{"id":78063,"date":"2025-06-19T18:37:02","date_gmt":"2025-06-19T17:37:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/?p=78063"},"modified":"2025-12-05T12:50:23","modified_gmt":"2025-12-05T12:50:23","slug":"bco-spending-review-response","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/bco-spending-review-response","title":{"rendered":"Chancellor\u2019s \u00a315bn local transport boost is just the ticket for unlocking regional office development"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\"\"<\/p>

The \u00a315.6bn earmarked for local transport by Rachel Reeves last week is a welcome intervention that will have impacts beyond those set out in the Spending Review. It is not just about moving people; it is a strategic investment in our urban centres that has the potential to spur economic growth through regional office investment.<\/p>

Improved connectivity inevitably enhances the long-term viability and attractiveness of office locations for both occupiers and investors. By making city centres more accessible and appealing, it creates the conditions for businesses to thrive, increasing the demand for high-quality office spaces and ultimately contributing to the \u201cplace-based growth\u201d goals of the government\u2019s Growth Mission Fund.<\/p>

Primarily targeted at England’s city regions across Yorkshire, the North West, Midlands and the South West, the announced funding will complement and incentivise the private sector-driven placemaking that underpins the most ambitious office schemes in our regional cities.<\/p>

Regional impact<\/strong><\/p>

In Greater Manchester, \u00a32.5bn has been allocated for growing the Metrolink tram network, with new tram stops in Bury, Manchester and Oldham, plus a Metrolink extension to Stockport. Some 1,000 new electric buses are also planned.<\/p>

Expanding the Metrolink network will directly benefit the growing prime office cluster at St Peter\u2019s Square in the city\u2019s Civic Quarter and the nearby Spinningfields, expanding the catchment for viable commuting and improving the service for those already using the network.<\/p>

The increased funding for city region transport and the long-awaited TransPennine Route upgrade, will play a pivotal role in stimulating the office market across the North as a whole. Faster, more affordable, and predictable commuter routes will support greater attendance in offices, improving productivity and collaboration in the long term.<\/p>

\u201cProposed investment in mass transit networks is not just about mobility \u2013 it\u2019s about economic parity,\u201d says BCO Northern Committee chair Alex Stork. \u201cFor example, current headline office rents in Bradford sit at \u00a322 per sq ft compared with \u00a341 and \u00a345 in Leeds and Manchester respectively. If regional hubs like Bradford are better connected, we will see a more balanced and thriving office landscape in those underinvested areas as a result.\u201d<\/p>

In the Midlands, some \u00a32.4bn will be invested into the West Midlands Metro, a project that is set to enhance regional connectivity, unlock development potential and support wider economic growth.<\/p>

The Spending Review also confirmed funding for the next stage of the planning and development for the Midlands Rail Hub. It is expected to dramatically increase rail capacity into Birmingham and provide a step-change in connectivity across the wider region, driving economic growth and thousands of new homes and jobs.<\/p>

\u201cStrategic investments in infrastructure, sustainability and skills development are set to drive long-term growth, while short-term economic factors may influence the trajectory of the office market,\u201d says chair of the BCO Midlands committee Robert van Zyl. \u201cWe hope that this level of public commitment helps restore confidence across the city and local office community.\u201d<\/p>

More than mobility<\/strong><\/p>

However, infrastructure alone cannot deliver growth. While there is plenty of evidence that shows that when the commute is timely, clunky and expensive, workers stay home, how an office enables a valuable work experience matters in equal measure.<\/p>

The British Council for Offices Guide to Specification<\/em> now puts location, showers and bike stores, and energy performance on a par with floor\u2011plate efficiency. That means that offices beyond the ticket barrier therefore have to repay the effort of the commute, providing energy\u2011efficient workplaces with real amenities that recreate the social buzz that remote work lacks.<\/p>

If investment in transport makes it easier to attend the office, a key challenge for occupiers will be maintaining a consistent and inclusive experience across multiple work settings. \u00a0While working patterns have evolved from a single place of work to multiple \u201cplaces\u201d of work in the new hybrid model, not all employees have access to high-quality home setups or suitable third spaces. The proposed regional transport improvements, especially in smaller towns and rural areas, should enable more equitable access to the best quality work environments.<\/p>

The role of the BCO<\/strong><\/p>

So, what role can we at the BCO have to help insure our regions make the most of this proposed increased investment in infrastructure?<\/p>

Unlocking the Growth Mission Fund cash will flow only where promoters show a clear link between quicker, greener journeys and productive, people\u2011centred buildings.<\/p>

Together we can help highlight the importance of commercial workspace in the revival of our towns and cities and can connect with our regional city leaders to help them link offices to transport in every bid for funding they make.<\/p>

By connecting people to jobs and businesses to talent, efficient transport systems amplify the impact of other investments made through the Growth Mission Fund and Local Plans.<\/p>

It was once said that \u201cif you build it, they will come\u201d, but it is equally true that \u201cif they come, we will build it\u201d. The investment case is clear, let\u2019s use this opportunity to maintain the momentum of regeneration across our regional cities.<\/p>

