Heard the one about the surveyor and the planner? You probably have and, in any case, Richard Brown doesn’t reveal the punchline. The executive director of Glasgow city council’s development and regeneration services is using the gag to illustrate how teamwork is embedded into the culture of his department.
The jovial nature of the 44-year-old chartered surveyor belies the fact that he, and his planning-orientated assistant director Tom Turley, have faced some tough challenges in keeping the engines of Scotland’s largest city running during tricky economic times, not least a 20% reduction over the ?past year in the headcount of their ?now 400-strong team.
Overall, though, they seem to be winning. Brown points out: “What other city [outside London] has five grade-A office schemes on the go?”
There is no hint of gloating here, just a quiet satisfaction, perhaps mixed with a dash of relief, that there is sufficient demand from potential occupiers and property companies for construction cranes to be gracing the skyline.
Brown, a Glaswegian who took on ?the regeneration supremo mantle 20 months ago, after predecessor Gerry Gormal retired, says this development has not happened by accident.
“When I came in, we set up an inward investment team,” he says. “That means potential investors can get into the right offices and meet the right people, and shows we are serious about doing business. Following-up is also important: we make sure that when we tell a company we’re going to do something, we actually do it.
“When we say fast-track planning, we’ll get it in front of the planning committee as soon as possible, and if it’s a scheme we can support, we’ll recommend it.”
That can mean raising a few eyebrows. For example, earlier this year Brown spoke out publicly in favour of Glenerrol’s controversial £25m leisure-led Royal Exchange Square redevelopment, whose critics are unhappy with the inclusion of a large casino, but which won planning approval in the summer.
He also says things that private-sector partners will find appealing: “Profit is not a bad word here. We just need to make sure that the planning process is as robust as possible. All the planners get that, not just me.”
A straw poll of developers confirms that this is not just empty rhetoric.
Chris McPherson, development director at Abstract Group, which is speculatively building 170,000 sq ft of grade A office space at its St Vincent Plaza scheme at 303 St Vincent Street, says: “We were struck by the fact that the council truly is open for business.
“Everyone we dealt with there was passionate about the city and therefore prepared to roll their sleeves up and ?get stuck in.”
While Brown can offer fast-track planning and a diverse workforce, he cannot, like his counterparts in every other UK city, offer large cash incentives to potential investors. But he is working hard on improving access to funding in Glasgow (see box right). And he sees next year’s Commonwealth Games, which will be hosted in the city, as a perfect opportunity to showcase development potential.
“We want to encourage more people to come – we’ll be jam-packed,” he says. Potential conflict between visitors and work on city-centre construction sites has been avoided through detailed discussions with developers, he adds.
While Brown will be cheering on home-grown athletes to the finishing line next year, he admits that he does not have a lot of time for exotic ?out-of-work pursuits. The father of two teenage children is more likely to be seen ferrying them around town. “I’m just an ordinary guy,” he says.
That may be so, but some in Glasgow’s property fraternity suggest that Brown could be more visible at industry events and in front of a property audience generally.
Brown responds that many of the day-to-day contacts are better handled by his team, although he insists he is available for anyone who wants to speak to him. In any case, he reflects self-effacingly: “Developers here don’t necessarily want to meet me – they are interested in getting things done.”
Finding funding
Glasgow was the first Scottish city to gain approval for a TIF project – the £390m Buchanan Quarter scheme – last year, and the council is keen to build on that success.
“If we had the ability to have another TIF, we’d certainly be interested,” says Brown, although he acknowledges that the chance of that happening in the ?first wave is remote.
So he has another target in his sights – securing Scotland’s first City Deal. Unlike a TIF, Brown points out, this gives access to a much larger pot of cash. “It’s a big ambition – aiming ?for real change and real economic ?growth,” he says.
Details of exactly what is being discussed with the Scottish government and UK Treasury remain nebulous, though Brown suggests that a Glasgow proposal will cover a much broader area than transport and will focus on four gateways. A detailed outline is expected in spring 2014.
Local property people appear to be pleased with the city council’s efforts to bring in extra funding.
Bill Colville, CBRE’s regional chairman, says: “Glasgow is operating in a fiercely competitive inward investment environment, so a City Deal could and should work well for the city.
“Although the private sector has reacted positively, there is a lot more that can be done, particularly in public transport and public realm.”
