Holy Exemplar
As well as luxury flats, shops and grade-A offices, Exemplar can now add supporting the spiritual world of Fitzrovia to its list of offerings. Exemplar and Aviva Investors, which developed Fitzroy Place, W1, have helped to preserve the Grade II listed Fitzrovia Chapel on the site. As well as putting £2m towards restoring the chapel, the pair will be providing £300,000 to support the new charity created to safeguard the building – the Fitzrovia Chapel Foundation. The new venue will be open to the public in spring 2015, for weddings and exhibitions. God bless them.
Keeping up with the Joneses
HB Reavis made a bold statement to the market with its launch party at the Shard, SE1, this week. The eastern European developer, which made its debut in London last year, packed the room full of City agents and encouraged them in no uncertain terms to come forward with opportunities. The lavish launch was clearly too good an opportunity to miss for Shard developer Irvine Sellar, who couldn’t resist dropping in to the event to “check on the competition”.
For love and money
As politicians and property hotshots discussed Scotland’s relationship with the rest of the UK at Estates Gazette’s Edinburgh Question Time last week, Scotland’s minister for local government and planning, Derek MacKay, accused investors south of the border of “love bombing” Scotland. “Well, that was the night before; this is the morning after,” said MacKay. “Show us your money now then, if you love us and you want to invest, then let’s build more of that partnership.”
Sibling Rivalry
The Blair family was creating waves in the property industry again this week. But this time it wasn’t the former prime minister ?but his brother who was moving the market. Sir William James Blair, a high court judge, ruled against Colliers International in its long-running court battle over a valuation claim in Germany this week. Colliers will appeal the decision (and it will be its insurers that feel the pain should it fail in any event) but given the number of agents from rival firms who attended the hearing to swot up ahead of their own negligence claims, it looks like Blair’s legacy might rival that of his brother.
Sprinkling some magic
Of all the predictably eccentric lobbyists hawking their wares at the Labour Party conference, Diary was surprised to stumble across a stand in the main hall dedicated to the Business Sprinkler Association. Providing sprinklers for commercial premises might not be something you naturally associate with traditional Labour values, but a worthy cause nonetheless. And they even managed to snap themselves a selfie with MP for West Ham and shadow fire and communities minister Lyn Brown.
Life is like a box of chocolates
Speaking of odd Labour lobbying techniques, Diary also witnessed a rather touching moment at the conference this year: affordable rent campaign group Generation Rent’s director Alex Hilton presenting shadow housing minister Emma Reynolds with a box of chocolates for her attention to the affordable housing cause. The offering would have been a tad more heart-warming moment had it not been potentially tinged with sarcasm – Hilton’s blogs are well-known for being highly critical of Labour across a whole range of topics. Something of a peace offering, then?
Driven to dispair
Diary can’t get enough of party political conferences these days – as this, the third in a run of entries this week, might suggest. Neither can Max Farrell. The Farrells partner (and son of Sir Terry) was hot-footing it to a dinner at the Tories’ bash in Birmingham on Sunday night. His cab driver, as is their way, was busily complaining about the road layout when he interrupted himself to ask: “So, are you a Tory politician then?” “No,” said Farrell. “I’m an architect-planner.” “Urgh,” said the cab driver, disgusted. “You’re worse than a politician then.” A little harsh perhaps? Answers on a postcard.
emily.wright@estatesgazette.com