\u201cConcrete and coworking pods will not revive our cities on their own,\u201d says chair of the BCO Scotland committee Peter Kerr. \u201cPeople will return when the journey is swift and the destination inspiring. This \u00a315bn is the opening bid; turning it into footfall and growth falls to transport chiefs, developers and employers alike.\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The \u00a315.6bn earmarked for local transport by Rachel Reeves last week is a welcome intervention that will have impacts beyond those set out in the Spending Review.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":42,"featured_media":78090,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,97],"tags":[6],"class_list":["post-78063","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-media-hub","category-news","tag-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nChancellor\u2019s \u00a315bn local transport boost is just the ticket for unlocking regional office development - BCO - British Council for Offices<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/bco-spending-review-response\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Chancellor\u2019s \u00a315bn local transport boost is just the ticket for unlocking regional office development - BCO - British Council for Offices\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The \u00a315.6bn earmarked for local transport by Rachel Reeves last week is a welcome intervention that will have impacts beyond those set out in the Spending Review.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/bco-spending-review-response\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"BCO - British Council for Offices\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-06-19T17:37:02+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-12-05T12:50:23+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Pixabay-Dimitri-Vetsikas-free-licence-.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1297\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"BCO Media\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"BCO Media\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/bco-spending-review-response#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/bco-spending-review-response\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"BCO Media\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/f899d3b3d2ca714cfe266ff049a56ada\"},\"headline\":\"Chancellor\u2019s \u00a315bn local transport boost is just the ticket for unlocking regional office development\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-06-19T17:37:02+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-12-05T12:50:23+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/bco-spending-review-response\"},\"wordCount\":899,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/bco-spending-review-response#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Pixabay-Dimitri-Vetsikas-free-licence-.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"News\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Media Hub\",\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/bco-spending-review-response#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/bco-spending-review-response\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/bco-spending-review-response\",\"name\":\"Chancellor\u2019s \u00a315bn local transport boost is just the ticket for unlocking regional office development - BCO - British Council for Offices\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/bco-spending-review-response#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/bco-spending-review-response#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Pixabay-Dimitri-Vetsikas-free-licence-.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-06-19T17:37:02+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-12-05T12:50:23+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/f899d3b3d2ca714cfe266ff049a56ada\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/bco-spending-review-response#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/bco-spending-review-response\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/bco-spending-review-response#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Pixabay-Dimitri-Vetsikas-free-licence-.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Pixabay-Dimitri-Vetsikas-free-licence-.jpg\",\"width\":1920,\"height\":1297},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/bco-spending-review-response#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Chancellor\u2019s \u00a315bn local transport boost is just the ticket for unlocking regional office development\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/\",\"name\":\"BCO - British Council for Offices\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/f899d3b3d2ca714cfe266ff049a56ada\",\"name\":\"BCO Media\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/af0ac922c5a0c4dafbeb36de8062c8375ae1646cd0eb439b944dffff6fa25724?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/af0ac922c5a0c4dafbeb36de8062c8375ae1646cd0eb439b944dffff6fa25724?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"BCO Media\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/author\/bco-media\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Chancellor\u2019s \u00a315bn local transport boost is just the ticket for unlocking regional office development - BCO - British Council for Offices","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/bco-spending-review-response","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Chancellor\u2019s \u00a315bn local transport boost is just the ticket for unlocking regional office development - BCO - British Council for Offices","og_description":"The \u00a315.6bn earmarked for local transport by Rachel Reeves last week is a welcome intervention that will have impacts beyond those set out in the Spending Review.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/bco-spending-review-response","og_site_name":"BCO - British Council for Offices","article_published_time":"2025-06-19T17:37:02+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-12-05T12:50:23+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1920,"height":1297,"url":"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Pixabay-Dimitri-Vetsikas-free-licence-.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"BCO Media","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"BCO Media","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/bco-spending-review-response#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/bco-spending-review-response"},"author":{"name":"BCO Media","@id":"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/f899d3b3d2ca714cfe266ff049a56ada"},"headline":"Chancellor\u2019s \u00a315bn local transport boost is just the ticket for unlocking regional office development","datePublished":"2025-06-19T17:37:02+00:00","dateModified":"2025-12-05T12:50:23+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/bco-spending-review-response"},"wordCount":899,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/bco-spending-review-response#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Pixabay-Dimitri-Vetsikas-free-licence-.jpg","keywords":["News"],"articleSection":["Media Hub","News"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/bco-spending-review-response#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/bco-spending-review-response","url":"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/bco-spending-review-response","name":"Chancellor\u2019s \u00a315bn local transport boost is just the ticket for unlocking regional office development - BCO - British Council for Offices","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/bco-spending-review-response#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/bco-spending-review-response#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Pixabay-Dimitri-Vetsikas-free-licence-.jpg","datePublished":"2025-06-19T17:37:02+00:00","dateModified":"2025-12-05T12:50:23+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/f899d3b3d2ca714cfe266ff049a56ada"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/bco-spending-review-response#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/bco-spending-review-response"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/bco-spending-review-response#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Pixabay-Dimitri-Vetsikas-free-licence-.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Pixabay-Dimitri-Vetsikas-free-licence-.jpg","width":1920,"height":1297},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/bco-spending-review-response#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Chancellor\u2019s \u00a315bn local transport boost is just the ticket for unlocking regional office development"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/","name":"BCO - British Council for Offices","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/f899d3b3d2ca714cfe266ff049a56ada","name":"BCO Media","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/af0ac922c5a0c4dafbeb36de8062c8375ae1646cd0eb439b944dffff6fa25724?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/af0ac922c5a0c4dafbeb36de8062c8375ae1646cd0eb439b944dffff6fa25724?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"BCO Media"},"url":"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/author\/bco-media"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78063","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/42"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=78063"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78063\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":83779,"href":"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78063\/revisions\/83779"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/78090"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=78063"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=78063"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bco.org.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=78063"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}