LREF: Landlords and developers looking to serve the creative industries have a “much broader responsibility” than just providing a creative building, delegates heard at LREF today.
Scott Campbell, director of Deloitte Ventures, said that being part of a creative ecosystem was what these sectors were now looking for.
He said: “A massive challenge for London right now is attracting the right talent and that talent is attracted to a changing culture. What space and ecosystems can do for creativity is outstanding.”
Jacob Loftus, founder of creative developer General Projects, agreed that the future of London’s creative sector went beyond office buildings in isolation.
He said: “A lot of businesses, even small start-ups, will be able to find a way to stay in office space in London, even quite centrally. I think there is enough flexibility in the market and enough varying price points. But housing is a real issue and something London needs to be more committed to delivering at an affordable level. If creatives can’t afford to live here, they will leave to find places where they can afford to live and the corporates will follow them.”
Emily Prideaux, head of leasing at Derwent London, added that creative occupiers had become more demanding and that landlords needed to respond to changing requirements as the sector became increasingly mainstream.
“Becoming more demanding is absolutely right as the sector grows. And what people expect from their office space has changed and evolved. It’s no longer a place to sit at a desk, put your head down and work. It needs to be more social.”
Loftus added that even the most traditional areas of London were on the cusp of change, highlighting his One Poultry, EC2, scheme as a case in point.
“There isn’t a formula you can inject into an office building in a traditionally unsexy part of London to attract creative industries, but it is clear that this is now a burgeoning sector driving change across multiple areas of London,” he said.
“The City has been a bastion that hasn’t seen too much of that change and our ambition at One Poultry is to be first of many changing the offering.”
■ Click here to read the latest news from LREF
To send feedback, e-mail emily.wright@egi.co.uk or tweet @EmilyW_9 or @estatesgazette
