Speech given to the British Property Federation Conference
Newport,
South Wales, 27 January 2003
Printable version
Not
checked against delivery
Good morning
and let me start by saying how pleased I am to be here.
Actually
I could speak in any one of three roles 聳 Director-General of the
成人论坛; part-time developer of a number of largish buildings in Devon and
Cornwall and finally property owner with a partner who feels deprived
if we're not rebuilding part of our house every year.
In the
latter of these roles, it's not often you get the opportunity to tell
builders and developers what you really think about what they do 聳
or more to the point don't do 聳 so I couldn't resist your invitation
to speak today.
But don't
worry, I聮m going to speak in my serious role as the head of the
成人论坛.
I believe
the buildings an organisation commissions, builds or lives in often
tell you a lot about the sort of organisation it is. That's certainly
true of the 成人论坛.
The founding
father of the 成人论坛 - Lord Reith - understood this dynamic all too well.
Look at Broadcasting House, opened as the first purpose built home of
the 成人论坛 in Portland Place in central London back in 1932.
What is
unquestionable is the conscious emphasis on quality and authority -
the Portland stone, the remarkable and famous Gill sculptures. When
it was opened it was classic example of a 30s building.
Even today
it's still impressive. Imposing even. It speaks of a self-confident
organisation with a clear vision of its role in the world.
But not
of today's world.
As a building
its patriarchal, even frightening. It certainly isn't welcoming 聳
look at the reception.
And the
famous 成人论坛 Council Chamber with windows so high that no one can see
in or out.
It personifies
the 成人论坛 of another era, an era when institutions were accorded respect
just because they were institutions.
Remember,
it was built in an era when newsreaders wore dinner suits and were made
to stand up to read the news. And that was for radio.
And 成人论坛
staff who were the guilty party in a divorce case were summarily dismissed.
But today
we live, quite rightly, in a less deferential age and today the 成人论坛
needs buildings which connect with our audiences not buildings that
frighten them.
Broadcasting
House is in itself a national cultural icon.
But it
reflects life as it was then 聳 not the 成人论坛 we want to build today.
Jump forward
a couple of decades from the opening of Broadcasting House and television
had joined radio as a medium and Television Centre was built in Shepherd's
Bush.
Literally
and famously designed on an envelope - although as you can see it was
the front rather than the proverbial back - Television Centre with its
characteristic question-mark lay-out is also a classic of its era and
style.
But in
the last few decades the 成人论坛 聳 in common with many other organisations
in the public sector 聳 has lost its way somewhat with its buildings.
At some
point in the late 60s or early 70s the emphasis seemed to shift 聳
for understandable reasons 聳 towards economy and thrift.
Arguably
our buildings over the last 30 years or so have demonstrated an appreciation
of price but not value.
Extensions
have been built to both Broadcasting House and Television Centre 聳
extensions so ugly that the original architects would have seen them
and cried.
And here,
just up the road from Television Centre, is the 成人论坛's piece de resistance,
a building which is known in the 成人论坛 as Ceacescu Towers 聳 a description
reflecting its similarity to many buildings constructed in post-war
communist Eastern Europe.
This is
the 成人论坛 headquarters in White City.
This was
only built a decade ago and I find it little short of disgraceful that
a public body like the 成人论坛 should have commissioned such a building.
And by
the way, I don't blame the architects and builders for this.
It was
all about a brief from the client - us - which was driven by considerations
of costs above all else.
That's
where so much of the public sector ended up in an era when any expenditure
on the public sector, let alone public sector buildings, was frowned
upon.
Thankfully
that era has past.
Let me
tell you a story about this building which tells you so much about so
many public bodies.
Inside
this horrible building is a courtyard, quite a nice courtyard actually.
When I arrived at the 成人论坛 no-one was allowed in the courtyard. It had
been closed since the building opened.
So not
only did people have to work in this awful building, where even the
room numbering system makes it impossible to find any room, you couldn't
even go out on nice sunny days into the only decent part of the complex.
When I
asked why was this the case I was told the magic words "health
and safety". In fact you had to wear a hard hat to even venture
into the courtyard.
But as
I was the new Director-General and hadn't yet been worn down by years
of 成人论坛 bureaucracy I decided to take it further.
I asked
the fairly obvious question what were the health and safety risks? Silence.
I asked again.
After a
few months the message came back that there was no wheelchair ramp and
we needed an extra fire door. That was it - a ramp and a door.
I never
found out why people had been wearing hard hats for all those years.
So I put
in the door and built a wheelchair ramp 聳 not personally of course
聳 and declared the courtyard open with a party for the staff working
there.
The excitement
at the party was amazing 聳 one group asked me could we go on the
balconies now? They too had been closed for ten years.
Another
asked does this mean we can paint our offices a colour other than grey?
Radical stuff.
And then
I bumped into one of the building managers and told him all these exciting
things. And what did he say? He said "look what you聮ve started
now".
When I
joined the 成人论坛 three years ago I found an organisation which while robust
in many areas was an unhappy place, lacking in that confidence which
had so characterised earlier periods in the 成人论坛's history.
One potent
symbol of this was the buildings.
