in a nutshell, is what they said. Surprisingly, and refreshingly, given Centre for Cities is pushing for this they aren't all glowing recommendations.

Simon Fanshawe, Brighton and Hove Economic Partnership: says the Centre for Cities have been too timid and it should be extended beyond the metropolitan areas.

Sir Howard Bernstein, Manchester City council: believes the metro mayors might be meaningless if they are imposed simply on top of the existing constitutional arrangements and is calling for significant and genuine devolution of powers. However he definitely wants the discussion opened.

Steven Norris: Government by committee doesn't work and he can't think of any decisions that are made better because 65 people have made them - 65 is apparently the average number of people on an English local authority. Elected mayors as we've seen in London galvanise the city.

Ken Livingstone: Was very suspicious of mayors when Tony Blair suggested it because at any one time there are at least 50 American mayors in jail for fraud. But they allow decisions to be made quickly and without all the politicking (presumably that should read quite as much politicking).

John Shipley OBE, leader Newcastle city council : Isn't a fan and wants to see a broader city region executive made up of all the leaders of the respective councils.

Tony Travers, London School of Economics: says London has been a huge success in terms of transport and planning and thinks that should be extended out.

Picture by Percita on Flickr and used under the Creative Commons license.