London Property Alliance has responded to the House of Lords’ Built Environment Committee’s ‘Call for Ideas’ on future inquiry themes. We have called on the Committee to investigate two key issues for our sector: classifying offices as critical economic infrastructure and the need to improve communication around social value in the built environment. Read our full submission below.
Offices as Critical Economic Infrastructure / loss of office space in central London
The Committee could investigate whether the planning system is adequately protecting and renewing the office space needed to drive the economic growth and competitiveness of London and other major UK cities.
Our research with Centre for London shows that multinational businesses are struggling to find the high-quality workspace needed for their global or European headquarters in the capital, raising the risk that investment and jobs will be lost from the UK to competing international cities.
Research with Knight Frank shows that despite the advent of the Elizabeth line, strong occupier demand and forecasts of a future shortfall, central London lost 14million sq ft of office space between 2018 and 2023. More than half of the capital’s office stock is now classed as ‘secondary’: increasingly unable to meet modern business needs.
This issue sits at the intersection of planning, transport, infrastructure and economic development. Offices are the physical infrastructure underpinning the UK’s service economy, which accounts for c.80% of national employment and economic output. Their planning and development generate funding for local infrastructure, including transport; office occupation drives city-centre vitality; and the clustering of workers drives productivity and innovation.
Government is already involved through planning policy. The Committee should examine whether offices in strategically important commercial districts should be recognised as critical economic infrastructure: afforded greater weight in planning decisions and stronger protection from the loss of employment space.
This would be a timely inquiry as built environment debates have largely focused on housing, while the role of employment space in supporting national prosperity has received comparatively little attention. The Committee could explore how renewing and expanding offices can improve productivity, attract international investment and sustain high-value jobs.
Suggested witnesses include representatives from MHCLG, HM Treasury, the GLA, City of London Corporation and London Councils – alongside major occupiers, developers and investors.
Communicating Social Value / lack of transparency in the planning system
The Committee could investigate whether the planning system is sufficiently transparent in communicating the public benefits generated by development and how this affects public trust and support for growth.
While development routinely delivers benefits through mechanisms such as Section 106 agreements, Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) contributions, employment, training opportunities and public realm improvements, much of this value remains poorly understood or invisible to local communities. Research commissioned by the London Property Alliance has identified a growing disconnect between the benefits generated by development and public perceptions of the built environment sector.
This issue covers planning, infrastructure, regeneration and community engagement. Significant contributions are secured through development, yet there is often limited transparency around how they are spent, little connection made between completed infrastructure and the developments that helped fund it, and no consistent approach to communicating collective impact.
Government is already involved through planning policy, regulations around Section 106 agreements and CIL and wider objectives around growth and regeneration. The inquiry could examine whether greater transparency, consistency and collaboration between developers, local authorities and strategic bodies could improve public understanding and confidence.
This would be a timely and innovative inquiry as debate about development often focuses on perceived impacts, while the wider social and economic benefits receive far less attention. The inquiry could explore how social value can be communicated across the full lifecycle of buildings and places, from planning and construction through to occupation and long-term stewardship, and how clearer communication could strengthen trust in development while supporting sustainable economic growth.
Suggested witnesses include MHCLG, the GLA, local authorities, developers, investors, occupiers, managing agents, community organisations and social value practitioners.
Further reading:
Report: Space for Change: Office space dynamics in central London
Report: Global Cities Survey (March 2026)
Report: Social Value in the Built Environment
Press release: London property sector calls on Chancellor to recognise offices as ‘critical economic infrastructure’ to unlock growth
Press release: Social Value key to restoring trust in planning and development