This was
something which I saw at first hand when during my first three months
- while I was still technically Director-General Designate - I went
on a tour of the whole organisation across the UK.
To be honest
I was shocked. While some of our London offices left much to be desired
it was the local buildings around the rest of the United Kingdom which
were the poorest.
In particular
the state of some of the buildings endured by our people working in
local radio - buildings which hadn't been touched since the late 60s
and early 70s.
As you
can imagine I used to comment regularly on the shambolic state of these
buildings to the people I met - who by the way bore it all with remarkable
fortitude.
They believed
that was how it had to be in the public sector, just as the staff do
in hospitals or the local authority.
More often
than not they used to reply knowingly "If you think this is bad,
wait till you see Stoke".
I should
point out they meant our building in Stoke not the whole of the city.
When I
did get to Radio Stoke, I can tell you it didn't disappoint and lived
up to its billing.
Mind you
I thought our worst building was Leicester 聳
a building so bad that when we move out to our new building in 2005
I'm not even sure the local dossers will choose to move in.
So I resolved
that as an organisation we had to do something about this and asked
our Finance Director, John Smith, who is sitting over there, to lead
a re-think of our whole approach to property.
I asked
him to re-asses our priorities while not forgetting the costs (of course
being the Finance Director there was never much chance of that!).
Thanks
to the wonder of PFIs, and the fact that we owned many of our freeholds,
we were able to form a joint venture which lets Land Securities finance
a redevelopment programme using the value of the freeholds.
We discovered
聳 or should I say John discovered as he is the only person who
still understands the finances of our property strategy 聳 that
it was possible to rebuild many of our existing buildings and still
spend very little more every year on the total property budget.
So in the
past three years we have embarked on one of Britain's biggest and perhaps
the most ambitious programmes of renewal 聳 at no additional cost
to the licence fee payer.
In fact
it is so ambitious that if one day you read of my sudden resignation
it will probably be due to the fact that it is too ambitious and I should
have spent longer trying to understand the finances.
The only
consolation will be that John would have gone the day before.
But behind
the programme is a philosophy and I'd like to spend a few minutes now
talking through both our philosophy and the progress we have made so
far.
The story
of the White City courtyard convinced me that the 成人论坛 would never fulfil
its role as a public service broadcaster for the 21st century, as opposed
to the 20th century, unless we could change the culture of the organisation.
As I said
to all our staff in a nationwide telecast "just imagine" how
great this place could be, "just imagine" what we could produce
if only we could get rid of the crap, the cynicism, the people who tell
you why you can't do things rather than tell you how you can.
As a gimmick
to sell the whole change programme I invented yellow cards which said
"Cut the crap 聳 make it happen" which anyone can bring
out at a meeting if nothing is happening. They are used quite regularly.
By the
way, anyone who wants one can order them from John Smith at 拢5
a time. The money will go to Children in Need.
So about
a year ago I launched an initiative designed to change the culture of
the 成人论坛.
Called
Making it Happen it has the simple but ambitious aim of making the 成人论坛
the most creative organisation in the world.
Making
it Happen is not a top down, nor a consultant-led process. It is owned
and driven by people across the 成人论坛.
In the
12 months since launch around 10,000 people across the 成人论坛 have taken
part in a Making it Happen session 聳 sessions which we call "just
imagine" 聳 and in which people talk about their feelings for
their job, for the 成人论坛 and their colleagues.
Later
this week I will launch the 成人论坛's new Values document which is drawn
from what those 10,000 members of staff told us.
And one
of the central drivers for change in Making it Happen is a team drawn
from across the 成人论坛 which is looking at how we bring real improvements
to the working environment.
There's
a simple belief underpinning this thinking: our ambition to be the world's
most creative organisation begins and ends with the people who work
for us.
The 成人论坛's
staff are among some of the most creative people I've ever met and they
really believe in the organisation, its aims and ideals.
Every
staff survey we do shows that the people working for us feel a real
sense of pride in and commitment to the 成人论坛.
Most of
them joined the 成人论坛 because they saw it as an organisation which does
something special. That something is public service broadcasting.
They are
passionate about what they do and will unite around simple, inspiring
ideas.
They are
also capable of magnificent achievements when given the space and confidence
to do so.
They are
the kind of people who make The Office or devote years to producing
series like Blue Planet or the Life of Mammals or who can bring history
to life for millions of people with series like Simon Schama's History
of Britain.
But these
people need working environments which inspire and excite them. Not
environments which oppress and depress them.
They need
environments which expand their horizons not limit them.
Within
"Making it Happen" the team driving the creation of these
kinds of working environments is called the Great Spaces Group.
In the
spirit of not-being top down I thought I would let them speak for themselves.
A few months ago they made this short film about their plans and activity...
So far
150 people in six locations have gone through a one day event with the
Great Spaces Bus.
More broadly,
since we launched the Great Spaces project, over 1,200 people in 85
locations across the 成人论坛 including places as far afield as Nairobi have
made proposals to improve their workplace which we have implemented.
So, let
me try to sum up our property vision.
Firstly
we want properties that are at the centre of towns, not hidden away
in some industrial estate, properties which in particular are accessible
to everyone, especially the public. It's their 成人论坛 not our 成人论坛.
