Spec Finish

Feature Peter Rogers CBE, Partner at Lipton Rogers Developments, shares with us a strong message of hope for specialists and discusses some of his experiences including his different approach as a developer to complex building projects. A STRONG MESSAGE OF HOPE 20 www.thefis.org R ENOWNED charismatic developer Peter Rogers, participated in the panel discussion at the FIS AGM and Regional Conference which was held at the Broadgate Tower, London. The panel debated the transformation in the sector and how we deliver Faster, Greener, Better. As the co-founder of Stanhope, founder- Chairman of the UKGreen Building Council, and a developer of complex building projects such as Broadgate andTwentytwo Bishopsgate, Peter was perfectly placed to offer his expert opinion to themembers and guests. The London skyline is continually evolving and changing and is one of the most picturesque cities in the world. Peter has been the developer of many iconic buildings. Peter said: “London is a very sound market, this is partly because the property rules are very well established, investors around the world love to invest here and this means it will always be in demand. “With new projects, we need to remember that, with the scale of project which I deal with, the cycle is a good 10 years from the buying to getting people on site. It is important to note that present investors are being cautious however, once a site is bought, they want to get on with it which helps to keep a project moving”. Challenges facing the industry Peter explained that right now, he sees that we have two challenges; one affects all of the industry, and the other affects part of the industry. He said: “The first problem is pricing which is very difficult and the effect is that projects are slowing down to try and see what happens. Until these calm down, everyone is being cautious. “The second is the Building Safety Act which will affect housing. In my opinion, this was rushed out and is hugely bureaucratic. It risks bringing buildings to a slowdown as it has added a lot of costs and time which affect investments. Unless HSE really Peter Rogers CBE, Partner at Lipton Rogers Developments LLP