Catherina Hyde, Author at CACI

Why Taunton is a perfectly balanced place to live

Posted on: 8 April 2024

This final blog in our series on balanced locations brings us to Taunton, an idyllic town near the southwest England countryside with a captivating history, landscapes and arts and culture scene that have earned the town its spot on our list of perfectly balanced places to live per our report, “Six Pillars of Success: Building Resilient Places”.

If you have yet to read our blog that introduces these pillars, we consider a ‘perfectly balanced’ place to be:

One that houses a suitable mix of chain and independent retailers at optimal sizes
Supplies unique offline experiences that meet the community’s needs
Provides community infrastructure that supports daily living
Offers adequate residential properties for the community
Offers employment opportunities and flexible working spaces
Encourages time spent outdoors in green spaces

So, what exactly are the driving factors behind Taunton being a perfectly balanced place to live?

Pillar 1: Representation & proper sizing of independent & chain retailers

Taunton’s town centre benefits from a mix of well-known brands like Primark, TK Maxx, Sports Direct and Marks & Spencer, while also being home to thriving independent and specialist retailers. In fact, independent retailers in Taunton comprise ~50% more of the retail mix than benchmark locations.

Bath Place stands out as a particular hub for independent retailers. Dating back to the 18th century, this historic street is lined with an array of independent businesses and services that can be reached on foot by pedestrians. Many of the shop fronts feature their original detailing to truly transport passers by into the Georgian era.

Pillar 2: Uniquely tailored offline experiences

To get in on the sports, music and leisure scene in Taunton, Somerset County Cricket Club has something for every type of enthusiast. Founded in 1875, this renowned sports club situated close to the town centre represents the county of Somerset. To this day, it serves as a spot for watching cricket, attending concerts, catching a film at its open-air cinema and much more.

For those looking for a community social hub that doubles as a performing arts centre, look no further than Taunton Brewhouse. As the region’s principal arts centre, its programme of high-quality dance, musical and theatre shows along with workshops and pop-up shops create a diverse and all-encompassing environment that appeals to one and all.

There is also no shortage of cafes, restaurants and bars to satisfy locals day or night.

Pillar 3: Engaging community infrastructure

Taunton’s centre is brimming with museums, galleries, a library and numerous services to meet locals’ varying needs and interests.

A visit to Taunton Castle, a Grade I Listed Scheduled Ancient Monument, can be paired with the Museum of Somerset, also situated within the 12th century castle walls, housing prehistoric artifacts to modern galleries. The Somerset Military Museum is also housed within the Museum of Somerset. A historic almshouse saved by the Taunton Heritage Trust can also be found on the Museum grounds.

At the heart of the town lies Taunton Library, a public library that offers internet access and printing services. Civic services such as the Somerset Registration Service, Jobseekers Recruitment Services, Taunton JobCentre and the Somerset Council offices can also be found here.

A modern and affordable Nuffield Health gym boasts plenty of equipment and classes, encouraging locals’ maintenance of fitness and wellbeing.

Pillar 4: Support social cohesion through optimised residential design

Situated close to the picturesque countryside while also having well-connected transport links, inhabitants of all ages and demographics can appreciate what this town has to offer. Taunton’s housing market appeals to a variety of renters and homebuyers, with a broad range of housing available from charming cottages to contemporary flats. Average house prices in Taunton are lower than seen across the southwest. At just £786, monthly rental payments sit at 22% of local income levels (below national averages of 25%).

Pillar 5: Sufficient & accessible work opportunities for the local population

Taunton is a major regional employment hub. The town is accessible via the M5 and has good train links including a direct service to London in under two hours, making it an appealing place to live for commuters. Only 1.61% of Taunton’s population is considered to be “Economically Active: Unemployed”.
Pillar 6: Appealing open spaces for the community to dwell in

When in need of a break from city life, locals and visitors can escape into one of Taunton’s many parks and nature oases.

Vivary Park is a popular choice that is just a few minutes away from the town centre. With its namesake inherited from its medieval usage as a fish farm or vivarium for the priory and castle, the park features a mini golf course, tennis courts, playground and model railway. In just a short drive from Taunton, Blackdown Hills National Landscape, considered an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, can be found, offering visitors breathtaking landscapes and opportunities to hike, cycle and spot wildlife.

To learn how our six property pillars can help ensure you are creating resilient places, please speak to one of our Placemaking and Property experts.

Why St Neots is a perfectly balanced place to live

Posted on: 5 March 2024

This next blog in our series on balanced locations transports us to St Neots, a rapidly growing Cambridgeshire town with mediaeval heritage that is nestled along the River Great Ouse banks. With an intriguing blend of old-world and modern-day sights and amenities, a strong sense of a community and a picturesque atmosphere, St Neots was an undisputed pick as part of our list of perfectly balanced places to live per our report, “Six Pillars of Success: Building Resilient Places”.

If you have yet to read our blog that introduces these pillars, we consider a ‘perfectly balanced’ place to be:

One that houses a suitable mix of chain and independent retailers at optimal sizes
Supplies unique offline experiences that meet the community’s needs
Provides community infrastructure that supports daily living
Offers adequate residential properties for the community
Offers employment opportunities and flexible working spaces
Encourages time spent outdoors in green spaces.

