Quarterlytics / Consumer Cyclical / Apparel - Footwear & Accessories / Caleres, Inc. / FY2023 Annual Report

Caleres, Inc.
Annual Report 2023

CAL · NYSE Consumer Cyclical
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Ticker CAL
Exchange NYSE
Sector Consumer Cyclical
Industry Apparel - Footwear & Accessories
Employees 4800
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FY2023 Annual Report · Caleres, Inc.
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Annual Report and Accounts
for the year ended in 30 December 2023

Enhancing 
community 
centres with

expertise  
& innovation

Introduction 

Our Community Centres 

Capital & Regional is a UK-focused retail property REIT specialising 
in community shopping centres that provide needs-based,  
non-discretionary and value-orientated retail goods and services. 

Our centres are more than just shopping centres, they are platforms for social, 
cultural and commercial prosperity. Our centres are tailored to the unique 
needs and aspirations of the local communities and form a fundamental part  
of the community ecosystem. 

Capital & Regional has a demonstrated track record of delivering  
value-enhancing retail and leisure asset management opportunities across its 
portfolio of tailored and centrally located community shopping centres. 

Capital & Regional is listed on the main market of the London Stock Exchange 
and has a secondary listing on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.

Our Behaviours and Principles
What we do is transformational. 

We turn space into platforms for social, culture and commercial prosperity. 

Platforms are the foundation from which people can stand, reach and grow  
– and the building blocks of an ecosystem. 

Social prosperity: from NHS services to local 
community cohesion, support and services. Our 
centres offer this. 

Commercial prosperity: our work is fundamental to 
local, regional and national economies. We empower 
business growth, create jobs and enrich lives. 

Cultural prosperity: from CRATE to Snozone to the 
Identity School of Acting, cultural experiences increase 
our community members’ quality of life. 

View our
Corporate Website
capreg.com

Find out more about our
Pathway to Net Zero Report
capreg.com/esg/ 
environmental-sustainability/
pathway-to-net-zero

Stock code: CAL

Stock code: CALHighlights

Revenue1

Net rental income

Contents

2023

2022

£59.0m

£56.8m

2023

2022

£23.9m

£23.5m

Adjusted Profit

Adjusted Earnings per share

2023

2022

£12.7m

£10.3m

2023

2022

IFRS Profit for the period

Basic Earnings per share

2023

2022

£3.7m

£12.1m

2023

2022

6.8p

6.2p

2.0p

7.3p

Total dividends per share

Net Asset Value (NAV) per share

2023

2022

5.70p

5.25p

2023

2022

EPRA NTA per share

Group net debt

2023

2022

88p

103p

2023

2022

90p

106p

£162.7m

£130.9m

Net debt to property value

2023

2022

43.6%

40.6%

Read more about 
Key performance indicators 
on pages 30–32

1.  2022 comparative has been restated for a prior year adjustment to service charge income and 

expenditure recognised in the period. There has been no change to Profit.

Use of Alternative Performance Measures (APMs)
Throughout the results statement, we use a range of financial and non-financial 
measures to assess our performance. A number of the financial measures, 
including Net Rental Income, Adjusted Profit, Adjusted Earnings per share, 
Net Debt and the industry best practice EPRA (European Public Real Estate 
Association) performance measures are not defined under IFRS, so they are 
termed APMs. APMs are not considered superior to the relevant IFRS measures, 
rather management use them alongside IFRS measures to monitor the Group’s 
financial performance because they help illustrate the trading performance and 
position of the Group. All APMs are defined in the Glossary and further detail on 
their use is provided within the Financial Review.

Business Overview

06  Our Portfolio
10  Chairman’s Statement

Strategic Report
14  The Market Backdrop
22  Our Business Model
24  Our Strategy
30  Key Performance Indicators
34  Chief Executive’s Statement
38  Operating Review
44  Financial Review
52  Managing Risk
58  Our Stakeholders
62  ESG Report 
108 TCFD Disclosure

  Governance 
123 Board of Directors
125 Senior Leadership Team
126 Corporate Governance Report
134 Nomination Committee Report
137  Audit Committee Report
142 Directors’ Remuneration
144 Directors’ Remunerations Policy
151  Directors’ Remunerations Report
161 Directors’ Report
166  Directors’ Responsibilities Statement
167 Independent Auditor’s Report

Financials

178  Consolidated Income Statement
178  Consolidated Statement of 
Comprehensive Income
179 Consolidated Balance Sheet
180  Consolidated Statement 
of Changes in Equity

181   Consolidated Cash Flow Statement
182  Notes to the Financial Statements
218 Company Balance Sheet
219 Statement of Changes in Equity
220  Notes to the Company’s 

Separate Financial Statements

225 Glossary of Terms
227 Five Year Review (Unaudited)
228  Portfolio Information (unaudited)
229  EPRA Performance 

Measures (unaudited)
231  Advisers and Corporate  

Information

232  Shareholder Information

Capital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023

01

Capital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Business Overview 
 
 
Our Community Strategy
Drives Operational Performance

Our steadfast commitment to non-discretionary, value-oriented, local retail and 
services is a driving force behind our operational performance, ensuring the  
wellbeing of our communities.

Continued progression with 
our Capex programme with 
investments expected to 
produce a yield on cost in line 
with our 8% to 9% target
£16.0m
Total net amount invested by 
the Group during 2023
£5.3m
Invested into ongoing works for the new 
20,000 sq ft NHS facility due to open in 
Spring 2024 at Ilford
£0.6m
Invested to create the new The Bridge 
food court which successfully opened in 
June 2023
£4.8m
Invested in the new 35,000 sq ft TK Maxx 
anchor unit that opened in November 
2023 at Ilford

Gyle
The £40m acquisition of Gyle Shopping Centre marks 
the first step towards rescaling our business and fully 
leveraging our proven skills and management expertise. 

Recovery and Growth in  
Operational Performance
99.2%
Rent collection in line with historic pre-Covid 
levels (2022: 97.6% at time of Year End results)

86
New lettings and renewals achieved during 
the year at a combined average premium of 
6.8% to previous rent (2022: 80)

+1.5%
Footfall amounting to 86.7% of pre-Covid 
levels, with 44.5 million shopper visits

93.4%
Occupancy steady with the marginal decline 
due to Wilko administration (December 2022: 
94.1%)
£23.9m
Net rental Income showing an increase driven 
primarily by improved occupancy and rent 
collection (2022: £23.5m)

Progressing with our 
ESG commitments
100%
Scope 3 onsite data collected during the 
period
8% 
Total reduced energy consumption compared 
to 2022
12,627
Trees planted between C&R and Snozone, 
offsetting 403 tons of CO2
141
Charities supported

Read more about Key performance indicators 
on pages 30–32

02

Stock code: CALWhy we Exist

We exist to protect and progress the essentials of community life.  
We are more than non-discretionary retail, we are spaces for communities 
to gather. We are the local shopping centre where toddlers have their 
first meal out, where teens embark on their first jobs, where the older 
generation come for support and interaction.

We are connection, love, belonging, play, education, participation, knowledge, support, culture, experiences, 
hope and understanding. 

So what does this mean for who we think we are? We are a growth company. We invigorate culture, we fuel 
commerce and we impact society

•  We incubate and inspire 
businesses to grow.

•  Through our investments and 
support, we grow community 
spirit and drive social cohesion.

•  As a leader in our field, we 
aspire to help our people 
grow as individuals and 
professionals.

•  We are there for families 
through generations: 
supporting growth through 
every life stage. 

In the world we currently live in, we have an increasingly important role. And to deliver on this role and thrive 
in a modern world we must operate consistently at our best and beyond. To be relevant, impactful, world-
class and united. 

We have four core principles and twelve behaviours that help us to do that and how we do things: 

Bring The World In
Because our world is made  
richer from worlds beyond: 

•  Get out there to experience different  

perspectives.

•  Bring fresh ideas to the table.

•  Embrace people from all walks of life.

Uplift The Everyday
Because a little magic and a  
lot of energy go a long way: 

•  Go beyond the expected to surprise and delight.

•  Understand and respond to what people want and need.

•  Celebrate each other’s effort, big and small. 

Make It Count
Because time, money and  
resources are precious: 

•  Prioritise for impact and waste no time making  

it happen. 

•  Push ourselves to uphold world-class standards. 

•  Take ownership and responsibility for our actions. 

Win As One
Because together we  
grow strong: 

•  Give people the space to make new mistakes and grow. 

•  Respect each other’s strengths and learn from  

each other. 

•  Speak the honest truth to earn trust and  

grow stronger. 

03

Capital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Business OverviewOur Community Shopping Centre Approach

Our community shopping centre approach continues to demonstrate 
resilience despite the persistent challenges within the retail sector. 
Evolving from needs-based retail, our centres create value for each of 
our communities and provide vibrant, diverse, and tailored space. 

Our focus has been for our centres to provide a strong retail offer consisting of services and non-discretionary retail in 
locations with strong transport links. This enables us to provide a convenient and seamless experience for our guests. 

The communities we serve are at the heart of everything that we do, taking care to add value at a local level to provide a 
strong and successful customer proposition.

Our customer product  
and service offerings
We are strongly positioned to cater to our guests’ 
fundamental and routine non-discretionary shopping 
requirements and services.

Change in merchandising mix since we launched our 
Community Shopping Centre Strategy in 2017:

25.0%

30.7%

9.5%

6.3%

7.8%

10.0%

10.7%

18.3%

21.8%

2017 Customer 
Proposition

5.6%

15.6%

2023 Customer 
Proposition

6.4%

16.8%

Value Apparel
Value Apparel
Athleisure & 
Footwear
Food & Grocery
Health & Beauty

Services
Home & Gifts
Others

Athleisure & Footwear

Food & Grocery

Our difference

15.5%

Value Apparel
Health & Beauty
Athleisure & 
Footwear
Food & Grocery
Health & Beauty

Services
Home & Gifts
Others

Services

Home & Gifts

Others

Our key distinction from competitors in the retail sector lies in our commitment to being more than merely a 
shopping destination; we are regarded as an integral part of our guests’ daily routines.

01

Dominant Community Locations
Our centres are an essential aspect of 
the community; strategically located 
with robust transportation links, they are 
ideally situated to cater to the needs  
of local residents.

02 Diversified Income Streams

We prioritise a mixed-use approach, 
aiming to optimise our presence across 
retail, hospitality and service sectors.

03 Strength of Community Links

The strength of our community 
connections empowers us to address 
local needs swiftly and efficiently.

04 Experienced Management 

Our management teams possess 
extensive expertise in the retail sector, 
continually enhancing their skills 
through the training and development 
programs offered by C&R.

04

Stock code: CALThe continued evolution of our assets 

Community and local focus 
Our assets are situated in local town centres, serving as 
integral components of the community infrastructure 
at the core of these neighbourhoods. Our objective is to 
enhance each community by addressing their everyday 
requirements and championing the causes that hold 
significance for them.

Remerchandising retail offer 
In 2023, we prioritised adapting and expediting the 
remerchandising process towards a greater emphasis on 
non-discretionary retail and services.

Role of the store 
Throughout 2023, we observed sustained recognition of 
the significance of physical stores, for both consumers 
and retailers alike. Despite the growth of online retail, the 
physical store remains a vital and dominant touchpoint for 
retailers to interact with our guests and foster loyalty.

And our centres remain dedicated to fulfilling the essential 
shopping needs and services of our guests.

Diversification of uses 
Our varied retail offerings guarantees consistent 
foot traffic and repeated visits, resulting in high 
conversion rates.

Centre Characteristics

1

Dominant strategic locations  
in the centre of growing towns

2 Easily accessible with  
strong transport links

3 Densely populated local areas

4

Accretive asset management 
opportunities including leisure, 
residential, medical and office uses

05

Capital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Business OverviewOur Portfolio

Spain

9

Key

1

Shopping centres

Snozone

1

8

8

7

5

3

6

4

2

7

5

3

6

4

2

06

9

1

Gyle, Edinburgh
•  Freehold partially open shopping 

centre on two floors

•  415,000 sq ft

•  71 lettable units

•  Principal occupiers: Marks & Spencer, 

Morrisons, Next, Boots

2

The Mall, Maidstone
•  Freehold covered shopping centre on 

three floors

•  500,000 sq ft 

•  102 lettable units

•  Principal occupiers: B&M, Matalan, 
PureGym, Boots, Sports Direct, 
Iceland, Next

3

17&Central, Walthamstow
•  Leasehold covered shopping centre on 

two floors

•  260,000 sq ft

•  63 lettable units

•  Principal occupiers: Lidl, Asda, Boots, 
The Gym, TK Maxx, Sports Direct

4

The Exchange, Ilford
•  Predominantly freehold covered 
shopping centre on three floors

•  300,000 sq ft

•  83 lettable units 

•  Principal occupiers: Next, H&M, NHS, 

TK Maxx

5

The Marlowes, Hemel Hempstead
•  Freehold covered shopping centre and 

high street parade

•  340,000 sq ft

•  90 lettable units

•  Principal occupiers: B&M, Sports Direct, 

PureGym, Tesco Express

6

The Mall, Wood Green
•  Freehold partially open shopping 

centre on two floors

•  540,000 sq ft

•  114 lettable units

•  Principal occupiers: Primark, Lidl, H&M, 
Boots, TK Maxx, Travelodge, Cineworld

Snozone
•  100% subsidiary

•  Largest indoor ski slope operator 

in the UK

•  Operating in  7  Milton Keynes,  
8  Yorkshire and  9  Madrid
In existence since 2000 and has  
taught over four million people  
to ski or snowboard.

• 

See pages 42-43 for more details.

Stock code: CAL1

Gyle, 
Edinburgh

2

The Mall, 
Maidstone

3

17&Central, 
Walthamstow

Shopping centre size
This freehold covered shopping 
centre, spans three floors and 
encompasses 500,000 sq ft. 

Tenant mix
The Mall, Maidstone includes brands 
such as B&M, Matalan, PureGym, 
Boots, Sports Direct and Iceland.

Sustainable initiatives
At The Mall, all our electricity comes 
from renewable energy sources – 
helping us to take an even more 
sustainable approach as we move 
to the future. In terms of service 
to people, The Mall participates in 
Purple Tuesday every year to support 
inclusivity and accessibility for guests 
with disabilities. On this day, we turn 
off centre music to create a calm 
shopping environment for those with 
sensory issues and decorate with 
purple.

Shopping centre size
In September 2023 we completed the 
acquisition of Gyle for  
£40 million, excluding acquisition 
costs. The shopping centre spans 
415,000 sq ft and compromises of 88 
retail units.

Gyle offers 2,800 free car parking 
spaces in a strategic location serving 
two affluent residential areas, 
alongside the bustling commercial 
districts of South Gyle and 
Edinburgh Park. 

Tenant mix 
Gyle is anchored by Marks & Spencer 
and Morrisons supermarket and is 
strategically located on a 50-acre 
site. This acquisition aligns with our 
long-standing community shopping 
centre strategy, introduced back in 
December 2017.

Strong transport links
Gyle stands as a thriving hub of 
community life. It also benefits from 
the convenience of a nearby tram 
system, connecting the airport to 
Edinburgh City centre, thus enhancing 
accessibility and driving footfall.

Centre statistics
415,000
Total sq ft

88 
Retail units

Centre statistics
500,000 sq ft
Total sq ft

2.7
Miles from 
airport

8.6m
Footfall

2,800
Car park 
spaces

6
Miles from 
city centre

98 
Retail units

245,647
Core catchment

Shopping centre size
17&Central is a leasehold covered 
shopping centre spanning two floors 
and encompassing 290,000 sq ft. 
Our recent launch of the new food 
and events hall in Walthamstow, 
spanning 16,000 sq ft on a mezzanine 
level, demonstrates our dedication to 
enhancing community engagement 
by providing grab-and-go food 
options, a bar and versatile event 
spaces. 

Tenant mix
17&Central has 67 lettable units with 
occupiers including Lidl, Asda, Boots, 
The Gym, TK Maxx, and Sports Direct.

Residential development
17&Central also has ongoing 
construction work on a residential 
development project. Long Harbour 
are on site creating 495 Build to Rent 
residential apartments in two towers 
that are scheduled to complete 
in 2025. 

Building strong 
transport links
We are introducing a new Victoria 
Line tube station entrance and public 
spaces, aligning with our strategy 
of creating holistic and community-
centric destinations.

Centre statistics
290,000
Total sq ft

67 
Retail units

495
Build to Rent apartments  
being developed

07

Capital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Business OverviewOur Portfolio continued

4

The Exchange, 
Ilford

5

The Marlowes, 
Hemel 
Hempstead

Shopping centre size
A freehold covered shopping centre 
with a high street parade, The 
Marlowes occupies 320,000 sq ft and 
accommodates 89 lettable units.

Tenant mix
Key anchor tenants include B&M, 
Sports Direct, PureGym and Tesco 
Express. Hemel Hempstead is a 
strong South East commuter town 
located just outside of the M25. The 
opportunity exists to reposition this 
asset and potentially consolidate it 
with other retail properties adjoining 
the scheme, as part of a regeneration 
of the wider town centre. 

Shopping centre size
This predominantly freehold covered 
shopping centre spans three floors, 
with 310,000 sq ft and 81 lettable 
units. The Exchange includes principal 
occupiers such as the NHS, Next, 
H&M and TK Maxx. 

Sustainable initiatives
Our commitment to sustainability is 
exemplified by the green initiatives 
within the Exchange. Through 
collaboration with Don’t Waste, we 
have made commendable strides in 
improving recycling accuracy  
on-site. The Exchange was also 
recognised as the best large business 
by Ilford Business Improvement 
District (BID) and the council, further 
emphasising the centres integral role 
within the local community.

Investment in 
community 
healthcare facilities
In line with our continuous 
commitment to serve our 
communities, we have invested in a 
new 20,000 sq ft NHS facility due to 
open in late Spring 2024.

6

The Mall, 
Wood Green

Shopping centre size
A freehold partially open shopping 
centre spanning two floors and with 
630,000 sq ft of retail space.

Tenant mix
It houses a diverse range of 106 
lettable units, including prominent 
occupiers such as Primark, Lidl, H&M, 
Boots, TK Maxx, Travelodge, and 
Cineworld.

Food catering offering
The Bridge, opened in June 2023, is 
a thriving and vibrant food court, 
underscoring our dedication to 
enhancing community engagement 
and delivering an exceptional 
shopping and dining experience.

Centre statistics

Centre statistics

310,000
Total sq ft

£4.8m
Investment in  
NHS facilities

81 
Retail units

320,000
Total sq ft

151,837
Core catchment

89 
Retail units

Centre statistics

630,000
Total sq ft

£12m
Investment by the 
NHS

106 
Retail units

08

Stock code: CAL09

Business OverviewCapital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Chairman’s Statement

2023 was a year of continued progress for Capital 
& Regional, with retailer interest and guest numbers 
showing steady recovery from the challenges of the 
pandemic and endorsing our strategy of owning 
dominant community shopping centres. 

David Hunter
Chairman

With consumer confidence inevitably 
affected by inflation and high 
borrowing costs, our focus on 
meeting demand for  
non-discretionary spending stood us 
in good stead and, coupled with the 
hard work and expertise of our asset 
management team has allowed us 
to deliver the strong operational and 
financial results we are able to report. 

Following our success in 
strengthening the balance sheet 
in the previous year, we were 
delighted to take a significant step 
forward in September 2023 with the 
purchase of Gyle shopping centre in 
Edinburgh. This dominant mall, with 
its prosperous catchment area, is a 
perfect fit for the C&R portfolio and 
our management team has already 
identified a number of opportunities 
to improve the retailer mix, income 
and ultimately capital value: some of 
which we have already captured as 
detailed in today’s results. We were 
also pleased with the reaction to 
the transaction from shareholders, 
analysts and market commentators, 
with widespread agreement of our 
view that this represented a very 
exciting opportunity that was a 
natural fit for the Company. 

The Gyle purchase was facilitated 
by a combination of stapled debt 
from the vendor banks and a £25 
million equity raise, which was 
supported by existing shareholders 
and fully underwritten by our majority 
shareholder, Growthpoint. As in 

previous years, the Board is indebted 
to Growthpoint for its exceptional 
support, and confidence in the 
management team who identified 
and painstakingly negotiated the deal.

A central part of the Company’s 
strategy is to invest selective capital 
expenditure on our assets. In 2023, 
the team invested a net total of  
£16.0 million, focused in particular 
on Ilford, delivering new units for 
TK Maxx and the NHS, as well as 
Wood Green.

Capex programmes will continue 
into 2024 and beyond, with the 
management team very mindful 
of the requirement to deliver a 
high return on cost to justify the 
use of our available resources. We 
strongly believe that our proactive 
management of assets will continue 
to deliver income growth and, as 
investment markets recover, capital 
value growth. 

Retailer failures were much 
reduced in 2023, and although the 
administration of Wilko in the second 
half of the year created a challenge 
in three of our centres, our team 
responded swiftly and had agreed 
terms with B&M for all three units by 
the year-end, formally signing them 
up to the space in February 2024. 

One ongoing legacy from the 
pandemic is the reduced use of car 
parks. This is principally resulting 
from a modal shift in central London 
but also due to some shorter-term 

impacts from our development in 
Walthamstow as well as a reduction 
in contract local office worker car 
parking in Hemel. The team is 
working on a range of alternative uses 
to support car park income including 
the introduction of EV charging and 
potential storage, as well as last mile 
logistics. 

From an operational and financial 
point of view, 2023 was a strong year 
and continued the Company’s steady 
trend of recovery from the pandemic. 
Valuations were up 2.6% on a  
like-for-like basis and Net Rental 
Income, increased by 5%, also on a 
like-for-like basis, leading to a 23% 
increase in Adjusted Profits and a 
9.7% increase in Adjusted Earnings. 
Rent collections remain very high. We 
also saw a strong performance from 
Snozone increasing their EBITDA by 
64% including a significantly improved 
profit contribution from Madrid. 

While the Company’s net debt to 
property value rose slightly to 43.6%, 
this increase was driven solely 
through the use of central cash for 
capex and an element of the Gyle 
acquisition. The Board seeks to strike 
a balance between the need to invest 
into assets and a desire to keep the 
Company’s loan-to-value ratio as low 
as possible. 

We have extended the term on our 
Ilford debt and agreed further options 
to extend maturity out to the end of 
2027. None of the Company’s facilities 
are due to expire in 2024. We have an 

10

Stock code: CALexcellent relationship with all of our 
lenders and our weighted average 
cost of debt remains competitive at 
4.25%. In addition, we hold total cash 
reserves of £36.3 million, providing 
full funding for ongoing capex 
projects.

The Board recognises the 
fundamental importance of income 
for shareholders and, based on 
these financial results, were pleased 
to announce a 7.3% increase to 
the proposed final dividend to 2.95 
pence per share, which if approved, 
will result in a total dividend for the 
year of 5.70 pence per share, an 
increase of 8.6% from 2022. These 
though remain uncertain times and, 
as with recent dividends, the Board 
is conscious of the importance of 
preserving cash both for capital 
expenditure investment and to 
maintain financial flexibility conscious 
of the risk of macro or geo-political 
developments impacting operations 
or capital values. As such, the Board 

decided to again offer a scrip option 
with this final dividend. Growthpoint 
has taken up this option. 

C&R has long been a pioneer of 
strong environmental sustainability 
and we have seen continued progress 
across the portfolio, significantly 
reducing utility consumption across 
both the shopping centre and 
Snozone businesses. We also place 
a particularly high importance on 
the wellbeing of our staff and I am 
pleased to report high and positive 
responses to staff surveys undertaken 
in the year. 

As ever, I am most grateful to 
my Board colleagues for their 
unstinting support. Ian Krieger, our 
Audit Committee Chair and Senior 
Independent Director will retire by 
rotation at the 2024 AGM, having 
served nine years on the Board and 
I would like to record my particular 
thanks to Ian for his consistently 
constructive input. Laura Whyte has 
agreed to take on the role of Senior 

Independent Director and Gerry 
Murphy has recently joined the 
Board and will succeed Ian as Audit 
Committee Chair. 

While the Company has undoubtedly 
moved forward in 2023, there have 
been continued economic and market 
headwinds and I must acknowledge 
the exceptional role that Lawrence 
and his team have played, not only 
in confronting these challenges, 
but in ensuring that C&R’s profile 
and market reputation remains so 
strongly positive.

David Hunter
Chairman

Read more about 
Board activity during the year 
on page 61

11

Capital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Business OverviewStrategic 
Report

14 The Market Backdrop
22 Our Business Model
24 Our Strategy
30 Key Performance Indicators
34 Chief Executive’s Statement
38 Operating Review
44 Financial Review
52 Managing Risk
58 Our Stakeholders
62 ESG Report
108 TCFD Disclosure

12

Stock code: CAL13

Strategic ReportCapital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023The Market Backdrop
Macroeconomic trends

Community strategy delivering resilience against laboured economic recovery 
and continued cost-of-living pressures

Impacts and  
implications for C&R

•  Cost-of-living pressures 
are causing consumers 
to move down the retail 
pricing architecture, most 
obviously illustrated through 
the continued growth of 
the discount supermarkets. 
This requires alignment of 
goods and service provision 
to reflect a community’s 
spending dynamic and an 
ability to flex creatively. 
•  Inflationary pressures feed 

through to shopping centre 
operational running costs, 
particularly the impact of 
wage inflation and utility 
costs, impacting occupier 
profitability and unit 
affordability. Retail and 
leisure occupiers are focused 
on their occupational cost 
base, often seeking to secure 
cost certainty through 
passing risk onto owners.

Macroeconomic 
trend

Driving Forces  
& Insights

Consumer  
Markets

Inflation - Tracking towards Bank of England target 
Headline CPI fell by over 600bps to 4.0% at the year-end, 
with a notably sharp decline in the final quarter of the 
year, particularly driven by the previous year’s energy price 
increases falling out of the calculation. Inflation is now 
more closely aligned to other major global economies, 
such as the Eurozone (2.4%) and the US (3.1%). While the 
rate remains ahead of the Bank of England’s 2% target, the 
underlying direction of travel appears to be favourable, with 
wage inflation falling and a cooling labour market. However, 
international events continue to provide supply chain 
challenges and potential cost pressures into 2024. 

Interest Rates – At their peak
Base rates continued to increase over 2023, hitting 5.25% 
in August, a 15 year high, but have subsequently remained 
unchanged. As inflation has started to trend towards the 
Bank of England target, with weak economic growth and 
a softening labour market, there is increasing belief that 
rates have now peaked and a general consensus that 
rates will start to come down over 2024. That said, there 
remains divergence of opinion in terms of when cuts can be 
expected and how many.

Housing market – Debt servicing pressures  
on income
Unsurprisingly, house prices have softened in response to 
increased interest rates and other general cost-of-living 
pressures. Prices were on average estimated to have 
decreased by 2.1% over the year to November 2023. Current 
mortgage rate offers, while coming off their recent peaks, 
remain more than double the five-year average ahead of 
the first increases in base rates in 2021, directly impacting 
disposable income for new mortgagees and those coming 
off historic fixed rates, of which there are 1.6million in 2024. 
Private renters saw rents increase by 6.2% in the year to 
November 2023, the highest rate since records began in 
2016.

Consumer confidence and spending –  
Remaining resilient 
Retail spending has remained relatively resilient, with total 
projected retail market growth of 4.3% over 2023, albeit at 
lower volumes. At a sector level, the strongest growth was 
seen in the food and grocery sector at 8.3%, while non-food 
growth was materially more subdued at just 0.8%. Food and 
grocery now accounts for 48.1% of total retail market share, 
compared to 44.7% in 2019. This sector has taken market 
share from all other retail sub-sectors. 

Consumer confidence levels continue to show improvement 
with January 2024’s GfK measure reaching its highest level 
of confidence in the general economic situation in over two 
years, as sentiment adjusts to improving metrics in most key 
economic indicators. Household confidence levels have also 
improved, with personal finance outlook now in essentially 
neutral territory.

14

Supporting  

Data & Insights

Despite inflationary pressures starting to tail off, the cost 

CBRE chart from ONS showing goods price 

of living for households remains materially higher than 

a year ago. As a consequence, consumers are focusing 

on value for money and cutting back on discretionary 

disinflation

Our 

Response

spending.

Our key merchandising pillars centred around grocery, 

CBRE chart from ONS showing wage inflation 

cooling

Our community merchandising strategy remains focused 

on everyday needs and services, anchored, where possible, 

by grocery offers. As consumers move down the retail 

pricing architecture, our centres’ mix of goods and 

services are well placed to offer increasing relevance to 

our shoppers and enhanced resilience in the more testing 

economic environment. 

health and beauty, and fashion basics have all seen  

year-on-year growth in sales, driven principally by 

physical destinations. We will continue to adopt a focused 

approach to leasing to ensure our occupancy decisions are 

best aligned to our consumers everyday demands, in so 

doing, providing occupational and income resilience.

While we expect inflationary and interest rate pressures 

to ease into 2024, underlying cost-of-living increases 

will remain a drag on disposable income. Consequently, 

we expect consumers to remain value conscious and 

principally focused on everyday needs as we move into 

2024.

We continually look at opportunities to generate new and 

additional consumer spending at our retail destinations. 

This is principally achieved through disciplined asset 

management initiatives that improve our occupier base 

and tenant mix relevance but can at times extend to 

unlocking more radical development opportunities. The 

residential site at Walthamstow is a standout example of 

this latter opportunity, with our developer partner, Long 

Harbour, bringing forward 495 Build to Rent apartments, 

which will radically increase the residential population on 

our doorstep and available spend. 

Global Data – food/non food split

Global Data – Sector performance 2022/2023

Stock code: CAL  
Impacts and  

implications for C&R

•  Cost-of-living pressures 

are causing consumers 

to move down the retail 

pricing architecture, most 

obviously illustrated through 

the continued growth of 

the discount supermarkets. 

This requires alignment of 

goods and service provision 

to reflect a community’s 

spending dynamic and an 

ability to flex creatively. 

•  Inflationary pressures feed 

through to shopping centre 

operational running costs, 

particularly the impact of 

wage inflation and utility 

costs, impacting occupier 

profitability and unit 

affordability. Retail and 

leisure occupiers are focused 

on their occupational cost 

base, often seeking to secure 

cost certainty through 

passing risk onto owners.

Macroeconomic 

Driving Forces  

trend

& Insights

Consumer  

Markets

Inflation - Tracking towards Bank of England target 

Headline CPI fell by over 600bps to 4.0% at the year-end, 

with a notably sharp decline in the final quarter of the 

year, particularly driven by the previous year’s energy price 

increases falling out of the calculation. Inflation is now 

more closely aligned to other major global economies, 

such as the Eurozone (2.4%) and the US (3.1%). While the 

rate remains ahead of the Bank of England’s 2% target, the 

underlying direction of travel appears to be favourable, with 

wage inflation falling and a cooling labour market. However, 

international events continue to provide supply chain 

challenges and potential cost pressures into 2024. 

Interest Rates – At their peak

Base rates continued to increase over 2023, hitting 5.25% 

in August, a 15 year high, but have subsequently remained 

unchanged. As inflation has started to trend towards the 

Bank of England target, with weak economic growth and 

a softening labour market, there is increasing belief that 

rates have now peaked and a general consensus that 

rates will start to come down over 2024. That said, there 

remains divergence of opinion in terms of when cuts can be 

expected and how many.

Housing market – Debt servicing pressures  

on income

Unsurprisingly, house prices have softened in response to 

increased interest rates and other general cost-of-living 

pressures. Prices were on average estimated to have 

decreased by 2.1% over the year to November 2023. Current 

mortgage rate offers, while coming off their recent peaks, 

remain more than double the five-year average ahead of 

the first increases in base rates in 2021, directly impacting 

disposable income for new mortgagees and those coming 

off historic fixed rates, of which there are 1.6million in 2024. 

Private renters saw rents increase by 6.2% in the year to 

November 2023, the highest rate since records began in 

2016.

Consumer confidence and spending –  

Remaining resilient 

Retail spending has remained relatively resilient, with total 

projected retail market growth of 4.3% over 2023, albeit at 

lower volumes. At a sector level, the strongest growth was 

seen in the food and grocery sector at 8.3%, while non-food 

growth was materially more subdued at just 0.8%. Food and 

grocery now accounts for 48.1% of total retail market share, 

compared to 44.7% in 2019. This sector has taken market 

share from all other retail sub-sectors. 

Consumer confidence levels continue to show improvement 

with January 2024’s GfK measure reaching its highest level 

of confidence in the general economic situation in over two 

years, as sentiment adjusts to improving metrics in most key 

economic indicators. Household confidence levels have also 

improved, with personal finance outlook now in essentially 

neutral territory.

Our 
Response

Supporting  
Data & Insights

Despite inflationary pressures starting to tail off, the cost 
of living for households remains materially higher than 
a year ago. As a consequence, consumers are focusing 
on value for money and cutting back on discretionary 
spending.

Our community merchandising strategy remains focused 
on everyday needs and services, anchored, where possible, 
by grocery offers. As consumers move down the retail 
pricing architecture, our centres’ mix of goods and 
services are well placed to offer increasing relevance to 
our shoppers and enhanced resilience in the more testing 
economic environment. 

Our key merchandising pillars centred around grocery, 
health and beauty, and fashion basics have all seen  
year-on-year growth in sales, driven principally by 
physical destinations. We will continue to adopt a focused 
approach to leasing to ensure our occupancy decisions are 
best aligned to our consumers everyday demands, in so 
doing, providing occupational and income resilience.

While we expect inflationary and interest rate pressures 
to ease into 2024, underlying cost-of-living increases 
will remain a drag on disposable income. Consequently, 
we expect consumers to remain value conscious and 
principally focused on everyday needs as we move into 
2024.

We continually look at opportunities to generate new and 
additional consumer spending at our retail destinations. 
This is principally achieved through disciplined asset 
management initiatives that improve our occupier base 
and tenant mix relevance but can at times extend to 
unlocking more radical development opportunities. The 
residential site at Walthamstow is a standout example of 
this latter opportunity, with our developer partner, Long 
Harbour, bringing forward 495 Build to Rent apartments, 
which will radically increase the residential population on 
our doorstep and available spend. 

CBRE chart from ONS showing goods price 
disinflation

CBRE chart from ONS showing wage inflation 
cooling

Global Data – food/non food split

Global Data – Sector performance 2022/2023

15

Capital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Strategic Report  
The Market Backdrop continued

Macroeconomic 
trend

Driving Forces  
& Insights

Investment 
Markets

Retail estate returns - Retail outperformance
Real estate generally has experienced a weak year against a 
backdrop of challenging economic factors. Overall  
cross-sector investment volumes are projected to be 50% 
down on 2022 levels. In comparison, the retail sector has 
remained relatively resilient, with total volumes at £6.2billion 
only 2% lower than the previous year.

The impact of higher interest rates has led to an expansion 
in investment yields across all sectors and consequent 
downward pressure in values, as investors recalibrate returns 
to the new higher interest rate environment. Shopping 
centres have not been immune from this resetting, however, 
the impact has been less significant, with yields already at 
historically elevated levels.

Total Returns for the year to October 2023, as reported 
by MSCI, show All Property Returns at -7.9%, with Retail at 
-4.3%, outperforming Industrial and Offices at – 7.2% and 
-16.0% respectively. Within Retail, Shopping Centres are 
the only sub-sector delivering a positive Total Return over 
the year, with the strong income return from high yields, 
offsetting further modest capital value declines over the 
year. 

Shopping centre market – A muted year
A stronger second half to the year, but overall 2023 was 
a relatively quiet year for shopping centre volumes. 44 
schemes, totalling a combined asset value of £1.12 billion 
transacted over the year, representing the lowest volume 
of transactions by both amount and number since 2020. 
Average lot size remained broadly consistent at £25.4 
million, representing an average capital value of £82 per 
sqft. A further 12 schemes were under offer at a combined 
quoting value of £211 million.

A lack of availability of debt continues to stifle any 
meaningful recovery in the shopping centre market, with 
private equity investors notably absent and active buyers 
largely being opportunistic in nature and proceeding on a 
full equity basis, consequently limiting lot sizes and overall 
deal volumes. Bank-motivated sales continued to represent 
a material proportion of transactions, at 39% of total 
transaction volumes, although this was down from 2022, in 
part due to lenders focus switching to other sectors, where 
value adjustments are now bringing lending covenants 
under pressure. 

Informed buyers remain extremely discerning and 
focused on underlying scheme fundamentals (occupancy, 
affordable rents, PPM requirements being key factors). 
There is an increasing divergence in pricing (and investment 
performance) between centres that have a clear functional 
purpose, with market dominance, and those centres that do 
not and are essentially no longer considered fit for purpose. 

Impacts and  
implications for C&R

•  Risks to asset values are 

greater in an environment 
where the buyer pool is 
opportunistic in nature and 
where return hurdles have to 
be achieved in the absence 
of debt leverage. 

•  Availability of debt will 

affect refinancing strategies 
for existing assets and new 
acquisition strategies. Loan 
to Value profiles will also 
have a bearing on refinancing 
abilities.

•  Environmental considerations 
and specifically expenditure 
required to meet future 
compliance targets is 
becoming a more explicit 
pricing consideration.

•  Our valuers look carefully 
at the sustainability of our 
centre income and the 
potential to maintain and 
grow income. The ability 
to demonstrate stable 
income and the profitable 
remerchandising or 
repurposing of floor space 
are essential components in 
defending and differentiating 
valuations.

