The City of London has denied that it will be turning office towers into homes. In this interview, Policy Chair Catherine McGuinness tells Peter Murray that recent press headlines on stories about the Corporation’s recovery plans were “very misleading.”
 
“The City of London is and will remain a business centre. There will be a modest growth in housing in line with the new London Plan, but this is not going to be at the expense of workspace. Office needs and supporting retail and cultural activities will take priority.”
 
McGuinness was responding to questions about the City’s recently published  post-COVID recovery report, “The Square Mile - Future City” and its aim of ensuring the Square Mile is the world’s most innovative, inclusive and sustainable business eco-system, as well as an attractive place to invest, work, live and visit. It headlines a world-class business eco-system, outstanding environments and a vibrant cultural offer.
 
The City of tomorrow says McGuinness has to be an attractive place to do business. “It is clear that innovation is the way of the future and we’ve already seen an increase in the number of tech businesses within the City and we want to encourage that to grow..”
 
“It won’t be enough for people to come in and sit at their desks – they want somewhere where they can enjoy the many assets of the City outside of the office. We realise the importance of place and of people.”
 
The Corporation will be animating the streets and creating open spaces for people to linger in and has plans for a five-year marketing campaign to showcase the City. It will work with the property industry to deliver more sustainable and more flexible buildings to help meet the Corporation’s Zero Carbon target of 2040, McGuinness said.