So, what exactly are the driving factors behind St Neots being a perfectly balanced place to live?

Pillar 1: Representation & proper sizing of independent & chain retailers

St Neots features a strong provision of amenities and services. The town centre forms a well-balanced array of High Street brands like Fat Face and Argos and independent retailers accounting for 38% more of the retail offer than comparable locations, creating a strong sense of identity and place.

For those looking for independently run wine, beer and spirits retailers, look no further than The Smiling Grape Company, an award-winning, family-owned wine merchant, or Shumë Bottle Emporium, a craft beer shop and bottle emporium carrying beers from around the world. Opting to put your creative skills to the test in an all-ages, all-skill levels pottery and craft studio? The Crafty Monkey Pottery Shop has something for everyone.

The town’s market square is also one of the largest and most ancient in England, dating back to the 12th century. Every Thursday since its foundation, the Charter Market takes place here through the daytime, with stalls offering fresh produce, clothing and artisanal finds. There’s also a bi-weekly Saturday Farm and Craft Market featuring local traders and crafts makers offering meats and produce, baked goods, flowers and plants and handmade crafts.

For special occasions, or even to spruce up an everyday space, the County Fayre Florist has been a prime choice for locals for over three decades. A Hotel Chocolat factory and cafe outlet is also popular among locals in search of high-quality chocolate at lower prices than on the High Street, or for an ice cream or hot chocolate treat at the cafe.

Pillar 2: Uniquely tailored offline experiences

St Neots’ strong catering offer is mainly independently led, with many multi-function restaurants and cafes for visitors to enjoy.

Roberto’s Deli is one of these—part-deli and part-pizza restaurant, this authentic Italian deli offers artisanal produce alongside dine-in options, making it a hit with visitors. For an all-encompassing cafe, art gallery and creative hub experience, Art & Soul encourages visitors to savour moments of tranquility by viewing art, checking out a gig, getting some work done or catching up with friends over a coffee all in one place. The Pig n Falcon is also a popular watering hole among locals for its live music and warm, traditional pub atmosphere.

While Pizza Express is the town centre’s only chain restaurant, a Cineworld is in its vicinity, making for a great evening on the town. In contrast, its independent restaurant selection (including Il Girasole) and pubs like The River Mill offer quality food and pet-friendly atmospheres.

Locals and visitors will also find a bowling alley, library and museum in the town’s centre. A broad range of bars, restaurants and cafes also cater to a variety of food groups and preferences (Ferro Lounge, a vegan dog-friendly cafe, being one of them), along with a few small tearooms for vegan and gluten free visitors.

Pillar 3: Engaging community infrastructure

Lining the town’s streets are large chain supermarkets like Waitrose and Marks & Spencer along with independent alteration, shoes, arts & crafts shops and beauty salons and health and community services, meeting locals’ various needs.

Overlooking the town is also the alluring (and unmissable) 130-foot tower of St Neots Parish Church. Originating in the 12th century and rebuilt in the 15th, it serves as a community hub for gatherings and for relishing the centuries of craftsmanship visible in both its interior and exterior.

The town is also easily commutable from the neighbouring towns of Cambridge, Milton Keynes, Peterborough and more, with fast and direct train links to both London and Peterborough available.

Pillar 4: Support social cohesion through optimised residential design

Housing in St Neots indulges a range of preferences and budgets, from Victorian and Edwardian homes and cottages to more modern developments. A combination of high earnings (£48,007 on average) and relatively low house prices (£306,497) contribute to the town’s affordability. Houses in the area are 6.4x the average salary (compared with a UK national average of 7.4x), and monthly average private rent payments of £877 account for 22% of earnings (against a UK town average of 26%).

Terraced and detached properties have been increasingly sought after, along with semi-detached properties. The town’s proximity to larger cities like London, Cambridge and Peterborough has also appealed to many renters and homebuyers.

Pillar 5: Sufficient & accessible work opportunities for the local population

Job opportunities are available in many sectors in St Neots, notably in healthcare, manufacturing and retail. A half-hour drive or hour-long public transportation commute to Cambridge opens plenty of additional working opportunities for St Neots locals, especially in technology and innovation. Nearly half (48%) of the adult population is employed full-time (against a UK average of 42%).

There is also a community Facebook group, St Neots Referrals & Recommendations, where locals share recommendations and insights for new job listings.

Pillar 6: Appealing open spaces for the community to dwell in

St. Neots is home to many parks and green spaces for locals and visitors to enjoy. With the River Great Ouse flowing through the town and parks just steps away from the town centre, breathtaking scenery can easily be found.

Riverside Park, for example, is a popular destination for both locals and visitors, offering 72 acres of greenery that holds enormous weeping willow trees, picnic areas, children’s play areas and walking and cycling paths galore. Every Saturday, locals can partake in a free 5K parkrun, or can spend a lively Sunday attending one of the concerts held throughout the summer. Sports club events like the Dragon Boat Festival and St Neots Rowing Regatta are held in Riverside Park, making the most of the River Ouse.

There’s also the historic Georgian era Priory Park, which now serves as an open space for leisurely activities like picnics and dog walking to sponsored events like runs and activity clubs for children in the summer. Sports enthusiasts can also make use of the park’s five football pitches and several mini soccer pitches.