16

Our 

Response

Supporting  

Data & Insights

We have proactively repositioned our portfolio of 

Knight Frank – Total Returns Chart

shopping centres, with a predominant weighting towards 

London which has historically shown greater performance 

resilience. This continues to remain the case, with the 

portfolio valuation remaining stable (like for like valuation 

up 2.6% in 2023), supported by improvements in both 

valued income and ERV, reflecting our disciplined 

approach to leasing and asset management initiatives, 

focussing on areas that we can control to provide an 

optimal position to offer protection against wider market 

trends and a platform to maximise upside where possible.

Against a backdrop of modest market yield expansion 

over 2023, our portfolio yield profile has remained stable 

in aggregate, with a like for like NIY of 7.25% and NEY of 

8.55%. Our yield profiles are reflective of both our ability to 

deliver viable leasing and asset enhancements, with rental 

levels supported by a range of uses, from both retail and 

beyond; and the potential to generate and extract value 

from our site ownerships, which typically represent prime 

locations in the heart of vibrant town centres. 

With weakness in the investment markets and a limited 

buyer pool, we have seen opportunities to acquire assets 

at attractive pricing levels, with the potential to grow 

income and value from a low base. Our acquisition of 

Gyle, Edinburgh illustrates our disciplined approach to 

asset selection, with a clear focus on community tenant 

mix, location fundamentals, trade dominance and building 

condition / flexibility. This acquisition strengthens our 

overall asset base, delivering immediate accretion to 

earnings, with strong potential to deliver asset enhancing 

initiatives from an asset that has been acquired at 

approximately 15% of its peak valuation.

We continue to be proactive and prudent in our debt 

management, against a backdrop of limited open market 

refinancing opportunities. We secured debt to support our 

acquisition of Gyle from the incumbent lender at a 40% 

loan to value attachment point at a competitive rate of 

6.50%, which is fixed for five years with no early repayment 

penalty. Our main Mall debt facility with Nuveen has no 

refinancing event for four years and we have proactively 

worked with our other lenders to ensure our facilities align 

with our asset management programmes on each asset.

Savills – Shopping Centre Transactions Slide

Stock code: CAL  
Macroeconomic 

Driving Forces  

trend

& Insights

Investment 

Markets

Impacts and  

implications for C&R

•  Risks to asset values are 

greater in an environment 

where the buyer pool is 

opportunistic in nature and 

where return hurdles have to 

be achieved in the absence 

of debt leverage. 

•  Availability of debt will 

affect refinancing strategies 

for existing assets and new 

acquisition strategies. Loan 

to Value profiles will also 

have a bearing on refinancing 

abilities.

•  Environmental considerations 

and specifically expenditure 

required to meet future 

compliance targets is 

becoming a more explicit 

pricing consideration.

•  Our valuers look carefully 

at the sustainability of our 

centre income and the 

potential to maintain and 

grow income. The ability 

to demonstrate stable 

income and the profitable 

remerchandising or 

repurposing of floor space 

are essential components in 

defending and differentiating 

Retail estate returns - Retail outperformance

Real estate generally has experienced a weak year against a 

backdrop of challenging economic factors. Overall  

cross-sector investment volumes are projected to be 50% 

down on 2022 levels. In comparison, the retail sector has 

remained relatively resilient, with total volumes at £6.2billion 

only 2% lower than the previous year.

The impact of higher interest rates has led to an expansion 

in investment yields across all sectors and consequent 

downward pressure in values, as investors recalibrate returns 

to the new higher interest rate environment. Shopping 

centres have not been immune from this resetting, however, 

the impact has been less significant, with yields already at 

historically elevated levels.

Total Returns for the year to October 2023, as reported 

by MSCI, show All Property Returns at -7.9%, with Retail at 

-4.3%, outperforming Industrial and Offices at – 7.2% and 

-16.0% respectively. Within Retail, Shopping Centres are 

the only sub-sector delivering a positive Total Return over 

the year, with the strong income return from high yields, 

offsetting further modest capital value declines over the 

year. 

Shopping centre market – A muted year

A stronger second half to the year, but overall 2023 was 

a relatively quiet year for shopping centre volumes. 44 

schemes, totalling a combined asset value of £1.12 billion 

transacted over the year, representing the lowest volume 

of transactions by both amount and number since 2020. 

Average lot size remained broadly consistent at £25.4 

million, representing an average capital value of £82 per 

A lack of availability of debt continues to stifle any 

meaningful recovery in the shopping centre market, with 

private equity investors notably absent and active buyers 

largely being opportunistic in nature and proceeding on a 

full equity basis, consequently limiting lot sizes and overall 

deal volumes. Bank-motivated sales continued to represent 

a material proportion of transactions, at 39% of total 

transaction volumes, although this was down from 2022, in 

part due to lenders focus switching to other sectors, where 

value adjustments are now bringing lending covenants 

under pressure. 

Informed buyers remain extremely discerning and 

focused on underlying scheme fundamentals (occupancy, 

affordable rents, PPM requirements being key factors). 

There is an increasing divergence in pricing (and investment 

performance) between centres that have a clear functional 

purpose, with market dominance, and those centres that do 

not and are essentially no longer considered fit for purpose. 

sqft. A further 12 schemes were under offer at a combined 

valuations.

quoting value of £211 million.

Supporting  
Data & Insights

Knight Frank – Total Returns Chart

Savills – Shopping Centre Transactions Slide

Our 
Response

We have proactively repositioned our portfolio of 
shopping centres, with a predominant weighting towards 
London which has historically shown greater performance 
resilience. This continues to remain the case, with the 
portfolio valuation remaining stable (like for like valuation 
up 2.6% in 2023), supported by improvements in both 
valued income and ERV, reflecting our disciplined 
approach to leasing and asset management initiatives, 
focussing on areas that we can control to provide an 
optimal position to offer protection against wider market 
trends and a platform to maximise upside where possible.

Against a backdrop of modest market yield expansion 
over 2023, our portfolio yield profile has remained stable 
in aggregate, with a like for like NIY of 7.25% and NEY of 
8.55%. Our yield profiles are reflective of both our ability to 
deliver viable leasing and asset enhancements, with rental 
levels supported by a range of uses, from both retail and 
beyond; and the potential to generate and extract value 
from our site ownerships, which typically represent prime 
locations in the heart of vibrant town centres. 

With weakness in the investment markets and a limited 
buyer pool, we have seen opportunities to acquire assets 
at attractive pricing levels, with the potential to grow 
income and value from a low base. Our acquisition of 
Gyle, Edinburgh illustrates our disciplined approach to 
asset selection, with a clear focus on community tenant 
mix, location fundamentals, trade dominance and building 
condition / flexibility. This acquisition strengthens our 
overall asset base, delivering immediate accretion to 
earnings, with strong potential to deliver asset enhancing 
initiatives from an asset that has been acquired at 
approximately 15% of its peak valuation.

We continue to be proactive and prudent in our debt 
management, against a backdrop of limited open market 
refinancing opportunities. We secured debt to support our 
acquisition of Gyle from the incumbent lender at a 40% 
loan to value attachment point at a competitive rate of 
6.50%, which is fixed for five years with no early repayment 
penalty. Our main Mall debt facility with Nuveen has no 
refinancing event for four years and we have proactively 
worked with our other lenders to ensure our facilities align 
with our asset management programmes on each asset.

17

Capital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Strategic Report  
Our 

Response

Supporting  

Data & Insights

Our assets continue to offer a platform for our retail 

Knight Frank – Retail Vacancy Rate

customers to trade profitably, with low costs of occupation 

in quality town centre community locations remaining a 

key differentiator. 

Our retailers are able to maximise their multi-channel 

offers, benefitting from our locations, which are 

easily accessible by car or a range of public transport 

alternatives. Shoppers can quickly and cost-effectively 

satisfy click and collect and return needs, with the 

performance benefits that a physical store offers in 

enhancing a retailers online proposition now well 

understood and established. 

We have not been immune to retailer failures during the 

year, although in line with wider market trends, we have 

seen limited distress over the year, reflective of our value 

orientated, everyday needs based proposition. The failure 

of Wilko was an unwelcome event, with the business 

exposed to three rent producing stores. However, through 

our dedicated in-house leasing function, we have secured 

new leases with B&M across all stores, securing a new, 

well capitalised retailer, providing a better value variety 

offer that remains fully aligned with our community mix 

strategy.

Our assets have seen a significant benefit from the 

business rates revaluation, which took effect from April 

2023. All assets have seen reductions in rateable values, 

generally in the region of 30-40%, with London assets 

seeing slightly lower reductions. With the abolition of 

transitional phasing arrangements, retailers will see the 

immediate and full benefit of the rates reductions, which 

allied with our low average rents, reinforces affordability 

for our occupiers and offers resilience in the face of other 

cost of business pressures. 

Centre for Retail Research – No of Store Closures

ONS – Internet sales as a % of total retail sales

The Market Backdrop continued

Macroeconomic 
trend

Driving Forces  
& Insights

Occupational 
Markets

Online Sales – Understanding the importance of the 
Store 
As the retail economy has emerged from Covid, there has 
been a clearer understanding of the importance of the role 
of the store in a multi-channel retailing environment and a 
noticeable shift in the growth profile between offline and 
online. Total online sales as a proportion of total retail sales 
stood at 28.3% at the end of 2023, maintaining a broadly 
consistent profile since the middle of 2021, suggesting a 
maturing of the growth curve and an emerging equilibrium 
with the physical store.

Over 2023, growth in online retail flatlined, whereas offline 
delivered growth of 5.6% over the year. This follows a 9.9% 
decline in online in 2022, where physical retail grew by 9.1%. 
Online impact continues to vary materially across sectors. 
Non-food online penetration has settled at around 34% of 
the total non-food market, whereas food continues to be far 
more physically dominant, with online penetration settling at 
a much lower 11%. 

Offline food sales have also seen much stronger year on 
year growth, delivering a 9.4% uplift over 2023, with online 
spend unchanged. Health & Beauty and Homeware sub-
sectors have also seen strong physical store growth, with 
online sales declining.

Retail Failures – Occupier Resilience
Despite the cost of living challenges faced by the consumer, 
retail trading remained robust, with retail failures at their 
lowest level since 2015 and the third lowest since 2007. 
61 companies accounting for 971 stores failed over the 
year. The most notable failure was Wilko, with a portfolio 
of 408 stores, although this was perhaps not a surprise, 
with persistent rumours over a number of years, with the 
business facing stiff competition from more focused and 
better capitalised businesses like B&M and The Range. Other 
notable retail failure included Paperchase, Cath Kidston, and 
Hotter Shoes. 

Continuing the theme seen in 2022, greater insolvency 
concerns remain focused around the pure play online 
retailers. There was also a range of failures across prestige 
fashion and sports cycling - Wiggle being a notable high 
profile failure – suggesting consumers are tightening 
their discretionary spending habits in light of wider cost 
of living pressures. The cinema sector also remains an 
area of concern, having struggled to recover post Covid. 
Consolidation appears a likely outcome during 2024.

Impacts and  
implications for C&R

•  While the impact of online is 
now stabilising, many retail 
destinations are now faced 
with excess retail floorspace. 
There is a stark divergence 
between those locations 
where alternative retail 
opportunities or profitable 
re-purposing to different 
uses are credible, and which, 
as a consequence, have a 
secure future; and those 
locations where there is 
fundamentally excess floor 
space, with no alternative use 
prospects.

•  Clarity of purpose is essential 

for all retail destinations. 
Occupiers increasingly 
recognise the value of 
destinations with clear 
functional purpose, be that 
community everyday needs 
or regionally dominant 
comparison centres, 
and the impact clarity 
provides to their own 
trading proposition.

•  Costs of re-merchandising 

and lost income through the 
releasing / reconfiguration 
process can be a material 
drag on asset performance, 
requiring a proactive and 
creative approach to achieve 
swift releasing.

18

Stock code: CAL  
Macroeconomic 

Driving Forces  

trend

& Insights

Impacts and  

implications for C&R

Our 
Response

Occupational 

Markets

Store 

Online Sales – Understanding the importance of the 

•  While the impact of online is 

now stabilising, many retail 

destinations are now faced 

with excess retail floorspace. 

There is a stark divergence 

between those locations 

where alternative retail 

opportunities or profitable 

re-purposing to different 

uses are credible, and which, 

as a consequence, have a 

secure future; and those 

locations where there is 

fundamentally excess floor 

space, with no alternative use 

prospects.

•  Clarity of purpose is essential 

for all retail destinations. 

Occupiers increasingly 

recognise the value of 

destinations with clear 

functional purpose, be that 

community everyday needs 

or regionally dominant 

comparison centres, 

and the impact clarity 

provides to their own 

trading proposition.

•  Costs of re-merchandising 

and lost income through the 

releasing / reconfiguration 

process can be a material 

drag on asset performance, 

requiring a proactive and 

creative approach to achieve 

swift releasing.

As the retail economy has emerged from Covid, there has 

been a clearer understanding of the importance of the role 

of the store in a multi-channel retailing environment and a 

noticeable shift in the growth profile between offline and 

online. Total online sales as a proportion of total retail sales 

stood at 28.3% at the end of 2023, maintaining a broadly 

consistent profile since the middle of 2021, suggesting a 

maturing of the growth curve and an emerging equilibrium 

with the physical store.

Over 2023, growth in online retail flatlined, whereas offline 

delivered growth of 5.6% over the year. This follows a 9.9% 

decline in online in 2022, where physical retail grew by 9.1%. 

Online impact continues to vary materially across sectors. 

Non-food online penetration has settled at around 34% of 

the total non-food market, whereas food continues to be far 

more physically dominant, with online penetration settling at 

a much lower 11%. 

Offline food sales have also seen much stronger year on 

year growth, delivering a 9.4% uplift over 2023, with online 

spend unchanged. Health & Beauty and Homeware sub-

sectors have also seen strong physical store growth, with 

online sales declining.

Retail Failures – Occupier Resilience

Despite the cost of living challenges faced by the consumer, 

retail trading remained robust, with retail failures at their 

lowest level since 2015 and the third lowest since 2007. 

61 companies accounting for 971 stores failed over the 

year. The most notable failure was Wilko, with a portfolio 

of 408 stores, although this was perhaps not a surprise, 

with persistent rumours over a number of years, with the 

business facing stiff competition from more focused and 

better capitalised businesses like B&M and The Range. Other 

notable retail failure included Paperchase, Cath Kidston, and 

Hotter Shoes. 

Continuing the theme seen in 2022, greater insolvency 

concerns remain focused around the pure play online 

retailers. There was also a range of failures across prestige 

fashion and sports cycling - Wiggle being a notable high 

profile failure – suggesting consumers are tightening 

their discretionary spending habits in light of wider cost 

of living pressures. The cinema sector also remains an 

area of concern, having struggled to recover post Covid. 

Consolidation appears a likely outcome during 2024.

Our assets continue to offer a platform for our retail 
customers to trade profitably, with low costs of occupation 
in quality town centre community locations remaining a 
key differentiator. 

Our retailers are able to maximise their multi-channel 
offers, benefitting from our locations, which are 
easily accessible by car or a range of public transport 
alternatives. Shoppers can quickly and cost-effectively 
satisfy click and collect and return needs, with the 
performance benefits that a physical store offers in 
enhancing a retailers online proposition now well 
understood and established. 

We have not been immune to retailer failures during the 
year, although in line with wider market trends, we have 
seen limited distress over the year, reflective of our value 
orientated, everyday needs based proposition. The failure 
of Wilko was an unwelcome event, with the business 
exposed to three rent producing stores. However, through 
our dedicated in-house leasing function, we have secured 
new leases with B&M across all stores, securing a new, 
well capitalised retailer, providing a better value variety 
offer that remains fully aligned with our community mix 
strategy.

Our assets have seen a significant benefit from the 
business rates revaluation, which took effect from April 
2023. All assets have seen reductions in rateable values, 
generally in the region of 30-40%, with London assets 
seeing slightly lower reductions. With the abolition of 
transitional phasing arrangements, retailers will see the 
immediate and full benefit of the rates reductions, which 
allied with our low average rents, reinforces affordability 
for our occupiers and offers resilience in the face of other 
cost of business pressures. 

Supporting  
Data & Insights

Knight Frank – Retail Vacancy Rate

Centre for Retail Research – No of Store Closures

ONS – Internet sales as a % of total retail sales

19

Capital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Strategic Report  
Our 

Response

Supporting  

Data & Insights

We have had another active year of leasing and renewal 

Global Data – Online and offline growth (p18)

activity, completing more than 90 transactions over the 

year, securing approximately £4 million of rent. We have 

maintained high levels of occupancy, with a portfolio 

economic occupancy rate of 93.4% at the year end. 

We are disciplined in our approach to leasing, ensuring 

occupier selection aligns with our community strategy 

merchandising pillars. 

We continue to make progress in rationalising our floor 

space and introducing a wider mix of uses to broaden 

our income base and widen our shopper appeal. 

Initiatives such as the new NHS primary care facility in 

Ilford have consolidated historically challenging tertiary 

floor space into a destination offer on a long-term lease 

contract. At Wood Green, we have proactively taken 

back a dated WH Smith unit, which we are splitting to 

provide additional catering and leisure facilities. Finally, 

(p19)

we have relocated TK Maxx in Ilford into a level of the 

former Debenhams space, creating a greatly enhanced 

retail anchor, and in so doing, unlocking the opportunity 

to create a new trading mall to benefit from the new 

Elizabeth Line station directly opposite our main scheme 

entrance.

Global Data – Food v Non-food online penetration 

Global Data – 2023 Sector Growth by Channel (p22)

Impacts and  
implications for C&R

Former department stores / 
major anchor stores have been 
the greatest insolvency failures 
in recent years, requiring 
creativity to re-merchandise 
and often requiring capex-
hungry reconfiguration. 
Awareness and knowledge of 
use beyond retail is essential.

Material reductions in business 
rates, benefitting the majority 
of retail and leisure occupiers, 
will provide an immediate 
and direct benefit to retailer 
profitability, improving trading 
resilience. This will provide 
greater ability to defend 
rental values and, in areas of 
maximum competitive tension 
for floorspace, an opportunity 
to take some savings through 
into rent. 

The Market Backdrop continued

Macroeconomic 
trend

Driving Forces  
& Insights

Occupational 
Markets

Occupational Costs – Business Rates reset 
offsetting other cost pressures
The business rates revaluation, which came into effect in 
April 2023, delivered material occupational cost savings 
to retail and hospitality occupiers in the vast majority of 
locations across the UK. On average the sector saw a 10% 
reduction in rateable values, but in many locations the 
benefit was 30-35%. Combined with the added benefits of a 
freeze in the Uniform Business Rate multiplier; the abolition 
of downward transitional relief; and the extension of retail 
and hospitality reliefs, retailers saw the full benefit of the 
rates reductions immediately.

The significant cashflow benefit from business rates 
reductions has helped to offset other cost pressures felt 
by retailers. Most notably, retailers have had to absorb 
the Increases to the National Living Wage. Not only has 
this affected direct employment costs for retailers, it has 
also added pressure to shopping centre service charges, 
where soft service provisions (cleaning and security) have 
seen material increases in wage levels. Additionally, utility 
costs, while now down from their peak, continue to remain 
materially higher than the typical levels seen prior to the 
energy crisis.

Vacancy Levels – Stable but divergence  
in destinations
Vacancy rates finished the year at a UK average of 15.3%, 
down from the peak of close to 16% at the back end of 2021. 
A consistent downward trend over the first half of the year 
was interrupted by the failure of Wilko in August, bringing 
significant floor space to the market, although it has been 
encouraging to see good demand from the likes of B&M and 
The Range, albeit focused on the better locations. Despite 
this blip to occupancy the general trend at the year end 
continued to show improvement. 

The headline vacancy rate masks a wide-ranging divergence 
of occupancy levels across the retail landscape. Shopping 
centres and retail destinations that have a clear purpose, 
dominate their market and are not oversized are typically 
trading with much lower vacancy levels than the national 
average and showing occupational improvement. In 
contrast, weaker destinations that do not meet these 
fundamental criteria are trading at much higher vacancy 
levels, and in many cases are no longer fit for purpose as 
retail destinations and require radical repurposing. 

20

Stock code: CAL  
Impacts and  

implications for C&R

Former department stores / 

major anchor stores have been 

the greatest insolvency failures 

in recent years, requiring 

creativity to re-merchandise 

and often requiring capex-

hungry reconfiguration. 

Awareness and knowledge of 

use beyond retail is essential.

Material reductions in business 

rates, benefitting the majority 

of retail and leisure occupiers, 

will provide an immediate 

and direct benefit to retailer 

profitability, improving trading 

resilience. This will provide 

greater ability to defend 

rental values and, in areas of 

maximum competitive tension 

for floorspace, an opportunity 

to take some savings through 

into rent. 

Our 
Response

Supporting  
Data & Insights

We have had another active year of leasing and renewal 
activity, completing more than 90 transactions over the 
year, securing approximately £4 million of rent. We have 
maintained high levels of occupancy, with a portfolio 
economic occupancy rate of 93.4% at the year end. 
We are disciplined in our approach to leasing, ensuring 
occupier selection aligns with our community strategy 
merchandising pillars. 

We continue to make progress in rationalising our floor 
space and introducing a wider mix of uses to broaden 
our income base and widen our shopper appeal. 
Initiatives such as the new NHS primary care facility in 
Ilford have consolidated historically challenging tertiary 
floor space into a destination offer on a long-term lease 
contract. At Wood Green, we have proactively taken 
back a dated WH Smith unit, which we are splitting to 
provide additional catering and leisure facilities. Finally, 
we have relocated TK Maxx in Ilford into a level of the 
former Debenhams space, creating a greatly enhanced 
retail anchor, and in so doing, unlocking the opportunity 
to create a new trading mall to benefit from the new 
Elizabeth Line station directly opposite our main scheme 
entrance.

Global Data – Online and offline growth (p18)

Global Data – Food v Non-food online penetration 
(p19)

Global Data – 2023 Sector Growth by Channel (p22)

Macroeconomic 

Driving Forces  

trend

& Insights

Occupational 

Markets

Occupational Costs – Business Rates reset 

offsetting other cost pressures

The business rates revaluation, which came into effect in 

April 2023, delivered material occupational cost savings 

to retail and hospitality occupiers in the vast majority of 

locations across the UK. On average the sector saw a 10% 

reduction in rateable values, but in many locations the 

benefit was 30-35%. Combined with the added benefits of a 

freeze in the Uniform Business Rate multiplier; the abolition 

of downward transitional relief; and the extension of retail 

and hospitality reliefs, retailers saw the full benefit of the 

rates reductions immediately.

The significant cashflow benefit from business rates 

reductions has helped to offset other cost pressures felt 

by retailers. Most notably, retailers have had to absorb 

the Increases to the National Living Wage. Not only has 

this affected direct employment costs for retailers, it has 

also added pressure to shopping centre service charges, 

where soft service provisions (cleaning and security) have 

seen material increases in wage levels. Additionally, utility 

costs, while now down from their peak, continue to remain 

materially higher than the typical levels seen prior to the 

energy crisis.

Vacancy Levels – Stable but divergence  

in destinations

Vacancy rates finished the year at a UK average of 15.3%, 

down from the peak of close to 16% at the back end of 2021. 

A consistent downward trend over the first half of the year 

was interrupted by the failure of Wilko in August, bringing 

significant floor space to the market, although it has been 

encouraging to see good demand from the likes of B&M and 

The Range, albeit focused on the better locations. Despite 

this blip to occupancy the general trend at the year end 

continued to show improvement. 

The headline vacancy rate masks a wide-ranging divergence 

of occupancy levels across the retail landscape. Shopping 

centres and retail destinations that have a clear purpose, 

dominate their market and are not oversized are typically 

trading with much lower vacancy levels than the national 

average and showing occupational improvement. In 

contrast, weaker destinations that do not meet these 

fundamental criteria are trading at much higher vacancy 

levels, and in many cases are no longer fit for purpose as 

retail destinations and require radical repurposing. 

21

Capital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Strategic Report  
Our Business 
Model

Our community centre approach is embedded  
into our Key Activities and our ESG commitment. 

Key 
resources

Key  
activities

01 Experienced and 

agile management 

Through our expert management 
platform, we aim to cultivate sustainable 
income and enhance capital value growth 
by merging proactive asset management 
with operational proficiency.

02 Strong capital structure 

We have maintained our focus on 
preserving cash, holding each asset with 
the objective of fostering sustainable 
income growth. 

Once asset masterplans have been 
effectively implemented and future 
returns are projected to diminish, we 
proactively explore opportunities to 
reallocate capital, enabling us to reinvest 
in assets with higher growth prospects.

03 Close relationships 
with communities 

By leveraging partnerships with research 
and benchmarking firms such as CACI, in 
conjunction with insights from our centre 
teams who maintain regular engagement 
with retailers and local communities, we 
ensure our continued relevance to the 
communities in which we operate.

04 Diversified income streams 

We adapt our Community proposition 
offer and expedite remerchandising 
efforts towards the transition from 
discretionary to non-discretionary retail 
and services.

22

Assess the product 
offering against local 
needs and expectations

Establish strategic 
and comprehensive 3-5 
year asset masterplans for 
each centre

Engage specialist teams 
to ensure accelerated 
delivery with focus on 
optimal performance

Post-implementation 
reviews to refine process 
and to inform future 
decision-making

Stock code: CALOur 
impact

Value 
creation

Our culture underpinned by our principles: 
Bring the World In, Uplift the Everyday, 
Make It Count and Win As One. 

Identify the right assets. 

Community shopping centres are our core 
strength. Assets that align with our potential 
investment criteria are typically those that 
underperform within their catchment area 
but present significant opportunities for asset 
management.

Underpinned by our ESG focus and our 
principles: 

Our environment

Our people

Our community

Read more about 
ESG on pages 62 - 107

Shareholders
Through investments in diversified income 
streams and fostering strong connections with 
our communities, our aim is to drive long-
term sustainable growth, ultimately leading 
to sustained shareholder returns through 
dividend payments. As a UK REIT, this is an 
essential component.

Retailer customers and 
occupiers
We deliver value to our stakeholders by 
harnessing our experienced management 
platform, complemented by frequent, repeat 
foot traffic, high conversion rates, and 
competitive occupier costs.

Our employees
At Capital & Regional, we foster a performance-
driven culture by cultivating a dynamic and 
positive work environment. We prioritise 
providing our staff with opportunities to excel 
in their careers and encourage continuous 
development through training opportunities.

Read more about our employees in the Our 
Stakeholders section on page 58

Communities and guests
In essence, our business model offers 
appealing retail and leisure environments 
that are continuously evolving to enrich the 
experience of our guests. We are deeply 
committed to crafting lively community 
hubs for our guests while also creating local 
employment opportunities.

Our suppliers
We cultivate long lasting partnerships with 
a diverse array of suppliers to fortify our 
business and gain a competitive advantage.

23

Capital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Strategic ReportStrategy
Long term strategy

The significance of our centres within local communities has become 
increasingly evident. 

Despite the challenges posed by the current cost of living crisis, the resilience of our centres within the community has 
remained steadfast. This bolsters our confidence in our overarching community-centric strategy.

Define

Focus

Define and own the community shopping centre 
category in the UK, guided by consumer insight and 
consistent with global best practice. 

We have focused our business and resources 
around repositioning and re-purposing spaces to 
incorporate new stores and uses that reflect the 
demands of the communities that we serve.

Position

Enhance

Our assets sit at the heart of their local 
communities. Typically located adjacent to local 
transport hubs enabling easy access via public 
transport as well as available car parking.

The right offer drives footfall and dwell time, 
boosting retailer sales and thus increasing demand, 
improving rental income, property values and 
consequently revenue and shareholder returns.

Our vision

We turn space into platforms for social, cultural and commercial prosperity. 

•  Platforms are the foundation from which people can 
stand, reach and grow – and the building blocks of 
an ecosystem.

• 

 Cultural prosperity: from CRATE to Snozone to 
The Identity School of Acting. Cultural experiences 
increase our community members’ quality of life. 

•  Social prosperity: from NHS services to local 

community cohesion and support. We offer this.

•  Commercial prosperity: our work is fundamental to 
local, regional and national economies. Empowering 
business growth, creating jobs  
and enriching lives.

24

Stock code: CALOscar Miranda
Design Manager 
Environmental & Retail

Our People
Oscar joined Capital & Regional in 2021 
following a successful career working at 
prestigious design studios and a number of 
corporate organisations such as Starbucks, 
Sainsbury’s and Unibail-Rodamco-
Westfield. 

His passion and wealth of experience in retail 
and F&B design allows Oscar to work with our 
customers to achieve the best possible store 
presentation by working closely with their 
designers or producing proposals himself. 
He is also involved in centre environment 
development projects where he sets the 
design direction working with design agencies 
and consultants from various disciplines. 

One of Oscar’s recent key projects was CRATE 
at 17&Central. Working with the selected 
creative studio and coordinating stakeholders, 
he led the delivery of the design concept for 
the Food Hall. 

As a member of the Diversity & Inclusion 
committee, he enjoys organising out of office 
activities and sharing the culture of his native 
Mexico.  

25

Capital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Strategic ReportStrategy

Define

Focus

Overview:
Our centres lie at the core of our operations. 
We concentrate our business and resources on 
empowering a robust management platform and 
operational structure. This enables us to make 
timely, responsive, and optimal decisions in 
executing our comprehensive community centre 
strategy. 

Progress:
The implementation and advancement of key 
systems within the finance and property investment 
departments initiated in 2020 and has extended 
through 2023. The investment in technology has 
played a pivotal role in enhancing efficiencies in 
producing essential management information, 
thereby boosting productivity, and enabling more 
informed decision-making and faster execution.

We are dedicating resources to bolster our 
leasing capability and are augmenting our team 
with diverse skill sets. We are actively recruiting 
individuals from non-traditional real estate 
backgrounds who are engaged in sourcing 
retailers within our local trade areas. These efforts 
are aligned with our research and data-driven 
understanding of the needs and preferences of our 
local communities.

Future Focus: 
Our people and systems form the backbone of our 
business. We continuously evaluate opportunities 
for investment in our in-house management 
platform, our personnel, and our systems and 
data insights. This ongoing investment is critical 
to successfully executing and expanding our 
community strategy.

Overview 
We define and assess our community shopping 
centre offer across three key aspects: 

•  Physical attributes such as the centre’s location, 

size, dominance, and accessibility, including local 
transport links and parking facilities.

•  Products and services encompassing the retail 
mix, grocery offerings, leisure options, service 
provisions, and the overall quality of facilities.

•  Distinguishing our centres to transcend beyond 

a mere retail destination involves various 
factors, including the robustness of community 
connections, the tailored nature of our offerings 
to each guest, our commitment to sustainability, 
and our role as a preferred local employer.

Progress 
2023 was a busy year for the business. The sale of 
The Mall, Luton and Kingfisher Redditch and the 
acquisition of Gyle has enabled the business to now 
focus on further re-merchandising and investment 
in its portfolio.

The substantial decrease in debt levels and 
the stabilisation of the operating environment 
have empowered us to allocate investments 
into our portfolio through several pivotal capital 
expenditure projects. These initiatives will not only 
enhance the merchandising mix within our centres 
but also yield a substantial increase in income.

Future Focus 
Continue to elevate our centres by concentrating on 
the five fundamental pillars of our defined winning 
tenant mix. These pillars are:

•  Grocery

•  Health and wellness

•  Services

•  Quick service restaurants

•  Value apparel

We aim to establish valuable physical spaces that 
effectively cater to the needs of both our retail 
customers and guests within the community. We 
strive to offer convenient, low-friction fulfilment 
while fostering high levels of guest engagement.

26

Stock code: CALPosition

Enhance

Overview:
We are confident that both our retailers and our communities 
have clear expectations regarding what they desire from their 
Community Centres, emphasising a robust mix of everyday 
essentials including: 

•  Grocery, pharmacy and general merchandise;

•  Catering options covering express food, great coffee and casual 

dining; 

•  Personal services including health, beauty, dry cleaners, shoe 

repairs; and

•  Everyday value fashion, childrenswear, and leisure.

We aim for our centres to be the primary destination for residents 
for their shopping needs, underscoring the importance of ensuring 
their experiences are both convenient and enjoyable.

Progress:
We have made strides this year by persistently refining the 
composition of our shopping centres through proactive re-
merchandising. Our emphasis for 2023 has been on reconfiguring 
existing spaces to ensure that any new retailers align closely with 
the needs of the local community.

We have seen significant growth in the health and beauty sector 
across our centres, highlighted by the expansion of the new 
diagnostics centre at Wood Green and the ongoing development 
of the NHS Community Health Centre in Ilford. Additionally, our 
centres boast market-leading pharmacy brands among our top 
occupiers. This trend reinforces health and beauty as one of our 
largest and fastest-growing income sectors.

We have completed a number of lettings in the “Grab and Go” food 
space with options relevant to the local community. 

We’ve seen success in a number of lettings across our food spaces 
with options tailored to the demographics of the local community. 
This includes: 

•  The opening of CRATE Walthamstow in July 2023. 

•  The opening of “The Bridge” food concept at The Mall Wood 

Green. 

Future Focus: 
Our leasing strategy remains closely aligned with our community-
oriented merchandising pillars. Our ongoing priority is to pursue 
remerchandising and repositioning initiatives aimed at minimising 
our portfolio’s exposure to at-risk categories, particularly fast 
fashion and department stores.

We are actively focused on repurposing these spaces to 
accommodate new stores that better serve the needs of the 
community. We are committed to nurturing the growth of the next 
generation of independent retailers and take pride in the support 
and guidance we offer them through our investments.

Collaborating with these retailers encourages us to adopt new 
perspectives and approaches to our operations. We will maintain a 
cautious approach to the projects we choose to invest in, carefully 
balancing prudent capital management with a commitment to 
those endeavours that promise optimal performance.

Overview:
A compelling retail offer attracts 
footfall and prolongs dwell time, 
enhancing retailer sales and 
bolstering leasing demand. This, 
in turn, leads to improved rental 
income, increased property values, 
and ultimately, enhanced revenue 
and shareholder returns.

Progress:
We have continued to work across 
our existing portfolio to unlock 
potential sales opportunities and 
reinvest the generated capital into 
redevelopment initiatives across our 
schemes.

2023 highlights include: 

•  The acquisition of Gyle, 

Edinburgh. 

•  Redefining food catering in 

community shopping centres 
through projects such as CRATE 
and The Bridge

•  The expansion of the Wood 

Green Community Diagnostic 
Centre. 

•  The continuation of the 

comprehensive masterplan 
for redeveloping the Exchange 
in Ilford. These initiatives 
are expected to result in 
significant enhancements to 
the net operating income, 
overall merchandising mix, and 
customer proposition.

Future Focus: 
Our people and resources are 
critical to the delivery of our 
community shopping centre 
strategy. We will aim to maximise 
the value of our assets through 
capital expenditure investment 
programmes planned to deliver a 
capital return over and above the 
income enhancement

27

Capital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Strategic ReportStrategy in Action

Community Health Care Services

Health Care and Medical Services
We continue to see great success with The Wood Green 
Community Diagnostic Centre, providing hospital services 
on the high street, allowing patients to be seen quicker 
and closer to home. 

Having completed the building works in November 2023, 
the CDC has expanded from one floor to two and now 
offers imaging facilities, MRI and CT scanning, alongside 
x-ray, ultrasound, ophthalmology and blood tests. 

The new services bolster the offering at Wood Green and 
assist in addressing national diagnostic care shortages. 
Since opening its doors the CDC has provided 65,000 
diagnostic tests to patients across North Central London. 
The CDC shows huge progress in helping to combat 
local health inequalities, with 75% of those attending the 
centre living in one of the three areas of Haringey with 
the greatest deprivation. And in early 2024, the CDC will 
start to receive referrals making access to healthcare more 
accessible to all. 

Ilford Exchange Community Health Centre
We have converted 20,000 sq ft of space at Exchange into a 
state-of-the-art health and care centre located in the heart 
of Ilford.

The Ilford Exchange Health Centre, set to open in Spring 
2024, will provide additional capacity for GP services 
to address the increasing local demand for healthcare 
services.

The Health Centre will also offer blood testing, podiatry 
services, care for those with long term conditions, mental 
health support, children’s services and adult social care.

In addition to offering essential services for the 
community, the anchor site will serve as a catalyst for 
driving footfall traffic to and throughout the centre. This 
presents opportunities to strategically merchandise 
around the centre with complementary health-related 
offerings.

Our People
Hayley joined Capital & Regional in July 2022 and brings with her 
over 10 years’ experience of working in credit management. She 
manages all aspects of the rent and service charge collection across 
the portfolio.  

Hayley’s role involves working closely with other departments internally 
and directly with our retailers to manage Capital & Regional’s credit 
exposure. She is passionate about process improvement and has driven 
increased automation within the collection cycle through the use of 
automated statements and direct debits. 

Hayley has overseen a strong recovery from the disruption of Covid-19 
delivering rent collection for the 2023 financial year of 99.2% and 
working closely with many of our retailer customers to agree payment 
plans to recover debts from the Covid period in a manageable way. 

Hayley obtained her level 5 MCICM in Credit Management in 2023 and is 
currently working towards her Level 7 FCICM qualification. 

Hayley Leach 
Head of Credit

28

Stock code: CALFood Catering

CRATE at 17&Central
CRATE at 17&Central opened in July 2023 and provides a 
vibrant food hall concept spanning 16,000 sq ft, that acts 
as a hub for Walthamstow residents.

Having recognised the demand for more multi-purpose 
and interactive spaces as well as the need for more food 
options, we are delighted to have expanded our offerings 
to meet the community needs. 

With eight independent and diverse food operators, 
communal dining space, leisure and entertainment, the 
CRATE facility perfectly aligns with our community strategy. 

The Bridge at The Mall, Wood Green 
The Bridge at The Mall Wood Green took a 1,200 sq. 
ft space, previously occupied by a single tenant, and 
transformed it into a lively food hall with six unique, 
independent food operators. 

