It’s that time of year, when Business Link Magazine invites the region’s business leaders to offer up their predictions for the year ahead.
It has become something of a tradition, given that we’ve been doing this now for over 30 years.
Here we speak to Dr Edward Ziff, Chairman and Chief Executive of Town Centre Securities PLC, the property developer and car parking operator.
One of my predictions last year was that we hoped that the general public would return to the high street to support local and national businesses and for us to see a return to normality as soon as possible. Whilst we are still a far cry away from ‘normal’, it is encouraging to see the high street opening with many of our hospitality tenants flourishing as customers crave an experience finally outside of their own homes.
With this in mind, the government, local authorities, local employers and large organisations all have a responsibility to encourage their staff to safely return to the office to fill our public transport, our shops, restaurants and coffee shops and encourage the collaboration and innovation that fuels our growth and builds our future.
Town Centre Securities remain committed to our strategy and will continue to actively manage our assets, sell certain retail assets to maximise our available capital, invest in our development pipeline and acquire assets to improve our portfolio.
COVID-19 of course remains the big risk as any further lockdowns would create further damage, and the need for the Government to communicate its plans clearly in advance is crucial.
I am confident that our focus on the two growing and exciting cities of Leeds and Manchester, where we are helping to create a sense of place and purpose for living and working, will enable us to generate value for all our stakeholders as the world returns to normality.
As we take further steps towards returning to normal life, I wish everyone the very best for 2022.