For glimpses of some of the area’s richest wildlife habitats, a trip to Paxton Pits Nature Reserve, packed with 78 hectares of lakes, meadows, woodlands and more, promises sightings of nightingales, cormorants and several other varieties of birds and mammals

In the next and final blog of this series, we’ll share one more pick for a ‘perfectly balanced’ place to live.

To learn how our six property pillars can help ensure you are creating resilient places, please speak to one of our Placemaking and Property experts.

Why Worcester is a perfectly balanced place to live

Posted on: 19 February 2024

In this fourth blog of our series looking at balanced locations, we’re travelling to Worcester, a captivating city in the heart of the West Midlands known for its storied history and architecture, triumphant sports and social culture and vibrant community gatherings.

Worcester is packed with hidden gems and old haunts, medieval heritage sites and palatable dining options. These are a few of the many driving factors behind Worcester earning its place on our list of perfectly balanced places to live per our report, “Six Pillars of Success: Building Resilient Places”.

If you have yet to read our blog that introduces these pillars, we consider a ‘perfectly balanced’ place to be:

One that houses a suitable mix of chain and independent retailers at optimal sizes
Supplies unique offline experiences that meet the community’s needs
Provides community infrastructure that supports daily living
Offers adequate residential properties for the community
Offers employment opportunities and flexible working spaces
Encourages time spent outdoors in green spaces

So, what exactly are the driving factors behind Worcester being a perfectly balanced place to live?

Pillar 1: Representation & proper sizing of independent & chain retailers

While many larger chain retailers like Primark, New Look, The Body Shop and Boots can be found in Crowngate Shopping Centre, plenty of independent retailers are situated in the heart of Worcester, especially on Friar Street. From clothing shops and bridal studios like You Boutique and Perfections Bridal Studio to pet shops and toy shops like Paw & Co and The Entertainer, there is no shortage of retailers catering to the community’s unique needs.

Pillar 2: Uniquely tailored offline experiences

Events are a big deal in Worcester– from open-air concerts to community festivals, there is always something happening to engage and entertain visitors of all interests.

The Victorian Christmas Fayre is one of such examples. A beloved annual event that captures the essence of Victorian England by transforming the streets of Worcester into a scene reminiscent of the era of Queen Victoria, the Fayre fills the city streets with market stalls that offer traditional festive treats and crafts. Several historic buildings throughout the city also take part in the celebration, opening their doors to guests to awe at the Victorian era’s opulence.

In the summer, locals and horse racing enthusiasts flock to Pitchcroft Park (otherwise known as Worcester Racecourse), a renowned thoroughbred horse racing venue. The annual Worcester Fringe Festival also brings theatre and arts aficionados to the city in the summer to revel in over 60 events dedicated to theatre, music and comedy at various venues. The musical fun doesn’t stop there— Worcester Fake Festival is returning to Pitchcroft Park this summer to deliver a tribute-based music event to local music lovers.

Throughout the year, historical events paying tribute to Worcester’s rich history such as the Civil War Soldier School at The Commandery also offer children an opportunity to follow in the footsteps of Civil War soldiers.

Football and cricket also form important parts of the city’s sports culture. Football is one of the most widely followed and played sports in the city, and cricket becomes particularly popular during the summer months.

The High Street, Friar Street and New Street are also brimming with cafes and coffee shops (both independent and chains), pubs and restaurants. In fact, a recent initiative to renovate the Worcester Foregate Street railway station arches, The Arches, has brought together a new cluster of trendy restaurants, coffee shops, breweries and even axe throwing.

Friar Street and New Street are also home to two of the city’s oldest, most historic pubs. The Cardinal’s Hat Inn on Friar Street is the oldest in the city, dating back to the fourteenth century. The King Charles House on New Street has a special tie to British history, as the home that King Charles II fled after defeat at the Battle of Worcester in 1651, aided by New Street’s residents holding the Cromwell army back for the King’s successful escape.

Pillar 3: Engaging community infrastructure

In terms of amenities and services, Worcester’s High Street features large chain supermarkets like Tesco, banks like Barclays and NatWest, pharmacies like Boots and a Post Office. Neighbouring Friar Street and New Street house a number of barbers and hairdressers, as well as beauty salons.

Worcester Cathedral in the heart of the city dates to the 12th century, showcasing the grandeur of English Gothic style. It not only serves as a place of worship, but as a cultural hub that hosts many events throughout the year.

The Hive, a modern, high-tech library with rooms to hire and a cultural programme that sits alongside more traditional library resources, is also a thriving community resource accessible by university students and the public.

Pillar 4: Support social cohesion through optimised residential design

At £44,246 per annum, household incomes in Worcester are in line with the UK average. Housing costs align with average earnings, with a range of affordable options from historic city centre properties to more modern developments beyond the centre available. With the average price of a home being £254,728 (5.8x the average earnings) and private rentals hovering around £701 PCM (19% of average earnings), Worcester’s affordability compared to most places of its size is evident.

Pillar 5: Sufficient & accessible work opportunities for the local population

With 9.6% of Worcester’s adult population being full time students (above the national average, and likely a result of the University of Worcester’s presence), both educational and working opportunities are easily within reach.