Open in June 2023, The Bridge offers mouthwatering 
Middle Eastern, Indian and Asian cuisine alongside 
grab and go selection from centre favourite, Moodog. 
Described as a food lovers haven, The Bridge has been 
well received by our guests and serves as prime example 
of our community strategy in action. 

29

Capital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Strategic ReportKey Performance Indicators

Financial

Adjusted Profit 1, 2 
£12.7m

Adjusted profit per share 1, 2 
6.8p

Dividend per share 
5.70p

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

£12.7m

£10.3m

£8.8m

£11.0m

£27.4m

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

6.8p

6.2p

7.3p

10.2p

5.70p

5.25p

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

–

–

36.7p

21.0p

Why we use this as an indicator 
Adjusted Profit seeks to track the recurring 
profits of the business which is the key 
driver for dividend payments. 

How this links to our strategy 
We target delivering a strong and 
sustainable income return. 

Progress during the year 
The improvement in Adjusted Profit of £2.4 
million or 23.3% reflects the underlying 
performance of the business in improving 
occupancy and rent collection alongside 
a positive trading performance from 
Snozone and the impact of acquiring 
Gyle shopping centre in September 2023, 
partially offset by the loss of income 
from the sale of The Mall, Blackburn in 
August 2022.

Why we use this as an indicator?
Adjusted Profit seeks to track the recurring 
profits of the business which is the key 
driver for dividend payments. Assessing 
this on a per share basis reflects both 
underlying profitability and any changes in 
the Group’s shareholding structure, such 
as the raising of new equity. 

How this links to our strategy 
We target delivering a strong and 
sustainable income return.

Progress during the year 
Adjusted Profit per share improved by 
0.6p. This reflected the improvement 
in Adjusted Profit partially offset by the 
higher number of shares in issue, primarily 
as a result of the £25 million share issue 
completed in September 2023 to partly 
fund the acquisition of Gyle.

Link to strategy
Enhance

Link to risks
2   9

Link to strategy
Enhance

Link to risks
2   9

Why we use this as an indicator?
This is the cash return to be delivered 
to investors in respect of the year under 
review. 

How this links to our strategy 
Dividends are a key element of 
shareholder returns. We aim to preserve 
strong income return to shareholders and 
meet our requirements under the REIT 
regime, balanced with managing cash 
within the business to fund investment 
in capital expenditure and mitigate the 
impact on leverage. 

Progress during the year 
The increase in dividend reflects the 
improvement in underlying Adjusted Profit 
per share.

Link to strategy
Enhance

Link to risks
2   4   9

Net rental income 1 

£23.9m

EPRA net tangible 

assets per share 

88p

Net debt to property value 

43.6%

Why we use this as an indicator?

Why we use this as an indicator?

Why we use this as an indicator?

This is the key driver of Adjusted Profit. 

This is a measure of the movement in the 

We aim to manage our balance sheet 

underlying value of assets and liabilities 

effectively with the appropriate level of 

underpinning the value of a share. 

gearing. 

How this links to our strategy 

Net Rental Income is the most critical 

component of our Adjusted Profit and 

the source for maintaining a strong and 

We aim to maximise the value of our 

How this links to our strategy 

How this links to our strategy 

Having the appropriate level of gearing 

sustainable income return. 

assets. Our capital expenditure investment 

is important to effectively manage our 

programme is planned to deliver a 

business through the property cycle. 

Progress during the year 

Net Rental Income improved by £0.4 

million to £23.9 million. This reflects a 5% 

improvement in underlying like for like NRI 

capital return over and above the income 

enhancement. 

Progress during the year 

Progress during the year 

Net debt to property value increased to 

43.6% primarily reflecting the Group’s 

and the impacts of the Gyle acquisition and 

EPRA NTA decreased by 15p on 2023. This 

investment of central cash into Capital 

Blackburn sales in September 2023 and 

primarily reflects the impact of the higher 

Expenditure.

August 2022 respectively. 

Link to strategy

Position, Focus

Link to risks

2   6   9

number of shares in issue driven by the 

£25 million equity raise that completed 

in September to part fund the Gyle 

acquisition. 

Link to strategy

Position & Enhance

Link to risks

1   2

Link to strategy

Enhance

Link to risks

1   2   3

30

Stock code: CALAdjusted Profit 1, 2 

£12.7m

Adjusted profit per share 1, 2 

Dividend per share 

6.8p

5.70p

Why we use this as an indicator 

Why we use this as an indicator?

Why we use this as an indicator?

Adjusted Profit seeks to track the recurring 

Adjusted Profit seeks to track the recurring 

This is the cash return to be delivered 

profits of the business which is the key 

profits of the business which is the key 

to investors in respect of the year under 

driver for dividend payments. 

driver for dividend payments. Assessing 

review. 

How this links to our strategy 

We target delivering a strong and 

sustainable income return. 

this on a per share basis reflects both 

underlying profitability and any changes in 

the Group’s shareholding structure, such 

as the raising of new equity. 

Progress during the year 

The improvement in Adjusted Profit of £2.4 

million or 23.3% reflects the underlying 

performance of the business in improving 

occupancy and rent collection alongside 

How this links to our strategy 

We target delivering a strong and 

sustainable income return.

Progress during the year 

How this links to our strategy 

Dividends are a key element of 

shareholder returns. We aim to preserve 

strong income return to shareholders and 

meet our requirements under the REIT 

regime, balanced with managing cash 

within the business to fund investment 

in capital expenditure and mitigate the 

impact on leverage. 

a positive trading performance from 

Adjusted Profit per share improved by 

Snozone and the impact of acquiring 

0.6p. This reflected the improvement 

Progress during the year 

Gyle shopping centre in September 2023, 

in Adjusted Profit partially offset by the 

The increase in dividend reflects the 

partially offset by the loss of income 

higher number of shares in issue, primarily 

improvement in underlying Adjusted Profit 

from the sale of The Mall, Blackburn in 

as a result of the £25 million share issue 

per share.

August 2022.

Link to strategy

Enhance

Link to risks

2   9

completed in September 2023 to partly 

fund the acquisition of Gyle.

Link to strategy

Enhance

Link to risks

2   9

Link to strategy

Enhance

Link to risks

2   4   9

Net rental income 1 
£23.9m

EPRA net tangible 
assets per share 
88p

Net debt to property value 
43.6%

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

£23.9m

£23.5m

£21.7m

£34.1m

£49.3m

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

88p

103p

102p

157p

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

364p364p

43.6%

40.6%

48.8%

46.3%

65.5%

Why we use this as an indicator?
This is the key driver of Adjusted Profit. 

How this links to our strategy 
Net Rental Income is the most critical 
component of our Adjusted Profit and 
the source for maintaining a strong and 
sustainable income return. 

Progress during the year 
Net Rental Income improved by £0.4 
million to £23.9 million. This reflects a 5% 
improvement in underlying like for like NRI 
and the impacts of the Gyle acquisition and 
Blackburn sales in September 2023 and 
August 2022 respectively. 

Link to strategy
Position, Focus

Link to risks
2   6   9

Why we use this as an indicator?
This is a measure of the movement in the 
underlying value of assets and liabilities 
underpinning the value of a share. 

Why we use this as an indicator?
We aim to manage our balance sheet 
effectively with the appropriate level of 
gearing. 

How this links to our strategy 
We aim to maximise the value of our 
assets. Our capital expenditure investment 
programme is planned to deliver a 
capital return over and above the income 
enhancement. 

Progress during the year 
EPRA NTA decreased by 15p on 2023. This 
primarily reflects the impact of the higher 
number of shares in issue driven by the 
£25 million equity raise that completed 
in September to part fund the Gyle 
acquisition. 

Link to strategy
Position & Enhance

Link to risks
1   2

How this links to our strategy 
Having the appropriate level of gearing 
is important to effectively manage our 
business through the property cycle. 

Progress during the year 
Net debt to property value increased to 
43.6% primarily reflecting the Group’s 
investment of central cash into Capital 
Expenditure.

Link to strategy
Enhance

Link to risks
1   2   3

Key 

1

2

Property Investment Market Risks

Impact of Economic Environment

5   People & Skills

6   Development Risk

9   Customer & Changing Consumer Trends

10  

IT & Cyber Security

3   Treasury Risk

7   Business Disruption from a Major Incident

11   Climate Related

4   Tax & Regulatory Risks

8   Environmental, Social & Governance

12   Health & Safety

1.  Adjusted Profit, Adjusted Earnings per share, Net Rental Income, Net Debt and the Snozone EBITDA metric are as defined in the Glossary. Adjusted 
Profit incorporates profits from operating activities and excludes revaluation of properties and financial instruments, gains or losses on disposal, 
and other non-operational items. A reconciliation to the equivalent EPRA and statutory measures is provided in Note 9 to the financial statements. 

31

Capital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Strategic ReportKey Performance Indicators continued

Non-financial

Occupancy
93.4%

Total Carbon Emissions 

Total Scope 1 & Scope 2 tCO2e* 

3,686 tCO2e

+1.5%/+3.0% 

+27.4%/+30.2% 

+8.5%/+5.7% 

-41.6%/-45.3% 

-3.2%/-4.9% 

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

93.4%

94.1%

92.7%

92.1%

97.2%

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

3,686 tCO2e

4,217 tCO2e

4,494 tCO2e

3,861 tCO2e

5,284 tCO2e

Footfall
+1.5%

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019
National Index

Why we use this as an indicator?
Footfall is an important measure of a 
centre’s popularity with guests. Occupiers 
use this measure as a key part of their 
decision-making process. The Company’s 
footfall data is provided by ShopperTrak 
analytics and the National Benchmark is 
an aggregation of UK shopping centres 
and other similar retail venues. Footfall 
measures the number of shopper visits via 
cameras positioned at the entrances to the 
centres.  

How this links to our strategy 
Footfall performance provides an 
indication of the relevance and 
attractiveness of our centres, influencing 
occupier demand and future letting 
performance. 

Progress during the year 
Footfall across portfolio during 2023 
was 1.5% higher than in 2022. Footfall 
continued the general trend of an 
improving recovery to pre-pandemic levels 
with the whole year representing levels 
equivalent to 87.3% of 2019, compared to 
84.3% for the first six months. Footfall was 
marginally behind the National Index with 
the impact of the Wilko administration in 
Q4 being the largest factor influencing this 
given the relative exposure of the Group’s 
portfolio.

Why we use this as an indicator?
We aim to optimise the occupancy of our 
centres as attracting and retaining the right 
mix of occupiers will enhance the trading 
environment. 

Why we use this as an indicator?
Total Carbon Emissions is a key measure 
to ensure we are minimising the negative 
impact of our assets on the environment. 

How this links to our strategy 
Occupancy has a direct impact on the 
profitability of our schemes and also 
influences footfall and occupier demand. 

Progress during the year 
Occupancy at the year-end was impacted 
by the administration of Wilko which 
was the driver of this falling by 70 basis 
points during the period or by 90 basis 
points on a like for like basis. However, 
the letting of the three Wilko units to 
B&M that completed post year end are 
worth approximately 140 basis points to 
Occupancy.

Link to Strategy
Define & Position

Link to risks
2   5   9

Measures are all as at the respective year end, 
Occupancy is defined within the Glossary.

How this links to our strategy 
In order to truly embody our ESG values 
it’s imperative that we lead in sustainability 
within our communities. Continuing to 
reduce our carbon emissions plays an 
integral role in this and assists us in our 
progress toward our goal of net zero 
by 2040. 

Progress during the year
We reduced our carbon emissions across 
the UK portfolio by 35 % in 2023 compared 
to 2019. One of the main drivers of this is 
a steady reduction in energy consumption, 
through targeted reduction of gas usage 
across the assets, initiatives to reduce 
electricity use and the use of solar panels.

Link to Strategy
Define & Position

Link to risks
2   8

*these figures are in relation to UK based 
assets only

Link to Strategy
Define & Position

Link to risks
2   9

Key 

1

2

Property Investment Market Risks

Impact of Economic Environment

5   People & Skills

6   Development Risk

9   Customer & Changing Consumer Trends

10  

IT & Cyber Security

3   Treasury Risk

7   Business Disruption from a Major Incident

11   Climate Related

4   Tax & Regulatory Risks

8   Environmental, Social & Governance

12   Health & Safety

32

Stock code: CALSupporting our internal 
communities: Diversity and Inclusion
We need a diverse range of voices, abilities and viewpoints to help 
us to continue growing, innovating and adapting our business to 
meet the demands of the communities we serve. To do this we 
actively foster an environment where every employee is respected 
and empowered to contribute to their full potential without 
encountering harassment and discrimination. 

Our Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Committee, plays a pivotal role in 
helping us to build a diverse and inclusive workforce. In 2023, the 
D&I Committee ran several events to further develop our thinking on 
diversity, equity, and inclusion. This included our employees and guest 
speakers courageously shared their personal experiences and insights 
on sensitive topics such as race and sexuality.  

Other key highlights from 2023 included attending events celebrating 
local LGBTQI+ artists, internal campaigns and educational pieces around 
Black History Month, Developmental Language Disorder Day, Stroke 
Awareness, Race Equality Week and Mental Health Awareness, among 
others, to raise our awareness of these important topics.

33

Capital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Strategic ReportChief Executive’s Statement

Our ongoing focus on delivering our proven community strategy and 

increasing our exposure to non-discretionary and needs based retail 

and services categories has helped us deliver another positive set of 

results. Occupier led demand has driven rental growth, underpinned a 

9.7% increase in earnings and, with values also up slightly, given us the 

Lawrence Hutchings
Chief Executive

confidence to announce an increase to the dividend.

We continued to focus on delivering our proven community strategy during 2023, increasing our 

exposure to retailers in our core non-discretionary and needs based retail and services categories 

including fresh and catered food, grocery, pharmacy, personal services (including skin and nail 

care) and medical services with our growing partnership with the NHS. This continues to be one 

of the most resilient parts of the UK’s retail landscape and, as consumers focus on life’s essentials, 

it has become even more relevant to our communities, guests and retailers at this time. 

The structural changes in physical 
retail have continued to evolve with 
physical stores emerging as a vital 
part of the distribution of goods and 
services, as retailers focus on coupling 
the online platform with stores in a 
seamless customer experience. The 
higher costs associated with online 
retailing makes the store a key area of 
focus for the majority of commodity 
and value orientated retail as typically 
lower margins, high volumes and 
low unit values combine to make 
profitability of the online channel a 
challenging proposition.

This has driven an increase in 
retailer demand for our centres and 
floorspace, especially in our urban 
locations, which our lettings team has 
been quick to capture, enabling us to 
deliver robust leasing, occupancy and 
valuation metrics despite the volatile 
macro-economic backdrop we have 
seen throughout the year.

Adjusted Profit per share grew by 
9.7% as we continue our post Covid 
recovery, thanks in no small part 
to the effort and dedication of our 
talented team – thank you.

Our ESG initiatives are on track, with 
the Company delivering significant 

reductions in utility consumption 
throughout 2023. I am especially 
proud of the work we undertake 
to support the diverse and vibrant 
communities we serve, be it through 
our work with local charities or the 
support we provide to new local 
retailers as they establish themselves 
in our centres. This also helps us 
tailor the customer proposition to 
reflect the local community. 

In September 2023, we completed 
our first new property acquisition 
since I started at C&R almost seven 
years ago, with the purchase of Gyle 
shopping centre in Edinburgh. This is 
an important step for C&R after four 
years of torrid structural and Covid 
related restrictions and pressures, 
which have seen the Company 
needing to consolidate to survive the 
impacts on income and value which 
have ravaged our sector. 

Our confidence to make this first step 
towards rebuilding the Company by 
seeking the opportunities to buy well 
positioned, retail led real estate in key 
markets stems from the performance 
we are seeing in the underlying 
operational business, as footfall, rent 
collection and leasing demand have 

all significantly recovered, as well as 
our ability to leverage the expertise 
and economies of scale available 
from our platform. 

Gyle has all the attributes of a 
well-established, high performing 
community shopping centre. It is 
anchored by two supermarkets 
(Morrisons and Marks & Spencer) 
and offers a strong mix of 
convenience and community retail 
including pharmacies, NHS facilities, 
optometrists and food retail. The 
centre has superb accessibility by car 
and tram and dominates an affluent 
and growing trade area in Edinburgh.

We will maintain our disciplined 
approach to capital management and 
focus on our ongoing reinvestment 
in our centres with our capex 
repositioning masterplans, where 
these are accretive to earnings and 
provide the appropriate risk adjusted 
return. 

The continuing macro-economic 
pressures including inflation, the 
interest rate response and the state 
of the debt and real estate capital 
markets is encouraging us to take 
a cautious approach to H1 2024, 

34

Stock code: CALdespite the resilient operational and 
occupational markets.

Over 80% of our debt book benefits 
from low cost, 2027-maturity, asset 
backed non-recourse debt with a 
long-term supportive lender, helping 
underpin our Adjusted Profit and 
dividend. 

Consumer confidence 
and retailer performance 
We have continued to see the impact 
of rising inflation and debt costs on 
business and consumer confidence. 
This is being mitigated by high 
employment, salary growth and 
higher levels of household savings. 
We are conscious of the impact these 
pressures have on the communities 
we serve and our efforts to support 
those most in need continues through 
our various community support 
initiatives. 

We have seen the early signs of 
respite in inflation and the cost 
of debt, along with some erosion 
in consumer savings. In previous 
economic cycles, these times of 
reduced consumer confidence have 
typically favoured sales of grocery 
and non-discretionary retail and 
services. Based on feedback from our 
retailers and our own footfall data we 
are seeing an increase in retail sales 
across much of our anchor store and 
speciality tenant base. Many have 
been able to pass on the full impact 
of inflation into prices and this will, 
over time, assist us in unlocking rental 
growth for our locations.

The improvement in non-
discretionary retailer performance 
is driving occupier demand and we 
continue to work towards increasing 
our exposure to these categories 
especially in the grocery, pharmacy 
and medical sectors, in line with 
both the ongoing structural change 
in retail and societal shifts around 
consumption.

Our London assets are also 
experiencing modal shift from 
personal motor vehicle to public 
transport and cycling in line with the 
trend of ‘15-minute neighbourhoods’. 
All three of our London centres 
have excellent access to train, 
tube and bus networks and are 
experiencing increasing population 
density within walking distance, with 
further development to come as 
markets allow.

Our relationship with the NHS 
Trusts in greater London continues 
to expand. We opened the second 
phase of the diagnostics centre 
we have delivered in Wood Green 
with the Whittington NHS Trust and 
construction has advanced at Ilford 
on the Community Health Centre 
we are creating with the North East 
London NHS Trust, which will open in 
phases from late Spring of 2024.

Structural changes 
in retailing 
Another feature of last year was the 
continued evolution in distribution 
of goods and services in the UK. 
The UK has one of the most mature 

Read more about 
Board activity during the year 
on page 61

online retail markets, with a share 
of just under 30% according to ONS 
data. Online sales as a percentage 
of total retail sales have been on a 
downwards trend for the last two 
years, which is a sharp reversal 
from the Covid era which naturally 
accelerated channel shift in retail 
spending. 

The store remains an important 
part of the majority of retailers’ 
distribution strategies, as guests 
support store-based retailing and 
retailers benefit from lower costs 
per transaction. The new model 
prioritises the seamless integration of 
both channels.

Whilst the overall market share is 
high, non-discretionary and grocery 
sectors have online penetration 
of around 10%, despite the length 
of time this has been part of the 
retail landscape. Pharmacy and 
value retailers are often lower still, 
as these categories have lower 
margins. Consumers have indicated 
a preference to use the proliferation 
of convenience store formats at 
transport interchanges and in town 
and city centres locally, especially 
in highly urbanised areas. These 
retailers are amongst the most 
expansionary and we continue to 
work closely with an increasingly wide 
cross section of non-discretionary and 
value based retailers wishing to locate 
or expand in our centres.

Inflation has had a significant 
impact on the cost of doing business 
as a retailer. Increases in staff 
costs and petrol, and therefore 

35

Capital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Strategic ReportChief Executive’s Statement continued

distribution, together with a higher 
percentage of product returns, has 
disproportionately impacted online 
retailers with several high profile 
business failures during the year. 
The lower unit cost store based 
retailing model still accounts for the 
majority of retail sales and informs 
or prompts purchasing decisions. In 
addition, consumers are increasingly 
drawn to the convenience of store 
based collection and returns which, 
in turn, are a lower cost last mile 
logistics solution for a retailer. This 
also provides retailers with the added 
benefit of a guest potentially buying 
something, or seeing something they 
then buy online later, whilst they are 
in store.

Several of the larger pure play online 
retailers are now seeking to create 
bricks & mortar store networks 
to better compete with those 
traditionally physical retailers who are 
successfully embracing both retailing 
channels. This benefits us as retailers 
take new, or reconfigure and right 
size existing stores to ensure they 
are able to meet the demands of 
consumers in a competitive retailing 
landscape.

After 10 years of structural change, 
these are exciting times for physical 
retail. With significant opportunities 
for retail platforms such as ours that 
understand and can capitalise on 
the operational intensity needed to 
evolve existing centres to reflect this 
new seamless commerce retailing 
dynamic. 

Leasing and occupancy 
We have also seen a recovery in our 
occupancy post the Covid lows, which 
is encouraging on many levels. The 
leasing model continues to evolve in 
the UK and we are at the forefront of 
these changes as we seek to adopt 
technology to improve our data, 
insight and processes to improve the 
speed and quality of our decisions 
in this critical area. We are also 
continuing our concerted effort to 
maintain and develop relationships 
with key retailers in each of our core 
merchandising pillar categories.

Our investment to diversify and tailor 
our customer proposition to the local 
communities, by introducing new 
smaller and independent retailers 
into our centres is proving beneficial 
to our leasing progress. In many 
cases, we support these retailers 
through the initial business planning 
process, then through store design 
and pre and post opening with a 
combination of skilled internal team 
members with retailing or design 
backgrounds and/or specialist 
external consultants. All of this is 
designed to help our retailers make 
a success of their first venture in our 
centres and, where applicable, grow 
them across our portfolio. 

Establishing the right mix of national 
branded retailers and anchor stores 
with local independent traders, 
who have a deep understanding of 
the unique demand characteristics 
amongst our specific local 
communities, remains a key area of 
focus for our commercial team. 

Sustainability 
We are very proud of our 
achievements in this important 
area. Many of the initiatives are 
simply good business, lowering 
costs through more efficient use of 
resources including energy and water. 
Importantly they are also enabling 
us to lower our carbon footprint, 
supporting the journey towards our 
net carbon zero targets.

Energy consumption, in our shopping 
centres, reduced by 3% on the 
previous year and 15% against the 
2019 base year, whilst Snozone 
reduced its electricity consumption by 
11% and 16%, respectively. Our focus 
on moving away from gas, led to a 
72% reduction in gas consumed in 
our shopping centres and a 25% drop 
at Snozone against the 2019 base 
year. Water consumption reduced 
by 18% against the 2019 base year at 
Snozone and 13% against the prior 
year whilst the shopping centres 
witnessed an increase against 2022 
due to construction activity and a 3% 
increase against the 2019 base year. 

Following the dramatic weather 
events in 2022, we have undertaken a 
considerable amount of work on our 
readiness to deal with a wide range 
of extreme weather events from 
floods to extremes in temperature 
and the pressures that places on our 
operations.

We are active in providing pathways 
for small and start up retailers to 
locate in our centres. We support 
retail entrepreneurs through the 
business planning, store design, pre 
and post opening period and it is 
great to see some of these businesses 

36

Stock code: CAL•  Adopt a renewed focus on cost 

management across all aspects of 
our business.

Given the uncertain outlook in the 
first part of this year we will adopt 
a cautious approach to capital 
deployment, therefore maintaining 
balance sheet flexibility until the 
inflation, interest rate and capital 
markets trajectories are more visible.

Finally, I would like to thank our 
staff, shareholders, retailers, local 
authorities and other stakeholders 
for all their support in 2023 and 
continued confidence in our business. 

Lawrence Hutchings
Chief Executive

go on to grow into multiple location 
retailers following their first 
successful store within our centres. 

It has also been pleasing to see 
our staff pulse survey record 
95% engagement with over 450 
comments. A net promoter score 
of +15 places us in the top quartile 
of companies using the Happiness 
Index. We launched our new 
‘purpose’: “we exist to protect and 
progress the essentials of community 
life” and principles (Bring the World 
in, Uplift the Every Day, Make it Count 
and Win as One) across the business 
and continue in our mission to ensure 
we have a high performance dynamic, 
diverse and inclusive culture.

Our centre based teams supported 
140 charities and 153 community 
groups last year, with over 600 
hours of community service and 
112 community events hosted in 
our shopping centres. In aggregate, 
we provided or raised £370,000 in 
community financial support, working 
with our local council partners to 
ensure our resources are focused 
where it matters most.

Looking forward – our 
focus for the next 12 
months 

Our core strategy continues to be the 
delivery of our community strategy 
providing defensive, resilient income 
growth to support our growing and 
covered dividend to shareholders. To 
achieve this our focus for the next 12 
months will continue to be:

•  Providing the most relevant and 

compelling customer proposition 
of retail and services for the 
vibrant and diverse communities 
we serve.

•  Executing on our Environmental, 

Social and Governance 
initiatives, appreciating we 
have responsibilities to both 
our communities and future 
generations.

•  Working with our retailers to 

ensure our centres and the space 
we curate remains relevant for the 
next generation of retail, where 
online and physical meet as a 
platform for seamless commerce.

• 

Investing to further reposition our 
centres into the community centre 
format and grow income. 

•  Being relentless in our 

commitment to adapt to our 
dynamic and rapidly evolving retail 
landscape. 

•  Actively managing our centres 
to drive optimum income and 
value across the full spectrum of 
uses including retail, residential 
and mixed use, leisure and food 
catering. 

37

Capital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Strategic ReportOperating Review

New lettings, renewals and rent reviews1
Our asset management team maintained strong leasing momentum in 2023, completing 86 new lettings and renewals, at 
a combined annual rent of £3.9 million, representing an average premium to previous rent of 1.5% and to ERV of 23.3%1 
(2022: 80 new lettings and renewals for a combined annual rent of £4.4m). This was a higher volume of deals than 2022 
but with a lower average value as 2022 included two particularly large transactions at Ilford, namely the NHS community 
health centre and TK Maxx relocation.

At Wood Green, we completed five catering unit lettings at the new ‘Bridge’ food and entertainment development, as well 
as introducing Bodycare to the scheme. We also secured occupiers for c. 7,000 sq ft of vacant office space. 

At Walthamstow, we completed new lettings to Starbucks and Black Sheep while at Ilford we agreed a new lease to Addax. 
Renewals agreed during the year included Savers and Sports Direct at Hemel Hempstead, Bank of Scotland, Lloyds Bank and 
Waterstones at Walthamstow, Sports Direct and Superdrug at Wood Green as well as Claire’s Accessories and H&M at Ilford. 

New lettings
Number of new lettings
Rent from new lettings (£m)
Renewals settled
Renewals settled
Total resulting annual rent (£m)
Combined new lettings and renewals
Comparison to previous rent2
Comparison to ERV at December ERV2

12 months  
to December  
2023

12 months  
to December  
2022

45
£1.5m

41
£2.4m

+6.8%
+16.6%

50
£2.6m

30
£1.8m

+34.0%
+13.7%

1. 

Includes transactions for Hemel Hempstead, Ilford, Maidstone, Walthamstow and Wood Green for both years. 

2.  For lettings and renewals (excluding development deals and CVA variations) with a term of 1 year or longer which do not include turnover rent.

In addition to the figures detailed in the table above, we have completed six new lettings and renewals at Gyle in 
Edinburgh since we acquired the asset in September 2023. These include introducing Costa and Waterstones to the 
scheme, as well as securing renewals with Superdrug and Vodafone.

Since the year end, we have secured a portfolio deal with B&M to take all three of the Company’s units vacated as a result 
of the Wilko administration. In a short space of time, this adds a new anchor into our schemes at Hemel Hempstead, 
Maidstone and Wood Green, mitigates the occupational impact from the loss of a top 10 retailer, largely replicates the 
rent and further demonstrates the desirability of space at the Company’s community centres. The units are scheduled to 
open for trading in May 2024. 

In total in the three months to the end of March 2024 we have completed 21 new lettings and renewals, at a combined 
annual rent of £1.4 million, representing an average premium to previous rent of 1.3% and to ERV of 5.9% 1

Rental income and occupancy

Occupancy (%)
Contracted rent (£m)
Passing rent (£m)

12 months  
to December  
2023
93.4%
37.0
35.6

12 months  
to December  
2022
94.1%
31.5
30.5

Occupancy at the year-end was impacted by the administration of Wilko, which was the driver of this falling by 70 basis 
points during the period or by 90 basis points on a like for like basis. However, the re-letting of the three Wilko units to 
B&M that completed post year end is worth approximately 140 basis points to occupancy. The Group has been impacted 
post year end by the administration of the Body Shop, where the Group has three units which all ceased trading, 
representing approximately 40 basis points decrease in occupancy. 

Contracted and passing rent have increased by approximately 17.5% and 16.7%, respectively as a result of the Gyle 
acquisition. On a like for like basis, the metrics have fallen by 2.9% and 3.6%, respectively. This is primarily driven by the 
loss of £0.7 million of Wilko income. The Group has received notice from the Department of Work and Pensions that 
they will vacate their two Job Centre units during 2024 as part of a wider consolidation of their estate, having expanded 
significantly in the wake of the Covid pandemic.  We are in active discussions with multiple occupiers to re-let the space 
which represented approximately £0.8 million of contracted rent at 30 December 2023. 

Contracted rent excludes approximately £0.7 million of rent where deals have exchanged but completion remains subject 
to planning or other conditions. There is £1.2 million of contracted rent that is due to convert to passing rent during 2024 
as occupiers’ rent-free periods end. 

38

Stock code: CALOperational performance
Footfall grew by 1.5% during 2023, with 44.5 million shopper visits across the portfolio (rising to 2.0% excluding 
Walthamstow, where footfall is impacted by one of the entrances being closed due to the residential development). This 
compares to the National Index of +3.0% during the same period. 

Footfall for 2023 (excluding Gyle) represented 87.3% of the 2019 level, compared to 84.3% in 2022, demonstrating 
continued growth towards historic pre-Covid levels. Evidence from our retailers suggests that sales have bounced back at 
a higher rate than footfall, reflecting shoppers’ more efficient use of visits. Footfall in the three months to end of March 
2024 (excluding Gyle) has fallen 4.5% compared to 2023 due to the impact of Wilko.  We anticipate performance to trend 
back in line with 2023 once the new B&M stores open in May 2024.

Car park income for the year was £5.7 million (2022: £6.0 million), an increase of 8.4% on a like-for-like basis, adjusting for 
the impact of the sale of Blackburn that completed in August 2022. This was a result of tariff increases with car park usage 
in line with 2022. 

Business rates
The review of business rates that took effect from April 2023 resulted in a significant reduction in rates payable for most 
retail operators. Across our portfolio the typical reduction that applied to occupiers was 30%-35%, with the exception 
of Walthamstow where reductions were approximately 10%. The withdrawal of downwards transitional arrangements 
meant that occupiers immediately saw the full benefit of reductions from April 2023, aiding store affordability and 
profitability.

Rent Collection1
99.2% of rent in respect of 2023 has now been collected, representing a performance at or above pre-pandemic levels:

Rent collected
Outstanding 
Total billed

Rent collection 
12m to 30 December 2023

32.3
0.3
32.6

99.2%
0.8%
100%

1. 

Includes the Group’s centres at Hemel Hempstead, Ilford, Maidstone, Walthamstow and Wood Green. 

Capital expenditure investment
In total a net £16.0 million was invested across the Group’s assets in 2023. This was primarily across the following projects 
and is expected to produce a yield on cost in line with the Company’s target of 8% to 9%: 

• 

Ilford

•  £4.8 million on the new 35,000 sq ft TK Maxx anchor unit that successfully opened in November 2023. 

•  £5.3 million for the ongoing works for the new 20,000 sq ft NHS community healthcare facility that is due to open 

in the first half of 2024. 

•  £1.4 million on other related centre improvements including rebulbing the centre in line with our commitment to 

improve sustainability performance. 

•  Wood Green

•  £0.6 million to create the new Bridge catering units which opened in June 2023. 

•  £1.1 million on remerchandising of the former WH Smiths unit to accommodate new units for Pure Gym, Wendy’s 

and Wingstop that are due to open in 2024. 

The major projects undertaken have the additional benefit of helping to improve the ESG credentials of the relevant 
centres, by replacing aged infrastructure and enabling the reduction or elimination of the use of gas.

Spend on the Walthamstow CRATE facility in the period has largely been covered by a contribution from Walthamstow 
Council as the head lease holder, who recognise the valuable contribution our centre makes to both the local community 
and economy. 

We anticipate capital expenditure to be significantly reduced in 2024. Our planned spend of less than £10 million reflects 
that the two large NHS and TK Maxx projects at Ilford were substantively completed in 2023. Spend in 2024 is expected 
to be focused on completing the Ilford NHS and Wood Green former WH Smiths projects as well remerchandising the 
previous TK Maxx unit at Ilford. 

39

Capital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Strategic ReportOperating Review continued

Walthamstow residential 
Construction work remains ongoing on the first phase of 
the residential development at Walthamstow. This will 
see Long Harbour create 495 Build to Rent apartments 
in two residential towers adding further to the centre’s 
local customer base once it completes in 2025. The Group 
previously completed the sale of land for residential 
development to Long Harbour for £21.6 million. The 
planning consent covers a residential-led, mixed use 
development, incorporating a new Victoria Line tube 
station entrance and public space including a new park. 

We have two further phases of development which 
comprise approximately 50,000 sq ft of retail and 43 
apartments which are part of the same planning consent 
as phase 1. We have commenced discussions about 
how we procure this project with a potential partner for 
the residential component similar to the structure we 
achieved in the first phase. In addition we are underway 
on discussions with potential anchor retailers including 
supermarket operators for the retail component. 

Shopping Centre ESG
For our shopping centres, we have developed a robust 
pathway aligned with the BBP Climate Commitment 
and the UK Green Building Council’s (UKGBC) definition 
of net zero. Our commitment covers embodied carbon 
associated with refurbishments and fit-outs and 
operational carbon from landlord and occupier energy 
consumption, along with measured emission sources. We 
continue to make progress on driving forward our net 
zero carbon pathways aligned with industry best practice 
and guidelines, which represents a significant milestone 
in our decarbonisation journey. Through the successful 
implementation of our net zero interventions, we have 
improved the EPC rating of three centres from a D rating 
to a B. Having established our net zero governance along 
with the roll-out of employee training, we will continue 
to prioritise energy efficiencies on the ground, across all 
aspects of our operations and evolve crucial tools such 
as our data accuracy and net zero standards. We have 
made significant strides towards our environmental 
targets increasing our energy efficiency, reducing Scope 
1 natural gas consumption by 72% and Scope 2 electricity 
consumption by 15%, against 2019. All of the shopping 
centres electricity is 100% renewable and Renewable 
Energy Guarantees of Origin certified. 

Our centres’ Scope 3 emissions, which relate to occupier 
energy consumption, accounted for an estimated 70% of 
our total emissions in 2023 and therefore the management 
of these is central to achieving our net zero carbon 
commitment. With occupier emissions falling outside 
of our direct management or ownership, tackling them 
proves a challenge for C&R and across the industry. To 
address this, we have commissioned an online solution to 
acquire accurate energy consumption and carbon intensity 
data from every single UK energy meter within our 
portfolio which will provide 100% of all occupiers’ energy 
usage from 2023. The online platform will automatically 
update monthly allowing for performance management 
insights including portfolio benchmarks, consumption 
analysis, load shape profiling and six month forecasting 
which will be reviewed through our Net Zero Carbon 
Committee which is established at each centre. With the 
continuation of regulations around EPC ratings tightening, 
we have established an EPC Management Dashboard to 
help improve performance, covering all units across the 
centres to increase focus and highlighting areas where 
ratings need to be improved as well as providing occupiers 
with the tools to help improve their performance. 

Our Community Wheels of Support continue to play a 
critical role in encouraging engagement and helping 
our shopping centre teams to prioritise areas of impact. 
As community hubs we know our support is crucial, 
particularly with the cost-of-living crisis. We are very proud 
of our efforts in this space and to date we have partnered 
with over 140 charities, hosted over 112 events, and spent 
more than 600 hours engaging with local community 
groups.

We have introduced a Social Impact Measurement and 
Management Framework to further support our ESG 
strategy and monitor our progress through 2024 and 
beyond. The framework will focus on social impact goals 
and strategies to identify the various ways in which the 
business impacts people and then seek to improve this 
through the development of an Impact Management Plan. 

40

Stock code: CAL41

Strategic ReportCapital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Snozone

600k 

Annual paying guests

About Snozone
Snozone operate three indoor real snow centres in Madrid, 
Yorkshire and Milton Keynes. Our venues offer a wide 
range of activities for skiing and snowboarding as well as 
family sledging fun.  

We also own and operate two fully licensed restaurants - 
the “Alpine Kitchen” - adjacent to our slopes. We have full 
meeting room facilities at our venues and excel in offering 
teambuilding activities for business groups, facilitating 
product launches, celebratory dinners and hosting 
children’s parties. 

Snozone has an industry-leading educational programme 
which supports the school curriculum for children learning 
outside the classroom.  This consists of giving accreditation 
for the Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award, being assessors 
for the snow sport components of GCSE and A Level Sport 

and a host of other bespoke activities which are designed 
to support and develop confidence and resilience in young 
people.

