Many valid points there michael.

I am sure you know I was not presenting conversions to offices as a wholesale panacea for all circumstances.

Two sets of circumstances would normally apply a downward pressure on rent and even reverse premiums being introduced into the equation; first that landlords or their agents are not minded to accept that making un-competitive demands of good prospective tenants will drive them off to seek lets elsewhere and secondly that by taking the aggregate position of over-supply beyond just those few situated on Perry Vale and embracing Bell Green and upper Sydenham would normally combine to adjust the market.

In the realities of those market conditions good tenants should be able to secure good lets without onerous conditions attached and we would all benefit from a thriving and commercially beneficial retail environment with sufficient differentiation to attract custom from outside FH.

I think the point you make about the absence of frontages and services is particularly strong and it is to be wondered why any local authority would accept or consider these buildings as being complete.

If Building Control withheld Completion Certificates on a block basis thus preventing occupancy of any part of the building to be commenced until the block is complete in its entirety, would this not incentivise developers to properly complete those parts of the building that are deemed not to be residential units.

Or is that too simplistic.