The city’s prominent manufacturing scene has created many job opportunities in sectors like engineering and logistics. Full and part-time employment rates (at 45% and 14% respectively) sit above the national average. 2.3% of the population is unemployed but looking for work, a rate slightly below the national average.

This year, the Worcestershire Skills Show will also be taking place, exposing Year 7 to 10 students to an array of industries to help them understand what businesses are looking for in future employees and determine the necessary skills and qualifications to pursue their future career goals.

Pillar 6: Appealing open spaces for the community to dwell in

Worcester’s green open spaces provide an escape from city life while also encouraging gatherings.

For those interested in exploring the city on foot, daily walking tours are offered by guides from Discover History, Worcester Walks and Faithful CityWalk. For the adventurers, self-guided tours and trails of the City’s Guildhall, the Worcester Heritage Walk and more are available.

Britain’s longest river, the River Severn, runs through the city and offers walkways along the water with plenty of surrounding open spaces to spend time in. In the warmer seasons, boating enthusiasts can be seen rowing boats or canoes, and anglers can be found on the riverbanks. Those opting for a leisurely stroll or vigorous jog can utilise the pathways.

For a serene escape just a stone’s throw from the city centre, locals and visitors will find Gheluvelt Park, offering expansive green space and captivating landscapes, opportunities to hire paddleboats or row boats on Barbourne Brook, or play tennis. The park holds more significance than just its beauty— it memorialises the Battle of Gheluvelt, a defining moment in World War I that helped secure victory for the Allies.

Stay tuned for our next pick of a ‘perfectly balanced’ place to live in our upcoming blog.

To learn how our six property pillars can help ensure you are creating resilient places, please speak to one of our Placemaking and Property experts.

Why Reigate & Fleet are ‘perfectly balanced’ places to live

Posted on: 3 November 2023

In this second blog of our series looking at balanced locations, we focus on Reigate and Fleet. These two enchanting towns are brimming with rich history and exceptional greenery. A blend of nostalgia, tranquillity and friendliness, they are south of central London in Surrey and Hampshire counties, making them the closest to London on our list of balanced locations outlined in our report, “Six Pillars of Success: Building Resilient Places”. While inhabitants of both towns are proud to call them home, the criteria they achieved in our report reiterate the reasons why we consider them wonderful places to live.

If you have yet to read our blog that introduces these pillars, we consider a ‘perfectly balanced’ place to meet the following criteria:

House an appropriate mix of chain and independent retailers at optimal sizes
Supply unique offline experiences that address the needs of the community
Provide community infrastructure that supports day-to-day life
Offers residential properties that meet the community’s needs
Offers employment opportunities and flexible working spaces
Encourage time spent outdoors in green spaces

Pillar 1: Representation & proper sizing of independent & chain retailers

Reigate and Fleet both feature a myriad of national chains and independent retailers that take part in annual local activities and events.

In Reigate, national retailers like M&S and Boots are complemented by a range of independent retailers like The Vineking, a wine tasting and dining experience independent merchant, Art of Living, a family-run cook shop and showroom, and a handful of boutique gift shops like The Lemon Tree. Day-to-day convenience shopping is also supported by a large high-street Morrisons, which offers free parking.

Just under an hour from central London, you will find the town of Fleet, an ideal travel connection town for those who regularly commute into the city. Fleet Road, the town’s high street, features an array of independent shops and a mix of both independent and chain restaurants. Hart Shopping Centre houses several known brands and independent retailers. It hosts monthly craft markets that bring the community together to support local, independent businesses.

Pillar 2: Uniquely tailored offline experiences

Reigate has more restaurants than any market of its size, all of which are successful staples in the area. Just off Reigate High Street, you can find the Pilgrim Brewery, an independent retailer that is actively involved in our community’s sports teams and events, and is known among locals as a wonderful spot to gather and socialise.

Pan Asian chain restaurant, Banana Tree, recently opened its door to the Reigate community, joining the likes of Bills, Nando’s and Wagamama on the High Street to further enhance Reigate’s food and beverage offerings. Monte Forte also took up a fixed residency on Reigate High Street after trading from a pizza van that visited the town. After a cozy dinner or a day spent shopping on the High Street, locals can also catch a film at the local Everyman Cinema. With several independent pubs and even a couple of late-night venues catering to the night owls, Reigate’s independent retailers have something for everyone.

Reigate High Street is also involved in several national events throughout the year, from artisan, food and street markets to Pillage the Village around Halloween, an annual Christmas Fayre on Church Street, and most recently, Tom Kerridge’s Pub in the Park, which featured food stalls, live musicians and renowned chefs from around the country.

Popular cuisine in Fleet tends to be Italian and Indian, with several restaurants a notable hit with locals. For vegetarian options, The Greenhouse Fleet is an independent vegetarian cafe/restaurant with a strong environmental emphasis and diverse selection of palatable meals.

Zinc & Popworld and a variety of local pubs form Fleet’s leisure scene. For a cozy lakeside view and nautical atmosphere, locals can visit the Heron on the Lake pub. The recently redeveloped Hart Leisure Centre now offers a sports facility that doubles as a community gathering spot. For the town’s younger population, a recently opened virtual gaming experience arcade, Chimera VR, has quickly gained popularity.

