ExCeL London gets green light for expansion

Volterra are delighted to see the expansion of ExCeL London receive planning approval. An additional 25,000sqm of premium event space will be delivered at ExCeL London, increasing overall floorspace at the venue by 25%. This expansion will allow ExCeL London to continue to host the biggest and best events, attracting visitors from all over the […]
Northern line extension – South London welcomes the long awaited arrival of two new underground stations

We are very pleased to see the opening of the London Underground Northern Line extension today, the first major addition to the Tube network this century. This brings much needed connectivity across the capital, carrying passengers to new stops at Nine Elms and Battersea Power Station. Battersea is now only a 15-minute direct ride from […]
Pelham Street – Planning consent for the development of two office schemes on Pelham Street in South Kensington has been granted.

Plans to deliver approximately 12,000 m2 (GIA) of high-quality office floorspace across both schemes (40 Pelham Street, and 63-81 Pelham Street), which also includes a gym as part of the amenities, were recently approved by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. At its core, the development will help satisfy the growing need for workspace […]
Blackwall Yard – Planning permission for the development of a large-scale mixed use complex on the banks of the River Thames has been granted
Plans to deliver approximately 900 residential units at Blackwall Yard – an area located on the banks of the River Thames in Tower Hamlets – were recently approved by the local council. The residential-led scheme will completely regenerate the area, opening up pedestrian links along the Thames. It will provide a new primary school and […]
Nine Elms Hotel – Planning permission for the development of a new hotel complex in the heart of London has been secured.

Plans to deliver a 600-room hotel in Nine Elms were recently approved by Wandsworth Council. Nine Elms is envisaged to become an internationally renowned business district and new centre for arts and culture in London, and the hotel will be an important part of that. The development is expected to generate a range of economic […]
Ellie speaker at Policy Forum for London event
Ellie was recently invited to speak at the Policy Forum for London’s event on the priorities for developing London’s night time economy. Specialising in the economic impact of developments and proposals, Ellie spoke about London’s night time economy hotspots and historic growth, as well as the business case for the Night Tube. When thinking about the […]
What changes could Hyperloop deliver?

The last in our series of blogs on WEBs. Having worked on the Hyperloop projects, Volterra Partner Paul Buchanan looks at the impact futuristic modes of transport have on WEBs. WEBs and Hyperloop I have been lucky to work on four or five Hyperloop projects; this means thinking about the impact of Hyperloop on where […]
The history of Wider Economic Benefits (WEBs)

Paul Buchanan started WEBs, secured the original approval of WEBs by government and has continued to develop the techniques and spread the application of WEBs ever since. This series of blogs looks at some of the key changes and innovations that were introduced over time. They range from the original work on Crossrail, through early […]
A planning crisis

Partly due to its success in attracting jobs and talent, demand for housing in London has outstripped supply and now home ownership is unaffordable for many households. In a well-functioning market, increases in house prices should incentivise large scale housing development. But this simply has not happened. So what is constraining housing development in the […]
Blame restrictions on the supply of land for new homes for rising wealth inequality

Official data released last week on London house price increases in 2016 generated a lot of interest. Given that housing represents by far the most important component of wealth for most people, it is not surprising that stories like this are read avidly. There is a feeling that the current situation regarding the affordability of […]