We are also three-time winners of the UK School Travel 
Awards for Best Sporting Venue, winning in 2017, 2021 
and 2022.

We are passionate about offering sport for all and are 
the only European operator to both own and manage a 
Disability Snow school. We are an accredited Disability 
Confident Employer and partner with the charity Sense 
(the charity for deafblind adults and children) to make 
snow sports fully accessible.

We operate with 100% renewable energy at our venues 
and have reduced our carbon footprint significantly since 
2019 through focused management practices.

42

Stock code: CALSnozone’s pathway to net zero strategy is underpinned 
by a cyclical four-year plan for capital investment into 
new plant and machinery. Ten units of blast coolers have 
been replaced at the Milton Keynes venue which will save 
214,000 kWh per year. 

In addition, improved insulation at both UK venues, 
voltage optimising and a de-lamping project combined 
with Madrid’s solar panels investment, returned an 11% 
electricity saving over the prior year and a reduction of 
16% versus the 2019 base year. There has also been a 
significant reduction in gas usage of 15% v 2022 and 25% 
v the 2019 base. Water usage similarly has decreased by 
13% v 2022 and 18% v 2019. The EPC ratings of Snozone’s 
premises are ‘B’ for Yorkshire and Madrid and ‘C’ at Milton 
Keynes.

In an increasingly competitive leisure sector, Snozone’s 
annual staff retention was 74%, significantly ahead of the 
industry average of 47%. Only 4% of working days were 
lost due to absence through sickness (National average 
6%) and 79% of the Snozone team received accredited or 
certified training in 2023.

Snozone celebrates diversity and believes firmly in 
inclusion, with 18% of its workforce ethnically represented. 
To underline Snozone’s status as a Disability Confident 
Employer, 9% of our workforce is represented by team 
members with a registered physical disability or mental 
impairment. 

Snozone is the only European operator to operate its 
own Disability Snow School. In 2023 we delivered 2,056 
disability lessons, a 102% increase on 2022. For the 
fourth year running, Snozone received accreditation as a 
Disability Confident Employer. Snozone’s supply chain only 
consists of companies who have signed up to the Modern 
slavery act and the Anti-bribery and corruption Act. 

Snozone had a strong 2023, enjoying its first full year 
unimpacted by Covid since the start of the pandemic, 
while continuing to leverage a number of initiatives and 
activities that broadened its appeal and allowed it to reach 
new market places. Revenue increased by 15% to £14.9m 
(December 2022: £13.0m) and EBITDA1 increased by 64% 
to £2.3 million (December 2022: £1.4 million).

Revenue and EBITDA for the UK operations at £10.9 million 
and £1.8 million were 16% and 17% higher than 2022, 
respectively. Ski and snowboard lesson income supported 
a record attainment in revenue, along with an increase 
in Snozone’s school affiliate programme. In addition, 
food and beverage revenue from its own ‘Alpine Kitchen’ 
restaurants coupled with its conferencing and events 
stream exceeded £1 million for the first time.

The UK business had also benefited from being on a fixed 
price energy tariff over the past three years which came 
to an end in September 2023. This protected the business 
from the worst of the market wide energy price spikes 
seen over the last two years. Current electricity pricing will 
lead to a cost increase of c £0.25 million per year. This was 
part-mitigated in Q4 2023 by utility saving management 
initiatives and from realising the benefits that recent 
investments into enhanced plant and machinery have 
delivered.

Snozone Madrid’s revenue of £4.0 million was 18% higher 
than the previous year (December 2022: £3.4 million) 
and it delivered a positive contribution of £0.5 million 
to Snozone’s total EBITDA (December 2022: loss of £0.2 
million).

These positive metrics reflect the actions undertaken to 
significantly improve profitability. Most notably these 
have included enhancing the guest proposition with 
new activities that have extended market share as well 
as using the wider Snozone management platform to 
operate with greater cost efficiency since acquisition of the 
operation in February 2021. The impact of large increases 
in government-controlled electricity prices was mitigated in 
2023 by the installation of solar panels in November 2022. 

Snozone’s IFRS profit for the period was £0.6 million 
(December 2022: £0.1 million). 

Snozone ESG 
All of Snozone’s electricity is 100% renewable, traceable 
and has no element of biomass. 

The UK venues source electricity from the Hornsea North 
Sea wind farm, 90 miles from the Snozone Yorkshire 
venue. In Madrid 68% of the venue’s power is sourced 
from a mixture of solar, wind and nuclear energy with 
32% supplied by 1,600 of our own solar panels on the roof 
of the facility, which were purchased in 2022 as part of 
Snozone’s decarbonisation capital investment programme 
as well as off-setting the rising costs of electricity.

1.  Snozone EBITDA is defined in the use of Alternative Performance 

Measures section below.

43

Capital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Strategic ReportFinancial Review

We have delivered a strong year of growth with 
like-for-like Net Rental Income improving by 5%, 
helping to drive a 9.7% increase in our Adjusted 
Earnings per share.

Stuart Wetherly
Group Finance 
Director

Profitability
Statutory Revenue 
Net Rental Income (NRI) 
Adjusted Profit 1
Adjusted Earnings per share 1
IFRS Profit for the period
Basic earnings per share
EPRA cost ratio (excluding vacancy costs) 1
Net Administrative Expenses to Gross Rent 
Investment Returns
Net Asset Value
Net Asset Value (NAV) per share
EPRA NTA per share 1
Proposed Final Dividend per share 2
Total Dividend per share 2
Financing
Group net debt 
Group net debt to property value 
EPRA LTV 
Average maturity of Group debt 3
Cost of Group debt (weighted average) 3

12 months  
to December  
2023

12 months  
to December  
2022

£59.0m
£23.9m
£12.7m
6.8p
£3.7m
2.0p
39.1%
23.5%

£202.0m
90p
88p
2.95p
5.70p

£162.7m
43.6%
45.4%
4.1 years
4.25%

£56.8m4
£23.5m
£10.3m
6.2p
£12.1m
7.3p
37.8%
22.4%

£179.1m
106p
103p
2.75p
5.25p

£130.9m
40.6%
44.0%
4.5 years
3.58%

1.  Adjusted Profit is as defined in the Glossary. A reconciliation to the statutory result is provided further below. EPRA figures and a reconciliation 
to EPRA EPS are shown in Note 9 to the Financial Statements. The calculation of EPRA cost ratio is provided in the EPRA performance measures 
section.

2.  Represents dividends declared post period end but related to the period in question.
3.  Assuming exercise of all extension options. Reflects loan amendments signed post year end. Cost of Group debt reflects revised cost of Ilford debt 

effective from 8 March 2024.

4.  2022 comparative figures have been restated for a prior year adjustment to service charge income and expenditure recognised in the period.  

There is no change to Profit.

44

Stock code: CALUse of Alternative Performance Measures (APMs)
Throughout the results statement we use a range of financial and non-financial measures to assess our performance.  
The significant measures are as follows: 

Alternative performance measure used

Rationale

Adjusted Profit 

Adjusted Profit is used as it is considered by management to provide 
the best indication of trading profits and hence the ability of the 
business to fund dividend payments. 

Adjusted Profit excludes revaluation of properties, profit or loss on 
disposal of properties or investments, gains or losses on financial 
instruments, charges in respect of non-cash long-term incentive 
awards and non-operational one-off items. 

Adjusted Profit includes EBITDA from Snozone (see definition 
further below). This was a change implemented in 2021 arising from 
the adoption of IFRS 16 and the signing of new lease agreements 
on Snozone’s two UK sites. We considered that the combination of 
these two factors meant that Snozone’s statutory profit no longer 
alone provides a full reflection of Snozone’s trading performance and 
hence introduced this additional Alternative Performance Measure. 

The key differences between Adjusted Profit and EPRA earnings, 
an industry standard comparable measure, relates to the exclusion 
of non-cash charges in respect of share-based payments and 
adjustments in respect of Snozone as detailed above. In the current 
year we have excluded from our Adjusted Profit a £1.1 million tax 
credit as it relates to prior years but this is included within the EPRA 
metric. 

Adjusted Earnings per share is Adjusted Profit divided by the 
weighted average number of shares in issue during the year 
excluding own shares held.

A reconciliation of Adjusted Profit to the equivalent EPRA and 
statutory measures is provided in Note 9 to the financial statements.

45

Capital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Strategic ReportFinancial Review continued

Alternative performance measure used

Rationale

Like-for-like amounts

Net Debt

Like-for-like amounts are presented as they measure operating 
performance adjusted to remove the impact of properties that were 
only owned for part of the relevant periods. 

For the purposes of comparison of capital values, this will also 
include assets owned at the previous period end but not necessarily 
throughout the prior period.

In the current year like-for-like comparisons have been used to adjust 
the Gyle acquisition in 2023 and the disposal of The Mall, Blackburn 
and the Walthamstow residential receipt both in 2022

Net debt is borrowings, excluding unamortised issue costs, less cash 
at bank. Cash excludes cash held on behalf of third parties (e.g. in 
respect of service charges or rent deposits).

Net debt to property value

Net debt to property value is debt less cash and cash equivalents 
divided by the property value.

Net Rent or Net Rental Income (NRI)

Snozone EBITDA 

Net Rental Income is rental income from properties, less provisions 
for expected credit losses, property and management costs. It is a 
standard industry measure. A reconciliation to statutory turnover is 
provided in Note 3 to the financial statements. 

Snozone EBITDA is based on net profit. It excludes Depreciation, 
Amortisation, (notional) Interest, Tax and non-operational one-off 
items. It includes rent expense, based on contractual payments 
adjusted for rent free periods. This provides a measure of Snozone 
trading performance which removes the profiling impact of IFRS 
16 that would otherwise see a significantly higher charge in early 
years of a lease and significantly lower net charge in later years. A 
reconciliation to the IFRS net profit is included within Note 2a to the 
financial statements.

46

Stock code: CALProfitability
Components of Adjusted Profit and reconciliation to IFRS Profit

Amounts in £m

Net Rental Income
Net interest payable
Snozone (indoor ski operation) EBITDA 
External management fees
Central operating costs (including central interest)
Variable overhead
Adjusted Profit 1
Adjusted Earnings per share (pence) 1

Reconciliation of Adjusted Profit to statutory result
Adjusted Profit
Property revaluation 
(Loss)/profit on disposal 
Snozone depreciation and amortisation
Snozone notional interest (net of rent expense in EBITDA)
(Loss)/gain on financial instruments
Corporation Tax credit
Long Term incentives
Gain on discounted loan purchase (net of costs) 
Write up following Luton deconsolidation
Other items (including transaction costs)
Profit for the period

Year to 
December  
2023

Year to 
December  
2022 

23.9
(7.4)
2.3
1.9
(6.6)
(1.4)
12.7
6.8p

12.7
(8.1)
(0.3)
(2.2)
0.8
(2.0)
3.6
(0.8)
–
–
–
3.7

23.5
(9.3)
1.4
3.3
(7.0)
(1.6)
10.3
6.2p

10.3
(19.6)
1.5
(2.1)
0.8
1.1
0.3
(0.5)
12.5
6.8
1.0
12.1

1.  EPRA figures and a reconciliation to EPRA EPS are shown in Note 5 to the condensed Financial Statements.

Adjusted Profit – December 2023: 
£12.7 million (December 2022: 
£10.3 million)
Net Rental Income (NRI) increased to £23.9 million 
(December 2022: £23.5 million) reflecting the net impact 
of the acquisition of Gyle in Edinburgh in September 2023 
(NRI contribution of £1.5 million) less the loss of NRI from 
the sale of Blackburn which completed in August 2022 (NRI 
contribution of £2.7 million in 2022). On a like for like basis 
adjusting for these balances NRI increased by 5% reflecting 
improved occupancy which was higher for most of the 
period, until the impact of the Wilko administration took 
effect in the final quarter of the year, and improved car 
park profitability which increased by £0.2 million to £3.1 
million. 

Net interest payable has fallen from the prior year, 
reflecting the repayment of £60 million of debt in The Mall 
loan facility during 2022 that was skewed towards the 
second half of the year. Interest payable is expected to 
increase in 2024 as the swap on the £39 million Ilford loan 
expired at the original maturity in March 2024. We have 
acquired an interest rate cap to cap the all-in cost of debt 
on the facility at 5.50%.  

Snozone EBITDA at £2.3 million (December 2022: £1.4 
million) as noted has benefited from its first full year of 
trading unimpacted by Covid since 2019 and the improved 
contribution of Snozone Madrid.

External Management Fees of £1.9 million (December 2022: 
£3.3 million) break down between Asset and Property 
Management fees on external properties (Redditch and 
Luton) of £0.8 million and Property Management fees on 
the Group’s Investment Assets of £1.1 million (as these are 
charged to the Service Charge). The Group’s involvement 
in Luton ceased following the sale in March 2023. The 
Group’s involvement in Redditch ceased in September 
2023 when the asset changed ownership.

Central operating costs £6.6 million (December 2022 - £7.0 
million) and Variable overheads £1.3 million (30 December 
2022 - £1.6 million). Central costs are lower than the prior 
year reflecting cost saving initiatives implemented which 
deliver approximately 10% savings on an annualised 
basis after inflation. These include utilising technology 
to drive operational efficiencies and the selective use of 
outsourcing. Further initiatives are in progress or planned 
to deliver a similar saving in 2024. Our EPRA cost ratio 
(excluding vacancy costs) increased marginally from 2022 
due to the net impact of the loss of Management Fees 
not being fully offset by the reduction in Central Costs. 
The impact of pro-rating for a full year of Gyle would be 
to reduce the EPRA cost ratio (excluding vacancy costs) to 
approximately 36.4%.

Adjusted earnings per share for the period were 6.8 pence 
per share (December 2022: 6.2 pence) reflecting the 
improvement in Adjusted Profit partially offset by the 
higher number of shares in issue primarily as a result of 
the £25 million equity raise that completed in September 
2023 to part finance the acquisition of the Gyle. 

47

Capital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Strategic ReportFinancial Review continued

IFRS profit for the period - 30 
December: £3.7 million (December 
2022: £12.1 million)

The key items reconciling between IFRS profit for the 
period and the Adjusted Profit of £12.7 million are:

•  Property revaluation loss of £8.1 million (December 

2022: loss of £19.6 million). Although property values 
increased by 2.6% over the year on a like for like basis 
this was less than the net £16.0 million invested in 
Capital Expenditure during the year. The £8.1 million 
revaluation loss includes £3.0 million of Stamp Duty 
and other purchasers’ costs in respect of the Gyle 
acquisition. 

•  £1.4 million of adjustments relating to Snozone 

reconciling between the EBITDA measure used for 
Adjusted Profit and IFRS Profit for the year. As noted 
above, we used EBITDA as this removes the profiling 
element of IFRS 16 and therefore provides a measure of 
Snozone’s trading performance excluding this. 

•  A loss of £2.0 million on financial instruments being the 
movement from the revaluation of the Ilford interest 
rate swap and Gyle interest rate cap (30 December 
2022: gain of £1.1 million). 

•  A net tax credit of £3.6 million (30 December 2022: 
£0.3 million). £1.2 million relates to the release of 
provision for tax in lieu of paying dividends which is no 
longer required following the resumption of dividend 
payments and expectation of the firm having met its 
minimum PID requirement for prior years. £2.5 million 
relates to the recognition of a Deferred Tax asset in 
respect of income losses that are now anticipated 
to be utilised in future years reflecting the improved 
profitability of Snozone and the other elements of the 
Group that sit outside of the REIT structure.

•  £0.8 million (December 2022: £0.5 million) relating to 

share-based payments being the non-cash element of 
the Group Combined Incentive Plan for executives and 
LTIP retention awards for staff members. 

In 2022, IFRS profit benefited from a £12.5 million gain 
(after costs) on the discounted purchase of the Group’s 
Hemel Hempstead loan facility and a £6.8 million gain 
in the Group’s Net Asset Value on the deconsolidation 
of Luton due to it previously sitting as a liability on the 
Group’s balance sheet. 

The profit for the year has resulted in NAV of £202.0 
million and EPRA Net Tangible Assets of £201.2 million, 
an increase of £22.9 million (12.8%) and £23.8 million 
(13.4%) compared to the December 2022 amounts of 
£179.1 million and £177.4 million, respectively. Basic NAV 
per share and EPRA NTA per share were 90p and 88p 
respectively (December 2022: 106p and 103p respectively), 
the decrease is due to the higher number of shares in 
issue primarily as a result of the £25 million equity raise 
completed in September 2023. 

48

Stock code: CALProperty portfolio valuation
The valuation of the portfolio at December 2023 was £372.8 million. On a like for like basis, excluding Gyle, the portfolio 
increased by £8.45 million or 2.6% over the year. The Net Initial Yields and Net Equivalent Yields for the portfolio 
remained broadly constant on a like for like basis, 7.25% and 8.55% respectively for 30 December 2023 compared to 
7.23% and 8.59% respectively as at December 2022. We have seen a £1.6 million or 4.0% increase in the valuation of Gyle 
at December 2023 to £41.6 million from the £40.0 million paid on acquisition in September 2023, driven primarily by the 
six leasing transactions completed in the period from acquisition to the year end.

Property at independent valuation

30 December 2023

30 December 2022

Maidstone
Walthamstow
Wood Green
Hemel Hempstead
Ilford
Gyle, Edinburgh

Total

Total like for like (excluding Gyle)

£m
31.5
77.7
149.5
9.2
63.3
41.6
372.8
331.2

NIY %
11.90%
6.84%
7.13%
9.57%
5.65%
11.92%
7.80%
7.25%

NEY %
11.66%
7.00%
7.28%
17.40%
7.90%
10.13%
8.79%
8.55%

£m
32.65
80.0
144.0
10.5
55.6
-
322.75

NIY %
11.28%
5.97%
7.55%
14.49%
5.04%
-
7.23%

NEY %
11.49%
7.00%
7.38%
17.49%
7.79%
-
8.59%

Acquisition of Gyle, Edinburgh 
On 9 August 2023 the Group entered into an agreement to acquire Gyle shopping centre in Edinburgh for a consideration 
of £40 million, excluding acquisition costs. The acquisition completed on 6 September 2023.

The consideration was financed through a new debt facility of £16 million, £25 million of proceeds received pursuant to 
a fully underwritten equity raise and existing funds held by the Company. The asset was acquired at a net initial yield of 
13.51% that is expected to rebase to around 12%. 

Disposal of The Mall, Luton 
The Company completed the sale of its interest in The Mall, Luton shopping centre on 16 March 2023. The disposal 
followed a sale process undertaken with the consent of the secured lender on the related loan facility. The Group had 
previously deconsolidated its interest in The Mall, Luton meaning that the transaction did not result in any profit or loss 
on disposal to the Group.

Financing
The Group’s debt position as at December 2023 is summarised in the table below:

30 December 2023
The Mall 
Hemel Hempstead
Ilford
Gyle, Edinburgh
Central Cash
Total

Debt1

£m
140.0
4.0
39.0
16.0
-
199.0

Cash2

Net debt

Loan to 
value 3

Net loan 
to value3

Current 
interest rate

£m
(10.2)
(0.5)
(3.9)
(2.6)
(19.1)
(36.3)

£m
129.8
3.5
35.1
13.4
(19.1)
162.7

%
54.1%
43.5%
61.6%
38.5%
-
53.4%

%
50.2%
38.0%
55.5%
32.2%
-
43.6%

%
3.45%
11.06%
5.50%
6.50%
-
4.25%

Duration 
to loan 
expiry4

Duration 
with 
extensions4

Years
3.1
1.5
1.7
4.7
-
2.9

Years
4.1
3.5
4.0
4.7
-
4.1

Fixed

%
100
-
100
100
-
97.8

1.  Excluding unamortised issue costs.
2.  Excluding cash beneficially owned by tenants. 
3.  Debt and net debt divided by investment property at valuation.
4.  Reflects loan amendments signed post 30 December 2023. Ilford interest rate reflects revised cost effective from 8 March 2024. 

49

Capital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Strategic ReportFinancial Review continued

The Mall
Following the £60 million of repayments made during 
2022 the Mall facility now consists of a single £140 million 
fixed rate loan at 3.45%, held with TIAA. The loan matures 
in January 2027 but has a one-year conditional extension 
option. 

Hemel Hempstead
The Group has a £4 million facility with BC Invest, a 
subsidiary of the Group’s strategic residential partner, 
Far East Consortium. The debt matures in July 2025 with 
options to extend for a further one or two years and is at a 
margin of 5.95% over SONIA. It is secured on the Marlowes 
Centre on a non-recourse basis. 

Ilford
The Group has a £39 million facility secured on the Ilford 
Exchange shopping centre with Dekabank Deutsche 
Girozentrale. The original facility was due to mature in 
March 2024 but the Group has secured an extension 
to September 2025 along with two further conditional 
extension options to further extend maturity to the end of 
December 2026 and 2027, respectively. 

On commencement of the new extended term the margin 
is 300 basis points. The Group has acquired an interest 
rate cap to hedge the maximum all in cost at 5.50% until 
the current maturity of September 2025.

Gyle, Edinburgh
To part fund the acquisition of Gyle in Edinburgh the 
Group drew a new debt facility of £16 million in September 
2023, arranged by Morgan Stanley. The loan matures 
in September 2028. The loan is at a margin of 275 basis 
points. The total all in cost of debt has been hedged at 
a maximum of 6.50% for the duration of the loan via an 
interest rate cap.

Going Concern
Under the UK Corporate Governance Code the Board 
needs to report whether the business is a going concern. 
In making its assessment of Going Concern, the Group 
has considered the general risk environment and the 
specific risks that relate to the Group and its sector. This 
has incorporated considering the current macro-economic 
inflationary pressures, the ongoing impacts and speed of 
recovery from Covid-19, as well as the structural trends 
that were already under way in the retail industry. 

At 30 December 2023, the Group had total cash at bank 
on balance sheet of £36.3 million. Of which £17.8 million 
was held centrally outside of secured loan arrangements 
(excluding cash held by Snozone). This provides a 
significant cash contingency to cover any reasonable 
disruption to operations in both the base and downside 
scenarios that have been modelled for at least the period 
of the next 18 months to 30 June 2025 that is considered 
for going concern purposes.

In respect of the £140 million Mall debt the Group is 
currently compliant with all covenant tests on the facility. 
The covenants reverted back to those set in the original 
loan agreement signed in January 2017 following the 
expiry of the two year period of covenant waivers agreed 
as part of the November 2021 loan restructure. On the 

50

Ilford £39 million facility, as well as extending the loan 
maturity to September 2025 and agreeing further loan 
extension options out to December 2027 the Group have 
agreed various improvements to covenant terms that run 
until the new maturity and beyond if the extension options 
are triggered. On Hemel Hempstead the Group has agreed 
a waiver of all covenants on the £4 million loan facility 
until maturity in July 2025 related to injecting new capital 
into the vehicle to support the re-letting of the Wilko unit 
to B&M. The Group has also agreed an option to extend 
maturity by one or two years. The Group signed a new £16 
million loan facility in September 2023 to part finance the 
acquisition of Gyle in Edinburgh. 

All of the Group’s asset backed loan facilities are ring-
fenced within their own SPV structures with no recourse to 
Capital & Regional plc and no cross-default provisions. 

In making its assessment of Going Concern, the Group has 
run updated forecasts on both a base case and downside 
basis. In the latter, the Group has sensitised rent collection 
to 90%, reduced car park and ancillary income by 10% and 
removed any contribution from Snozone to reflect how 
a significant downturn in expected trading could impact 
cashflows. The Group has also considered a 15% reduction 
in property valuations both from the Group’s 30 December 
2023 valuations and valuations undertaken by the Group’s 
respective lenders. 

The combination of the cash maintained on the Group’s 
balance sheet and actions available within Management’s 
control provides sufficient contingency to cover all of the 
various downside sensitivities modelled in combination to 
the most adverse end of the scenarios modelled. At the 
most adverse end the Group would need to take some 
additional measures to preserve cash involving some 
combination of reducing or deferring Capital Expenditure 
and/or reducing dividend payments or utilising a Scrip 
option.

In coming to its Going Concern conclusion, the Group 
has also considered, but not relied upon, other options 
available to generate or conserve additional cash, to 
reduce debt levels and to fund value accretive capital 
expenditure and letting initiatives. These include but are 
not limited to the potential disposal of assets either in 
whole or part and the potential raising of additional funds. 

Having due regard to all of the above matters and after 
making appropriate enquiries, the Directors have a 
reasonable expectation that the Group and the Company 
have adequate resources to continue in operational 
existence for the foreseeable future. Therefore, the Board 
continues to adopt the Going Concern basis in preparing 
the financial statements.

Stock code: CALThe considerations made by the Directors in concluding 
on viability mirror those considered within the Going 
Concern conclusion as documented above. Based on this 
and the resources and actions available the Directors have 
a reasonable expectation that the Company will be able 
to continue in operation and meet its liabilities as they fall 
due over the period to December 2025.

Viability Statement
In accordance with the 2018 revision of the UK Corporate 
Governance Code, the Directors have assessed the 
prospect of the Company over a longer period than the 12 
months required by the “Going Concern” provision. 

The Board conducted this review for the two-year period 
to December 2025. The period is covered by the Group’s 
annual budget and business planning process. It includes 
sensitivity analysis to consider adverse scenarios, that 
could be caused by the principal risks and uncertainties 
outlined in the Managing Risk section below. This 
incorporated the impact on cash and covenant compliance 
of further significant falls in property valuations or 
property income. The Ilford and Hemel facilities both 
mature during this two year period however each has 
conditional extension options available to the Group which 
would extend maturity to beyond December 2026. 

51

Strategic ReportCapital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Managing Risk

Risk management approach
The Audit Committee is delegated the authority for 
overseeing the effectiveness of the risk management 
process by the Board and is accountable for reporting 
on the identification of principle and emerging risks to 
the business.  Ultimate responsibility for the oversight 
of risk management within the Group remains with the 
Board.  The Board defines the risk appetite of the Group, 
establishes a risk management strategy and is responsible 
for maintaining a robust internal controls system.  The 
Board formally reviews and signs off the Group’s risk 
register on a six-monthly basis.  Emerging risks are 
considered as part of this process or on an ad hoc basis in 
instances such as the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic 
where the risk is of sufficient significance to require a 
separate discussion.  

Risk management process
There are a number of risks and uncertainties which could 
have a material impact on the Group’s future performance 
and could cause results to differ significantly from 
expectations. 

At every half year and year end, the members of senior 
leadership undertake a comprehensive risk and controls 
review involving interviews with relevant management 
teams.  This considers a review of both the existing 
identified risks and any new or emerging risks that may 
have been identified during the period.  The output of 
this process is an updated risk map and internal control 
matrix for each component of the business, which is 
then amalgamated into the Group risk map and matrix 
that is reviewed by the senior leadership team. Formal 
submission is then made to the Audit Committee for 
review, before going to the Board for final sign off. The 
process for the half year and full year 2023 review forms 
the basis for the disclosures made below.  

This process clearly outlines the principal risks, considers 
their potential impact on the business, the likelihood of 
them occurring and the actions being taken to manage, 
and the individual(s) responsible for managing, those risks 
to the desired level.

This risk matrix is also used in performing our annual 
assessment of the material financial, operational and 
compliance controls that mitigate the key risks identified.  
Each control is assessed or tested for evidence of its 
effectiveness.  The review concluded that all such material 
controls were operating effectively during 2023.

Principal risks at 30 December 
2023
A review was carried out for the 30 December 2023 year 
end. Amongst the main factors considered were the 
cost of living pressures being experienced by consumers 
within the UK combined with the impact on consumers, 
businesses and the Company of the higher interest 
rate environment.  Other matters considered were the 
continued evolution of the UK retail market as online sales 
have generally settled back into a stable or in some cases 
declining pattern from the disruption of the Covid-19 
pandemic.

The review concluded that while as a result of these 
combined factors the profile of some risks, including 
economic environment, property investment market risks 
and Treasury risks had changed, the ultimate nature of 
them had not and therefore the principal risks to the 
Group broadly remain unchanged at 30 December 2023.  

The risks noted do not comprise all those potentially faced 
by the Group and are not intended to be presented in 
any order of priority. Additional risks and uncertainties 
currently unknown to the Group, or which the Group 
currently deems immaterial, may also have an adverse 
effect on the financial condition or business of the Group 
in the future. These issues are kept under constant review 
to allow the Group to react in an appropriate and timely 
manner to help mitigate the impact of such risks. 

52

Stock code: CALRisk

Impact

Mitigation

1. Property investment market risks

The weaker macro-economic 
environment and poor sentiment in 
commercial real estate markets has 
led to low transactional evidence 
across the industry with reduced 
investor confidence and a decline 
in valuations across all real estate 
sectors.

Valuations can be inherently 
subjective leading to a degree 
of uncertainty and the risk that 
property valuations may not reflect 
the price received on sale.

Small changes in property 
market yields or future cash 
flow assumptions can have a 
significant effect on valuations.

Regularly monitoring market direction, 
comparable property valuations in the 
market and recent transactions. 

The impact of leverage could 
magnify the effect on the 
Group’s net assets and the risk 
of breaching loan covenants 
with our lenders. This could 
result in the default of facilities 
and should we not be able to 
cure these, we run the risk of 
security being enforced.  

Adequate and timely forward planning of 
investment decisions. 

We engage experienced external valuers 
who understand the specific properties and 
whose output is reviewed and challenged 
by internal specialists with key assumptions 
benchmarked to industry indices and 
comparable transactional evidence. 

Regular reviews and consideration 
of strategies to reduce debt levels, if 
appropriate.

Highly volatile trading 
environments have the 
potential to increase the 
speculation on Property 
valuations and are open to 
a wider range of possible 
outcomes.

2. Impact of the economic environment

Economic pressure on 
consumer spending will likely 
impact the levels of footfall 
across the centres and 
have a knock-on effect on 
discretionary retail tenants. 

Tenant failures and reduced 
tenant demand could 
adversely affect rental income, 
lease incentive, void costs, 
cash and ultimately property 
valuations. 

The Group is sensitive to tenant 
insolvency and distress, which 
can have increased pressure on 
rent levels.  There is also risk of 
prolonged low tenant demand for 
space.  

Macroeconomic risks in relation 
to rising inflation, income tax 
and the volatility of the energy 
market (and associated costs of 
energy) are likely to negatively 
impact consumer spending, which 
will impact retailing, particularly 
discretionary spending.

Rising inflation will also put 
pressure on the Group’s cost base 
and operating margins. 

A key part of our Group strategy is to ensure 
a large, diversified tenant base that is made 
up of primarily non-discretionary retail. 

 Review of tenant covenants before new 
leases are signed.

The offering of long-term leases as standard 
and maintaining active and personable 
credit control processes that foster positive 
relationships with tenants. 

Regular dialogue between the support office 
and general managers across the portfolio, 
who have ad hoc discussions with tenants, 
to understand the issues facing tenants and 
customers. 

Managing void units though temporary 
lettings and other mitigation strategies. 

Energy costs mitigated by measures 
undertaken to reduce energy consumption 
such as introduction of LED lighting and 
utilising alternative sources of energy such 
as the installation of solar panels at Snozone 
Madrid.

53

Capital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Strategic ReportManaging Risk continued

Risk

Impact

Mitigation

3. Treasury risk

The Group is at risk of not being 
able to fund the business or 
to refinance existing debt on 
economic terms, particularly 
during periods of low lending 
market appetite.

Breach of the assets loan 
covenants resulting in defaults 
on debt and the potential for 
accelerated maturity and/or 
lenders taking control of secured 
assets. 

Exposure to rising or falling 
interest rates, which could affect 
liabilities on property sales and 
refinancing. 

4. Tax & regulatory risks

Exposure to non-compliance with 
the REIT regime and changes in 
the form or interpretation of tax 
legislation. 

Potential exposure to wider 
changes in tax legislation and 
potential tax liabilities in respect of 
historic transactions undertaken. 

Exposure to changes in existing or 
forthcoming property or corporate 
regulation.

5. People & Skills

As a small business, there is a 
relatively small number of key 
individuals whose skills are 
depended on to operate the 
business effectively.  Retaining 
these individuals cannot be 
guaranteed. 

The attraction of new talent to the 
business with the right expertise 
cannot be guaranteed.

Ensuring that the Group maintains 
appropriate levels of cash reserves. 

Regular monitoring and projections of 
liquidity, gearing and covenant compliance 
with regular reporting to the Board. 

Maintain close relationships with lenders. 

The Group has significantly reduced debt 
levels in recent years through a combination 
of asset sales and asset/debt restructuring.  

All the Group’s facilities are non-recourse and 
held in SPV structures. 

The Group may not be able 
to meet financial obligations 
when they come due, causing 
limitation on financial and 
operational flexibility. 

The cost of financing could be 
prohibitive.

Unremedied breaches of loan 
covenants can trigger demand 
for immediate repayment of 
loan facilities. 

If interest rates rise and are 
unhedged, the cost of debt 
facilities can rise and ICR 
covenants could be broken. 

Hedging transactions used by 
the Group to minimise interest 
rate risk may limit gains, result 
in losses or have other adverse 
consequences.

Tax related liabilities and other 
losses could arise causing 
significant financial loss. 

Constantly monitoring the Group’s REIT 
compliance and consideration of the effects 
of major decisions on REIT status.   

Failure to comply with tax 
or regulatory requirements 
could result in loss of REIT 
status, financial penalties, loss 
of business or reputational 
damage. 

Use of tax specialists to outsource 
compliance and advisory tax matters.

Maintaining regular dialogue with the tax 
authorities and business groups. 

Actively keep key staff up to date with 
regulation and ensure necessary policies and 
procedures are in place. 

 Expert advice taken on complex regulatory 
matters.

The loss of key individuals 
or an inability to attract 
new employees with the 
appropriate expertise could 
compromise the business’s 
ability to operate efficiently.

Paying current and new employees market 
salaries and offering competitive incentive 
packages, including the use of retention 
awards and incentive plans.

Promoting positive working environments 
and culture in line with staff expectations. 

Effectively maintaining a succession plan for 
key positions and departments. 

54

Stock code: CALRisk

Impact

Mitigation

6. Development risk

The costs involved with 
development projects overrunning 
and delays leading to extended 
completion times past expected 
deadlines.

The threat to the Group’s property 
assets of competing in town and 
out of town retail and leisure 
schemes. 

Increased costs and 
reputational damage which 
may lead to planned value not 
being realised. 

Competition with other 
schemes may reduce footfall 
and reduce tenant demand 
for space and effect the levels 
of rents that can feasibly be 
achieved. 

7. Business disruption from a major incident

Major incidents occur at any of the 
business’ sites having a significant 
impact upon trading.  

Such events could cause a 
reduction in earnings and 
additional costs. 

This includes specific incidents 
to a centre or trading location or 
a situation such as Covid-19 that 
impacts trading on a national scale.

Exposure to reputational 
damage if the business acts, or 
is perceived to have acted, in a 
negligent manner.

The pandemic has had a 
significant impact on customer 
behaviour and habits. There 
is a risk that consumer habits 
have permanently changed 
and will impact business KPIs, 
such as footfall and leasing. 

8. Environmental, Social & Governance

Use of experienced external project 
coordinators to oversee developments 
with staged execution to key milestones 
and updates to be monitored by steering 
committees with the Group. 

Implemented well defined approval 
processes for new development projects and 
guidance provided for setting key milestones. 

Partnered with external agencies to raise 
awareness of new planning proposals, which 
are fought, as necessary, in accordance with 
relevant planning laws . 

Maintain close working relationships with 
local councils and promote willingness to 
support the community.

Maintain the flexibility to invest in marketing 
strategies to continue relevance in the 
market. 

Trained operational personnel at all sites and 
documented major incident procedures.

Regular update meetings on operational 
procedures reflecting current threats and 
major incident testing runs. 

Regular liaison with the police and 
environmental health officers. 

Insurance for business disruption and rebuild 
is always maintained across the portfolio.

Disaster recovery sites have been mapped 
and are maintained in the event of immediate 
needs.

The Group’s activities may 
have an adverse impact on the 
environment and the communities 
in which we operate. 

Health and safety incidents could 
cause death or serious injury.

A risk that centres or specific 
retailers are identified as a 
‘hotspot’ for Covid-19 transmission.

Failure to act on environmental 
and social issues could 
lead to reputational 
damage, deterioration in 
relationships with customers 
and communities and limit 
investment opportunities.

Failure to comply with relevant 
regulations could result in 
financial exposure.

Health and safety incidents 
could result in reputational 
damage, financial liability for 
the Group and potentially 
criminal liability for the 
directors. 

Issues and actions considered by the 
Board, through regular reports from the 
ESG Committee and its designated sub 
committees. 

Appointed ESG specialists to assist the 
business in mapping out its ESG roadmap 
and key milestones.

Specialist health and safety consultancy 
support in place with internal bespoke 
health and safety system to enable incident 
reporting and monitoring. 

EPC rating certificates are completed across 
the portfolio.

55

Capital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Strategic ReportManaging Risk continued

Risk

Impact

Mitigation

9. Customers & changing consumer trends

Further migration towards online 
shopping, multi-channel retailing, 
and increased spending on leisure 
may adversely impact consumer 
footfall in shopping centres.

Increased use of CVAs by retailers 
as a means of restructuring or cost 
reduction.

Changes in consumer 
shopping habits towards 
online shopping and home 
delivery could reduce footfall 
and therefore potentially 
reduce tenant demand and the 
levels of rents which can be 
achieved. 

Financial loss from tenants 
use of CVAs to both write 
off arrears and reset lease 
agreement terms. 

Strong location and dominance of shopping 
centres in high density urban locations.

Strength of the community shopping 
experience with tailored relevance to the 
local community.