Pillar 3: Engaging community infrastructure

Reigate’s array of yoga and Pilates studios along with a centrally located gym appeal to locals looking to stay in shape. Many companies or large groups also make use of Priory Park for outdoor fitness classes. To cover local essentials, Reigate houses a Royal Mail delivery office to the north of the High Street, a couple of dry cleaners and a key cutting shop, all of which cover local essentials. A launderette is also situated south of the High Street within a small parade of separate shops, and a Busy Bees nursery can also be found in this vicinity.

For a town of its size, Fleet’s array of amenities and services cater well to the needs of all ages of the local population. It’s home to a large leisure centre that comes with a pool, spaces for squash and indoor sports and a gym. Many of its eco shops like Fleet Scoop, a ‘Zero Waste’ community spirited and environmentally conscious shop along with other local gems that opened just before the Covid-19 pandemic have been warmly embraced by the community and have continued to perform well post-pandemic. There are also plenty of smaller rows of shops outside of the High Street, along with a number of hairdressers and nail salons catering to its residents’ beauty needs.

Pillar 4: Support social cohesion through optimised residential design

Housing in Reigate and Fleet is affordable for those that live in the area, as the higher than national average prices are reflected by respectively higher-than-average earnings. With plenty of private rentals to choose from and hundreds of newly built homes going up in the last few years.

At £1,147 per calendar month, private rentals in Reigate are 24% of average earnings, a smidge below the national average of 25%. Private rentals in Fleet equate to £1,095 per calendar month (or 21% of average earnings), also below the national average of 25%. Fleet has also seen 815 new homes built in the last five years– a growth rate of 4.8% which sits above the national average of 3.8% in the same period.

Fleet has experienced organic growth and periodic development in its housing market. Approximately every 20 years, a new housing development has emerged, including the likes of Ancells Farm Nature Reserve, Zebon Copse, Church Crookham, Elvetham Heath, and the currently under construction Edenbrook. Each estate has brought new retail and food & beverage opportunities with it, such as pubs, community centres, supermarkets, parks and cafes.

Pillar 5: Sufficient & accessible work opportunities for the local population

Reigate and Fleet’s economies are both active, with only 1.7% of the population in both towns being unemployed (below the national average of 2.5%). Fleet Services also employs many locals and acts as a stopover for those travelling from London and the East.

Fleet is home to many managers, directors and senior officials, with over 50% of the population in managerial, administrative and professional occupations. While it has historically been home to many commuters to London, it now houses several business parks, primarily occupied by Information Technology (IT) companies.

In Reigate, 46% of the population are in professional and technical occupations, with a higher-than-average 17% in service industries. There are thousands of companies and hundreds of medium-large-sized businesses that locals can work for, including the UK and European head offices of Willis Towers Watson, Kimberly-Clark and Pfizer. While most local employers operate in the private sector, there are public sector opportunities available in the local Council and NHS Trust.

Pillar 6: Appealing open spaces for the community to dwell in

Reigate’s Priory Park just off the High Street offers a great open space to tire the kids out either at the skate park, playground or by strolling along the lake or through the woods. The park hosts many events, including a free park run every Saturday morning that draws in upwards of 200 locals each weekend. It also hosts sporting events like local kids’ football teams, bringing together the community to the town centre.

Fleet’s lush greenery similarly draws in locals– at the heart of the town lies Fleet Pond, connecting various parts of Fleet. The town’s younger population is also catered to through open spaces such as a skatepark in the local park, The Views.

To learn how our six property pillars can help ensure you are creating resilient places, please speak to one of our Placemaking and Property experts.

Defining ‘perfectly balanced’ places to live through Six Pillars of Success

Posted on: 2 October 2023

What makes a place ‘perfectly balanced’?

Only 1.5% of locations across the UK can be described as balanced across all pillars. We set out to find these locations and determine what sets them apart in our report, “Six Pillars of Success: Building Resilient Places”, where we explored locations across the UK that are “balanced” in all six of CACI’s property pillars that contribute to the resilience of both community and place. Over 5,000 locations across the UK were assessed in this report, of which only 77 were considered balanced across all pillars.

Interestingly, only 1 in 20 regional towns in the UK are balanced. This demonstrates that despite achieving perfect balance in some places, there is still a lot that can be done for places to enhance their community engagement.

In this blog series, we’ll uncover the defining criteria for ‘perfectly balanced’ places and find out how these communities’ tactics can be applied to other locations across the UK.

Pillar 1: Representation & proper sizing of independent & chain retailers

Having retailers that ensure a return on investment for occupiers and effectively appeal to locals’ needs along with proper leasing of a retailer in terms of its tenant line-up are critical to an area’s success. A ‘perfectly balanced’ place achieves a balance between chain retailers to boutique shops and independent retailers by understanding the core of their community’s personalities and values and reflecting that in the area’s retailers.

Pillar 2: Uniquely tailored offline experiences

Unique offline experiences are ones that are only available in person and cannot be replicated at home. A place that is ‘perfectly balanced’ will host things to see and do for customers to do in person that come with halo benefits and contribute to the overall liveliness of the area and can only be experienced in person. The results will be achieved through an uptake of dwell time, varied footfall patterns, greater customer spending and more.

