Our WPA AGM last week marked the appointment of James Raynor (Chief Executive, Grosvenor Property UK) as the new WPA Chair and Dan Nicholson (Executive Director, GPE) as Vice Chair.
James takes over the leadership from Marcus Geddes (Managing Director, Workplace, Landsec) following the conclusion of his successful two-year term, during which the Association has continued to go from strength-to-strength.
On his appointment, James said: “It is an honour to take on the role of Chair. I look forward to working with WPA members, Westminster City Council and other stakeholders to help secure a successful West End which drives economic and social prosperity.”
You can read more about James’ appointment on our website here and in Estates Gazette here (£).
Business priorities set for 2025/26
In his first address as Chair at the WPA AGM Evening Reception, James set out the business priorities for the first year of his tenure:
Help deliver a thriving and prosperous Westminster by promoting the role of the property sector in creating both near and long-term socio-economic success.
Pioneer a sustainable future Westminsterby supporting the delivery of sustainable development and amplifying the sector’s role in a low carbon future.
Enable a more inclusive and equitable Westminster for allby supporting members and stakeholders in the creation of a more diverse and equitable City.
Taking place at The Howard de Walden Estate’s flagship Hale House, attendees also heard from our keynote speaker, Jules Pipe CBE (Deputy Mayor for Planning and Regeneration, Greater London Authority). Speaking ahead of the publication of the London Plan's direction of travel document, which you can read more about below, Jules provided an update on the Plan's role in supporting the Mayor of London’s growth agenda and highlighted the GLA’s commitment to inclusive and sustainable growth. You can read more on our business priorities hereand the reception here.
WPA Annual Report 2024/2025
To coincide with the AGM, we have released a report detailing our key activities between May 2024 and April 2025. The report covers the three core focuses of the WPA’s work: Research and advocacy, political engagement and membership activities.
There is still time to register for our annual reception at the Malmaison, held in partnership with the Institute of Directors (IoD) Property & Built Environment Group and the Sheffield Property Association.
This reception will mark the publication of our forthcoming report, Social Value in the Built Environment, which seeks to address the lack of consensus over how we define, measure and communicate the significant array of social benefits new development can bring.
Our keynote speaker, Chris Hayward (Policy Chairman, City of London Corporation), will be joined by Kate Josephs CB (Chief Executive, Sheffield City Council) and LPA DEI Committee member Wesley Ankrah (Director of Social Value, Savills).
Register below to secure your place as numbers are strictly limited.
Save the date for the second Sustainable City CharterSummer Showcase which will demystify the language around net zero and share the work Westminster’s small and medium-sized businesses have been undertaking to reduce emissions from their commercial buildings.
Hosted in partnership with Westminster City Council at London Zoo’s Regents Building, this event will bring together leading businesses from across the signatory network with WPA members.
Thank you to all the members and guests who attended our WPA Annual Dinner at The Londoner Hotel.
The event marked Marcus Geddes’ (Landsec) final address to members as WPA Chair and featured a keynote speech by renowned lexicographer and etymologist Susie Dent, who spoke about the origins of some of our industry’s favourite terms and linguistic quirks.
Save the date for our next keynote event, the WPA Annual Lunch, taking place on Thursday 13 November at the Grosvenor House Hotel. The Lunch is our flagship event of the year and one of the largest gatherings of real estate professionals in the UK. Read more about last year's event here.
Tickets sold out last year, so we recommend registering your interest below to be contacted as soon as tickets go on sale.
The Examination in Public (EiP) of Westminster City Council’s Partial Review of its City Plan took place last week and included discussions on affordable housing, site allocations and the emerging retrofit first policy. WPA was represented at the hearings by WPA Planning Consultants' Group Vice Chair James Wickham (Partner, Newmark), Roy Pinnock (Partner, Dentons) and the Newmark team. You can read Newmark’s reflections on EiP here.
London Plan direction of travel published
The Greater London Authority is consulting on potential areas of inclusion in the forthcoming London Plan, including housing supply, economic growth, development and environmental considerations. Find out more and respond to the consultation before 22 Junehere.
WPA responds to Oxford Street Transformation consultation
We have stated our support for policies that are designed to drive the long-term regeneration and prosperity of Oxford Street, stressing the importance of implementing any initiatives urgently and with clarity to prevent uncertainty for the industry. Read the response here.