Concentration on convenience and value 
offer which is less impacted by online 
presence.

Increasing provision of “Click & Collect” 
within our centres.

Maintaining positive retailer relationships and 
providing for honest and open dialogue. 

Monitoring key business metrics such as 
footfall, retail trends and shopping behaviour. 

10. IT & Cybersecurity

Failure of, or, as a result of 
malicious attack on, the Group’s 
information technology hardware 
and software systems.

Failure to continually keep up with 
best practice and invest in new 
technology.

Loss of operating capacity, 
business time or reputational 
damage.

Data breaches resulting in 
reputational damage, fines or 
regulatory penalties.

IT Security Governance Policy in place 
aligned with ISO27001.

Ongoing investment in technology 
infrastructure with key IT applications hosted 
offsite. 

Systems in place to prevent and react to 
malicious attack.

Regular penetration testing carried out by a 
specialist security company.

Cyber Essentials Plus certified.

Information security training programmes 
in place to regularly upskill all employees. A 
strong password policy is in place to keep 
employees safe. 

Maintenance of a disaster recovery site in the 
event of critical systems failures. 

56

Stock code: CALRisk

Impact

Mitigation

11. Climate-related

In light of the introduction of 
TCFD Disclosure requirements, 
the impact of climate change has 
become a Board level issue. 

As a result of COP26, the world 
stage is focused on combatting 
climate change and businesses 
that fall behind on their efforts to 
mitigate their effect on the climate 
run the risk of becoming non-
investable. 

The Group’s failure to act on 
environmental issues could 
lead to reputational damage, 
deterioration in customer and 
community relationships, or 
limit investment opportunities. 
Climate-related risks extend 
to the global supply chain, 
business disruption from 
extreme weather events.

Failure to comply with 
regulations could result in 
financial exposure. 

12. Health & Safety

The risk that the Group’s staff, 
customers or guests suffer illness, 
injury or fatality at one of the 
Group’s operations.

If found to be as a result of 
failing processes or negligence 
the Group and/or individuals in 
management positions could 
face criminal charges, financial 
loss and reputational damage.

Environmental policy in place and consistent 
with ISO14001. 

Management of and compliance with 
the Carbon Reduction Commitment and 
compliance with the Carbon Trust.  

Engaged with external agency, JLL, to assist 
with setting out framework to assess climate 
related risks.  

Separate risk matrix on climate-related 
risks feeds into Group risk review and ESG 
Committee reporting to the Board.  

Nominated individual from SLT to take 
oversight responsibility of climate-related 
issues.  

Board has oversight of TCFD climate-related 
goals and targets through quarterly ESG 
reporting.

Regular risk assessments.

Sharing of information with local Health & 
Safety Executive.

Capacity limits agreed with Health & Safety 
Executive and reviewed with external 
lawyers.

Training for staff by Health & Safety 
Consultancy.

Insurance review meetings with insurance 
brokers.

57

Capital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Strategic ReportOur key stakeholders, how we engage with them and consider their needs and 
concerns is outlined below:

Our People

What matters
•  Opportunities for career and personal development

•  Fair and equitable pay and benefits

•  An inclusive and diverse environment with a respectful corporate culture

•  Open and transparent communication

•  To share their views and have their voice heard in decision-making

How we engage
• 

Intranet; all-staff emails; regular CEO updates and regular townhall meetings

•  Posters and communications

•  Whistleblowing procedures

•  Employee surveys that provide option for further clarification of needs  

and desires

•  Wellbeing Committees

•  Regular one-to-one performance reviews between line manager  

and employee to ensure career personal satisfaction

•  Compulsory Health & Safety eLearning training modules completed  

by all staff. 

Designated NED, Laura Whyte who receives regular updates direct from the 
Employee Voice and D&I Committee members. 

How we respond
•  The Board receives periodic reports on a range of people matters

•  Board members regularly visit the Company’s support office and other locations 

to meet with staff at all levels in the organisation 

•  The Board reviews employee engagement through employee surveys and follows 

up the actions taken

•  The Board considers the impact on current employees when making strategic 

decisions

Employees 

Directors
Senior Leadership Team 
Senior Leadership Team direct 
reports
Employees – Support Office
Employees – Shopping Centres
Employees – Snozone

Read more about how we engage  
with our people on pages 80-85

Male

Female

Total

6
4

11
12
13
203

2
3

11
12
25
166

8
7

22
24
38
369

Our Stakeholders

With a focus on shopping 
centres with a community 
focus, inevitably our 
stakeholders are at the heart 
of our strategy and business 
model. Setting our strategic 
outlook and, in turn, ensuring 
our long term success as a 
business relies on engaging 
with all our stakeholders to 
understand their changing 
needs. Decisions made by the 
Board will not always satisfy 
the broad and varied desires 
of the Group’s stakeholders, 
as at times, the interests and 
impacts of our stakeholder 
groups conflict. The Board 
aligns decision-making to the 
Company’s purpose, values and 
strategy. The Board remains 
committed to considering the 
impact of key decisions on the 
Group’s stakeholder groups 
and to ensure open dialogue. 

Section 172 
Statement
The Board has regard to the 
matters set out in Section 
172(1) of the Companies Act 
2006 when performing its 
duties under Section 172 to 
promote the success of the 
Company. When making 
decisions, the Board pays 
due regard to: the likely 
consequences of decisions in 
the long-term as the strategy 
of the Group is focused on 
medium to long term returns 
and, as such, the long term 
is firmly within the sights of 
the Board when all material 
decisions are made; the 
interests of stakeholders, the 
impact actions have on the 
communities in which we 
operate and the environment 
(see more on this within the 
ESG Report on pages 62–107); 
maintaining high standards 
of business conduct through 
ensuring good governance 
is instilled from a top-down 
approach (see more of this 
in our governance report on 
pages 121–165); and acting 
fairly at all times. 

58

Stock code: CALOur Community

Our retailer customers, our guests and our suppliers

What matters
•  Outstanding customer service

•  Affordable rents and service charge

•  Centres that drive footfall and adapt to meet the needs of a changing market

•  Prompt and fair payments to suppliers and contractors

•  Ethical and fair dealings that protect human rights and the health and safety 

of our customers, guests and suppliers

•  Having a positive impact on local areas, and creating vibrant and well 

maintained centres that enhance their surroundings

•  Supporting employment in the community

•  Open communication and engagement on development opportunities

How we engage
• 

Investment in data to understand consumer and market trends

•  Regular visitor surveys

•  Regular audits of facilities management and operational standards

•  Strong engagement with local and central governments and Business 

Improvement Districts

•  Partnering with industry organisations such as retailTRUST and REVO

•  Supporting local charities and organisations through our C&R Cares 

programme.

How we respond
•  The Board’s ESG Committee discuss key issues as part of its agenda and 

provides regular updates at Board meetings

•  The Board reviews and approves the Modern Slavery Statement

•  Changing consumer and market trends form part of boardroom discussions 

and decision-making

•  The Board reviews and approves all developments within our communities 
and receives regular updates on ongoing planning matters and community 
outreach programmes

•  All Health & Safety incidents are reported to the Board through the ESG 

Committee

Read more about how we engage  
with our community on pages 86-95

Capital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023

59

Strategic ReportOur Stakeholders continued

Our shareholders and business partners

The Environment

What matters
•  Robust financial accounts

What matters
•  Awareness of the environmental impact of our activities

•  Delivering income and capital growth

•  Reduction of CO2 emissions and energy and water 

•  Dividend payments

•  ESG performance

consumption

•  Reducing waste, in particular plastic waste, and diverting 

waste from landfill

How we engage
•  AGMs, results presentations and investor events

How we engage
•  Develop and implement various sustainability schemes 

•  One-to-one meetings with management and, by request 

across our centres

the Chairman and Senior Independent Director

•  Engage with our retailers to increase awareness and 

education 

•  Member of the Better Building Partnership

•  Signatory to the Climate Change Commitment

How we respond
•  Review and act on regular reports from analysts and 

advisors

•  Feedback from shareholder meetings is shared with the 

How we respond
•  The Board’s ESG Committee discuss key environmental 

issues as part of its agenda and provides regular updates 
at Board meetings.

Board and forms part of boardroom discussions

•  Environmental issues form part of our boardroom 

Read more about how we engage  
with our shareholders on pages 128-129

discussions

Read more about how we engage  
with our environment on pages 72-79

60

Stock code: CALPrincipal decisions

Property transactions
During the year, the key decision made by the Board was 
to proceed with the acquisition of Gyle shopping centre in 
Edinburgh, funded by a £25 million equity raise. 

In August 2022, the Group exchanged contracts for the 
acquisition of Gyle shopping centre in Edinburgh for £40 
million and the acquisition completed in September 2023. 
As part of the transaction the Group secured a new £16 
million five year debt facility provided by the vendors. 
In considering whether to proceed with the proposed 
acquisition the Board considered the trade off between 
growing the Company and being accretive to Adjusted 
Profit per Share versus the dilutive impact that issuing 
shares at a discount to Net Asset Value would have to 
Net Asset Value per share and a marginal increase to the 
Group’s Net Loan to Value ratio.

Consideration of stakeholders
In respect of the Gyle acquisition the Board gave 
consideration to the views of shareholders and the balance 
between focus on Income and Dividends versus Net Asset 
Value. The Board considered that while conscious of the 
dilutive impact on Net Asset Value per share that as a REIT 
focused on growing recurring earnings the benefits of 
enhancing Adjusted Profit per Share and hence Dividends 
allied with the benefit of increasing the Group’s scale the 
Group should proceed with the transaction.

In consideration of shareholders the Board were conscious 
of structuring the equity raise in a form such that all 
shareholders were able to participate on a fully pre-
emptive basis.

Dividend payments 
During the year the Board have set the level of dividend 
payments following the resumption in the second half of 
2022. The Board discussed the level of dividend payments 
within the parameters of its dividend policy of paying at 
least 90% of the Group’s EPRA profits and meeting its 
minimum PID requirement under the REIT regime. 

Consideration of stakeholders
The Board discussed various options for setting the 
dividend and settled on the level of 5.70p per share for 
the year. The Board considered this to provide a strong 
dividend yield for shareholders, a 7.3% improvement on 
2022 and being approximately 1.3 times covered by the 
Group’s Adjusted Profit for the year.

The Board concluded to offer a Scrip option for both 
the interim and final dividends providing opportunity 
for shareholders to take the dividend by way of an 
additional issue of shares. This provided shareholders 
with optionality and helped partially mitigate the impact of 
dividend payments upon the Company’s cash reserves and 
net debt position.

This Strategic report has been prepared in accordance with 
the requirements of the Companies Act 2006, has been 
approved and signed on behalf of the Board.

Stuart Wetherly
Group Finance Director and Company Secretary

30 April 2024

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Capital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Strategic ReportESG 
Report

62

Stock code: CAL63

Strategic ReportCapital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023ESG Report

Introduction 
Focus and momentum were key themes for 2023, 
driving our environmental, social and governance 
(ESG) agenda forward to ensure Capital & Regional 
(C&R) continue to inspire our stakeholders.

Our reporting boundaries 
The information within this ESG Report reflects the year 
ending 30 December 2023. Our business consists of six 
shopping centres and three Snozone centres. As part of 
our commitment to transparent reporting, we disclose 
data based on asset type, differentiating between 
shopping centres and Snozone locations. While C&R 
predominantly operates within the UK, we have one 
Snozone centre in Madrid, Spain.

C&R maintains operational control over the energy, water, 
and waste disposal in common areas and shared services 
within the shopping centres. Our shopping centre tenants 
have autonomy over their respective areas as we do not 
sub-meter energy or water consumption. As a tenant 
within a larger leisure scheme, Snozone has operational 
control over energy and water consumption, whilst waste 
management is the responsibility of the landlord and is 
outside our direct control.

C&R scores 81% on CSRHub
The CSRHub utilises data from 10 socially responsible 
investment analysis firms and over 600 diverse sources, 
including NGOs, government agencies, news feeds, and 
social networking groups, to generate an ESG performance 
score for companies. We received a year end score of 81%, 
which tracks moderately ahead of our peer group.

In the face of another year with a challenging economic 
backdrop, we stand proud of our achievements. We 
continued to encourage our staff to champion efficiency 
throughout our shopping centres and Snozone locations 
to drive down operational costs, significantly reducing 
consumption across the majority of our utilities. 
Recognising the strain of the cost-of-living crisis on our 
employees, their wellbeing continues to be a key priority 
by offering support and valuable resources to help them 
navigate these challenges.

Embracing our pivotal role as a central connection 
point, we have shown our unwavering dedication to the 
communities we serve by maintaining comfortable and 
inclusive environments at our assets as we expand our 
portfolio and hope to intensify these efforts with the 
acquisition of Gyle in Edinburgh. 

Within this report, we highlight our ESG achievements 
and reaffirm our commitment to building a sustainable 
future for our staff, partners, and the communities we 
care about.

Gyle acquisition
In a challenging economic environment, we 
demonstrated resilience and took our first 
steps towards rescaling our business. Gyle is a 
well-established community shopping centre 
in Edinburgh, anchored by recognised brands 
including Marks & Spencer and Morrisons. 

Many factors went into the acquisition of this 
centre, and our ESG strategy and due diligence 
process contributed heavily to our final decision. 
For example, the centre’s approximately 40-acres 
of surface car parking provides significant potential 
for electric vehicle charging and onsite solar 
generation, and the onsite bus station already 
promotes public transport access.

In 2024, we will undertake capital investments in 
line with our portfolio standards at Gyle and listen 
to the needs of the local people and businesses to 
embed the asset in the community infrastructure.

64

Stock code: CALOur ESG strategy
Our purpose is to invest in, manage and enhance retail property 
by creating dynamic environments tailored to the local 
communities. To do this successfully, sustainability is embedded 
within our core business strategy and guided by five objectives 
(outlined below) through our integrated ESG strategy. 

The strategy has three pillars, each with its own goals 
and measurable annual targets: Environment, People, 
and Communities. These seek to minimise the negative 
impact of our assets on the environment; provide a 
superior experience to our people; and respond to 
the unique needs of our local communities. This is all 

while upholding our commitment to shareholders and 
operating as a successful business.

The strategy is designed to address the unique needs 
of our business and stakeholders, underpinned by 
clear policies and procedures to distil sustainable 
thinking throughout all business activities.

65

Capital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Strategic ReportStrategy & 2023 highlights

Leading in Sustainability within our communities

To take an active 
lead in developing 
and delivering 
sustainability within 
our communities

To continue to 
identify sustainable 
practices to manage 
our buildings 
responsibly

To develop cultural 
ways of working that 
are obsessive about 
waste, recycling and 
reducing our carbon 
footprint

To play our part in 
an effective response 
to the urgent threat 
of climate change, 
aligning with the 2015 
Paris Agreement 
commitments

To reach net zero  
by 2040

Environment

We had another successful year 
regarding our environmental 
performance, surpassing almost 
all of our annual utility reduction 
targets, further embedding 
operational excellence within 
our procedures, and achieving 
substantial emissions reductions 
compared to 2022 as well as our 
2019 baseline. 

35%  

reduction in scope 1 & 2 
emissions since 2019  
(location-based) 

8%  

reduction in energy 
consumption since 2022

EPC B   

achieved for The Mall 
Maidstone, The Mall Wood 
Green and Snozone Yorkshire 

12,500+   

trees planted by Snozone

Our ESG  
Strategy

People

Our people are at the core of 
our business, and our focus 
has been on engaging them 
through a renewed purpose, 
inclusive culture, commitment 
to wellness, and training and 
development opportunities. 

2,000+ 

hours of training and 
development completed across 
our business

74%  

team retention at Snozone

91%  

of respondents to our diversity 
and inclusion survey say we 
have cultivated an inclusive 
and welcoming environment

0%   

gender managerial gap across 
C&R

Community

We pride ourselves on 
connecting with our 
communities, reinforcing our 
support to local charities, 
contributing to important 
causes, providing inclusive 
experiences, and bringing 
people together.

£331,000  

raised in total for charities and 
community groups 

293  

community groups and 
charities supported 

102%   

participation growth in 
disability snow sports lessons 

22% 

increase in Snozone’s school 
programme

66

Stock code: CAL

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67

 
ESG Report continued

External Initiatives and Benchmarks

We are a member of the Better Buildings 
Partnership (BBP), which facilitates 
collaboration between property owners and 
real estate investors to drive the industry’s 
sustainability transition. Our shopping centre 
business is a signatory to the BBP Climate 
Commitment, and in 2024, we will publish 
our Climate Adaptation Plan.

We report in line with the Task Force on 
Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) to 
effectively manage our material climate-related 
risks and opportunities and support informed 
investment decision-making (see our 2023 
disclosure on pages 108-119).

Aligning with
external initiatives
and benchmarks

Since 2018, C&R has been participating 
in GRESB, the world’s leading ESG 
benchmark for real estate and 
infrastructure, helping investors make 
informed decisions. In 2023, we received 
two stars, scoring 73 out of 100, a three 
point increase compared to 2022 and we 
are focused on implementing measures 
to further increase our score in 2024. 

The European Public Real Estate 
Association (EPRA) is a non-profit 
organisation which promotes 
transparency, best practices, and 
standardisation between the European 
listed real estate sector and investors. 
As EPRA members, we report in 
line with EPRA’s Sustainability Best 
Practices Recommendations (sBPR) 
reporting guidelines. 

The United Nations (UN) Sustainable 
Development Goals (SDGs) is 
a comprehensive international 
framework that aims to tackle pressing 
global challenges and promote 
sustainable development. C&R’s ESG 
strategy takes a direct and proactive 
approach in contributing to the 
achievement of seven specific SDGs. 

68

Stock code: CALRealising the Ambitions of the UN SDGs

SDG

Summary

We will help to eliminate poverty in all its forms, everywhere 
by ensuring our staff are supported through the current cost-of-living crisis, implementing our national 
minimum wage (NMW) policy and working with third-party suppliers to do the same, promoting positive 
financial management and offering tools like Wagestream, a financial management platform, to our 
Snozone employees, providing upskilling and job opportunities to local communities, and fundraising for 
charities that support ending poverty and homelessness. 

We will promote wellbeing for everyone 
through a suite of policies and procedures encompassing health and safety, wellbeing and mental health 
and human rights, nurturing a wellness culture for employees, and providing space for accessible public 
health services by partnering with the NHS. 

We will support lifelong learning opportunities 
by providing education to the local community through the Community Wheel of Support initiative in 
our shopping centres, Snozone’s status as a three-time winner of the School Travel awards for ‘Best 
Sporting Venue’ for children learning outside the classroom, and our comprehensive employee training 
programme. 

We will promote gender equality and empower all women and girls 
through Snozone’s female-first marketing approach, tailored recruitment and support for Sports 
England’s This Girl Can campaign, upholding diversity policies and zero-tolerance towards all forms of 
violence, and monitoring gender balance performance data. 

We will promote sustainable economic growth and decent work for all 
through our Modern Slavery Champion Programme, which spreads awareness across our business 
about modern slavery and hidden labour exploitation, supporting local start-ups and small businesses to 
thrive in our centres, helping local charities who work with disadvantaged members of society, offering 
apprenticeships, and developing career mentoring initiatives for youth in our communities. 

We will provide inclusive, safe and resilient spaces for all 
by managing our buildings responsibly and embedding them in the community fabric, operating 
inclusively such as through Snozone’s long-term partnership with Sense and their Disability Confident 
Employer status, and maintaining access to public spaces to promote wellbeing and community 
cohesion. 

We will take urgent action to combat our contribution to the climate crisis 
by transitioning to net zero carbon, executing best practices in energy, water and waste management, 
continually reviewing the capital investment plan for each venue and centre, working with tenants to 
achieve mutual environmental performance gains, and spearheading green community initiatives. 

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Capital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Strategic ReportESG Report continued

Governing ESG
C&R’s ESG strategy is governed by our ESG Committee, 
who is responsible for ensuring accountability, its 
implementation across the business, and identifying 
opportunities where ESG can be further integrated into 
operations. The Committee meets quarterly to receive 
updates on activities and progress against targets and is 
supported by three subcommittees, each responsible for 
monitoring progress against the targets of the strategic 
pillars. 

Sara Jennings, Director of Operations & Guest Experience, 
and Nick Philips, Managing Director of Snozone, lead our 
ESG activities at the asset level through close collaboration 
with onsite managers and teams. In recent years, C&R has 

put in motion a widespread culture shift that has fostered 
a sense of responsibility, particularly amongst operations 
teams, of the role every individual can play in realising our 
sustainability goals to provide a superior offering.

To ensure accountability and engagement with our ESG 
strategy, ESG is on the agenda in all Senior Leadership 
Team (SLT) meetings and every employee has defined ESG 
objectives, specific to their team and seniority level. ESG is 
also part of our communications strategy, internally and 
externally, including dedicated website pages, signage 
in shopping centres, and frequent updates in investor 
presentations.

Katie Wadey
Non–executive Director - Chair

Sara Jennings 
Director of Operations & 
Guest Experience 

Alanna Henry 
HR Consultant 

Olivia Grout
PA Operations

Lawrence Hutchings
Chief Executive Officer

Nick Phillips
Managing Director  
of Snozone

Louise Ash
HR Director,  
Snozone

Environment 
Committee 

People 
 Committee 

Communities 
Committee 

NZC Committee  
(shopping centres)

D&I Committee

Marketing Managers  
Committee (shopping centres)

Employee Voice Committee

ESG Community Committee  
(shopping centres)

70

Stock code: CALCreating value for our stakeholders

Our  
stakeholders

How we  
engage them

Issues that  
are important

Our shareholders

Our employees

Results presentations, roadshow 
meetings, AGM, Group ESG meetings, 
ad hoc meetings, requests and email 
correspondence, Capital Markets Days 
and asset tours, attendance at investor 
conferences

Financial and operational results, awards, 
retail and property market perspectives, 
potential growth opportunities and/
or corporate activity, environmental 
performance, social contribution, 
governance compliance

Staff Pulse Engagement Surveys, ESG 
staff training, ESG Officers, business-wide 
town halls with internal updates and guest 
speakers, monthly Employee Voice meetings 
and 24/7 anonymous feedback platform, 
coaching and mentoring programme

ESG, health and wellbeing, community 
support, leadership and line management 
training

Our suppliers

Tendering, appointment and monitoring 
against defined capital and revenue project 
scopes, regular performance review 
meetings 

Values and vision, community relevance, 
local employment, sustainability credentials, 
cost-effectiveness, performance

Our retail customers 
and occupiers

Marketing boards, website, engagement 
with agents, onsite meetings, social media, 
business exposure onsite, local authorities 
and investment 

Identifying the right location, demographic, 
leasing, term and budget, branding and fit-
out of their unit, footfall

Our communities  
and guests

Websites, social media, marketing events, 
loyalty card, emails 

Consumer marketing campaigns, ESG, 
charity and community support, new retailer 
openings

Local authorities

Ad hoc interactions between varying levels, 
charitable support, headlease engagement 
where local authorities are our freehold 
partners

Planning applications, headlease 
administration, town centre master planning, 
Business Improvement Districts, business 
rates, town centre marketing/event support, 
key stakeholder interactions

71

Capital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Strategic ReportESG Report continued

the resources we use and produce in a sustainable way. 
This elevated way of thinking can be seen in our recent 
acquisition of Gyle, where we evaluated the acquisition 
through the lens of environmental risks and opportunities, 
identifying the asset’s potential to create value and at 
what cost to the business considering the asset’s unique 
characteristics. 

As we look ahead, and in the context of an ageing 
portfolio, the focus will remain on delivering our net 
zero carbon pathways, implementing environmental 
improvements through design, retrofit, maintenance 
and monitoring activities, whilst driving productive 
partnerships and conversations with occupiers to mutually 
reach our ambitions. 

Environment
2023 reflects an extremely successful year for 
C&R’s environmental performance, particularly 
regarding our energy consumption. 

We surpassed all our annual utility reduction targets, with 
the exception of water for shopping centres (explained in 
more detail on page 78), improving our efficiency levels 
compared to 2022 as well as our baseline year of 2019. 
This was amidst a challenging economic climate that is 
placing a higher scrutiny on spending as well as significant 
development and refurbishment activity within our 
shopping centre portfolio. 

These achievements are a result of our ongoing efforts 
to bring environmental considerations front and centre 
throughout the property lifecycle, from acquisition and fit-
outs to planned maintenance and property management. 
As an owner and operator of retail and leisure assets, we 
have a duty to be a responsible landlord for our retailers, 
visitors and local communities, ensuring that we manage 

We are contributing to the following SDGs:

•  35% reduction in scope 1 and 2 emissions across 

•  18% reduction in Snozone’s water use compared to 

the Group compared to the 2019 baseline

the 2019 baseline year

•  EPC B achieved for The Mall Maidstone and The Mall 

•  Zero waste to landfill achieved in shopping centres 

Wood Green

since 2018. 

•  BREEAM Very Good awarded to The Mall 

•  23,681 trees planted by Snozone through our 

Wood Green

partnership with Tree-Nation since 2021

•  £250,000 invested in three new blast cooler 

units at Snozone’s Milton Keynes venue, saving 
approximately 200,000 kwh a year

72

Stock code: CALNet zero by 2040 roadmap
Net zero by 2040 roadmap

6,170
6,170

5,258
5,258

4,431
4,431

4,093
4,093

4,011
4,011

35% 
35% 

Group-wide 
Group-wide 
reduction in scope 
reduction in scope 
1 & 2 emissions 
1 & 2 emissions 
since 2019 
since 2019 
(location-based)
(location-based)

2019
2019

2020
2020

2021
2021

2022
2022

2023
2023

2040
2040

Embodied carbon
Embodied carbon

  Define and introduce sustainable refurbishment guidelines for major and minor refurbishments 
  Define and introduce sustainable refurbishment guidelines for major and minor refurbishments 
  Conduct whole-life carbon and climate risk assessments for all refurbishment and fit outs
  Conduct whole-life carbon and climate risk assessments for all refurbishment and fit outs

Operational Carbon 
Operational Carbon 

Implement occupier engagement strategy 
Implement occupier engagement strategy 
and scale up the use of green lease clauses 
and scale up the use of green lease clauses 
Improve data accuracy and coverage 
Improve data accuracy and coverage 
  Embed net zero criteria into the pre-
  Embed net zero criteria into the pre-

acquisition process 
acquisition process 
Integrate findings of asset level audits into 
Integrate findings of asset level audits into 
existing multi-year carbon reduction plans for 
existing multi-year carbon reduction plans for 
each asset, and extend plans to incorporate 
each asset, and extend plans to incorporate 
asset-level climate risk information 
asset-level climate risk information 
  Complete LED lighting upgrades in Gyle
  Complete LED lighting upgrades in Gyle
  Continued investment in new plant and 
  Continued investment in new plant and 

equipment 
equipment 

  Achieve 80% reduction in operational carbon 
  Achieve 80% reduction in operational carbon 

(scope 1 & 2) by 2036
(scope 1 & 2) by 2036

2023 PROGRESS 
2023 PROGRESS 

  Reduced scope 1 & 2 
  Reduced scope 1 & 2 

emissions by 35% since 2019  
emissions by 35% since 2019  
(location-based)
(location-based)

  100% of assets equipped with LED 
  100% of assets equipped with LED 

lamping, excluding Gyle 
lamping, excluding Gyle 

  Developed green lease clauses for 
  Developed green lease clauses for 
inclusion within renewals and new 
inclusion within renewals and new 
lease contracts
lease contracts
Embedded ESG into acquisition due 
Embedded ESG into acquisition due 
diligence check list and occupier 
diligence check list and occupier 
engagement processes
engagement processes
100% of occupier data sourced 
100% of occupier data sourced 
£250,000 invested in three new 
£250,000 invested in three new 
blast cooler units
blast cooler units

Onsite generation
Onsite generation

  Onsite renewable energy strategy in 
  Onsite renewable energy strategy in 

development  
development  

  Solar PV installation
  Solar PV installation

2023 PROGRESS 
2023 PROGRESS 
   PV feasibility study 
   PV feasibility study 

conducted on select 
conducted on select 
shopping centres
shopping centres

Renewable energy procurement
Renewable energy procurement

  Work with occupiers to increase high-quality 
  Work with occupiers to increase high-quality 

renewable energy procurement
renewable energy procurement

2023 PROGRESS 
2023 PROGRESS 

  100% electricity consumption 
  100% electricity consumption 

from renewable sources
from renewable sources

Offsetting
Offsetting

  Develop a carbon offsetting strategy 
  Develop a carbon offsetting strategy 
  Plant a further 9,000 trees in partnership  
  Plant a further 9,000 trees in partnership  

with Tree-Nation by the end of 2023
with Tree-Nation by the end of 2023

2023 PROGRESS 
2023 PROGRESS 
23,681 trees planted 
23,681 trees planted 
by Snozone since 2021, 
by Snozone since 2021, 
reforesting 24 hectares
reforesting 24 hectares
2,282 tCO2 offset to date
2,282 tCO2 offset to date

*Emissions figures are location-based and reflect our like-for-like portfolio, which excludes the acquisition of Gyle in 2023
*Emissions figures are location-based and reflect our like-for-like portfolio, which excludes the acquisition of Gyle in 2023

73

Capital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Strategic Report 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ESG Report continued

Environment

Shopping centres will be net zero 
carbon by 2040
The scope of our shopping centres’ net zero pathway 
is aligned with the BBP Climate Commitment and the 
UK Green Building Council’s (UKGBC) definition of net 
zero. It covers our scope 1 and 2 emissions as well 
as scope 3 emissions relating to embodied carbon 
from refurbishments and fit-outs, occupiers’ energy 
consumption and other measured emission sources. The 
pathway prioritises the necessary emission reductions 
up to 2040 and beyond, in line with best practices such 
as the Carbon Risk Real Estate Monitor (CRREM) and the 
forthcoming UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard, 
supported by a clear and actionable implementation 
plan, designed with all stages of the property lifecycle in 
mind. In 2024, we will recalculate our CRREM pathways to 
align with the most recent changes to our portfolio. Asset 
interventions recommended by the framework will provide 
insight as we continue to develop our future plans. Read 
our pathway to net zero carbon for more information. 

Our development strategy favours refurbishing existing 
assets and fit-outs rather than building on greenfield sites, 
and so we actively scope opportunities to minimise the 
embodied carbon associated with these activities. As the 
emissions associated with operating buildings decrease, 
embodied carbon – meaning the emissions associated 
with materials and construction processes throughout the 
whole lifecycle of a building – will account for a larger part 
of a building’s carbon footprint in the future. 

Our Net Zero Carbon Committees across each of our 
centres govern the progress of our pathway 
through the management of interventions, 
monitoring performance and opportunities, 
increasing occupier engagement, and planning 
EPC performance improvements. Their focus 
is centred on the Net Zero Carbon Committee 
Wheel of Delivery’s 12 target areas such as ESG 
training, green leases, refurbishments, and 
water and waste management. Each centre’s 
Committee updates are presented quarterly to 
the Board by our ESG Committee to monitor 
and discuss progress. 

has been on quick wins that collectively have a big impact. 
Efficiency improvements result from the hard work of 
onsite staff who understand the benefits of environmental 
improvements, effectively implementing our policies, 
and proactively seeking opportunities to reduce our 
consumption through operational efficiencies. 

As such, we surpassed our annual target for electricity 
in 2023, reducing our consumption by 3% compared to 
2022 and 15% compared to the 2019 baseline. Measures 
to achieve this included the continued roll-out of our LED 
lighting replacement programme, which is now complete 
across the portfolio with the exception of Gyle, our 
recently acquired centre.

Regarding gas, we substantially outperformed our annual 
targets realising a 15% reduction compared to our 
consumption in 2022 and a 72% reduction compared to 
2019. This is largely due to the removal of gas from The 
Mall Wood Green as part of our lease with the NHS, where 
we capitalised on the opportunity to replace the boiler 
with a new air handling unit (AHU), incorporating a split 
DX system, heat pumps and a thermal recovery wheel to 
further increase efficiency. 

In 2024, we will work towards gaining complete visibility 
of our energy usage to avoid wastage and improve 
efficiencies through the implementation of circuit-level 
monitoring on all landlord-controlled energy meters. As a 
first step, we will install the sensors at two pilot sites. The 
sensors will monitor the flow of energy, and then transmit 
data every 10 seconds to our cloud-based monitoring 
platform. 

PPM 
(Service 
charge)

TCFD Audit

Energy 
Procurements

Water 
Management

EPC 
Management

Waste 
Management

ESG 
Training

We report our emissions in line with the 
Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol and in 2023, 
shopping centres achieved a 72% reduction 
in scope 1 emissions and a 31% reduction in 
scope 2 emissions (market-based) compared 
to the 2019 baseline. This is equivalent to 1,253 
tCO2e. We have also achieved a decrease in 
our scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions intensity of 
38%, reflecting a 0.4 kgCO2e/ft2 decrease since 
2019 (location-based). Additionally, 100% of 
our landlord electricity consumption is sourced 
from renewables.

Energy efficiency 
Our net zero carbon pathway prioritises 
reductions in energy consumption to reduce 
our scope 1 and 2 emissions. In 2023, our focus 

NZC COMMITTEE

Shopfits & 
Refurbishments

Occupier 
Engagements 
Strategy 
(Scope 3)

ESG 
Team 
Pledges

Green Leases

NZC 
Interventions 
(CAPEX)

74

Stock code: CALOccupier engagement
Across our shopping centres, we have 462 diverse 
occupiers, whose energy consumption accounted for 
approximately 70% of our total emissions in 2023. 
This relates to the energy occupiers use for activities 
such as lighting or heating their stores. As this energy 
use is outside of C&R’s direct control, reducing it relies 
on regular and constructive engagement through our 
occupier engagement strategy. The strategy includes 
net zero carbon audits, sustainability training and 
upskilling for both our team and occupiers, as well as the 
implementation of engagement initiatives. 

In 2023, we continued to progress in embedding ESG 
within occupier engagement processes. For example, ESG 
is on the agenda in every commercial team meeting, and 
mandatory ESG-focused questions have been implanted 
into the leasing process before the deal can proceed. This 
ensures that ESG information for each lease and unit is 
available on our reporting system for employees to access 
when needed. 

Owing to more stringent UK regulations, EPC ratings are a 
top priority for C&R and are included as a key target area 
in our Net Zero Carbon Pathway Wheel of Delivery. EPC 
ratings are available to Leasing Executives via our EPC 
Management dashboard to ensure they have sight of the 
unit’s performance during lease expiration, renewals, and 
lettings. The EPC ratings are also included within internal 
KPIs and in the deals submitted to our SLT for approval, 
as well as the heads of terms when the commercials are 
agreed. Once agreed, the team ensures the certificate is 
adhered to during the lease through regular checks and 
has implemented the same checks for existing leases. If 
units are found to not be in line with the required EPC 
standards, we engage with retailers to help improve 
their performance, capitalising on key touch points such 
as if they choose to expand along with lease renewals. 
Additionally, when units become vacant, we improve their 
energy performance as needed through measures such as 
the installation of LED lighting. This not only brings the unit 
in line with our standards and UK regulations but helps to 
attract occupiers through the provision of efficient spaces. 

During renewals and new leases, we have begun 
adding green lease clauses where feasible to encourage 
collaboration and more sustainable practices. For example, 
our intention is for all new leases to allow the landlord to 

obtain an EPC, share tenants’ energy use on an annual 
basis, comply with C&R’s ESG policies, support energy 
efficiency improvements of landlord plant and machinery 
under the service charge, and implement enhanced 
regulation on waste management. 

With diverse occupiers, the support required from C&R 
to realise improvements can vary quite substantially. 
With 32% characterised as independent, more extensive 
engagement is often required from C&R in the form of 
education and upskilling on topics such as environmental 
regulation and cost-saving benefits as well as capital 
investments, where feasible. To support them, we 
provide fit-out guidelines that must be complied with and 
commercial and operations teams consult extensively with 
occupiers to ensure they understand the requirements 
included within the guidelines and how to implement 
them. These shop fit design criteria cover topics such as 
mechanical and electrical specifications, sprinkler systems, 
interior design, construction, and ongoing maintenance 
requirements. We are also in the process of updating these 
guidelines to include a series of sustainability initiatives, 
covering best practice retail fit-out and operation. New 
measures cover key ESG aspects, including efficient water, 
waste and energy management, the health and wellbeing 
of guests and employees, as well as accessible and 
inclusive design. 

Managing these scope 3 emissions effectively also relies on 
collecting occupiers’ energy data so we can measure and 
track progress, have meaningful conversations and identify 
areas where interventions should be made. In 2022, we 
successfully collected 69% of occupiers’ energy use data 
across the portfolio, leveraging our onsite relationships. 
However, this was extremely challenging considering the 
extensive engagement required and is an issue being faced 
across the industry. In 2023, we sought to improve this 
process, partnering with Arbnco to source the data directly 
from occupiers’ energy meters. As a result, we were able 
to source 100% of occupier energy data in 2023. Currently, 
this data is not available at the individual occupier level 
but is collated into groups of four due to data protection 
regulations. Nevertheless, this is invaluable information for 
C&R, helping us to analyse these emissions on a quarterly 
basis and undertake credible scope 3 reporting.

2023 was another successful year for Capital & Regional on our 
pathway to net zero carbon. 

With sustainability, energy efficiency and community support 
at the heart of our business, our teams have been working hard 
to continue to find ways to integrate ESG into all aspects of our 
everyday, to transform our operations. 

Across the business, we recognise that the positive steps we 
take, the plans we implement now, will make huge impacts on the 
communities that we serve for generations to come.