Secondly
we want properties which are fun, which are entertaining, where we can
put the individuality back into personal space.
Thirdly
we are in a fast changing industry so we want technologically enabled
flexible space so we can stay at the cutting edge of our business.
And finally
we want quality architecture which will stand the test of time. I don't
want anything to be built in my time as Director-General which I will
be ashamed of within a decade. No more Ceacescu Towers.
We don't
have to build new buildings; we're very happy to be tenants in other
people's wonderful buildings 聳 but we do want them to be buildings
which inspire.
This then
is the context for our deal with Land Securities Trillium to manage
our property portfolio. At its best this is an absolute win-win for
us.
It saves
money which can then be spent on air and on screen.
And incidentally
let me tell you that we've reduced the total amount of money spent on
the 成人论坛's overhead by 拢200 million a year in three years and all
of that is now being spent on programmes.
LST are
also our partners in the re-development of the White City complex, which
is a great example of the partnership at its best.
Not only
does the management partnership enable us to do much more with the building
than we could have done in previous years, its also currently six months
ahead of schedule - a source of even more savings!
Over the
next few years over 拢2 billion will be invested in our property
portfolio.
But while
we will be working with our partners to gain maximum bang for our buck
we will also strive not to repeat some of the mistakes of the last three
decades.
So, if
Broadcasting House and Television Centre were iconic of the 成人论坛 in their
age - the confident solidity of the 30s and the optimistic modernism
of the 60s - we now need to look for the similar symbols for the 21st
century and create buildings which reflect the values and ethos of the
modern 成人论坛.
At a local
level, this can be seen in our new Open Centres.
Piloted
two years ago in Radio Lancashire in Blackburn and now rolling out across
the UK these Open Centres represent both a new service and a practical
symbol of an open accessible organisation.
Based
in local radio station offices they are designed to give a welcoming
shop-front style access to a range of 成人论坛 services - for example on-line
learning opportunities - as well as involving the community directly
in the broadcasting operation.
Look at
the change here in Sheffield. Here聮s the old building聟
And now
the new place聟
Similarly
the new production studios for our internet and interactive operations
成人论坛i in the historic setting of Bush House, on The Aldwych, are literally
transparent.
And the
redevelopment of our White City complex in partnership with LST I mentioned
a few moments ago will create public spaces as well as offices which
while never breaching security (important now more than ever for a high
profile public body like the 成人论坛) will put the 成人论坛 in touch with its
local community in a way which Television Centre for all its strengths
simply can't do.
Incidentally,
the development will have the added benefit of hiding the monstrosity
of Ceacescu Towers!
Pretty
impressive as you can see.
I must
say that I and my immediate team are looking forward to moving there
later in the year when to accommodate the redevelopment of Broadcasting
House we will leave central London.
On the
same site we also hope to build a major music centre 聳 which will
provide both a concert venue and a base for the 成人论坛's remarkable orchestras.
As I have
already said, we are determined that all our new building projects will
be special and have impact.
They will
make a difference to the people who work in them and the communities
who live around them.
This will
be true of the 成人论坛 solus developments like White City or the truly remarkable
Pacific Quay, our planned new Scottish headquarters in Glasgow.
But as
I've said it's not just about projects we lead and develop for ourselves.
The same
ambition will apply when we choose to move into developments owned by
others - like the Mailbox in Birmingham and
our new base in Norwich.
I believe
that these are great examples of buildings the 成人论坛 will share with the
communities it serves.
But perhaps
the clearest statement of all is the redevelopment of our historic home
- the original Broadcasting House. Our vision for Broadcasting House
is genuinely ambitious.
Of course
it will be functional. At its heart will be a flexible state of the
art broadcast centre fit for the technological challenges of the digital
age.
It will
house the largest broadcast news centre in the world. It will maximise
the use of space, allowing us to consolidate our four major London sites
into three and so saving money.
It will
also be built to last - we insisted that it pass the 50 year test.
But our
plans go much further than that.
By blending
the best of modern architecture and building technology seamlessly with
the existing Broadcasting House we want to create something really special.
Something
which represents both our respect for our heritage and our passionate
faith in our future.
It must
also be a great place to work - somewhere which attracts the best people
because they want to be part of something special and then enables and
inspires them to great things.
It will
absolutely be a symbol of the sort of organisation we want to be.
The "new"
Broadcasting House will represent today's 成人论坛 in today's Britain.
Like the
old Broadcasting House I hope it will be a national landmark, an iconic
building.
Let me
sum up.
As one
of the nation's great cultural institutions the 成人论坛 has a responsibility
to apply the same creative rigour and ambition which we apply to our
programmes to our buildings.
And that's
why we are being bold and confident so that we contribute once again
to the nation's architectural and cultural heritage.
We're
well underway.
We have
already completed and moved into new local headquarters in more than
20 locations across the UK 聳 from Truro to Aberdeen, from Guernsey
to Bangor 聳 with another 30-odd in the pipeline.
Oh, and
by the way, Radio Stoke finally moved into a new building last year
and I was delighted to be there to open it 聳 along with the Princess
Royal of course!