Pillar 3: Engaging community infrastructure

The types of amenities and services offered in an area can play a vital role in enhancing social value and community engagement. A ‘perfectly balanced’ place has optimised its relationship between supply and demand across amenities to help commercial landlords plug gaps within the community and reinforce social value.

Pillar 4: Support social cohesion through optimised residential design

A lack of suitable housing can be damaging for an area. ‘Perfectly balanced’ places optimise their residential design to positively influence the community and create long-term value, income and footfall for developers. These places typically feature residential units that closely align with the needs of the community and offer the right types, tenures, sizes and price points to fill supply gaps

Pillar 5: Sufficient & accessible work opportunities for the local population

Communities need job opportunities for those looking for employment. Acute un- and under-employment can be damaging on both an individual and community-wide basis. In our post-pandemic world, 29% of the UK population work in hybrid roles, allowing them the option of splitting their work week between the office and home. A ‘perfectly balanced’ place offers working opportunities that reflect the demand levels of the area and increasingly include collaborative, co-working spaces.

Pillar 6: Appealing open spaces for the community to dwell in

To drive footfall to a location, a ‘perfectly balanced’ place draws people into spending their leisure time there. It will be conveniently located, offer appealing services and amenities and encourage dwelling and exploring. With an increased interest in greening urban environments and finding pockets of greenery in even the most unexpected spots, ‘perfectly balanced’ places will offer luscious open spaces that are built sustainably and encourage biodiversity and carbon capture.

Stay tuned for our upcoming blog featuring the first two of our top five ‘perfectly balanced’ places to live.

To learn how our six property pillars can help ensure you are creating resilient places, please speak to one of our Placemaking and Property experts.

How the Duchy of Cornwall is using data-driven insights to support their forward strategy in Nansledan

Posted on: 22 June 2023

Background

Nansledan is a new community being built on the eastern edge of the coastal town of Newquay in Cornwall, England. Over the last decade, the Duchy of Cornwall has acted as master developer and landowner of the development, creating an already vibrant community which will eventually include c4,000 homes, job opportunities and diversification of the local economy to sustainably meet Newquay’s current and future needs.

To bring the vision of a successful and thriving new community to life, the masterplan for Nansledan includes a new town centre, known to the Duchy of Cornwall as “Market Street”. To facilitate the progress an introduction was therefore made to CACI, to demonstrate the breadth of data and consultancy expertise that could be offered to support the forward strategy of Market Street.

The Challenge

To answer questions around the scale and mix of spaces within the Market Street plans, it was clear that data-driven insights would also be helpful in shaping the forward strategy.

The Duchy of Cornwall also wanted to understand what role Nansledan might play within the wider Cornish market and how complementary offers could be provided so as not to compete with Truro, Newquay and Padstow.

The Solution

CACI’s initial report has now been completed and was presented to the Duchy of Cornwall in February 2023. It has already been helpful in shaping the forward strategy for the first phase of Market Street and will continue to inform the scale and the mix of space that comes forward across Market Street and Nansledan over the coming years.

The Duchy of Cornwall now has a much clearer understanding of Nansledan’s catchment area from both a resident and tourist perspective around demographics, spending habits and spending potential. In turn, this is expected to help in the positioning of Market Street within its local and regional market and will hopefully assist with ensuring its long-term commercial success.

The Future

While Market Street is yet to be developed, the work undertaken by CACI so far has helped to shape the Duchy of Cornwall’s forward strategy and will continue to feed into the design of the remaining phases of Market Street, as well as other commercial centres that were planned across Nansledan.

Further advice is expected as the development progresses and wider market influences take shape in order for the Duchy of Cornwall to continue to position Market Street appropriately for Nansledan’s growing population, as well as that of other local towns and villages. Using data-led insights on an ongoing basis is seen as increasingly important given the wider context of struggling retail centres around the country and in trying to ensure a vibrant and thriving centre at Nansledan.

Read the full customer story here. For more information on how our data and solutions can support your business growth please get in touch with us.

How InSite enabled Amtico to excel in the luxury flooring market

Posted on: 12 May 2023

Background

Since 1964 Amtico have been one of the worlds leading designers and manufacturers in luxury flooring, and flooring solutions amongst both the residential and commercial flooring market. Amtico currently have a presence in over 600 independent stores in the UK.

The challenge

Identifying the most viable locations for retailer recruitment, taking into account the demographic profiles that each retailer serves
Having a rich insight into the overall market potential of each Amtico retailer
Understanding and being able to map their target consumers across the UK

The Solution

Investing in InSite enables Amtico to prioritise retailer acquisitions based on the greatest headroom potential whilst leveraging demographic data
InSite enables Amtico to quantify their market potential based on the demographics of their consumers
An actionable and strategic tool that Amtico are able to share with multiple stakeholders across the business

Read the full customer story here. For more information on how our data and solutions can support your business growth please get in touch with us.

Tackling the staffing shortage in elderly care with local population data

Posted on: 28 April 2023

Pay is only one factor that influences the number and quality of candidates for your roles, and their loyalty.

It’s no secret that staffing is an ongoing challenge for most providers of elderly care. Market competition doesn’t only come from other care settings. Potential staff may be looking for local work in a range of sectors locally, where hourly pay is higher and the responsibilities seem less demanding. How can you compete to attract and retain quality staff for your elderly care services?