Sara Jennings 
Director of Operations & 
Guest Experience

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Environment

Delivering invaluable spaces with 
the NHS
Since 2021, C&R has been collaborating with 
the NHS to bring exceptional spaces to our local 
communities. For example, the Community 
Diagnostic Centre (CDC) in The Mall Wood Green, 
the first in the country to be located in a shopping 
centre, provides critical diagnostic services to the 
local neighbourhood. In 2023, the project won the 
Asset Management Initiative category at the REVO 
Awards, with a vision to shape retail to create 
meaningful places. This was due to the project 
assisting in addressing national diagnostic care 
shortages. 

A second NHS project at The Exchange, Ilford 
is nearing completion and will open in late 
Spring 2024.

Snozone will be net zero carbon 
by 2040
Snozone’s net zero pathway, informed by the GHG 
Protocol, consists of a comprehensive annual capital 
investment programme to decarbonise our portfolio with 
the aim of achieving net zero by 2040. We recognise the 
impact of our operations on the environment and are 
committed to minimising our carbon footprint. 

We report our emissions in line with the GHG Protocol, and 
in 2023 reduced our scope 1 emissions by 25% and scope 
2 emissions (location-based) by 32% compared to the 
2019 baseline. This is equivalent to a combined reduction 
of 894 tCO2e. We have also achieved a decrease in our 
scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions intensity of 31%, reflecting 
an 8.1 kgCO2e/ft2 decrease since 2019 (location-based). 
Additionally, 100% of Snozone’s electricity consumption 
is REGO certified, sourced from renewable sources and 
contains no biomass. 

76

Energy efficiency 
Snozone continued to make substantial decarbonisation 
investments in 2023, helping us to considerably surpass 
our energy reduction targets for the year. We reduced 
our electricity consumption by 11% versus the prior year 
and by 16% against 2019. Gas consumption reduced by 
15% compared to 2022 and by 25% against 2019. In 2024, 
we have targets to achieve a further 5% reduction in both 
electricity and gas use compared to 2023. 

The nature of Snozone’s business activities, which includes 
making snow and maintaining it at minus 3°C, requires 
a notable amount of energy consumption so we have 
a laser focus to operate as efficiently as possible. Our 
rolling capital investment programme over the past five 
years has been wholly geared towards decarbonisation, 
and we are currently in the second year of a four-year 
plan to improve the efficiency of our key plant output. In 
2023, this included investing £250,000 in three new blast 
cooler units at our Milton Keynes venue, which will save 
approximately 200,000 kWh of electricity a year. Not only 
are the blast coolers more energy efficient, but they also 
regulate temperature outflows to a superior standard than 
previously. This means that we generate less power now to 
maintain the required temperatures. 

We also acquired bespoke Voltage Optimisers at our 
Yorkshire and Madrid venues, which regularise power flow, 
contributing to a material consumption reduction. These 
optimisers ensure that the plant and machinery are only 
supplied with the power they need, thus eliminating over-
usage drawn from the grid. In 2024, the optimisers will be 
installed at our Milton Keynes venue. 

We further improved the insulation of our ski slopes 
throughout 2023 across all venues. With the buildings 
where Snozone venues are located now over 20 years 
old, insulation needs to be replaced on a rolling basis 
to maintain optimal efficiency. Using 3D scanners, we 
pinpoint areas where energy could be escaping and then 
renew or replace insulating materials to retain more 
cold air temperatures, ultimately reducing demand for 
the chiller motors and, therefore, energy consumption. 
All Snozone venues are now fully fitted with LED lighting 
and the Group undertook a de-lamping project in 2023 to 
remove unnecessary lighting, thus also aiding the overall 
reductions in consumption.

Scope 3 emissions 
Snozone operates two fully licensed restaurants in the 
UK - The Alpine Kitchen. Our coffee provider delivers 
their supplies in electric vehicles and their product comes 
in biodegradable packets, and our soft drinks supplier 
delivers all soft beverages in 100% recyclable glass bottles.

Through improved automation of our ordering and a 
robust planned preventative maintenance schedule, 
supply chain visitation to the venues has reduced by about 
30% compared with 2022, thus aiding a reduction in scope 
3 emissions.

Regarding employee travel, we offer team members the 
option to join our Cycle to Work programme, a salary 
sacrifice scheme that promotes commuting via bike. 

Stock code: CALBuilding certifications 
Snozone venues have EPC ratings of B in Madrid, B in 
Yorkshire, and C in Milton Keynes and these ratings 
reflect how much more efficient we are than comparable 
businesses in our sector – often ranging from a C to an F. 
In 2024, our focus will be on achieving an EPC B for our 
Milton Keynes venue. 

From 1 April 2023, EPC rating regulations tightened, 
requiring all existing leases to achieve a minimum EPC 
rating of E. At the end of 2023, 96.8% of EPCs for our 
shopping centre units are rated E or above, with 70.6% 
rated as C or above. The remaining 3.2% accounts for retail 
shell units that are not currently in scope for a rating. In 
2023, we established an EPC Management dashboard 
using Power BI, which allows us to monitor EPC regulations 
and capex requirements to establish required actions, 
improve ratings through fit-out design, and implement 
an active management plan per centre. Our focus in 2024 
will be to monitor the EPC Management Plan per centre 
and compare the portfolio results with sector and national 
averages for comparable buildings.  

At the centre level, as a result of our energy efficiency 
efforts in 2023, we improved our EPC ratings for The 
Mall Maidstone and The Mall Wood Green. Together 
with 17&Central, Walthamstow, these three centres 
have EPC B ratings. Only two centres – The Exchange, 
Ilford and The Marlowes, Hemel – have EPC D ratings. 
Beyond EPCs, we are also looking to industry-leading 
sustainability certifications such as BREEAM, recognising 
their value in providing assurance to stakeholders of 
the centres’ environmental credentials whilst identifying 
recommendations to inform our net zero carbon pathway. 
In 2023, we began assessing our assets against BREEAM, 
prioritising our largest shopping centre, The Mall Wood 
Green, and achieving BREEAM Very Good. Assessments of 
our remaining five owned shopping centres are underway 
and will be completed in 2024, along with the development 
of a long-term roadmap to implement resulting 
recommendations.

Our People
I started as a receptionist at our venue in 2003 and shortly became head 
of reception, a post I’ve held ever since, and I love working here. Solar 
panels have had a tremendous impact on electricity costs, which have 
been significantly reduced by around 40% since the installation was 
completed, enabling us to re-invest in other utility-saving initiatives. 

What I like the most about Snozone is the commitment of the company 
and colleagues. There is always a positive atmosphere and a desire to 
make the company better. Adapting to changes that C&R introduced 
when they acquired us has been easy because of the way we were 
communicated with, and this has continued, making us feel super valued.

Pilar Cruceta 
Head of Reception at 
Snozone Madrid

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Environment
Renewable procurement and onsite generation
Shopping centres’ landlord electricity is 100% renewable 
and REGO certified. However, the transition to renewable 
gas has proved slower and more challenging, particularly 
considering our Food & Beverage (F&B) occupiers and their 
higher reliance on gas sources. 

Snozone’s electricity is 100% renewable and 100% 
traceable, sourced from the Hornsea North Sea wind farm 
for our UK venues, about 90 miles from our Yorkshire 
venue. In Madrid, 68% of power is sourced from a mixture 
of solar, wind and nuclear energy, with the remaining 32% 
supplied by 1,600 of our own solar panels. 

For both asset types, we continue to investigate 
opportunities to increase onsite renewable energy. For 
our shopping centres, we are working through a feasibility 
study on implementing solar PV at select assets. 

Nature and offsetting
C&R wants to contribute to a nature-positive future by 
helping to restore ecosystems and supporting biodiversity 
to flourish. At the same time, even when undertaking the 
maximum efforts to reduce emissions, we expect there 
will be a proportion of unavoidable emissions for which 
carbon offsets may need to be used. 

One of the ways we do this is by helping to mitigate the 
alarming rates of global deforestation. In 2021, Snozone 
partnered with Tree-Nation, a credible worldwide tree-
planting scheme, which creates biodiversity in areas 
of the world where it’s needed. Since the partnership 
began, we have planted 23,681 trees in Africa, reforesting 
24 hectares. This also helps Snozone offset its carbon 
emissions, with 2,282 tCO2 offset to date. In 2023, we 
outperformed our target to plant 9,000 trees, planting over 
12,500, and by the end of 2024, we have a goal to reach 
32,000 since the partnership began. 

In practice, one tree is planted for every 38,000 visits to our 
website, thus rendering our website 100% carbon neutral. 
We also plant two trees for every guest who joins our 
Snozone membership scheme and for every second lesson 
that is booked on our learning to ski or snowboard lesson 
pathway, which is a key part of our offering.

Ilford InGreen action day
The team from The Exchange, Ilford joined 
community partners at the Ilford InGreen action 
day to help clear up key areas of the town centre. 
This included litter picking around the High Road 
and giving the garden at VHP Hindu Centre of Ilford 
and Vine Court Church a makeover with some new 
plant beds. The group collected over 15 bags of 
rubbish, pulled dozens of weeds, planted over 20 
new plants and had a combined step count of over 
125,000 steps. 

One of the ways our shopping centres foster biodiversity 
is through the introduction of beehives. We previously 
introduced these at The Mall Luton on the rooftop and in 
2023, we installed two bee hotels in the garden next to the 
bus lane at The Mall Maidstone, which are also present at 

78

The Mall Wood Green and Gyle. These will help structure 
the nests of solitary bees, mimicking the national cavities 
that bees would use, such as holes in wood or hollow 
planet steps. 

Water
For shopping centres, water consumption increased by 
14% in 2023 compared to 2022 and 3% against the 2019 
baseline. The increase is due to the major works that took 
place, including the introduction of the Crate Food Hall and 
residential works in 17& Central, Walthamstow, the NHS 
CDC in The Mall Wood Green, and the NHS Health Centre 
in The Exchange, Ilford. We also experienced significant 
water loss in The Exchange, Ilford due to a contractor 
incident onsite. In the latter part of 2023, we installed 
smart water meters to receive more accurate and real-time 
data that can focus our interventions, and we have set a 
target to reduce water consumption by 10% compared 
to 2023. 

Snozone’s water-consuming activities largely consist of 
creating snow as well as our kitchens and bathrooms. 
Through an improvement to ways of working, Snozone 
reduced its water consumption by 13% versus 2022 and 
by 18% compared to the 2019 baseline year. This is due 
to effective snow management, which reduces the need 
for more water to be used. Building on this, we have set a 
target in 2024 to achieve a further 10% reduction in water 
use compared to 2023. 

Waste
Across the shopping centre portfolio, zero waste goes to 
landfill with 33% of waste recycled and 67% recovered in 
2023. Nevertheless, together with our partner Don’t Waste 
we continue to integrate ways to scale up and enhance 
our circular economy practices at the shopping centre 
level. In 2023, this included introducing two new recycling 
streams for wood and scrap metal. We also conducted two 
retailer engagement sessions aimed at enhancing waste 
management practices within the centre. These sessions 
were designed to educate retailers on the importance of 
waste segregation and recycling, with a specific focus on 
coffee bean waste recycling. 

Other centre initiatives included a Love Not Landfill 
campaign ran by 17&Central Walthamstow with ReLondon, 
installing a clothes recycling bank in the shopping centre. 
This was to encourage our guests to give their pre-loved 
clothes and textiles a second chance and reduce the 
amount of clothing taken to landfill. At The Exchange, Ilford, 
we ran a summer campaign consisting of fun activities, 
events, crafts, entertainment and competitions, all based 
around the theme of helping to save our planet. Activities 
included a life-size inflatable whale theatre performance 
focused on plastic pollution in the ocean, a Bjorn the 
Bear performance focused on climate change, a recycling 
demonstration workshop, a smoothie bike challenge, and a 
vintage fashion pop-up market. 

According to Don’t Waste, which meticulously tracks 
and records all site waste data per grade, category and 
treatment method, our waste practices in 2023 saved over 
2.3 million m³CO2, almost 4.5 million kWh of energy, 8,639 
trees, and over 13.2 million litres of water. 

Stock code: CALSnozone venues eliminated all single-use plastics from 
our restaurants in 2021 and this now extends to clothing 
and merchandise in our onsite gift and equipment shops, 
achieved through our long-standing relationships with 
suppliers. As a tenant, waste management falls under 
the responsibility of Snozone’s landlords and is therefore 
outside of our direct control. Nevertheless, Snozone 
implements effective waste segregation practices, with 
defined bins for general, food, plastic, and paper. Snozone 
also has ESG Officers at each venue who help with waste 
reduction initiatives such as encouraging the use of 
recycling bins and reducing printer paper. The Food & 
Beverage managers in our Alpine Kitchen restaurants 
also pay close attention to ordering products through 
an integrated stock and order system, as well as portion 
control through adherence to menu specifications to reduce 
food waste. 

Climate risk
Human-induced climate change is causing shifts in 
weather patterns across the world and is projected to 
intensify in the coming years. We are already experiencing 
the impact of these events first-hand, leading to disruption 
in our shopping centres. As we play a crucial role in our 
local communities, climate-related centre disruptions can 
limit the public’s access to vital products and services and 
can have adverse effects on the health and wellbeing of 
our guests and staff. We are working to ensure we have 
the policies and procedures in place to address climate-
related risks and mitigate their negative consequences.

Partnering with experts, we have critically analysed 
our governance of climate-related considerations and 
assessed our climate-related risks and opportunities via 
a quantitative modelling assessment featuring multiple 
climate scenarios and time horizons. This enabled us to 
develop a comprehensive understanding of our exposure 
to climate-related physical and transition risks that could 
present material financial impacts on our business. 

In 2023, we strengthened our Group’s climate resilience and 
alignment with the BBP Climate Commitment by developing 
our Climate Adaptation Plan. This comprehensive plan 
serves as a toolkit and management framework for 
navigating a world increasingly affected by climate-
related impacts. To ensure effective execution, senior 
members of our team have been assigned formal oversight 
responsibilities for the distinct elements of the plan. 

Our evolving climate resilience strategy is actively shaping 
our management approach to climate-related risks. 
Furthermore, it is helping identify beneficial opportunities, 
such as reducing operational costs and capital expenditure 
whilst increasing revenues and asset values. For example, 
we implemented Voltage Optimiser equipment at our 
Snozone venues to weatherproof the assets and regulate 
their power supply. By embedding climate-related risks 
and an adaptative strategy into our overall strategic 
approach, we have positioned ourselves to make informed 
decisions regarding financial planning and investment 
choices throughout the lifecycles of our existing and 
targeted assets. This enables us to proactively manage and 
mitigate risks associated with climate change, ensuring 
the long-term resilience and sustainability of our portfolio. 
To learn more about our climate risk management, see 
pages 108–119 for our third response to the Task Force on 
Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD).

Catriona Baillie 
Marketing Manager,  

The Mall Wood Green

Our People
Catriona joined Capital & Regional in 2021 as 
Marketing Manager at The Mall Wood Green. 
Previously, Catriona enjoyed a successful 
career with JLL and intu Properties, working on 
local and national shopping centre marketing 
campaigns as well as corporate responsibility 
initiatives, which is how she developed her 
strong interest in ESG. 

Catriona’s role in Wood Green focuses on delivering 
the centre’s Community Wheel of Support strategy: 
liaising with stakeholders to improve the local area, 
working with charities on events, and developing 
campaigns to support local arts, culture, diversity, 
accessibility, and sustainability. The centre’s 
partnership with North London Samaritans has 
been a key success.

Catriona leads the group marketing meetings, 
supporting the centre marketing managers to work 
collaboratively and share best practice to deliver 
results. As a member of the ESG subcommittee, 
Catriona is passionate about communicating the 
centres’ wide-ranging impact and achievements 
and has spearheaded several successful award 
bids including Revos, Sceptres and a prestigious 
Health Service Journal Award for the Wood Green 
Community Diagnostic Centre.

Catriona enjoys the broad nature of the role, with 
a typical week encompassing everything from 
supporting a retailer with a new store opening, 
creating content for the centre’s digital channels, 
devising a new guest experience and volunteering 
with a local charity. The Mall Wood Green offers 
Catriona an opportunity to diversify her marketing 
skills as the centre is home to a range of F&B, 
leisure, and services alongside traditional retail. 

79

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People
At the core of our business lies the strength of our 
team. We are promoting a culture of empowerment 
that enables our colleagues to thrive in their careers 
and reach their full potential.

The success of our business relies on the staff that carry 
out our day-to-day operations, so we make it our mission 
to offer a workplace that provides support, thrives on 
diversity and inclusivity, and has open communication 
between our SLT and the rest of the business. Through our 
various staff surveys, we encourage employee feedback so 
we can respond swiftly and effectively to their needs and 
concerns, whether it’s regarding our physical workplace, 
benefits, or training and education programmes. 

A new purpose for 2023 
This year, we partnered with venturethree, an independent 
brand consultant, to elevate C&R’s culture and launch 
four new principles that encapsulate our ethos, set a 
clear direction for the company and act as a compass 
for decision-making and behaviour. Our employees’ 
participation was integral, as their insight and feedback 
fed into our final outputs. The four principles seek to build 
on C&R’s unique identity, further cementing our intentions 
through clear communication to ensure everyone is 
working towards the same goals. They also serve as a 
powerful tool for recruiting and retaining talent, as when 
employees understand and align with a company’s culture 
this can reap dividends for their satisfaction, productivity, 
and C&R’s success. 

We are contributing to the following SDGs:

• Four new cultural principles launched

• 91% of respondents to our D&I survey strongly 

• 7.7/10 average score achieved for shopping centres’

employee engagement pulse survey

• 86% satisfaction rate amongst Snozone employees

• 74% retention rate of core Snozone staff vs. a 47%

national leisure sector average

• 0% gender managerial gap across C&R

believe we cultivate a workplace environment that 
is inclusive and welcoming to individuals of all 
backgrounds

• 79% of Snozone employees gained an accreditation

or certification

• 10-point increase achieved on the Work

Health Index

80

Stock code: CALEmployee engagement 
At C&R, employee engagement is used to monitor the 
success of our programmes and sentiment regarding 
our culture, from career development and training 
opportunities to management and our processes. It also 
provides mechanisms for which staff can share their 
feedback with us so we can take action to evolve in line 
with their expectations. We firmly believe that engaging 
our teams means engaging our guests and retailers to 
provide an outstanding experience. 

Since the creation of our Employee Voice Committee 
and our online tool that allows employees to submit 
anonymous feedback anytime, day or night, it has become 
a trusted platform where staff feel comfortable to openly 
share their opinions and feed into our business decisions. 
One new initiative conducted in 2023, was our Tree of 
Positivity in C&R’s support office and shopping centres. We 
displayed Christmas tree gift tags with a QR code, giving 
employees the opportunity to share how their colleagues 
were positively impacting them, and 27 individuals were 
celebrated through this initiative. This speaks to our 
culture and goes a long way towards helping our people 
feel valued for their thoughtful actions. 

Our annual pulse engagement survey for shopping centres 
and the support office, independently completed with the 
Happiness Index, received an 95% response rate and an 
average 7.7 score out of 10, which is above the industry 
average of 7. We have used the results to develop an 
action plan with our Diversity and Inclusion and Employee 
Voice Committees to address how we can improve the 
delivery of our initiatives, support our community strategy, 
and innovate our communication systems. We are pleased 
with this result and are aiming to maintain our 95% 
response rate in 2024. 

Snozone employees’ satisfaction within the workplace is 
assessed through a bi-annual survey, which measures ‘top 
box satisfaction’ (i.e. those team members who are ‘very 
satisfied or ‘extremely satisfied’ in their place of work). In 
2023, the aggregated score was 86%. Engagement and 
satisfaction are also reflected through our impressive 
overall retention rate of 74% (excluding seasonal workers) 
against a national leisure sector average of 47%, according 
to the UK Office for National Statistics. Further to this, 25% 
of our team members have over five years of continued 
service. 

‘Bring the World In’ by embracing 
different cultures and perspectives, 
which in turn, enables C&R to 
consider new, rich ideas. 

‘Make it Count’ by placing a 
priority on impact, pushing 
ourselves to higher standards and 
taking ownership of our actions.

‘Uplift the Everyday’ by 
celebrating each other’s 
victories and understanding and 
responding to the needs of others.

‘Win as One’ by giving people the 
space to grow, learning from each 
other’s strengths, and sharing 
honesty to earn trust. 

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People

C&R’s office relocation
Acting on employee feedback from our 
2022 staff survey, in 2023, we relocated 
our support office to the Strand in London, 
providing a new vibrant and collaborative 
workspace. The new location is in a lively 
area with excellent amenities and transport 
links, making it easy for staff to access 
everything London has to offer. ESG was a 
key consideration when selecting the new 
office, where the location, energy efficiency 
of the space and waste management 
were top priorities. We are also continuing 
to work with the landlord to achieve further ESG 
improvements, such as the implementation of food 
waste segregation, in line with C&R’s standards. 
From a wellness perspective, we have included extra 

standing desks and employees have access to green 
space via an outdoor balcony. To bring the rich culture 
of C&R’s local communities into our new space, we 
also commissioned a local artist to create murals in 
our meeting rooms to brighten and inspire.

Diversity and inclusion 
Effectively serving C&R’s communities requires diverse 
voices, skills, and perspectives so our business can grow, 
innovate and evolve in line with the needs of our guests 
and retailers. This means fostering an environment where 
all individuals feel valued and can contribute to their full 
potential, free of harassment and discrimination. 

Our Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Committee, responsible 
for building a diverse and inclusive workforce, ran several 
events in 2023 to further develop our thinking on diversity, 
equity, and inclusion. For example, “Get Comfortable with 
the Uncomfortable” video series featured employees and 
guest speakers who courageously shared their personal 
experiences and insights on sensitive topics such as race 
and sexuality. Other events included attending Pride’s Got 
Talent at the Adelphi Theatre, which celebrated LGBT+ 
artists. We also published several educational pieces 
around Black History Month, Developmental Language 
Disorder Day, Stroke Awareness, Race Equality Week, 

Mental Health Awareness, and more to bring attention to 
these topics.

In 2023, Snozone maintained our status as a Disability 
Confident Employer for the fourth consecutive year, with 
9% of our workforce represented by team members with 
a registered disability or mental impairment. With this in 
mind, we were approached in February 2023 by the Shaw 
Trust, an equal opportunity charity, to provide a four-week 
placement to a teenager with cerebral palsy, and we hope 
to offer more opportunities like this in the future. 

To further track our progress, we conduct an annual 
D&I survey with our support office and shopping centre 
teams. In 2023, we received a positive response from 
staff, with the majority of the responses stating that 
C&R is a diverse and inclusive company. Proudly, 91% of 
respondents strongly believe we cultivate a workplace 
environment that is inclusive and welcoming to individuals 
of all backgrounds, regardless of age, race, religion, sexual 
orientation, or disability. We use the feedback from this 

To monitor and track our progress, we set annual 
KPIs focused on gender, pay and ethnicity. In 2023:

•  0% gender managerial gap across C&R

•  25.8% mean Gender Pay Gap Across Mall People 

and CRPM

•  2.8% mean gender pay gap for Snozone

•  18% ethnic representation in Snozone’s 

workforce

82

Stock code: CALsurvey to inspire ideas for future initiatives and identify 
ways we can improve and maintain our D&I efforts.

Career development and training 
We place significant emphasis on providing our people 
with the tools they need to succeed, adapt to today’s 
evolving trends and challenges, and achieve their career 
ambitions. We do this by offering a multitude of training 
and career development programmes. 

Performance appraisals are completed at the beginning 
of each year to review employees’ performance over the 
previous year and agree on objectives for the year ahead, 
with 86% of employee performance reviews completed 
in 2023. As well as a formal mid-year review, monthly 
conversations are scheduled between line managers 
and their direct reports to regularly discuss progress 
against employees’ personal development plans, where 
employees agree on the development and training support 
that they require. This includes accredited training as well 
as leadership mentoring, coaching, and courses, where 
supportive. 

In 2023, we offered a comprehensive Line Management 
training course for 10 employees, incorporating both 
coaching and mentoring support alongside formal 
modular learning. The training covered four key 
modules including how to deliver performance through 
people, motivating teams effectively, accountability and 
difficult conversations, and the line manager as a coach. 
Reinforced by learning circles to embed education, 
coaching, and Senior Leadership Team mentorship, the 
programme advanced the participants’ management 
capabilities and received positive feedback. 

Across our centres and the support office, 1,872 hours 
of training and development were completed in 2023. 
This includes mandatory IT training, with 61% of staff 
completing all 11 sessions. The sessions covered topics 
such as phishing, security, personal data handling, privacy, 
and the UK Whistleblower Act. We also launched a new 

in-house training programme based on staff feedback. 
We developed two sessions that leveraged the expertise 
in our business to provide training on frequently used 
software programmes, including Voyager, our property 
and accounting platform, and Excel. 

Building on the ESG training delivered to our shopping 
centre teams and support office in 2022, we will be 
implementing bespoke ESG training programmes across 
the entire workforce in 2024. Delivering the objectives 
of C&R’s ESG Strategy requires creating awareness 
amongst staff of the individual role they can play as well as 
equipping them with the skills to implement the strategy 
effectively. 

Snozone’s training programme is geared towards the dual 
importance of developing our team members in skills that 
will add value to them and their future - with accredited 
and certified training - and in disciplines that will add 
value to the business. We measure the success of our 
efforts via our Knowledge Achieved through Training (KAT) 
KPI, with 79% of our workforce gaining an accreditation 
or certification in 2023. These subject matters range 
from BASI Adaptive coaching qualifications and barista 
training to mental health awareness training and first aid 
and sales training. In addition, the management team 
at the venues undertake a structured ‘Coaching for High 
performance’ workshop each year. All employees have 
bi-annual appraisals, where targets and objectives are also 
set for the forthcoming year. This provides an opportunity 
for employees to have meaningful conversations about 
their development and future within Snozone. As a result, 
we have supported our team members into more senior 
roles. Currently, 18% of our management team has come 
through our internal pathway. In addition, each year, team 
members are inducted into the Snozone Hall of Fame. 
Employees usually qualify for a nomination after a five-
year period of consecutive service and must visibly uphold 
our values.

Our People
Humphrey joined the business as a General Manager in May 2019, 
following a successful 20-year career holding various roles within the 
retail fashion industry. 

Humphrey thrives on delivering results through people, by engaging and 
supporting his team to ensure guest and customer experience is always at the 
heart of the everyday. Through his wealth of retail experience and industry 
knowledge, he works closely with our retail customers, Dacorum local council 
and wider community stakeholders. 

In supporting the wider Hemel Hempstead retail community, Humphrey chairs 
the Hemel Business Improvement District Board focusing on driving footfall and 
ensuring a clean and safe environment and is the Director of The Hemel Garden 
Community Board at Dacorum Borough Council, supporting regeneration, town 
planning and community initiatives for the wider success of the town. 

Humphrey is a member of the Employee Voice and Diversity and Inclusion 
Committee ensuring employees feel valued and experience psychological safety 
regardless of our differences. 

Humphrey Mwanza
General Manager 
The Marlowes,  

Hemel Hempstead

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People

Recognising employees going the extra mile

In our shopping centres, we have an ongoing programme that recognises our 
team members for their hard work and going the extra mile (GEM) attitude. 
The GEM staff awards look to recognise those team members who have shown 
tremendous acts of kindness and overall work effort. 

Since the start of the initiative in 2018, we are proud to have a growing number of rare GEMs in our teams throughout the 
centres, having recognised our staff 695 times. Their consistent hard work makes all the difference to our guests, other 
team members and our business. For example, 50% of staff completed the WorldHost customer service training, and as 
a result allows us to maintain our status as a WorldHost Recognised Business. In addition to our GEM awards, we hosted 
our National Sparkle Awards in November, where we honoured the following team members for having truly gone above 
and beyond the call of duty: 

Alina Barbu 
from The 
Exchange, Ilford

Akua Asantewa
from 17&Central, 
Walthamstow

Johnson Asamoah 
from The Mall, 
Wood Green

Rachel Killick 
from The Mall, 
Maidstone

Zeny O’Hara
from The Marlowes,  
Hemel Hempstead

As part of the Sparkle programme, we are proud to have recognised 75 staff members for their inspiring efforts in 2023. 
The overall winner of the Sparkle Awards 2023 was Johnson Asamoah from The Mall Wood Green. 

Having delivered customer service training to around 100 colleagues 
within Capital & Regional, I have been incredibly impressed by 
the organisational-wide focus on meeting and exceeding guests' 
needs and expectations. I’ve worked with many businesses and can 
honestly say that the GEM programme offers a fantastic means to 
recognise and reward colleagues who go that extra mile to delight 
their guests. The Sparkle Awards in November provided a platform to 
formally recognise these achievements and underline the consistent 
commitment shown across the organisation at all levels to offer 
excellent customer service to every visitor.”

Phil Raynsford, WorldHost, Senior Trainer

84

Stock code: CALHealth, safety and wellbeing

We have robust health and safety policies and procedures 
in place, which set standards across the business whilst 
safeguarding our employees, visitors and retailers. 
These policies undergo regular reviews to ensure their 
effectiveness and relevance. In the event of an incident, 
we take appropriate actions to address the situation and 
implement measures to prevent its recurrence in the 
future. 

As well as setting annual KPIs, we also take part in the 
Work Health Index, which evaluates our policies, provisions 
and practices regarding employees’ health and productivity 
across four areas (Work, Live, Move, and Thrive). We 
experienced an impressive 10-point increase compared 
to 2022, and the benchmark also enables us to compare 
our performance with other organisations. We scored 
76 against an average score of 52 across all businesses. 
In all four areas, we scored above the sector average, 
reflecting our proactive approach to anticipating potential 
health challenges within our workforce. Our higher 
score in 2023 was due to improvements in several areas 
including maternity pay, increasing our employer pension 
contributions above statutory requirements, introducing 
a Cycle to Work scheme, provisions of mental health first 
aiders, facilitating regular Employee Voice forum meetings, 
and benefits provided by the office relocation. 

This year, we updated our shopping centres’ health and 
safety policy, redefined roles and responsibilities, and 
evolved our procedures to ensure we are incorporating 
comprehensive approaches to health and safety 
management. As part of this, we introduced a tailored 
training programme that specifically addresses the 
changes made to the policy and encompasses various 
topics such as fire safety awareness, slips, trips and falls 
prevention, and manual handling. In 2023, 100% of our 
workforce completed the training. 

We strengthened and expanded our long-standing 
relationship with the Retail Trust, a charitable organisation 
that helps care for and protect people who work in retail. 
Staff can register for the programme for free and unlock 
wellness support such as physical wellbeing advice, 
mental health assistance, career development guidance, 
and online therapy. It also includes financial advice, retail 
discounts and rewards schemes, which assist staff through 
the cost-of-living crisis. To support physical wellness, we 
offer a Cycle to Work scheme to all C&R employees.

Wellbeing calendar
To prioritise wellness, our Employee Voice 
Committee developed a wellness calendar filled 
with tips and challenges to promote physical and 
mental wellness amongst our teams throughout 
the year. Challenges included drinking two litres 
of water, stretching, and practicing mindfulness 
techniques. 

Supporting employees’ financial wellbeing
As well as paying 6% above the 2023 minimum 
wage for all non-managerial employees, Snozone 
was an early adopter of Wagestream, a financial 
wellbeing platform, widely used in the retail, leisure, 
and hospitality industries. The platform enables our 
team to manage their earned income throughout 
the month linked to registered hours worked, 
instead of having to wait until pay day to access 
their wages. The initiative allows hourly workers to 
manage their monthly expenses and take out up to 
50% and no more than £1,000 of their pay before 
payday. This helps to lessen reliance on credit 
cards and the resulting interest rates that could 
be incurred, with the app also providing savings 
accounts. Snozone has received overwhelmingly 
positive feedback, with 60% of its staff using 
this tool. 

In each of our shopping centres, we also launched a new 
health and safety awareness campaign. As part of this, 
teams have been proactively monitoring weather forecasts 
for high winds and storms so we can mitigate potential 
risks and protect guests and team members from adverse 
conditions. Alongside this, as a precautionary measure, 
all our centres conducted visual assessments of external 
signage, considering patterns of high winds experienced in 
previous years. Furthermore, in 2023, all our centres were 
awarded gold in the UK Department of Developmental 
Services (DDS) audits, which demonstrates our strong 
commitment to health and safety for our team and 
guests, in addition to our new health and safety policy and 
training.

Given the nature of our business where velocity and 
gradient meet, skiing and snowboarding are sports that 
can also lend themselves to a degree of risk. This is at the 
forefront of Snozone’s approach both with how the sports 
are taught and how the snow parks are shaped. Checks 
are rigorous and are performed four times a day across all 
venues.

Snozone carry out two independent and random audits 
each year conducted by health and safety provider, 
Citation. Testament to our approach, our venues achieved 
exceptional scores, with 98% for our UK venues and 97.5% 
for Madrid, with zero critical points. These results reflect 
our steadfast dedication to maintaining a safe working 
environment for our team members and guests. In 
addition, all ski and snowboard coaches must be first aid 
qualified before they are permitted to coach guests.

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Community
Enhancing our role in the community is part of our 
DNA, to create tailored inclusive spaces where the 
community can meet and experience as well as access 
the services they need.

To have a positive impact within the communities where 
we operate and increase footfall to our assets, we focus 
on cohesion, cultural appreciation, inclusivity, youth 
education, environmental awareness, supporting local 
charities and economic inclusion. Our success relies on 
understanding the unique needs of each catchment area, 
as well as trusted partnerships with local organisations 
who help us to deliver on and scale up our ambitions. To 
track our progress, both shopping centres and Snozone 
track KPIs and set annual targets, with progress overseen 
by the Community Committee. 

Community Wheel of Support 
Community impact made by our shopping centre assets is 
guided by a Community Wheel of Support initiative, which 
actively assists locally-led projects through six potential 
areas. To encourage action from our centre teams, we set 
nine KPIs, each with a defined target level for 2023, which 

are then cascaded down to the centre level. Each centre is 
responsible for defining the needs of its stakeholders and 
the local organisations they should engage with in relation 
to the six areas of impact. At the start of the year, each 
centre defines the specific actions they pledge to achieve 
and the desired impact. 

In 2023, we exceeded all but one KPI regarding 
volunteering hours. Some key highlights include 
supporting over 150 community groups, hosting 112 
community events, providing almost £151,000 in 
community investment through sponsorships and 
donations, and fundraising over £46,000 through C&R 
Cares. Most impressively, we significantly exceeded our 
support for community services, including ShopMobility, 
Electric Umbrella, The Marlowes’ Dementia Hub and the 
Record Shop, which totalled almost £180,000. Examples 
of projects for each of the six groups are included in the 
graphic below. 

Local 
authority

Educational 
establishments

Local 
culture and  
celebrations

Supporting 
community 
living

Nominating 
a charity of 
the year

Community 
voluntary  
groups

Community 
sustainability 
groups

The Exchange, Ilford 
worked alongside 
Barkingside Arts with 
neurodiverse artists to 
create inclusive activities 
for neurodiverse 
children. 

The Mall Wood Green 
partnered with North 
London Samaritans as 
its charity of the year, 
raising £4,000 through 
events such as Mental 
Health Awareness week.

17&Central introduced 
circular economy 
initiatives including a 
book swap zone and a 
new donation station. 

The Marlowes 
worked alongside the 
local Hemel Business 
Improvement District 
by attending 12 
meetings to help 
improve overall town 
centre footfall and 
make it a safer place 
for the community.

The Mall Wood 
Green hosted 
RecFest, a free 
musical festival, with 
60+ local, emerging 
artists showcasing 
their music.

Over 465 
volunteering 
hours were spent 
supporting the 
community across all 
shopping centres. 

86

Stock code: CALWe are contributing to the following SDGs:

•  £46,195 raised through C&R Cares

•  Over 250 free ski and snowboard lessons offered to 

•  £179,798 donated to supporting community 

women and girls by Snozone

services. 

•  293 different charities and community groups 

supported

•  465 hours of volunteering

•  2,056 disability snow school adaptive lessons 

provided by Snozone 

•  £2,000 raised for Snozone’s charity partner, SENSE

•  +700 schools participated in Snozone’s education 

programme to date

Working with The Good Economy 
Partnership on impact management
We worked with The Good Economy Partnership in 2023 to 
conduct a social impact assessment across our shopping 
centre portfolio to measure and quantify the positive and 
negative impact we have on people and the planet. The 
assessment informed C&R's social impact goal, which is 
to maximise the potential of retail and leisure assets by 
creating locations where people want to be, businesses 
thrive, and local communities flourish.

Starting in 2024, we will implement a three-year framework 
to achieve this goal, driven by five objectives: 

•  Curate thriving destinations that meet local needs

•  Form quality partnerships to maximise impact

•  Act as a responsible and inclusive landlord and business

•  Provide meaningful community and charity support

•  Make a positive contribution to the natural capital and 

low carbon agendas. 

Each objective has a set of metrics to be achieved at the 
centre, portfolio and/or corporate level so we can prove 
and improve our level of impact creation.

