summer 2010

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the official publication of West London Business

Network connectionsA look back at recent

business events, page 32

West London at mIPImHow the region was promoted at the property event, page 24

Political landscapeHow the western boroughs shape up after the election, page 12 Debating the future

Creative London 2010, page 5Heathrow takes offThe latest developments at the airport, page 10

The BBC’s vision for West London

Creative workplaCe

WLB: What is the story behind BBC Workplace?Chris Kane: BBC Workplace was formed as a result of the restructuring and re-branding of the former Property Department, where we are implementing a fully integrated supply chain incorporating property, construction/design and facilities management as a unified operating model. Our function has gone through a fundamental transformation – it is no longer just about looking after the bricks and mortar and servicing buildings. The BBC expects us to act as a change agent managing a £2 billion transformation programme that currently includes four major building projects as part of the BBC’s 2020 Vision. To put the scale of this restructuring into context, 60 per cent of our total

estate of about 500 properties and 616,000 square metres of space across the UK, will have changed and 30 per cent of our portfolio will have been disposed of by 2015.

As the head of BBC Workplace, I am responsible for the development, financing and implementation of the BBC’s property strategy and for managing a team of 2,500 people who provide the right workplace for the world’s largest media organisation and, crucially, ensure that our broadcast output is kept on air around the clock.

WLB: Now that the BBC’s historic centre of gravity is shifting away from being London-centric, what does the future hold for the Corporation in west London?CK: The BBC aims to move a proportion of its London based production to the rest of the UK by 2015, which will result in a more balanced use of the license fee. By that date we will still have 50 per cent of output coming from London. Our move to Salford is the best example of this rebalancing exercise where our project at the MediaCityUK development, a vast 30,000 square metre new media centre at Salford Quays, is creating new jobs in the North. Around 1,500 or our staff will be moving from London to Salford next year in our efforts to become less London-centric and better represent the UK. The BBC is the anchor tenant at MediaCityUK, at the centre of a media, creative and academic hub built on 200 acres of former dockland. The project is designed to bring significant economic benefits to the region estimated at £250 million per annum. Salford is a template for our regeneration ambitions in W12 and the Creative London concept.

It is important to remember that 7,000 people will remain in west London, including those based at the Media Village and White City, so the area will continue to be an important part of the BBC’s future in the long-term.

WLB: Can you please tell us more about the “Creative London” idea?CK: Creative London is our vision for the mixed use regeneration of 100 acres around the Wood Lane area, with the aim of building a place where people live, work and spend leisure time in a stimulating environment. It could become London’s largest creative community: A regeneration project for the whole of W12, with the BBC’s creative engine at its heart, delivering financial, operational and cultural benefits to all.

The BBC has the opportunity to be the catalyst in west London for what I believe will become the UK’s global hub for the creative industries. The district has the potential to forge a distinctive reputation with a rich and dynamic mix of start-ups, SMEs and large companies interacting, exchanging creative ideas and innovating. It would also give momentum to outer London, offering the chance to change commuting patterns by reducing the reliance on central London.

Regeneration of the Wood Lane area is now well under way, with the sale of the former BBC Worldwide site at Woodlands to Imperial College London being complete. The 7.7 acre site is being transformed into a

West London Business interviews Chris Kane, the head of BBC Workplace

Creative workplace

“ At White City the BBC has the opportunity to be the catalyst for what will become the uK’s global hub for the creative industries”

The BBC’s White City

The BBC’s vision for West London

8 www.westlondon.com

profile Chris Kane

Curriculum vitaeChris Kane joined the BBC in January 2004 as head of corporate real estate. Under his leadership the property department has been restructured and relaunched as BBC Workplace. As head of BBC Workplace he is responsible for the development,

financing and implementation of the BBC’s property strategy and for

managing the team that is providing the right workplace for the most creative organisation in the world.Prior to joining the BBC, Chris was vice-president of International Corporate Real Estate for the Walt Disney Company, where he managed Disney’s international portfolio. Before moving to Disney, Chris was a partner in Jones Lang

LaSalle, where he was integral in launching a new Corporate

Real Estate service for clients.He has an MBA from Henley

Management College, as well as a Diploma in Project Management from the

College of Estate Management and a BSc in Surveying from Trinity College, Dublin. Chris also holds a Masters in Corporate Real Estate and is a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.

state-of-the-art teaching, research and administration facility for the top science-based university, as well as quality affordable accommodation for postgraduate students. Imperial share our vision and values and their presence is a crucial step towards achieving the Creative London vision, reinforcing the innovative and creative culture of the area. We have also bolstered our commitment to the area with the relocation of BBC Research and Development to W12.

WLB: What is your vision for the ‘Poly-Centric City’ that you will be speaking about at the forthcoming Creative London 2010 event?CK: The poly-centric, or multi-centred city is essentially a new, 21st century approach to regeneration. It is exemplified by Creative London, with the private and public sectors working together responsibly for the benefit of society by creating employment and quality housing. This approach demands a new mindset and way of working, where the achievements of the last century are built on. Up until now, mixed use developments have been driven by planning regulations. However, I believe that we need a fresh approach to planning, which needs a much broader view that takes the requirements of local communities into account. We can also learn from what has already been achieved in cities across the globe, especially in mainland Europe and the Middle and Far East.

“ I believe that we need a fresh approach to planning, that takes the requirements of local communities into account”

The BBC’s new Media Centre

summer 2010 businesswest 9