Long Hot Summer

The release of the song coincided with a heatwave in Britain that summer, something that Weller couldn’t have known about when the song was written. One of the legends of British music, Paul Weller achieved fame with The Jam during the 1970s and 80s with 18 consecutively released top 40 singles, including 4 chart toppers. Biographer Sean Egan commented that they “took social protest and cultural authenticity to the top of the charts.” Released in January 1982 and entering the charts at No 1, A Town Called Malice has a significant place in popular culture, including a key scene in the Billy Elliott film and being played before every home game of both Crystal Palace and Millwall.

A long hot summer is what we are all hoping for, after the miserable May we have had. The forecast for the next couple of weeks is promising!

The most recent step on England’s Covid roadmap has seen a further opening up of the economy, with indoor hospitality providing some shelter from the rain and a much-needed boost to this sector. Confusion reigns regarding international travel and of course the Indian variant is of growing concern in some parts and has the potential to delay the more general opening of the economy towards the end of June.

I had my 2nd jab last week and the impact of the Indian variant is demonstrating the benefits of being vaccinated fully and encouraging some of those that were initially reluctant to step forwards. Social responsibility has been described as an individual’s obligation to work and cooperate with other individuals and organizations for the benefit of society at large.

Vital EPC Update

The Government looks likely to raise the minimum energy efficiency standard (MEES) for to let commercial properties to Grade B by 2030 and is currently consulting on interim requirements, most likely minimum Grade C by 2027.

This is not as draconian as it may sound. The average EPC grade for commercial properties today is D.

There are over 1 million commercial EPCs on the Government’s database so we recommend landlords go to www.epcregister.com and enter the postcodes of all of their properties to find those which already have EPCs (some may have been obtained by their tenants).

Consider obtaining EPCs for properties that do not yet have one and start to plan now for improving those with poor grades, making good use of any void period as this is by far the easiest time to undertake work.

Earlier this month the City of London announced plans to build 1,500 new homes in former office blocks left vacant due to the Pandemic.

Since 2015, property developers have been allowed to convert offices into apartments without getting full planning permission, under a system called permitted development rights – and that policy now applies to shops and warehouses, too.

There are plenty of pros to converting commercial properties to homes, however, it can come with some potential pitfalls, such as being able to get a mortgage. Remember offices and shops were not meant to be used as bedrooms, so check there is sufficient noise protection.

Another issue is that, if a property has just been converted to residential use, lenders will class them as new builds, even if they are decades or even centuries old. This will mean a higher deposit and a potential problem for first time buyers in particular.

Find out the uses of the buildings around the property. This could have a serious impact on your experience of living there.

You should also consider whether there are any restrictions on renovating or extending the converted property.

There are lots to consider when purchasing a converted property and although they are not everyone’s idea of a dream home, they do offer a chance to live in a central location at a more affordable price.

Introducing more natural elements into any workspace environment can have a significant impact on employees. Particularly at a time when companies are asking basic questions about the future role their offices should perform. 

Questions relating to the way a space supports collaboration and creativity – while also ensuring employees feel safe if and when they make the return.

The catch all phrase for creating office spaces that ‘bring the outdoors inside’ through a thoughtful blend of nature, space, and place, is biophilic design. A concept that’s growing in influence as employees seek more people-focused design, able to connect them to the wider, natural environment as lockdowns begin to ease.

It’s also a design philosophy that delivers immediate benefits. The RHS for example, suggests the greatest benefits of biophilic design, include wellbeing and productivity improvement. In addition, the use of plants can also:

• Reduce anxiety, tension, and fatigue by up to 37%
• Decrease symptoms of ill health by 25%
• Clean the air by absorbing CO2 and releasing oxygen