From Mayors to Mega Basements: The Truth About Developing London

From Mayors to Mega Basements: The Truth About Developing London

From Intelligence Talks by Knight Frank

February 16, 2026 · 46 min

About this episode

Tom Bill interviews Mike Hussey about the challenges of developing major schemes in London and the impact of political factors on real estate projects.

In this episode, Tom Bill talks with Mike Hussey, CEO of Almacantar, about the real‑world challenges of delivering major schemes in London - from tricky 1960s refurbishments to complex new‑builds on constrained sites. Mike reflects on working with different London mayors, how political interventions can slow projects, and why there is so much misunderstanding around viability. They explore London’s enduring resilience as a global city, with Mike explaining why super‑prime residential demand remains steady but slower to convert, and how long‑term stability matters as much as tax tweaks for investors. Finally, he shares when Almacantar may feel ready to buy its next site. Subscribe⁠⁠ to Tom Bill's UK Residential Outlook, for all the latest properties, exclusive market analysis, news and data. This is an episode from Housing Unpacked , Knight Frank’s podcast dedicated to the UK housing market. Produced by ⁠⁠⁠Rethink Audio⁠⁠⁠ . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People in this episode

Host: Tom Bill

Guest: Mike Hussey

Topics covered

  • London development
  • real estate
  • political interventions
  • super-prime residential
  • investment stability

Keywords

  • major schemes
  • 1960s refurbishments
  • new-builds
  • London mayors
  • viability
  • global city

Mentioned in this episode

Products: UK Residential Outlook

Places: London, UK

More episodes of Intelligence Talks

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Intelligence Talks podcast page.