Building London: Development Viability and the Race to Delivery

The conversation highlighted the increasingly complex balancing act developers, investors, lenders and local authorities are navigating. Rising construction costs, evolving planning requirements and funding pressures are all having a significant impact on scheme viability. At the same time, there is a growing urgency to deliver the homes, workplaces and infrastructure London needs.

What made the discussion particularly valuable was the honesty of the debate. While the challenges are significant, there was some optimism around the opportunities for innovation, collaboration and greater certainty across the development lifecycle. The panel explored how stakeholders can work together to unlock stalled projects, improve delivery timelines and create developments that remain commercially viable while meeting wider social and environmental objectives.

A huge thank you to my fellow panellists Thomasin Renshaw at Greystar, James Saunders at Battersea Power Station Development Company, Nabeel Khan at Oxford Street Development Corporation, Barbara Marino at Keltbray and Mark Cunninhgam at Blick Rothenberg for sharing their insights and contributing to such an engaging discussion. It was encouraging to see so many industry leaders focused not just on the obstacles facing the market, but on the practical solutions that will help drive London's next wave of development.