Help inform the Westminster After Dark Strategy
The draft Strategy, which is being consulted on until 22 June, sets out a vision for a safer, accessible and more inclusive City between 6pm and 6am. This comes as the City Council approved The Blue Note Jazz Club’s licence to remain open until 1am Monday to Saturday, despite objections from the Metropolitan Police. Read more and respond to the consultation here.
Have your say on the Victoria Neighbourhood Plan
There is still time to respond to the City Council’s consultation which considers policies relating to green infrastructure, public realm and land use. Share your views before 19 Mayhere.
Westminster news
Grade A office space set for post-2025 squeeze
Cushman & Wakefield has warned that only 5.91m sq ft of prime office space will be available in the capital beyond 2025, with most new developments already pre-let. This strong demand has driven up rents, with the West End seeing a 14% rise over the past year to £160/sq ft. Read more here (£).
45% of UK firms planning to up office space
Of the companies polled by Irwin Mitchell, more than four times as many are looking to expand their office space over the next 12 to 18 months than reduce it. Of these, 49% are planning to reconfigure their existing space whilst 23% are considering relocation. Read more here (£).
Sustainable City Charter update
Charter hits new milestone
Pimlico church St James The Less is the 100th member to join the Charter, a free and collaborative climate pledge comprising a network of likeminded Westminster organisations committed to reducing their building emissions.
You can see the full list of Charter signatories here.
Net zero workspaces in Westminster seminar
We had a full room at our seminar exploring the most impactful ways to reduce operational carbon. Guests heard from Dr Amy Jones,Director for Environment and Climate Change, Westminster City Council, who provided an update on the Sustainable City Charter followed by a panel discussion exploring how to drive down building emissions through ongoing engagement between occupiers and landlords. Read more here.
Exclusive signatory toolkit
Charter signatories have access to an online toolkit including guidance, support and best practice to help make Westminster a net zero city by 2040. If your company is not a signatory, please email Westminster City Council's Climate Emergency team here for more details on how to join.
Partner resources
Youth Engagement: The missing piece in successful developments webinar
Hosted by our charity partners 2-3 Degrees, this interactive webinar will help developers, planners and social value teams rethink youth engagement as a powerful toolthat can unlock community trust, strengthen planning outcomes and build local pride in their project. Register here.
Date: Tuesday 13 May
Time: 2:00pm - 3.30pm
Location: Online
Upcoming LandAid fundraisers
Join the Race for LandAid and/or the LandAid Trek 2025 to raise vital funds for young people experiencing homelessness across the UK. Register for the race here and the trek here.
Race for LandAid 2025
What: A 5k, 10k or 10-mile run or walk
Date: Thursday 19 June
Location: Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
LandAid Trek 2025
What: A trek across the Edale Skyline
Date: Friday 19 September
Location: Peak District
LREF 2025
This annual event at Guidhall brings together industry leaders, policy makers and trailblazers to share the latest thinking and help drive equitable and sustainable investment and development across the capital. The focus for 2025 is partnership, exploring what true, productive collaboration in real estate looks like in delivering the best outcomes.
As a key partner to LREF we are able to offer WPA members £100 off ticket prices using the code: NLAREF. Buy your ticket here.
Date: Wednesday 17 September
Location: Guildhall, 71 Basinghall St, EC2V 7HH
Improving ethnic diversity in the built environment
Future of London is inviting employers to take part in the fourth cycle of its Emerging Talent Programme, a 15-month initiative designed to boost diversity and bring ambitious new talent into the built environment sector. Developers, housing associations, SMEs, consultancies and local authorities can take party by offering paid work experience for nine months starting end of June 2025, and a further six months from March 2026. Contact hermione@futureoflondon.org.uk for more information.
Heart of the City’s Climate Action Toolkit
Heart of the City’s free online Climate Action Toolkit is designed to help SME’s reach net zero by creating their first net zero action plan. The toolkit is split into four easy to follow step-by-step modules, designed by sustainability experts to get SMEs started on their net zero journey. Access the toolkit here.
In the latest interview of our Empowering Women in Real Estate series, we spoke to LPA DEI Committee Co-Chair Katy Ghahremani (Make Architects) about her experience in the sector and the importance of a diverse workforce in helping to drive positive change within the built environment. You can read the interview with Katy here.
For more information on how to make central London’s real estate sector more accessible and inclusive,, read our series of guidebooks here.
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