Take a targeted approach to recruitment and retention by applying marketing principles

Traditionally, elderly care providers have used their instincts to decide on good locations for their residential or in-home care operations. In recent years, some have made good use of market data to investigate and understand their potential customer base. By looking at the age and affluence of potential care clients in their catchment area, savvy operators can anticipate the level of need, design the right services and price them competitively. Today, we’re advocating the same approach, to understand staffing supply and demand.

In our work with a few forward-thinking, large-scale elderly care providers, we’ve helped them to factor in staffing availability when looking for new sites or deciding whether expand operations in an existing location. There’s a great opportunity for mid-sized operators to take advantage of the same approach.

Using local market insight and benchmarking to identify potential staff

Using demographic and location data, we can:

Profile the demographic characteristics of ideal candidates for elderly care roles
Contrast them to the Acorn profiles of typical users of the elderly care services
Flag high-risk locations likely to face the biggest staffing challenges
Highlight areas of demographic overlap, with a strong potential customer base and staffing base
Identify the best catchment areas to recruit suitable candidates
Analyse the likely needs and priorities of available candidates in the area

Contextual dynamics in practice: understanding local recruitment landscapes

Our current work with elderly care providers is commercially sensitive. So, we’re using an example from a different care sector with a very similar recruitment and retention challenge – children’s nurseries.

Our client told us that recruitment challenges are hampering business performance – they had had to close some sites because of a lack of staff. They needed to factor the potential to recruit into acquisition decisions. We profiled 11,000 staff members in 400 nurseries in the UK to discover their Acorn groups and identifies primary and secondary target staffing groups. We mapped nurseries in their locations, showing where the customer base and the staff base overlapped. This helped our client tailor recruitment messaging to available local staff priorities. They could plan to expand their service provision in locations where they knew they could recruit to meet demand.

Modelling the recruitment potential for new and existing locations

The approach is not only relevant for new elderly care locations and investment. By understanding the local employment landscape, you can recruit in a more targeted and effective way and find out what matters to the people you’d like to employ, so you can shape working practices and promote aspects of the role that will be most appealing.

Location and mobile app data can you help you focus recruitment in areas where there are candidates who can easily access your sites and domestic clients. Your potential staff don’t necessarily live on the doorstep but there may be nearby areas that have good transport links, where workers already tend to travel from.

Offering roles that local employees want to take

Of course, pay is a very important factor when it comes to attracting competent and committed staff. Premium elderly care operators may be able to pay staff more and offer a more luxurious workplace. But these are not the only things that influence employees. You can provide other, affordable benefits and mould your working environment and employee programmes to match what workers really value. Profiling target candidates in your local area can help you understand their priorities – from family-friendly working hours to free lunches and incentive programmes.

Beyond pay and benefits – understanding the appeal of elderly care roles

Working in elderly care is a socially responsible job. For some candidates, recognition of the value of their work can be a strong motivator. Creating better career paths and more tangible pathways for carers can make a big difference to your recruitment. Some larger elderly care operators are trying to emulate nursing pathways: clear role definition and progression can help to retain committed staff. If you understand more about the potential candidates in your area and your existing staff, you can decide whether this approach could support recruitment and retention for one or more locations.

CACI’s specialist elderly care and senior living team works with clients in the UK to help them improve operational and financial performance with access to vital insights into their customers, employees and locations. To find out more, contact us.

How InSite helped Knight Frank navigate real estate & capital investment

Posted on: 21 April 2023

About Knight Frank

For over 20 years, Knight Frank has partnered with CACI to achieve a long-term vision of becoming the world’s leading independent property advisor. Knight Frank works with various industries and businesses on their property and location planning strategies. Accessibility to reliable and accurate information to successfully serve clients and the ability to build authority as a market leading commercial agent have remained at the business’ core throughout.

Despite Knight Frank’s wider recognition for its work within residential property, the business is evenly split between residential and commercial real estate. In recent years, the general climate surrounding realty has become increasingly challenging, with macroeconomic conditions weighing heavily on this industry globally, particularly in terms of capital market investments. To manoeuvre these challenges, Knight Frank has been using CACI’s GIS software, InSite, along with various CACI datasets such as Acorn, the UK’s leading geodemographic segmentation tool.

The Challenge

Knight Frank’s primary challenges have been twofold:
• Determine how to navigate ongoing global uncertainty in the real estate industry.
• Handle volatility in capital investment markets.

Stephen Springham, Head of Retail Research at Knight Frank, elaborated on the impact that these challenges have had on the business.

Stephen explained:

Capital market investment is key to real estate markets and obviously that is probably at the sharpest end of economic sentiment. Investor sentiment isn’t sky high at the moment, so that is probably the biggest barrier we have to overcome, although we’re probably not radically different from most global companies in that regard.

The Solution

CACI’s InSite software has significantly supported Knight Frank’s business endeavours through both the nationwide insight from Acorn, as well as the shopper understanding from the machine-learning
catchment model, Retail Footprint. “It’s a window to the world of data. A lot of those datasets are bespoke and unique to CACI,” Stephen explained.

