MORNING NEWS: Tributes gather for doyen of leisure

Good morning. Here’s your daily round-up of the latest news and views from EG and a collection of industry-relevant headlines from the nationals, all perfectly curated to set you up for the day ahead. Tributes have started to pour in for retail and leisure expert David Coffer, known as the godfather of leisure, following his death at the age of 76. Coffer died after a “strong battle with illness” and leaves behind his wife Ruth and three children Adam, Daniel and Lisa. Remembered as a “great negotiator and wise man”, formidable but kind, Coffer spent more than 50 years in the leisure property business, founding and building Davis Coffer Lyons. In an interview with EG in 2022, as the business celebrated its 50th anniversary, Coffer spoke of his love of work and the sector. “I love working,” he said. “To me, the worst sound in the world is a Hoover. I don’t want to be at home. I want to work. I’m a warrior. I want to go out there fighting.” Team EG’s thoughts are with his family. In Manchester, the city council and Government Property Agency have launched a consultation on their plans to turn part of the former Central Retail Park in Ancoats into a major new government hub. The pair want to build a digital innovation campus for as many as 7,000 civil servants on five acres of the 10-acre site. Further development opportunities will be brought to market at later stages. While the GPA looks for consent, the team at Henry Boot has got the go ahead to build 75,000 sq ft of industrial and logistics space at Southend Airport Business Park in Essex. The new unit will add to 140,000 sq ft already developed on the 52-acre site. The project is being brought forward in partnership with Southend-on-Sea Council. And in London, Aviva has submitted pre-app plans for a new 33-storey tower at 130 Fenchurch Street, EC3, while Stanhope and Mitsubishi Estates London have their fingers crossed the councillors will heed the advice of planners and give the go-ahead for its plans to turn a 1960s block at 1 Victoria Street, SW1, into a 640,000 sq ft, 10-storey building.Bad news for Google in Dublin, however, as councillors at South Dublin County Council have thrown out the internet giant’s plans for a circa 800,000 sq ft data centre. The council cited insufficient capacity from the grid for the data centre and a lack of on-site renewable energy. And ICYMI, anyone looking for an opportunity in the life sciences world should pick up the phone to the team at Life Sciences REIT, which is preparing to bring a stake in its £140m Oxford Technology Park to market. All of the news from EG, plus a selection of headlines from the nationals:Dublin council throws out Google data centre plansNew logistics lands at Southend Airport Business ParkConsultation opens on major digital campus plansHighly transparent real estate markets make strong progressPennycook wants collaborative approach in CambridgeshireRetail and leisure doyen David Coffer diesPrologis buys industrial park from DTZLife Science REIT eyes partial sale of £140m Oxford Technology ParkAviva lodges 33-storey London office tower plansModa launches Southampton student resi consultationStanhope and Mitsubishi tipped for Westminster office approvalFar East Orchard PBSA fund raises £70mVivid agrees £100m green funding facilityCOMMENT: Why life sciences is the UK’s road to DamascusHousing stocks plunge after Starmer’s ‘painful’ budget warning (£)Middle classes brace for Keir Starmer’s capital gains tax raid (£)Sir Rocco Forte to develop five new hotels after Saudis buy stake (£)UK property market set for busy autumn as listings hit seven-year high (£)Governance under fire at devolved body chaired by Lord Ben Houchen (£)Warburg Pincus-Lendlease venture buys Singapore assets for $1.2bn (£)