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sadly I forgot about capitalism. Lab rents are 3-4 times higher than retail and office round here, so if you can get a few labs and a few more storeys in then it’s a no-brainer to kick Halfords and Pets4U out
Hate to stick my head above the parapet in support for capitalism but this is what productivity gains look like, no?
It is not a natural law that people born in the UK are unable to get the right credentials to do these jobs... if you take Keir at face value he has a plan for this.
NickCJ-
But what if I don’t have COVID and instead need windscreen wipers?
Obviously no one cares about Halfords really, and in big places like London it’s no great shakes when small retail and hospitality units are lost, but little old Cambridge is becoming [even more] devoid of culture because of the expense of property making it impossible for fun people to make small businesses work here. Not important to the wealthy introvert nerds but sad if you want to chat with other humans away from your house. I should probably just move.
Hefty
It’s the latest thing.
Here in Cambridge, where the life science comes from and the beagles live in fear, they’re trying to turn shops in retail streets into labs:
https://www.cambridgeindependent.co.uk/news/amp/fitzroy-street-shop-site-could-become-city-s-first-urban-lab-9284999/
And even whole retail parks:
https://ukpropertyforums.com/the-beehive-centre-could-be-replaced-with-science-or-tech-site/
As retail, particularly chain shops started to struggle, I dreamed this would mean rents would fall and independent businesses would start to be able to afford to exist in the city centre, sadly I forgot about capitalism. Lab rents are 3-4 times higher than retail and office round here, so if you can get a few labs and a few more storeys in then it’s a no-brainer to kick Halfords and Pets4U out.
Pharma and biotech and all the stuff around it has grown massively in the last decade and is predicted to continue to do so and it’s posh work so immigration is OK.