Additionally, CACI’s business consultancy solutions and thought leadership have been supporting Knight Frank in improving their overall business functions by supplying the business with the necessary tools to effectively advise retailers and support due diligence regarding buying and selling within the capital market.

The Results

According to Stephen, there has been a noticeable uptake across the business in data usage, with several transactions on shopping centres Knight Frank completed over the course of last year that were achieved
thanks to the support of CACI’s data and InSite tool.

One of the business’ recent and most notable acquisitions came in 2021, with Knight Frank acting for Redical in the purchase of the Victoria Gate/Victoria Quarter Shopping Centre in Leeds. This £120-million deal was executed in part through a deep dive of data provided by CACI’s InSite tool.

The Future

While Knight Frank continues to have an open dialogue with CACI on any new developments or datasets that could continue to support the business’ initiatives, CACI’s InSite and data have created a notable foundation.

Read the full customer story here. For more information on how our data and solutions can support your business growth please get in touch with us.

How cost of living is impacting the Elderly Care & Senior Living market

Posted on: 14 February 2023

How does a challenging economy affect consumer choices and priorities that shape the UK market for elderly care?

It’s no surprise that the cost of living squeeze is having an impact on elderly care operators. Private residential and domestic care cost money: consumers are looking for ways to economise. Older people want and need comfort and care as much as ever, but they and their families are tightening their belts. Inevitably, they’re considering the cost of different care settings and options.

What does this mean for residential and domiciliary care providers? It’s early days, but as for every other consumer sector, you need to be prepared for the market to change. A proactive approach to understanding current and future customers and modelling potential demand in your locations can uncover opportunities to maintain occupancy and optimise your services to match evolving priorities and needs.

If you don’t have a crystal ball to hand, that may sound like a tall order. But knowing and anticipating market demand in your locations doesn’t depend on magic or guesswork. Consumer and location data together provide reliable evidence that can help you identify ways to stay relevant, accessible and financially stable.

Not all groups are impacted to the same extent by the rising costs of living. The majority of Acorn Groups still have a sizeable disposable income despite the recent 5% average fall.
Source: CACI Paycheck Disposable Income 2022 v2

Despite the bleak headlines, the economic impact varies considerably for different household types and in different areas. Many older consumers still have savings, disposable income or assets that allow them to choose the care they want. If you can understand the profile of your current and future customers in detail, it’s easier to identify and reach out to local prospects.

Location intelligence data is a well-established source of insight for care home operators and domestic care providers that are considering expansion or new sites. Mapping the age and affluence of the local population in a potential catchment helps to indicate where there’s likely demand for elderly care services.

But alongside age and income, there’s a lot of more subtle data that can help you market your existing services, confirm or reshape your propositions, benchmark your pricing and adjust the range and type of services you offer. This type of insight is extremely useful in a fast-changing market.

CACI data insight can answer crucial questions about your customers and market:

• What are the characteristics of your local and target customers?
Acorn profiling groups UK consumers by affluence, life stage and priorities
• What are your current and potential customers thinking, feeling and intending to do differently?
Quarterly Consumer insight surveys of the UK population
• How has customer spending on different outgoings changed?
Transactional spending data shows the split of spend with different brands and operators
• Whose disposable income is affected?
Postcode model of income in different locations, showing how it’s being spent.
• What’s around the corner?
Dynamic modelling forecasts what could happen to consumer spending if inflation, fuel and other costs rise in a range of different ways

CACI’s current disposable income model reflects the changes we’ve observed in the last few months. Although all households are affected by rising costs, the majority of our Acorn consumer profile groups still have a significant disposable income. It’s groups like Student Life and City Sophisticates that have seen the largest decline, driven by property costs.

There has been major growth in spend on private healthcare, with a wide range of demographics prioritising health over other non-essential spending.
Source: CACI Transactional Spend, June 2022

For elderly care operators, it’s encouraging to note that Comfortable Seniors, Countryside Communities and Successful Suburbs, who are likely to form far more of the target market, have some of the highest levels of disposable income, reflecting smaller or non-existent mortgages, good pensions and comfortable savings accrued over previous years.

Spending on private healthcare has increased in the past year. The Covid-19 pandemic and concerns about NHS waiting lists are driving this change in priorities for households across most Acorn groups. Despite rising essential costs, many consumers now regard healthcare expenditure as a necessity, not a luxury. This could have a positive impact on perceptions of value in elderly care.

These are just the headlines from our latest national data. Every elderly care provider has a different operating model and works in unique locations. CACI’s health and social care team can select data and build customised reports that directly reflect the opportunities and changes happening in your catchment areas today and tomorrow. For mid-sized operators, it’s vital decision-making information to inform strategy and tactical decisions that will help your business compete and thrive in a challenging economy.

We can help you:
• Continuously analyse, monitor and adapt – stay ahead of policy and new competitors when finding new customers and recruits
• Tailor marketing engagement and recruitment key messages to reflect the requirements of local potential pools of customers and staff
• Understand your staff and customer base and how its segments are impacted by different cost of living challenges, to identify risk and opportunity
• Tailor your offer to changing consumer and staff requirements

CACI’s specialist elderly care and senior living team work with clients in the UK and internationally to help them improve operational and financial performance with access to vital insights into their customers, employees and locations.

To find out more, contact us.