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Capital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Strategic Report2023  
Community  
contributions

£331,000

raised in 2023

293

charities and community 
groups supported

Education

Inclusivity  
& accessibility

Community 
events

700

affiliated schools 
across Snozone 
venues

900

school uniforms 
donated for children 
in need

382

books donated 
to The Children’s 
Book Project for 
disadvantaged 
children

2,000 

adaptive ski lessons 
offered across 
Snozone locations

250

free ski lessons for 
women and girls 

14,000

people have 
accessed essential 
services through 
Wood Green CDC

112 

community events 
hosted throughout 
our shopping centres

60+

local artists 
showcased at The 
Mall Wood Green

3

community projects 
shortlisted for REVO 
awards

Fundraising & donations

£180,000 

in support for community 
services

£30,000 

in donations from our 
Christmas Grottos 

£150,945  

in community investments 
through sponsorships and 
donations

£4,000   

raised for mental health 
services during Mental 
Health Awareness Week

£46,195   

raised through C&R cares

£2,000   

raised for Snozone’s 
charity partner SENSE 

88

C O M M U N I T I E S

Stock code: CALCapital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023

89

Strategic ReportESG Report continued

Community

Step Now partnership
Since 2021, we have partnered with Step Now, an organisation that 
seeks to provide opportunities for disadvantaged young people. So 
far, we have hosted eight students, welcoming them to our support 
offices to meet with our teams to learn about each department’s 
responsibilities. They have the chance to job shadow to understand 
specific roles across the business and attend a site visit to one of our 
centres, which includes a tour to provide firsthand experience of day-
to-day operations. They have also visited Snozone where they took part 
in an interactive session with the directors to understand how Snozone 
operates as a commercial business, to assist them with their business 
knowledge and support their NVQ learning. 

Charitable fundraising and 
volunteering
Through the collective efforts of our shopping centres 
in 2023, we supported 140 charities and 153 community 
groups, providing £150,945 in community investment 
and 465 hours of volunteering. Not only do our charitable 
events and giving activities increase footfall at our assets, 
but they also help shape each centre’s identity in the 
community, providing a place for people to connect 
with each other through supporting important causes. 
Examples of the many events and initiatives that took 
place throughout 2023 are detailed below: 

Donation hubs 
• 

In collaboration with the Ilford Business Improvement 
District and local charities, The Exchange became a hub 
for the town’s first pre-loved school uniform sale. The 
drive received over 800 donations and over 250 people 
attended the sale, resulting in over £400 raised for local 
charity, Saint Francis Hospice.

•  Our team at The Mall, Maidstone transformed an 

existing food bank donation point into a school uniform 
bank, receiving over 100 donations, which were then 
distributed to the community through a local charity, 
Making a Difference in Maidstone.

•  17&Central launched a donation station, designed by 
local artist Sean Rodrigo, who created a depiction of 
the Walthamstow Town Hall using over 100 individual 
3D custom-designed parts. The station serves as an 
engaging place for guests to donate items such as food, 
clothes, gifts, and toys to those in need. 

Children in need
•  17 & Central, The Mall, Wood Green and The Mall, 

Maidstone joined forces with the charity, The Children’s 
Book Project, to help collect books for disadvantaged 
children. Collection points were placed in each centre 
to encourage shoppers to support, with 382 books 
donated to the charity as a result.

•  At The Mall, Wood Green, the Little Flame Cadets and 
the London Ambulance Service came together to raise 
money for Children in Need. Captured by the BBC, 
guests had the opportunity to meet Pudsey Bear and 
his friend, Blush, with an impressive £1,675 raised. The 
significance of this fundraising effort goes beyond the 
financial contribution, as the cadets - despite living with 
various disabilities - gained valuable work experience 
through their volunteering on the day

90

Stock code: CALCommunity cohesion
•  The Marlowes, Hemel started Our Dementia Hub in 
partnership with the Alzheimer’s Society on the first 
Wednesday of every month, providing a safe space for 
people to receive support, engage in conversations, and 
receive guidance on safeguarding issues. 

•  The Mall, Wood Green held a Brew Monday event with 
the North London Samaritans on the third Monday of 
January 2023, which is often regarded as ‘Blue Monday’ 
and known as the most challenging day of the year. 
The event aimed to spread positivity by providing a 
welcoming space for members of the community to 
come together over a ‘brew’ and have conversations. 
Our team of volunteers spent two hours connecting 
with guests, directing 20 people to essential support 
services.

In line with our emphasis on inclusion, Snozone continued 
our partnership with Sense, the charity for deafblind 
children and adults, with whom we have partnered since 
2014. Through a calendar of events at the venues, we 
continue to bring much-needed awareness to the charity. 
In 2023, we introduced a ‘donation station’ at our Yorkshire 
venue, which allows team members and guests to donate 
clothing, books and other items. 

Celebrating diverse cultures
With our assets located in areas of the UK with high levels 
of diversity, we proudly serve individuals from a multitude 
of cultures and backgrounds. Every year, we look to cater to 
a variety of cultural events to promote a safe space for our 
local patrons and embed the centres into community life. 

In April 2023, 17&Central hosted its first-ever Community 
Iftar, working with local charity partner PL84U AL-SUFFA 

In local MP Stella Creasy’s words,
“Truly Walthamstow means  
welcome and tonight showed how!”

and Waltham Forest Council. The free event sought to 
bring people of all faiths together as a celebration of 
diversity, building a sense of community and togetherness. 
To host the event, the shopping centre reopened after 
trading hours on a Sunday. While charity partners 
decorated the centre, staff volunteers ensured the smooth 
operation of the event and guest health and safety.

The central space was utilised to create a welcoming 
atmosphere for 250 guests, who were offered water and 
dates on arrival. We had local Imams lead a congregational 
prayer, Nasheed performances (devotional acapella 
poetry) and a delicious vegetarian meal sponsored by local 
partners and the Council. 

The event was also graced by several dignitaries, including 
Dr Debbie Weekes-Bernard, London’s Deputy Mayor for 
Communities and Social Justice, who tweeted shortly 
afterwards, “Was wonderful to attend the Community 
Iftar tonight at the 17&Central shopping centre in 
Walthamstow. Huge thanks to the amazing Saira & team @
PL84U_Al_Suffa & to @wfcouncil & @17andCentral for the 
opportunity to connect & reflect with my local community.” 

Testament to its success, the centre, event, and its 
partners were shortlisted in the Community Initiative 
category for the REVO Awards.

Gifting at the Grottos
The festive season continues to be a difficult time of 
year for many families across the UK. In 2023, our 
centres went above and beyond to raise money, and 
support the community while giving our guests a 
magical experience: 

•  17&Central raised £6,829 at their Christmas Grotto 
for the Walthamstow Toy Library, their charity of 
the year

•  The Mall, Wood Green raised £1,754 from their 

Christmas Grotto for the North London Samaritans 
and donated new toys to the Salvation Army for 
local families 

•  The Mall, Maidstone in partnership with the 

Maidstone Borough Council, ran a Christmas Family 
Appeal to collect donated gifts, decorations, toys 
and food items for local families in need. In total, 
800 people donated to the hub, amounting to a 
remarkable £16,000

•  The Marlowes, Hemel raised £5,000 from their 

Christmas Grotto in donations for the British Heart 
Foundation, their charity of the year. The centre 
also hosted a ‘Fill Santa’s Sleigh’ Challenge, with 

donations split between three charities: The Lions, 
Sebby’s Corner and Herts Young Homeless 

•  Gyle worked in partnership with Cash For Kids for 
Mission Christmas, an initiative that served over 
22,072 children across Edinburgh, the Lothians, Fife 
and Falkirk, raised over £450,000 in cash donations 
and generated over £900,000 worth of gifts. 

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Community

326 Youth Hub
The Mall Maidstone introduced the 326 Youth Hub 
in partnership with Maidstone Borough Council and 
Maidstone Business Improvement District. This vibrant 
space aims to provide a wide range of activities and 
opportunities for young people, catering to their diverse 
interests and creating a sense of belonging. In addition to 
recreational activities, the Youth Hub facilitates informal 
engagement with professionals such as youth workers 
and health professionals, helping to build resilience and 
develop life skills. The opening of the hub was preceded 
by a message from Alessia Russo, a Maidstone native and 
England national footballer. The Youth Hub’s establishment 
is a response to increasing rates of youth violence, mental 
health concerns, and suicides nationwide, with a focus 
on creating a safe and supportive environment for young 
individuals. Open on weekdays from 3pm to 6pm and all 
day on Saturday, the 326 Youth Hub provides a space where 
young people can thrive, grow, and enjoy a secure haven 
amid the challenges they face. 

Angus Blackwood, 
Snow sports Manager, 
Snozone Yorkshire

Our People
Snozone’s education experiences develop children’s 
learning outside of the classroom, which allows 
them to develop skills that they may not learn 
anywhere else. We combine physical education, 
social learning and, at times, academic learning, 
which you simply cannot do elsewhere, to the 
high level and standards we deliver. We reach 
out and invite many schools via parents’ evenings 
and by our sales teams staying in regular contact 
with the principal decision-makers in schools. This 
allows us to speak to them about other education 
experiences such as the Duke of Edinburgh 
Bronze Award, GCSE assessments, and the Polar 
Experience. The feedback we receive is so positive 
which is why we have been awarded the School 
Travel Award multiple times over the past seven 
years. This is voted for by Schools and Teachers and 
we are so proud of the achievements, and we are 
constantly working to improve our experiences year 
on year. This is what makes us special!

92

The coronation of King Charles III
Our shopping centres enthusiastically joined 
the festivities honouring King Charles III during 
the coronation weekend. They showcased art 
installations, organised craft activities, and hosted 
entertaining events. In celebration of this momentous 
occasion, The Marlowes, Hemel shopping centre had 
a time capsule competition, with a Year 5 student 
from Cambersbury Primary School, winning the top 
prize of £1,000 for their time capsule. 

Shaping young minds
Snozone has established a wide-ranging education 
programme over the years that continues to succeed. Our 
UK venues are accreditation centres for the snow sports 
components of GCSE and A-level Physical Education, 
meaning that our school affiliates do not have to go 
abroad at great expense to get their students qualified. 
Participation in these assessments grew by 22% compared 
to 2022.

We are also an accredited centre for the Duke of Edinburgh 
Bronze Award, providing skiing and snowboarding 
assessments as part of the award. 

In addition, we offer a bespoke course for children and 
students called ‘The Polar Experience’. This programme 
helps develop resilience, teamwork, self-awareness, and 
confidence through an on-slope problem-solving challenge 
with a classroom session to conclude. In addition, we 
provide award-winning School Holiday Camps that support 
the school curriculum by accentuating good citizenship, 
offering off-slope modules such as a certificated first aid 
course for children called Mini Medics and British sign 
language lessons, which are all delivered by our dedicated 
teams. Our Spanish coaches also provide conversational 
Spanish language lessons over Zoom for UK school children 
during our holiday camps as part of our off-snow activities.

The combination of all our educational initiatives led us 
to be voted the Best Sporting Venue at the School Travel 
Awards in 2017, 2021 and 2022. This is a prestigious 
award, and in the past, nominees in our category have 
included Wembley Stadium, Manchester City, the National 
Football Museum, Tottenham Hotspur FC, Twickenham, 
and Wimbledon. In 2022, we were awarded the quality kite 
mark by the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom. 
This kite mark recognises businesses and organisations that 
can provide educational experiences to the same standard 
or higher as those taught in the classroom environment. 
We retained this kite mark with distinction last year. The 
Council for Learning Outside the Classroom is funded by the 
Department for Education.

Since the acquisition of the Madrid venue in 2021, we have 
been developing a solid school programme at the venue to 
compliment the already successful activities that the team 
undertake there, similarly supporting the school curriculum. 

In our shopping centres, we connect with local partners 
to provide learning opportunities for young people in the 
community and run various education-focused initiatives 
and events throughout the year for our visitors to attend. 
At The Mall Wood Green, 2023 saw the second year of the 

Stock code: CALcentre’s participation in London’s Young Careers Network, 
working with Reed in Partnership to deliver work experience 
and other career opportunities for young people in the 
local area. Being part of the network enabled us to share 
ideas and learn from other partners with more experience 
in this area and troubleshoot the process of working with 
schools with the aim that we develop our own relationships 
with them to drive the programme in the future. Over the 
summer, three students joined us for work experience 
from St Thomas More and Highbury Grove schools. This 
experience allowed the students to get involved and gain 
insights into all aspects of the centre’s operations including 
content creation, retailer liaison, website audits, reporting 
and raising money at their own charity stalls. 

For younger students, The Marlowes, Hemel launched 
Marley’s Little Library. There is a growing epidemic in 
the UK surrounding access to books, with one in three 
disadvantaged children having fewer than ten books of their 
own at home. This community library provides easy access to 
books for all local children, where they can read them at the 
centre, take a book home, swap books, or donate old ones. 

Environmental awareness in the 
community 
As an integral part of the communities we serve, it 
is essential that we take a leading role in promoting 
sustainable living and helping people build their own 
resilience to environmental challenges. As such, our 
shopping centres organise various events to raise 
awareness on topics such as recycling and biodiversity. 

For example, the Big Recycling Hunt, held at The Marlowes, 
Hemel, featured remarkable sculptures made entirely from 
recycled materials by local children. In attendance was the 
Mayor Councillor, William Allen, with the event showcasing 
the power of community collaboration and the importance 
of responsible waste management. 

Our team in The Exchange, Ilford organised the Young 
Guardians of the Planet event, inviting children to engage 
with various animals, learn about recycling and create their 
own plant pots and bird feeders using cardboard tubes. 
17&Central’s #FixItDontDitchIt event took place as part of 
Repair Week in March, with local artist, Sean Rodriguez, 
holding a live repair workshop, advising shoppers on 
possible repair solutions and creating parts using a 3D 

printer. The centre also collaborated with Love Not Landfill 
to install a clothes recycling bank, encouraging visitors to 
give their clothes and once-loved textiles a second chance 
and reduce the amount of clothing taken to landfill. 

In partnership with Maidstone Borough Council, The 
Mall Maidstone hosted the Eco Hub for 17 days over 
the summer. This initiative aimed to support the local 
community in living more sustainably, saving money, and 
reducing their carbon footprint. The Eco Hub proved to be 
hugely successful, with 1,926 visitors, 18 volunteers and 24 
local organisations taking part. In total, 17 events took place, 
including People Planet Pastry, a business sustainability 
workshop, the Green Doctors Bill Surgery, where guests 
could get free, impartial advice and support to save energy 
and reduce bills, and a talk from Kent Wildlife Trust on 
projects and 2030 goals. In recognition of its success, The 
Mall Maidstone was shortlisted in the Best Local Authority/
Private Sector Partnership category at the REVO Awards for 
its work with Maidstone Borough Council.

Local independent businesses
At C&R, we pride ourselves on giving local, diverse and 
independent businesses a place to see their business grow. 
Independents currently account for approximately 32% of 
our occupiers, and our centres provide an environment 
where they have access to a strong guest base as well as 
onsite teams who are ready to support them with education 
and upskilling. Examples of these include: 

•  2023 saw the launch of Gül Hanımın Mutfağı, a Turkish 
frozen food retailer that took the leap from operating 
out of a family kitchen to a bricks-and-mortar location in 
Wood Green’s Market Hall. Having enjoyed some success 
purely via word of mouth and social media, the team is 
now building a thriving customer base for their authentic 
home-cooked food.

•  2023 also saw the opening of The Bridge, which boasts 
five independent F&B tenants. A notable success is 
Apna Adda, an Indian Street Food operator, which 
scaled its business from a small kiosk in central London 
to a second location in The Mall Wood Green’s new 
food court. The Bridge is also home to Bowl, a second 
business for owner Ziggy Aung, whose café Moodog has 
operated in The Mall, Wood Green for many years. His 
new venture has branched out into a Southeast Asian 
menu, which our guests really enjoy.

Guest experience at Snozone
A key tool for measuring guest satisfaction is online reviews on Google and 
TripAdvisor. Our UK venues have a combined 92% (Very good to Excellent) 
rating, with over 6,500 reviews. In 2023, we were once again awarded the 
“Travelers Choice” kite mark by TripAdvisor for the fourth year in a row in the 
UK. Meanwhile, our efforts in Madrid have seen our score rise from 63% on 
acquisition to an impressive 79% in 2023. 

The majority of our marketing activity and community outreach now takes 
place online and engagement across all our social platforms increased by 13% 
compared to 2022. 

Our successful approach to the guest experience is driven by the ‘Snozone 
Brand Standards’, which exist to provide both a productive defined way of 
working and consistency in delivery, strengthening our position in the leisure 
sector and keeping us at number one in the marketplace.

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•  17&Central welcomed one such start-up, Hanoi Kitchen, 
into our food and leisure space. Having scoured the 
streets of Hanoi and tasted every dish along the way, 
Nigel and Paula persuaded their favourite street food 
traders to teach them the very best Vietnamese street 
eat recipes, and their recipes strike the perfect balance 
between hot, spicy, fresh, and fragrant. 

In 2023, we completed significant updates to CRATE at 
17&Central, creating a vibrant, chic, and welcoming space 
where members of the community can gather, enjoy a 
coffee, and indulge in delicious food. As part of the refit 
process, we set a target of achieving an EPC rating of B by 
utilising renewable energy, natural lighting and increasing 
greenery, which we formally achieved in 2023. A key focus 
of our CRATE update was to replace chain offerings with 
exciting independent food choices, from Yorkshire Burrito, 
with their on-the-go Sunday roast wrapped in a Yorkshire 

When we say “sport for all”  
we mean “sport for all”
In 2023, we welcomed several guests to Snozone 
with FASD (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder) 
following a post from a parent who shared their 
visit on the UK FASD Facebook page, highlighting 
the positive experience of their Snozone visit. 
FASD can display physical conditions but is mostly 
behavioural and could be a hidden disability. 
Our 1:1 approach with our disability-aware and 
trained instructors, and the welcoming attitude 
of our team, were noted as providing an inclusive 
experience for people living with FASD. 

pudding, to This is Molo, providing seafood street food with 
wine pairings for the perfect date night. We support these 
independent local vendors in establishing their businesses 
and providing them with everything they need to succeed, 
from initial business planning and store design to launch 
and marketing support. This space has now blossomed 
into a beloved meeting place, with mothers with prams 
accounting for an impressive 30% of footfall. We take pride 
in the warm and inclusive environment that brings local 
people together through several means, including classes, 
Ted Talks, live music from local and emerging artists, as 
well as an open plan space for community groups to come 
together, socialise and build connections.

Inclusive spaces
C&R values people’s differences and offering welcoming 
retail and leisure spaces means ensuring that our assets 
and experiences are inclusive and accessible to all people. 

With a primary catchment area in both the UK and Madrid 
that extends up to an hour and thirty minutes and a 
secondary reach of up to four hours, Snozone serves a 
huge community. As such, our commitment to diversity 
and inclusion is visible on and off the slopes. Snozone is 
an accredited Disability Confident Employer, 20% of our 
coaches are trained in adaptive coaching, and all our venues 
are fitted to provide accessibility. We are the only European 
operator to own and self-manage a Disability Snow School, 
and in 2023, we proudly welcomed and tutored over 2,000 
guests in the UK and Spain who have physical disabilities 
or mental impairments, significantly outperforming our 
annual target and achieving a marked increase of 102% 
compared to 2022. We also performed further outreach in 
our communities throughout the year, delivering talks to 

Our People
I have been working at Snozone for four years as a receptionist. 
Throughout the year, over 500,000 guests pass through our doors!

I’m particularly passionate about what we do for disability snow sports - 
we offer skiing and snowboarding for all abilities - and we never say ‘no’ 
to anyone who would like to learn. We have trained coaches and special 
equipment to deliver outstanding lessons.

What I enjoy the most about working at Snozone are the people I’m 
surrounded by. They are amazing and our regular guests always bring a 
smile to my face! 

I also enjoy hosting our fantastic children’s birthday parties - we offer 
the best activities in the best location with fantastic food of course!

Fara Zamir, 
Receptionist, Milton Keynes 

94

Stock code: CALschools about the benefits of fitness and how snow sports 
can support a healthy lifestyle. We aimed to reach guests 
who otherwise may not have attended our venues due to 
the perceived barriers to entry in snow sports.

pathway to keep them engaged in either alpine discipline. 
Demonstrating the success of our approach, we achieved 
above-average retention rates, with 1,200 lessons being 
realised throughout the learning journey.

As well as our long-term partnership with the charity Sense, 
Snozone supports the sunflower lanyard scheme, which 
aims to provide a subtle way to signify that someone has a 
hidden disability such as Crohn’s disease or diabetes and 
might need extra help. At our venues, our teams are trained 
in various capacities to appropriately approach, engage and 
assist guests by wearing the lanyard that signifies this. 

Snozone lead the sector in enabling women and girls 
to engage in or return to sport and, therefore, an active 
lifestyle through avidly supporting Sport England’s This Girl 
Can campaign and has been doing so since its inception 
in 2015. Several factors prevent women and girls from 
adhering to and participating in sport, ranging from how it is 
taught and by whom to a host of social pressures, and this 
is hugely disproportionate to men and boys. We strongly 
believe in contributing to address these disparities, starting 
with a focused recruitment campaign to increase the 
number of female coaches throughout the Group.

On International Women’s Day in 2023, we provided 250 
free ski and snowboard lessons to women and girls, as 
we do each year, and continue to pay special attention 
to improving their adherence throughout their lesson 

Within our shopping centres, we implement initiatives such 
as Quiet Hour, where lighting is dimmed, no music is playing 
and there are no PA announcements. This provides a less 
daunting experience for those who can find loud noises and 
bright lights overwhelming. We also offer sensory backpacks 
including ear protectors and sensory toys.

For events, our teams pay particular attention to guests who 
may require tailored or extra support. For example, during 
the summer, The Marlowes, Hemel hosted Immersive 
Globe sessions every Tuesday for four weeks. The onsite 
team was made aware of one guest with specific sensory 
needs, and so priority was given to them to participate in 
a smaller group. In addition, the centre’s Christmas Grotto 
offered SEN sessions, designed for people with special 
needs, autism or sensory needs, every Sunday. These took 
place prior to the shops opening and with a reduced noise 
level. Furthermore, Electric Umbrella at The Marlowes, 
Hemel offer a workshop for those with learning difficulties 
to learn a new skill by upcycling musical instruments and 
The Exchange Ilford works alongside Barkingside Art Club to 
run inclusive Kids’ Club activities for children on the autism 
spectrum. 

Wood Green Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC)
In March 2023, C&R’s partnership with the Whittington 
Health NHS Trust was recognised at the HSJ Partnership 
Awards, where the CDC was awarded the ‘Best 
Consultancy Partnership’. The awards acknowledge 
and honour the most effective partnerships, innovative 
projects, and collaborations in the UK health system. 

community access to NHS services has suffered, with 
some waitlists for diagnostic tests extending to two 
and a half years, therefore this partnership addresses a 
critical challenge head on. 

Since opening in 2022, the CDC has welcomed over 
14,000 people, offering essential services including 
ultrasounds, X-rays, MRIs, CT scans as well as blood 
work and GP services. Located on the ground floor of 
The Mall Wood Green, the location was chosen due to 
its strong transport links, providing much-needed access 
to diagnostic services for this community, as well as a 
shorter or easier journey than travelling to a hospital 
for these tests. In the years following the pandemic, 

Jonathan Gardner, Director of Strategy, Development 
and Corporate Affairs at Whittington Health said, 
“This award recognises the collaborative efforts and 
dedication of our teams and our partner, Capital & 
Regional. I am proud that we are delivering NHS services 
differently. By bringing diagnostic tests into the heart of 
Haringey, we are reaching a population that has been 
underserved and tackling the health inequalities that 
residents face. To be chosen among the other incredible 
nominees is a wonderful achievement.”

95

Capital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Strategic ReportAbsolute 

Like-for-like 

Shopping Centres

Snozone

Support Office

performance (Abs)

performance (LFL)

Absolute

Like-for-like

Absolute

Like-for-like

Absolute

Like-for-like

9,188, 

12,133, 

6,890, 

7,299, 

9,188, 

12,133, 

6,890, 

7,299, 

645

428

613

266

645

428

613

266

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

8,635, 

9,673, 

8,622, 

9,673, 

721

357

087

357

13,634

-

-

-

63,379 74,325 63,379 74,325

8,558, 

9,599, 

8,558, 

9,599, 

708

032

708

032

17,824, 

21,806, 

15,512, 

16,972, 

9,202, 

12,133, 

6,890, 

7,299, 

8,558, 

9,599, 

8,558, 

9,599, 

365

785

699

623

279

428

613

266

708

032

708

032

63,379 74,325 63,379 74,325

99.9%

44% 99.9%

57% 100% 0.01% 100% 0.01% 100% 100% 100% 100% 41%

0% 41%

0%

1,062, 

1,660, 

636

685

535,986

893, 

1,062, 

1,660, 

612

636

685

535, 

986

893, 

612

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

1,178, 

1,386, 

1,178, 

1,386, 

351

232

351

232

-

-

-

-

1,178, 

1,386, 

1,178, 

1,386, 

351

232

351

232

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

2,240, 

3,046, 

1,714, 

2,279, 

1,062, 

1,660, 

844

636 

685

535, 

986

893, 

1,178, 

1,386, 

1,178, 

1,386, 

612

351

232

351

232

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

0%

0%

0%

0%

0%

0%

0%

0%

0%

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

987

0%

917

0%

337

0%

5.868

5.326

7.193

8.038 3.108 3.033 3.260 3.596 87.949 99.224 87.949 99.224 10.265 9.291 10.265 12.037

ESG Report continued

EPRA Sustainability Performance Measures (Environmental)

Total Portfolio

Performance by asset type

Impact Area

EPRA Code Measurement Unit

Performance measure

Indicator

Boundaries

2023

2022

2023

2022

2023

2022

2023

2022

2023

2022

2023

2022

2023

2022

2023

2022

Elec-Abs,  
Elec- LFL

annual kWh

Total electricity  
consumption,  
Like-for-like  
total electricity  
consumption

Electricity

Energy

Fuel-Abs,  
Fuel-LFL

annual kWh

Total fuel  
consumption,  
Like-for-like total  
fuel consumption

C&R shared areas

Tenant obtained

Total C&R obtained

% from renewable  
sources (C&R obtained)

C&R shared areas

Tenant obtained

Fuels

Total C&R obtained

% from renewable  
sources (C&R obtained)

Energy-Int

annual kWh per 
ft2

Building energy intensity

Energy 
Intensity

Total C&R obtained

GHG- 
Dir-Abs & 
LFL

tCO2e

Greenhouse  
Gas  
Emissions  
(GHG)

GHG-Int

kg CO2e/ft2/ 
year

Water

Water-Abs, 
Water-LFL

annual cubic  
metres (m3)

Water-Int

annual cubic 
metres (m3)/ ft2

Total direct GHG emissions

Direct

Scope 1

410

556

314

416

194

303

98

163

216

253

216

253

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

Scope 2 - Location based

3,686

4,217

3,209

3,282 1,900 2,346 1,424 1,411 1,772 1,856 1,772 1,856

13

14

13

14

Total indirect GHG  
emissions

Indirect

Scope 2 - Market based

Scope 3 (incl. Tenant usage  
(2023), T&D (2023), water, waste)

8

n/a

8

n/a

0

n/a

0

n/a

0

n/a

0

n/a

5,969

77

5,320

57 5,811

73 5,162

53

157

4

157

4

8

1

n/a

n/a

GHG emissions intensity  
from building energy 
consumption

Total water consumption, 
Like-for-like total water 
consumption

Scope 1 
and Scope 2

1.20

Scope 1, Scope 
2 & Scope 3

2.94

1.02

1.47

1.54

0.63

0.58

0.67

0.69 17.96 19.05 17.96 19.05 2.132

1.04

3.69

1.57

2.39

0.60

2.93

0.71 19.37 19.09 19.37 19.09 2.292

Water

Total C&R obtained

92,622

93,968

86,386

78,103 68,630 66,542 62,395 50,677 23,992 27,426 23,992 27,426

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

Building water intensity

Water

Total C&R obtained

0.027

0.020

0.036

0.033 0.021 0.015 0.027 0.022 0.217 0.248 0.217 0.248

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

Total amount (tonnes)

2,426

2,983

2,090

2,131 2,426 2,983 2,090 2,131

Waste

% non-hazardous waste

100%

n/a

100%

n/a 100%

n/a 100%

n/a

% hazardous waste

0%

n/a

0%

n/a

0%

n/a

0%

n/a

Waste  
disposal  
route

Reuse

Recycling

Composting

Materials Recovery  
Facility

Incineration w/ energy  
recovery

Incineration w/out  
energy recovery

Landfill w/ energy  
recovery

Landfill w/out energy  
recovery

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

731

1,793

570

1,276

731 1,793

570 1,276

66

70

55

56

66

70

55

441

136

401

54

441

136

401

1,136

984

1,064

745 1,136

984 1,064

745

52

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

52

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

56

54

-

-

-

Waste

Waste-Abs, 
Waste-LFL

annual metric 
tonnes and 
proportion by 
disposal route

Total weight of waste  
by disposal route,

Like-for-like total  
weight of waste by  
disposal route

96

8

1

2

2

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

n/a

n/a

2

2

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Stock code: CALElec-Abs,  

Elec- LFL

annual kWh

Electricity

Total electricity  

consumption,  

Like-for-like  

total electricity  

consumption

Energy

Fuel-Abs,  

Fuel-LFL

annual kWh

Total fuel  

consumption,  

Like-for-like total  

fuel consumption

C&R shared areas

Tenant obtained

Total C&R obtained

% from renewable  

sources (C&R obtained)

C&R shared areas

Tenant obtained

Fuels

Total C&R obtained

% from renewable  

sources (C&R obtained)

GHG- 

Dir-Abs & 

LFL

tCO2e

Greenhouse  

Gas  

Emissions  

(GHG)

GHG-Int

kg CO2e/ft2/ 

year

Water

Water-Abs, 

annual cubic  

Water-LFL

metres (m3)

Water-Int

annual cubic 

metres (m3)/ ft2

Total indirect GHG  

emissions

Indirect

Scope 2 - Market based

Scope 3 (incl. Tenant usage  

(2023), T&D (2023), water, waste)

Scope 1 

and Scope 2

Scope 1, Scope 

2 & Scope 3

1.20

2.94

GHG emissions intensity  

from building energy 

consumption

Total water consumption, 

consumption

Impact Area

EPRA Code Measurement Unit

Performance measure

Indicator

Boundaries

2023

2022

2023

2022

2023

2022

2023

2022

2023

2022

2023

2022

2023

2022

2023

2022

EPRA Sustainability Performance Measures (Environmental)

Total Portfolio

Performance by asset type

Absolute 
performance (Abs)

Like-for-like 
performance (LFL)

Shopping Centres

Snozone

Support Office

Absolute

Like-for-like

Absolute

Like-for-like

Absolute

Like-for-like

9,188, 
645

8,635, 
721

12,133, 
428

9,673, 
357

6,890, 
613

8,622, 
087

7,299, 
266

9,188, 
645

12,133, 
428

6,890, 
613

7,299, 
266

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

9,673, 
357

13,634

-

-

-

8,558, 
708

9,599, 
032

8,558, 
708

9,599, 
032

63,379 74,325 63,379 74,325

17,824, 
365

21,806, 
785

15,512, 
699

16,972, 
623

9,202, 
279

12,133, 
428

6,890, 
613

7,299, 
266

8,558, 
708

9,599, 
032

8,558, 
708

9,599, 
032

63,379 74,325 63,379 74,325

99.9%

44% 99.9%

57% 100% 0.01% 100% 0.01% 100% 100% 100% 100% 41%

0% 41%

0%

1,062, 
636

1,178, 
351

2,240, 
987

1,660, 
685

1,386, 
232

3,046, 
917

535,986

1,178, 
351

1,714, 
337

893, 
612

1,062, 
636

1,660, 
685

535, 
986

893, 
612

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

1,386, 
232

-

-

-

-

1,178, 
351

1,386, 
232

1,178, 
351

1,386, 
232

2,279, 
844

1,062, 
636 

1,660, 
685

535, 
986

893, 
612

1,178, 
351

1,386, 
232

1,178, 
351

1,386, 
232

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

0%

0%

0%

0%

0%

0%

0%

0%

0%

0%

0%

0%

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

Energy-Int

annual kWh per 

ft2

Energy 

Intensity

Building energy intensity

Total C&R obtained

5.868

5.326

7.193

8.038 3.108 3.033 3.260 3.596 87.949 99.224 87.949 99.224 10.265 9.291 10.265 12.037

Total direct GHG emissions

Direct

Scope 1

410

556

314

416

194

303

98

163

216

253

216

253

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

Scope 2 - Location based

3,686

4,217

3,209

3,282 1,900 2,346 1,424 1,411 1,772 1,856 1,772 1,856

13

14

13

14

8

n/a

8

n/a

0

n/a

0

n/a

0

n/a

0

n/a

5,969

77

5,320

57 5,811

73 5,162

53

157

4

157

4

1.02

1.47

1.54

0.63

0.58

0.67

0.69 17.96 19.05 17.96 19.05 2.132

1.04

3.69

1.57

2.39

0.60

2.93

0.71 19.37 19.09 19.37 19.09 2.292

8

1

n/a

n/a

8

1

2

2

n/a

n/a

2

2

Waste

annual metric 

Waste-Abs, 

tonnes and 

Waste-LFL

proportion by 

disposal route

Total weight of waste  

by disposal route,

Like-for-like total  

weight of waste by  

disposal route

Like-for-like total water 

Water

Total C&R obtained

92,622

93,968

86,386

78,103 68,630 66,542 62,395 50,677 23,992 27,426 23,992 27,426

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

Building water intensity

Water

Total C&R obtained

0.027

0.020

0.036

0.033 0.021 0.015 0.027 0.022 0.217 0.248 0.217 0.248

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

Total amount (tonnes)

2,426

2,983

2,090

2,131 2,426 2,983 2,090 2,131

Waste

% non-hazardous waste

100%

n/a

100%

n/a 100%

n/a 100%

n/a

% hazardous waste

0%

n/a

0%

n/a

0%

n/a

0%

n/a

Reuse

Recycling

Composting

Materials Recovery  

Waste  

disposal  

route

Facility

recovery

Incineration w/ energy  

Incineration w/out  

energy recovery

Landfill w/ energy  

recovery

Landfill w/out energy  

recovery

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

731

1,793

570

1,276

731 1,793

570 1,276

66

70

55

56

66

70

55

441

136

401

54

441

136

401

56

54

1,136

984

1,064

745 1,136

984 1,064

745

52

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

52

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

97

Capital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Strategic ReportESG Report continued

EPRA Sustainability Performance Measures (Environmental)

Total Portfolio

Performance by asset type

Absolute 

Like-for-like 

Shopping Centres

Snozone

Support Office

performance (Abs)

performance (LFL)

Absolute

Like-for-like

Absolute

Like-for-like

Absolute

Like-for-like

Impact Area

EPRA Code Measurement Unit

Performance measure

Indicator

Boundaries

2023

2022

2023

2022

2023

2022

2023

2022

2023

2022

2023

2022

2023

2022

2023

2022

% of portfolio

% of portfolio with an EPC certificate

78%

79%

68%

69% 78% 79% 67% 69% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%

Certified 
Assets

Cert-tot

Level of  
certification

Type and number  
of sustainability  
certified assets

EPC

A/B

C

D

E

F/G

Unrated

Outdated

205

205

119

119

202

202

116

116

1

1

1

1

155

158

90

154

157

80

22

10

58

75

84

22

10

58

68

90

49

7

6

57

71

52

7

6

57

66

80

22

10

58

75

84

22

10

58

68

87

49

7

6

57

71

89

52

7

6

57

66

2

1

-

-

-

-

-

2

1

-

-

-

-

-

2

1

-

-

-

-

-

2

1

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Impact Area

EPRA Code

Measurement Unit

Performance measure

Indicator

Boundaries

EPRA Sustainability Performance Measures (Social & Governance)

Diversity

Diversity-Emp

% of employees

Employee gender 
diversity

Gender

Diversity- 
Pay

% pay gap

Gender pay ratio

Gender

% of women  
on the board
% of men on the 
board
% of women 
in executive 
management
% of men in 
executive 
management
All employees, rate  
of women to men

Total 
Portfolio

2023

25%

75%

43%

57%

0.77:1

Development  
& Turnover

EMP-Training

average hours

EMP-Dev

% of employees

Total no. of new hires

New hire rate (%)

Emp-Turnover

Total no. of leavers

Turnover rate (%)

Employee training  
and development
Employee 
performance 
appraisals

New hires and 
turnover

Training

All employees

39

Appraisals

All employees

86.08%

New hires

Employee 
turnover

All employees

All employees
Excluding TUPE
Including TUPE

16

19%

19
22.60%
45.65%

98

Stock code: CALA/B

C

D

E

F/G

Unrated

Outdated

Total 

Portfolio

2023

25%

75%

43%

57%

% of women  

on the board

% of men on the 

board

% of women 

in executive 

management

% of men in 

executive 

management

EPRA Sustainability Performance Measures (Environmental)

Total Portfolio

Performance by asset type

Absolute 
performance (Abs)

Like-for-like 
performance (LFL)

Shopping Centres

Snozone

Support Office

Absolute

Like-for-like

Absolute

Like-for-like

Absolute

Like-for-like

Impact Area

EPRA Code Measurement Unit

Performance measure

Indicator

Boundaries

2023

2022

2023

2022

2023

2022

2023

2022

2023

2022

2023

2022

2023

2022

2023

2022

% of portfolio

% of portfolio with an EPC certificate

78%

79%

68%

69% 78% 79% 67% 69% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%

Certified 

Assets

Cert-tot

Level of  

certification

Type and number  

of sustainability  

certified assets

EPC

205

205

119

119

202

202

116

116

155

158

80

22

10

58

75

84

22

10

58

68

90

49

7

6

57

71

90

154

157

52

7

6

57

66

80

22

10

58

75

84

22

10

58

68

87

49

7

6

57

71

89

52

7

6

57

66

2

1

-

-

-

-

-

2

1

-

-

-

-

-

2

1

-

-

-

-

-

2

1

-

-

-

-

-

1

1

1

1

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Impact Area

EPRA Code

Measurement Unit

Performance measure

Indicator

Boundaries

Impact Area

EPRA Code

Measurement Unit

Performance measure

Indicator

Boundaries

EPRA Sustainability Performance Measures (Social & Governance)

EPRA Sustainability Performance Measures (Social & Governance)

Diversity

Diversity-Emp

% of employees

Employee gender 

diversity

Gender

Health and  
safety

H&S-Emp

Days per employee
Days per employee
Days per employee

Total no.

