Date: Tue 18th November, 2008
Venue: The Bridgewater Hall, Lower Mosley Street, Manchester, M2 3WS
Number of Guests Attended: 130
It’s become a tradition for the biggest winner at the Insider Property Awards to speak at an Insider property breakfast.
In recent years the likes of Tom Bloxham, Ken Knott, David Russell and Sir Howard Bernstein have taken to the Bridgewater Hall stage in Manchester, while in 2007 Modus Properties managing director Brendan Flood gave a very astute analysis of the changing relationship between banking and property, forecasting difficult times for many and opportunity for some.
Tough acts to follow, but Peel Holdings managing director Andrew Simpson, the man handpicked by executive chairman John Whittaker to head his ever-expanding property, infrastructure, transport and energy business, proved himself more than capable of entertaining and informing the 130 guests.
Peel is a business that has a strong sense of its own identity, and this was one of the key themes of Simpson’s address. He said: “Peel is about what we stand for as much as it’s about what we do. This business is about long-term vision, future-proofing, leaving a legacy and re-investing in the region.
“We’ve been described as difficult and as loners but that’s because we don’t take the easy option, we won’t be bullied into bad decisions or supporting bad ideas. We are a business that has shown its preparedness to pump-prime areas – I found out recently that the first offices we built in Salford Quays in 1986 were loss-making for 20 years, but look at Salford Quays today compared with then.
"We’re not a philanthropist but we are a social investor that believes in creating employment, opportunities and giving something back.”
Simpson provided an update of the various Peel projects in the public eye. On MediaCity, he has taken a more hands-on role following the departure of managing director Brian Greasley, and has secured Northwest Regional Development Agency chairman Bryan Gray as chairman.
He said: “We appreciate people are eager for news, but you've got to appreciate the BBC aren’t due until 2011 and this is a long-term project to create a place of global significance in the media and creative industries. The convergence of technology in recent years has brought areas like broadcast, telecommunications, film, video games and internet providers into the same field and we want to bring a critical mass across those areas here. We’re hopeful that the ITV relocation will come to fruition and that we can make more announcements soon – although in the current environment it’s not an easy sell.”
Simpson repeated Whittaker’s call in September for a more flexible planning regime to support Peel’s Ocean Gateway plans. In Merseyside, not only is Peel behind the Liverpool Waters and Wirral Waters development projects, it has major plans for its Mersey Docks & Harbour Company and Peel Energy divisions too.
Peel’s sheer size can intimidate and Simpson’s closing remarks hinted that he feels the business isn’t given the credit it deserves: “We’ve spent a year calling for a referendum and been called undemocratic. We’ve been called selfish, but have played a leading role in the New Manchester Children’s Hospital. We’ve been called dinosaurs but plan to build a world-leading digital hub. But we believe that our work will stand the test of time.”
