The City of London expects to see most of its workers return to their offices post-pandemic, the City’s political leader said on Tuesday on BBC Radio.
Catherine McGuinness, policy chair at the City of London Corporation, told the broadcaster she was confident that trade would return for the cafes, pubs, restaurants and other businesses that rely on the usually teeming crowds of office workers.
She also admitted that there will likely be changes in the way people work after the pandemic.
“What people are telling us is that they are expecting their central office base to remain at the core of their business with people coming in three or four days, working different hours, so we are expecting the bulk of the return,” McGuinness said.
“What it will mean in terms of the overall footfall, we are not yet quite clear.”
McGuinness said developers were also planning new buildings in the City.
“We’re already seeing in our planning applications a real surge of interest in getting office space in the City,” she said. “I think (we have seen) so far this year 80% of all the applications we saw last year,” she said.
“So, continued interest and continued commitment to that office space, but a different way of using it.”