H&S-Asset

%

H&S-Comp

Total no.

Diversity- 

Pay

% pay gap

Gender pay ratio

Gender

All employees, rate  

of women to men

0.77:1

EMP-Training

average hours

Training

All employees

39

Community

Comty-Eng

%

Governance

Total no.

Gov-Board

Average years

Total no.

Gov-Select

Narrative

Gov-Col

Narrative

Employee training  

and development

Employee 

performance 

appraisals

EMP-Dev

% of employees

Appraisals

All employees

86.08%

Development  

& Turnover

Emp-Turnover

Total no. of leavers

New hires and 

turnover

Total no. of new hires

New hire rate (%)

Turnover rate (%)

New hires

Employee 

turnover

All employees

All employees

Excluding TUPE

Including TUPE

16

19%

19

22.60%

45.65%

Employee health & 
safety

Asset health & safety 
assessments

Asset health & safety 
compliance
Community 
engagement, impact 
assessments

and development 
programs

Composition of the 
highest governance 
body

Process for 
nominating and 
selecting the highest

governance body
Process for managing 
conflicts of interest

All employees
Injury rate
Lost day rate
All employees
Absentee rate All employees
Work-related

fatalities

Assets

Incidents

Assets

Board 

members

Tenure

Board  
members

All employees
Shopping Centres
Support Office

All assets

All assets
Executive members
Independent/ non-
executive members
Board Members
Competencies 
relating to 
environmental and 
social topics

Narrative on process

Narrative on process

Total 
Portfolio

2023

0
0
0

0
100%
100%

0

100%
2

5
4.6

2

99

Capital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Strategic ReportESG Report continued

Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR)

Like-for-Like

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

Scope 1 - Direct GHG emissions from controlled operations
Natural Gas
Like-for-Like Energy Consumption (kWh)
Centres (exc.Gyle)
Support Office
Snozone
Natural Gas Total (kWh)
Natural Gas-Gyle (kWh)

3,182,995
N/A
1,566,474
4,749,468
N/A

3,423,739
N/A
1,202,557
4,626,296
N/A

1,914,160
N/A
992,421
2,906,581
N/A

1,051,263
N/A
1,386,232
2,437,494
145,954

893,819
N/A
1,178,351
2,072,170
168,817

Like-for-Like Emissions (tCO2e)
Centres
Support Office
Snozone
Scope 1 Total (tCO2e)
Natural Gas-Gyle (tCO2e)

585
N/A
288
873
N/A

630
N/A
221
851
N/A

351
N/A
182
532
N/A

192
N/A
253
445
27

164
N/A
216
379
31

Scope 2 - Indirect GHG emissions from the use of purchased electricity, heat or steam
Purchased Electricity
Like-for-Like Energy Consumption (kWh)
Centres (exc. Gyle)
Support Office
Snozone1
Purchased Electricity Total (kWh)
Purchased Electricity - Gyle only (kWh)

9,147,580
96,096
9,654,856
18,898,532
N/A

8,638,501
96,096
9,626,091
18,360,689
N/A

10,479,378
96,096
10,148,750
20,724,224
N/A

9,193,590
74,325
9,599,032
18,866,947
257,742

Like-for-Like Emissions (tCO2e)
Centres (exc. Gyle)
Support Office
Snozone
Scope 2 Total (tCO2e) - Location 
based
Scope 2 Total (tCO 2 e) - Market based2
Scope 2 (tCO 2 e) - Location based - 
Gyle only
Scope 2 (tCO 2 e) - Market based - Gyle 
only

Like-for-Like Renewable Electricity3
Solar PV Generation (kWh) (exc. 
Madrid1)

2,679
25
2,594

5,297
N/A

N/A

N/A

2,133
22
2,252

4,407
N/A

N/A

N/A

1,834
20
2,044

3,899
N/A

N/A

N/A

1,778
14
1,856

3,648
N/A

50

0

8,919,371
63,379
8,558,708
17,541,457
257,591

1,847
13
1,772

3,632
8

53

0

2019 vs 
2023%
Change

-72%
N/A
-25%
-56%
N/A

-72%
N/A
-25%
-57%
N/A

-15%
-34%
-16%
-15%
N/A

-31%
-47%
-32%

-31%
N/A

N/A

N/A

9,861

4,290

6,160

746

11,683

18%

1.  Madrid’s electricity figure includes the energy generated by our on site Solar PV installation. Given the nature of reporting in Spain, the % split 

generated by on venue solar is not separated. Snozone have opted to report all electricity usage here, the manufacturer has estimated this at 32% 
of the quantum.

2.  Market Based Scope 2 emissions is a newly reported value for 2023. Market based emissions takes into account any REGO certificates our sites hold 

proving the electricity purchased is from a renewable source and can therefore have a zero emissions factor applied to it.

3.  Renewable energy is generated through Solar PV installed at Walthamstow Centre. The centre has been generating its own energy in 2023 

and 2022 following repair of the system in 2021. The total generated in 2022 is thought to be more than the stated 746 kWh but this cannot be 
confirmed due to issues with the metering data for this time period. The issue has now been resolved and the 2023 total is accurate. The Madrid 
solar PV should also be included here, however, as the first asterisk (*) above states, this split was unavailable at the time of writing.

4.  Previously only the water usage in m3 has been reported. 2023 is the first year emissions data has also been included for water in this report.

100

Stock code: CALLike-for-Like

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2019 vs  
2023%
Change

N/A
N/A

N/A
N/A

N/A
N/A

N/A
N/A

N/A
N/A

3,840,716
703

Scope 3 - Indirect emissions that are a consequence of C&R’s actions, but the source is not owned/controlled, and are 
not classed as Scope 2
Like-for-Like Tenant Natural Gas (newly reported for 2023)
Natural Gas Consumption (kWh)
Natural Gas Emissions (tCO2e)
Natural Gas Consumption - Gyle Only 
(kWh)
Natural Gas Emissions - Gyle Only (tCO 2e)
Like-for-Like Tenant Electricity (newly reported for 2023)
Electricity Consumption (kWh)
Electricity Emissions (tCO2e)
Electricity Consumption - Gyle Only (kWh)
Electricity Emissions - Gyle Only (tCO2e)
Like-for-Like Electricity Transmission & Distribution (tCO2e) (newly reported for 2023)
Centres (exc. Gyle)
Centres Tenants
Support Office
Snozone
T&D Emissions Total (tCO2e)
T&D Emissions - Gyle Only (tCO2e)

19,009,559
3,936
2,200,561
456

N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A

N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A

N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A

N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A

160
341
1
153
656
44

N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A

N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A

N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A

N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A

552,822
101

N/A
N/A

N/A
N/A

N/A
N/A

N/A
N/A

N/A
N/A

N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A

N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A

Water Usage (reported for Centres from 2023)
Like-for-Like Water Consumption (m3)
Centres (exc. Gyle)
Support Office
Snozone
Water Total (m3)
Water Total - Gyle only (m3)

64,520
N/A
29,311
93,830
N/A

Like-for-Like Emissions (tCO2e)
Centres (exc. Gyle)
Support Office
Snozone
Water Emissions Total (tCO2e)
Water Emissions - Gyle only (tCO2e)

22
N/A
10
32
N/A

Waste Disposal (newly reported for Centres for 2023)
Like-for-Like Waste Generated (tonnes)
Centres (exc. Gyle)
Support Office
Snozone
Waste Total (tonnes)
Waste Total - Gyle only (tonnes)

N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A

Like-for-Like Emissions (tCO2e)
Centres
Support Office
Snozone
Waste Emissions Total (tCO2e)
Waste Emissions - Gyle Only (tCO2e)

N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A

41,766
N/A
23,656
65,421
N/A

50,346
N/A
22,995
73,340
N/A

58,731
N/A
27,426
86,156
304

66,767
N/A
23,992
90,758
1,863

14
N/A
8
23
N/A

N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A

N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A

8
N/A
3
11
N/A

N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A

N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A

9
N/A
4
13
0

N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A

N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A

12
N/A
4
16
0

2,318
N/A
N/A
2,318
108

56
N/A
N/A
56
2

3%
N/A
-18%
-3%
N/A

-46%
N/A
-58%
-50%
N/A

N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A

N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A

101

Capital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Strategic ReportESG Report continued

Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR) continued

Total Scope 1, 2 & 3 Emissions
Scope 1 (tCO2e)
Scope 2 (tCO2e) - Location Based
Scope 2 (tCO2e) - Market Based
Scope 3 (tCO2e)
Total Emissions (Location Based, exc. Gyle) 
(tCO2e)
Total Emissions (Location Based) - Gyle Only 
(tCO2e)
Total Emissions (Market Based, exc. Gyle) 
(tCO2e)
Total Emissions (Market Based) - Gyle Only 
(tCO2e)

Like-for-Like

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

873
5,297
N/A
32

851
4,407
N/A
23

532
3,899
N/A
11

445
3,648
N/A
13

379
3,632
8
5,367

6,203

5,281

4,442

4,106

9,378

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

Intensity Ratio
Like-for-Like Scope 1 and 2 (kgCO2e/sqft)
Centres (exc. Gyle)
Support Office
Snozone
Group Total intensity (kgCO2e/sqft)
Total intensity - Gyle Only (kgCO2e/sqft)
Like-for-Like Scope 1, 2 and 3 (kgCO2e/sqft) - (reported for Centres from 2023)
Centres (exc. Gyle)
Support Office
Snozone
Group Total intensity (kgCO2e/sqft)
Total intensity - Gyle Only (kgCO2e/sqft)

1.03
3.98
26.03
1.88
N/A

0.87
3.63
22.34
1.60
N/A

N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A

N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A

0.69
3.30
20.10
1.35
N/A

N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A

77

N/A

N/A

0.62
2.33
19.05
1.24
0.58

N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A

687

5,754

634

0.63
2.13
17.96
1.22
0.64

2
2
19
3
1

Absolute

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

Scope 1 - Direct GHG emissions from controlled operations
Natural Gas
Absolute Energy Consumption (kWh)
Centres
Support Office
Snozone
Natural Gas Total (kWh)
Natural Gas Total - UK only (kWh)

4,556,731
N/A
1,566,474
6,123,205
6,123,205

4,629,788
N/A
1,202,557
5,832,346
5,832,346

2,329,556
N/A
992,421
3,321,977
3,321,977

1,660,685
N/A
1,386,232
3,046,917
3,046,917

1,062,636
N/A
1,178,351
2,240,988
2,240,988

Absolute Emissions (tCO2e)
Centres
Support Office
Snozone
Scope 1 Total (tCO2e)
Natural Gas Total - UK only (tCO2e)

838
N/A
288
1,126
1,126

851
N/A
221
1,072
1,072

427
N/A
182
608
608

303
N/A
253
556
556

194
N/A
216
410
410

102

2019 vs  
2023%  
Change

-57%
-31%
N/A
16527%

51%

N/A

N/A

N/A

-38%
-47%
-31%
-35%
N/A

N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A

2019 vs  
2023%  
Change

-77%
N/A
-25%
-63%
-63%

-77%
N/A
-25%
-64%
-64%

Stock code: CALAbsolute

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

Scope 2 - Indirect GHG emissions from the use of purchased electricity, heat or steam
Purchased Electricity
Absolute Energy Consumption (kWh)
Centres
Support Office
Snozone1
Purchased Electricity Total (kWh)
Purchased Electricity Total - UK only (kWh)

16,012,429
96,096
4,562,865
20,671,390
20,671,390

12,023,949
96,096
9,043,071
21,163,117
16,319,565

12,705,437
96,096
3,754,501
16,556,035
16,556,035

12,132,682
74,325
9,599,032
21,806,039
16,649,728

9,176,961
63,379
8,558,708
17,799,048
13,571,733

Absolute Emissions (tCO2e)
Centres
Support Office
Snozone
Scope 2 Total (tCO2e) - Location based
Scope 2 Total (tCO 2 e) - Market based2
Scope 2 Total (tCO2e) - Location based (UK Only)
Scope 2 Total (tCO2e) - Market based2 (UK Only)

Absolute Renewable Electricity3

4,093
25
1,166
5,284
N/A
5,284
N/A

2,962
22
877
3,861
N/A
3,861
N/A

2,553
20
1,920
4,494
N/A
3,465
N/A

2,346
14
1,856
4,217
N/A
3,220
N/A

1,900
13
1,772
3,686
8
2,810
8

2019 vs  
2023%  
Change

-43%
-34%
88%
-14%
-34%

-54%
-47%
52%
-30%
N/A
-47%
N/A

Solar PV Generation (kWh) (excl. Madrid1)

9,861

4,290

6,160

746

11,683

18%

Absolute

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2019 vs  
2023%  
Change

N/A
N/A

N/A
N/A

Scope 3 - Indirect emissions that are a consequence of C&R’s actions, but the source is not owned/controlled, and are 
not classed as Scope 2
Absolute Centres Tenant Natural Gas (newly reported for 2023)
Natural Gas Consumption (kWh)
Natural Gas Emissions (tCO2e)
Absolute Centres Tenant Electricity (newly reported for 2023)
N/A
Electricity Consumption (kWh)
Electricity Emissions (tCO2e)
N/A
Absolute Electricity Transmission & Distribution (tCO2e) (newly reported for 2023)
N/A
Centres
N/A
Centres Tenants
N/A
Support Office
N/A
Snozone
N/A
T&D Emissions Total (tCO2e)
N/A
T&D Emissions Total - UK Only (tCO2e)

N/A 21,210,120
N/A
4,392

N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A

N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A

N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A

164
380
1
153
699
623

4,393,393
804

N/A
N/A

N/A
N/A

N/A
N/A

N/A
N/A

N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A

N/A
N/A

N/A
N/A

103

Capital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Strategic ReportESG Report continued

Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR) continued

Water Usage (reporting includes data available)
Absolute Water Consumption (m3)
Centres
Support Office
Snozone
Water Total (m3)
Water Total - UK only (m3)

79,278
N/A
29,311
108,589
108,589

Absolute Emissions (tCO2e)4
Centres
Support Office
Snozone
Water Emissions Total (tCO2e)
Water Emissions Total - UK only (tCO2e)

N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A

Waste Disposal (newly reported for Centres for 2023)
Absolute Waste Generated (tonnes)
Centres
Support Office
Snozone
Waste Total (tonnes)

N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A

Absolute Emissions (tCO2e)
Centres
Support Office
Snozone
Waste Emissions Total (tCO2e)

N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A

50,000
N/A
23,656
73,656
73,656

N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A

N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A

N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A

54,085
N/A
21,733
75,818
62,771

N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A

N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A

N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A

66,542
N/A
27,426
93,968
78,796

N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A

N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A

N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A

68,630
N/A
23,992
92,622
78,905

12
N/A
4
16
14

2,426
N/A
N/A
2,426

58
N/A
N/A
58

-13%
N/A
-18%
-15%
-27%

N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A

N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A

N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A

1.  Madrid’s electricity figure includes the energy generated by our on site Solar PV installation. Given the nature of reporting in Spain, the % split 

generated by on venue solar is not separated. Snozone have opted to report all electricity usage here, the manufacturer has estimated this at 32% 
of the quantum.

2.  Market Based Scope 2 emissions is a newly reported value for 2023. Market based emissions takes into account any REGO certificates our sites hold 

proving the electricity purchased is from a renewable source and can therefore have a zero emissions factor applied to it.

3.  Renewable energy is generated through Solar PV installed at Walthamstow Centre. The centre has been generating its own energy in 2023 

and 2022 following repair of the system in 2021. The total generated in 2022 is thought to be more than the stated 746 kWh but this cannot be 
confirmed due to issues with the metering data for this time period. The issue has now been resolved and the 2023 total is accurate. The Madrid 
solar PV should also be included here, however, as the first asterisk (*) above states, this split was unavailable at the time of writing.

4.  Previously only the water usage in m3 has been reported. 2023 is the first year emissions data has also been included for water in this report.

104

Stock code: CALTotal Scope 1, 2 & 3 Emissions
Scope 1 (tCO2e)
Scope 2 (tCO2e) - Location Based
Scope 2 (tCO 2 e) - Market Based
Scope 3 (tCO2e)
Total Emissions (Location Based) (tCO2e)
Total Emissions (Location Based) - UK only 
(tCO2e)
Total Emissions (Market Based)2 - (tCO2e)
Total Emissions (Market Based)2 - UK only 
(tCO2e)

Absolute

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

1,126
5,284
N/A
N/A
6,409

6,409
N/A

1,072
3,861
N/A
N/A
4,934

4,934
N/A

608
4,494
N/A
N/A
5,102

4,074
N/A

556
4,217
N/A
N/A
4,773

3,776
N/A

410
3,686
8
5,969
10,065

9,112
6,387

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

6,309

Intensity Ratio
Absolute Scope 1 and 2 (Location based values) (kgCO2e/sqft)
0.62
Centres
2.55
Support Office
19.60
Snozone
1.04
Group Total intensity (kgCO2e/sqft)
Total intensity - UK Only (kgCO2e/sqft)
0.84
Absolute Scope 1, 2 and 3 (kgCO2e/sqft) (newly reported for Centres for 2023)
N/A
Centres
N/A
Support Office
N/A
Snozone
N/A
Group Total intensity (kgCO2e/sqft)
N/A
Total intensity - UK Only (kgCO2e/sqft)

0.80
2.80
13.60
1.01
1.01

1.03
3.07
18.02
1.32
1.32

N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A

N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A

0.58
1.80
19.05
1.02
0.81

N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A

0.63
2.13
17.96
1.20
0.95

2.28
2.31
19.38
2.94
2.69

2019 vs  
2023%  
Change

-64%
-30%
N/A
N/A
57%

42%
N/A

N/A

-38%
-31%
0%
-9%
-28%

N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A

•  Please note these values represent the best information available at the time of issue in April 2024. The values for 

Snozone gas usage have been updated for the previous years following improved data being made available.

•  Consumption on the absolute data sets is not directly comparable year to year due to acquisitions and divestments 
(see list below). For example consumption has increased due to the purchase of Snozone Madrid in February 2021.

•  Where N/A is stated this means data is not available. This is typically the case where data sets being reported have 

expanded since 2019.

•  N.B. We have opted to include Scope 3 data in the 2023 annual reporting. As this is new reporting, data is excluded for 

2019-2022 as Scope 3 was outwith reporting during those years.

•  Absolute values include the sites within our operational control boundary for the years covering 2019 to 2023. 
Therefore numbers are not directly comparable for each year due to the impact of acquisitions and disposals.

•  Changes to our portfolio in 2023 include:

–  Disposals: Redditch was sold on the 15th September 2023 and the Luton site was sold on the 16th March 2023. 

Therefore, no data is reported for these sites after the sold dates.

–  Acquisitions: The centres now include the Gyle site which was acquired by Capital and Regional on 6th of 

September 2023. Therefore, no data is reported for before this date.

–  Changes: The support office moved location in June 2023.

•  Changes to our portfolio between 2019 and 2022 include:

–  Disposals: Blackburn was sold on the 9th August 2022.

–  Acquisitions: Snozone acquired the Madrid site on the 11th February 2021

105

Capital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Strategic ReportESG Report continued

Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR) continued

Methodology
The consumption and emissions relate to the Capital 
and Regional (C&R) group across the UK and Europe. “UK 
Only” totals have been included to ensure the compliance 
with the SECR requirements “to state what proportion of 
their energy consumption and their emissions related to 
emissions and energy consumption in the UK”.

This report was produced in line with the Operational 
Control Boundary methodology within the ‘GHG Reporting 
Protocol - Corporate Standard’. The absolute reporting 
includes operations for which we have control over, and 
a baseline year of 2019. For absolute tables, the baseline 
has not been adjusted for acquisitions and disposals. The 
Like-for-like (LFL) tables are prepared in a similar manner, 
but for acquisitions, do include historic estimations prior to 
our operational control.

We have collated the energy and utility data for each 
calendar year. Actual data has been used wherever 
possible, however, some data has been estimated. 
Estimated data in this report relates to 41% of the support 
office electricity. Some data was also estimated for Gyle 
in 2022. 75% of water and 4% of electricity are estimated 
values to provide a comparison year for LFL. The data 
was then provided to HDR alongside invoices for a limited 
verification to be completed.

The reported data and emissions represent the best 
information available at the time of issue in April 2024.

It should be noted that absolute Scope 1, Scope 2 and 
Scope 3 emissions (where stated in tCO2e) are not directly 
comparable due to changes in emission factors year on 
year (as well as changes to the properties we operate). 
Emission Factors used are from the “UK Government GHG 
Conversion Factors for Company Reporting, 2023 v1.1” for 
calculating 2023 carbon emissions. Past years have used 
the equivalent conversion factor documents from the UK 
government.

Scope 1 emissions account for our total gas consumption. 
Emissions from emergency equipment (e.g. standby 
generators) have been deemed de minimis and therefore 
are not included in the reported figures.

Scope 2 for this report, the emissions associated with the 
electricity figures have been calculated using two methods 
as per the SECR guidelines. The primary method uses the 
UK grid average (location-based method). The secondary 
method, added in 2023, takes into account the Renewable 
Energy Guarantees of Origin (REGOs) certificates that our 
sites hold verifying the purchase of renewable energy 
(market-based method). The emissions associated with 
any renewable energy consumed has had a zero emissions 
factor applied as per the guidelines. For clarity, the on-site 
Solar PV generation has been reported separately under 
the Scope 2 section of the tables. This section however, 
does not include the Solar PV generated on the Snozone 
Madrid, Spain site due to the split of electricity usage 
between self-generation and purchased supply being 
unavailable at the time of writing. Therefore, the decision 
to over report “Purchased Electricity” was taken as a more 
conservative method. UK Emissions factors were used for 
Snozone Madrid as a Spanish equivalent was not available.

Scope 3 emissions account for third parties (e.g. centre’s 
tenants) natural gas and electricity consumption, 
emissions associated with the Transmission and 
Distribution of all scope 2 & 3 electricity, and emissions 
associated with Water consumption and Waste disposal.

Consumption values from metered sources identified as 
fully controlled by third parties (e.g. centre’s tenants) have 
been provided to us by Arbnco. The data for Gyle has been 
estimated for the tenants due to only an annual usage 
figure being available and our operational control only 
starting in September.

The Intensity Ratio we have selected is the recommended 
ratio for the property sector of: tonnes of CO2e per total 
square foot for the group. These ratios have been reported 
in terms of tonnes of CO2e for Scope 1 and 2 only, as well 
as for 2023 Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions. The areas for each 
year represent the total square footage that was in our 
control during that calendar year.

In addition to the above absolute energy and emissions 
values, we have decided to report a Like-for-Like (LFL) 
table for years covering 2019 to 2023. For this LFL table 
the Operational Control Boundary of 2023 was used as the 
comparison between years. Where sites have been sold or 
acquired mid-year the equivalent part of the year has been 
reported for all years using best available data.

Energy Efficiency
During 2023, there have been several energy efficiency 
improvements.

•  Our centres have been making a concerted effort to 

reduce gas consumption, in some cases down to zero 
in line with their Net Zero pathway interventions. For 
example, Wood Green no longer uses natural gas.

•  Our centres have also reduced electricity consumption 
following the completion of the LED light replacement 
project.

•  Due to changes in legalisation, we also have a new EPC 
tracking tool in place to allow targeted improvements 
in ratings to help ensure minimum energy efficiency 
standards are met.

•  There is also a continued improvement in monitoring 
throughout the portfolio which is improving data 
returns.

•  Snozone have undertaken five different CAPEX project 

to reduce Energy usage:

a.  Blast cooler replacement in Milton Keynes

b.  Glycol piping upgrade in Yorkshire

c.  De lamping project at all venues

d.  Voltage optimiser in Yorkshire

e.  Insulation project at all venues

Snozone have also engaged with Tree Nation to plant trees 
to offset emissions and in 2023 12,578 trees were planted.

106

Stock code: CAL107

Capital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Strategic ReportTCFD 
Disclosure

104 Governance
106 Strategy
110 Risk Management
113 Metrics and Targets

108

Stock code: CAL109

Strategic ReportCapital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023TCFD Disclosure

As part of our commitment to a leading sustainability business, we are dedicated 
to proactively managing our climate-related risks and publicly reporting climate-
related financial information to our stakeholders. 

Here we disclose the climate-related risks we have identified to the  business and set out our overarching risk 
management approach in line with the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures 
(TCFD). In accordance with LSE Listing Rules published by the FCA in 2022, and in line with the Recommendations of TCD 
dated June 2017, this report complies with 11 of the 11 TCFD recommendations and recommended disclosures. This year 
we have begun to disclose our Scope 3 emissions as we continue to focus on improving our occupier data collection.

1  Governance
The Board’s oversight of  
climate-related risks and opportunities
Responsibility for climate-related risk management and 
robust internal control processes ultimately lies with the 
Board, including the consideration of climate-related 
risks and setting the Group’s risk appetite. The Board 
has ultimate oversight of the Environmental, Social and 
Governance (ESG) and Climate-related principal risk in the 
Group’s Risk Matrix. Integrating Climate-related risks as a 
new principal risk highlights the Group’s recognition of the 
material impact climate risks have on the business and the 
Group’s ambition to actively monitor and manage these 
risks. The Climate-related and ESG principal risks consider 
a number of transition and physical climate-related risks, 
including management and compliance with increasingly 
stringent environmental policy, minimum energy 
efficiency requirements, carbon reduction commitments, 
reputational damage from inaction, and impacts of 

extreme weather events and climate change on our assets 
and their supply chain. The full list of climate-related risks 
considered can be seen below.

The Audit Committee supports the Board in the 
management of climate-related risks. The Audit Committee 
meets twice a year to review the effectiveness of the 
overall risk management strategy and internal control 
processes supporting our agile risk management 
approach. This includes reviewing the principal risks across 
the Risk Matrix, including the Climate-related and ESG 
principal risks and ensuring that climate-related risks are 
integrated into the risk management strategy. 

The ESG Committee meets at least four times a year 
and has more specific responsibility for developing and 
monitoring climate-related risks and wider sustainability 
matters. The ESG Committee has direct responsibility 
over developing and reviewing the Group’s ESG strategy 
across the three underpinning pillars of Environmental 

Climate-related risk heatmap

e
c
n
a
c
fi
n
g
S

i

i

5

4

3

2

2

5

7

3

4

9

10

8

6

1

Short term (2020-2029)
1   Energy decarbonisation  

and technology

2  Financial market uncertainty

3  Increased regulation

4   Shifting market and occupier 

expectation

Medium term (2030-2039)
5  Insurance challenges

6  Supply chain and resources

7  Flooding

8  Storm damage

Long term (>2040)
9  Water stress and drought

3

4

5

10  Heat stress

Likelihood

110

Stock code: CALSustainability, People & Community and Governance, 
and assessing and monitoring the Climate-related and 
ESG principal risks. The progress against climate-related 
targets, long-term sustainability goals and implementation 
or actions towards achieving these goals are overseen by 
the ESG Committee and reported to the board through the 
governance structure described below.

The ESG Committee is chaired by a non-executive 
member of the board. Therefore, the board has oversight 
of updates regarding the Group’s ESG strategy and the 
Climate-related and ESG principal risks. As per the cadence 
of the ESG Committee, these updates are provided on 
a quarterly basis, ensuring that the Board and Audit 
Committee are informed of any climate-related changes in 
the macroeconomic, financial, and regulatory environment. 
To better assess and monitor climate-related risks, the 
Group has created a new separate Climate-related risk 
matrix for the Climate-related principal risk which includes 
a broad range of physical and transition climate-related 
risks. The Climate-related risk matrix feeds into Group risk 
review and ESG Committee reporting to the Board.

The ESG committee is chaired by a non-executive Director 
and three members of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT), 
meaning the performance towards climate-related targets 
and long term goals 

The description and business impact of the full range of 
the climate-related risks that have been assessed using 
scenario analysis and integrated into the Climate-related 
principal risk and ESG strategy via our Climate-related risk 
matrix are detailed in the Strategy section. The process for 
identifying and assessing the top climate-related risks to 
Capital & Regional can be seen in the Risk Management 
section.

This year, we have advanced our oversight and 
management of climate-related risks and opportunities by 
developing and integrating a climate resilience framework 
and adaptation strategy to embed climate considerations 
into decision-making processes across the entire asset 
lifecycle. We developed a Climate Adaptation Plan, in 
alignment with the Better Buildings Partnership (BBP) 
requirements, with our approach utilising a range of new 
tools to fully embed climate adaptation into investment 
decisions and business processes. Activation and oversight 
of the Climate Adaptation Plan is headed by Sara Jennings, 
Director of Operations and Guest Experience, and the NZC 
Committee.

Management’s role in assessing  
and managing climate-related risks 
and opportunities
The Senior Leadership Team (SLT) is responsible for the 
day-to-day operational application of the risk management 
strategy, including climate-related risks, and ensures that 
all employees are aware of their responsibilities and align 
with the Group’s strategy. The SLT supports the Board, 
Audit Committee and ESG Committee in identifying and 
evaluating climate-related risks under the Climate-related 
principal risk and incorporates employee feedback 
into these assessments. Additionally, Sara Jennings, 
Director of Operations and Guest Experience, and Nick 
Philips, Managing Director Snozone sit on both the ESG 
Committee and SLT. This ensures that climate-related risks 

are assessed and managed throughout all levels of the 
organisation. The SLT is also responsible for reviewing on 
a deal-by-deal basis whether acquisitions and divestments 
align with our ESG Strategy, ensuring that climate-related 
risks are considered throughout the property lifecycle. 

Operational Management is responsible for the 
implementation and maintenance of climate-related risk 
management procedures, as well as the identification 
of climate-related risks and the mitigating controls and 
actions required at the asset level. The Operational 
Management team escalate climate-related risks that are 
identified at the asset level to the SLT. These are assessed 
and integrated into the Climate-related risk matrix 
and escalated to the ESG Committee, Board and Audit 
committee as necessary. 

As part of the climate risk assessment undertaken in late 
2021, we conducted a detailed climate risk governance gap 
analysis, aligned with TCFD recommendations to understand 
how to best oversee and manage climate-related risks 
throughout our governance structures. In late 2023 we 
developed and began implementing our Climate Adaptation 
Plan, thus extending our formal governance of climate-
related risks and opportunities across the investment 
lifecycle and enhancing our ESG Committee’s and SLT’s 
oversight and management of climate-related risks.

As part of the Climate Adaptation Plan, four adaptation 
tools have been developed:

1.  Climate Risk Acquisition Checklist.

2.  Climate Resilience Framework.

3.  Retail Technical Design Guide: Sustainable Fit-out 

Measures.

4.  Climate Adaptation Conflict Tool.

Ultimate responsibility for overseeing the integration of 
each tool into our investment decisions is assigned to SLT 
individuals, ensuring that climate-related considerations 
are actively addressed at key stages of an asset’s lifecycle: 
Acquisitions, Refurbishments, Lettings & occupier 
engagement, Operations & property management.

Responsibility for each tool within our Climate Adaptation 
Plan currently follows:

•  The Climate Risk Acquisition Checklist – James 
Ryman, Investment Director, and Stuart Wetherly, 
Group Finance Director.

•  The Climate Resilience Framework – Daniel Fleming, 

Senior Development Project Manager, and Sara 
Jennings, Director of Operations & Guest Experience.

•  The Sustainable Fit-out Measures –Frankie 

Chrysanthou, Commercial Director, Daniel Fleming, 
Senior Development Project Manager, and Sara 
Jennings, Director of Operations & Guest Experience.

•  The Climate Adaptation Conflict Tool – Daniel 

Fleming, Senior Development Project Manager, and Sara 
Jennings, Director of Operations & Guest Experience.

A detailed overview of our Governance structure can be 
found in the Corporate Governance section on pages 
122–133 of our 2023 Annual Report.

111

Capital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Strategic ReportTCFD Disclosure continued

2  Strategy
Climate-related risks and opportunities identified  
over the short, medium, and long-term
Through conducting a rigorous climate risk assessment (see Risk Management), we have accurately identified the 
potential climate risks and opportunities facing our business. The table below outlines the key physical and transition 
risks we have identified over the short term (2020-2029), medium term (2030-3039) and long term (>2040). Our 
heightened understanding of climate risks to the Group has enabled us to embed a robust risk management process via 
our Climate-related risk matrix to address possible impacts proactively.

Physical and Transition Climate-related risks

Time  
horizon

Risk  
number

Risk 

Risk  
description

Risk  
impacts

1.

2.

3.

4.

9
2
0
2
-
0
2
0
2

:

m
r
e
t

t
r
o
h
S

Energy 
decarbonisation  
and technology

Financial 
market 
uncertainty

Increased 
regulation

Shifting market 
and occupier 
expectation

The decarbonisation pathway 
demands an energy shift from fossil 
fuels to renewables. This will stimulate 
low carbon technological solutions. 
Existing buildings must adapt with 
these technologies in order to meet 
energy efficiency targets and reduce 
rising operational costs caused by 
changing seasonal patterns and 
carbon taxes

Sustained damage from climate-
related physical impacts or persistent 
transition-related market movements 
impact macroeconomic conditions 
and threaten the ability of firms to 
produce goods and services

Policy mandates existing building 
stock and developments improve 
efficiencies and operational practices, 
and embed climate resilience on-site

Markets shift to meet a growing 
demand for low or net zero carbon 
assets with on-site climate resilience 
embedded. Demand may also shift 
away from certain geographies or 
sectors, while changing consumer 
preferences could create tenant risk.

•  Reduced asset value, ‘green 
premium’ vs ‘brown discount’

•  Increased cost of financial 

capital

•  Tenant default risk causing 

loss of income

•  Capex and retrofit costs 
•  Increased operational costs, 

including impacts from 
increased cost of carbon

112

Stock code: CAL 
 
Time  
horizon

Risk  
number

Risk 

Risk  
description

Risk  
impacts

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

Insurance 
challenges

Supply chain 
and resources

Flooding

Storm damage

Water stress 
and drought

10.

Heat stress

The physical impacts of climate 
change are extensive and cause 
the insurance industry to reassess 
premiums or withdraw cover

Physical climate impacts can cause 
widespread disruption to production 
within supply chains and cause 
resource prices to rise.

Increased duration and intensity of 
precipitation, snow melt, and rising 
sea levels will exacerbate fluvial 
(river), pluvial (surface water) and

coastal flooding

Meteorological phenomena are 
becoming more frequent. Impacts 
arise from storms and heavy wind, 
exacerbated by changes to sea 
temperatures and seasonal patterns.

Water becomes increasingly scarce, 
with supply unable to meet demand. 
As temperatures rise, average 
drought lengths could increase, with 
implications on water costs, supply 
chains and public health.

Rising mean temperatures and 
extreme temperature highs put 
pressure on both people and 
infrastructure

9
3
0
2
-
0
3
0
2

:

m
r
e
t

i

m
u
d
e
M

)
0
4
0
2
>
(

m
r
e
t
g
n
o
L

•  Physical damage causing 

costly repairs and clean-up
•  Cost of mitigation measures
•  Migration away from 

vulnerable areas

•  Decline in asset value or 

stranded asset risk

•  Litigation or reputational 

risks if perceived to 
inadequately prepare for 
physical risks

•  Supply chain, distribution 

and regional infrastructure 
disruption

Additionally, key opportunities we have identified include:
•  Harnessing low-carbon technologies and providing energy efficient buildings will provide us with the opportunity to 
secure premium tenants with robust sustainability strategies and enhance our asset values, footfall, and reputation. 
This includes additional opportunities we expect to realise as we continue to implement our Net Zero Carbon strategy.

•  The Group will focus on proactively assessing and managing climate-related risks to embed resilience across our 

portfolio and business strategy. This will also enable us to gain a sustainable competitive advantage.

Impact of climate-related risks and opportunities on the organisation’s 
businesses, strategy and financial planning
We acknowledge that climate change will have a material impact on our business and consequently, we have enhanced 
our business, strategy and financial planning to account for climate-related risks, including the impact of climate-related 
risks on the Group’s current and future financial value. We have assessed a broad range of climate-related risks and 
opportunities, which we have integrated in our business strategy.

The Group places a strategic focus on assessing a broad range of climate-related risks posed to our business and assets 
and improve our climate risk resilience to these risks by enhancing and adapting our assets through refurbishment and 
energy efficiency upgrades across each stage of the property life cycle. We continue to strive towards future-proofing our 
new and existing assets against the physical impacts of climate change and have strategies in place to take advantage of 
opportunities linked to the shift to a low carbon economy. 

As part of any acquisition, we would undertake building fabric, M&E, environmental and sustainability surveys, which will 
consider building component lifecycles and programmes for their replacement / upgrade. The outcomes will influence 
acquisition decisions and where a decision is taken to proceed, the findings will inform our capex allocations in line with 
our Net Zero Carbon pathway and the target acquisition pricing required to accommodate such capex needs within our 
financial performance targets.

113

Capital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Strategic Report 
 
 
 
TCFD Disclosure continued

We recognise that refurbishments are a good opportunity 
to undertake upgrades that deliver NZC enhancements. 
Refurbishments provide the opportunity to assess plant 
and material condition and efficiency and integrate 
upgrades when we prepare refurbishment specifications. 
Viability of initiatives can also create surplus positions 
above acceptable target return thresholds. These 
surpluses provide opportunity to widen project scopes to 
capture wider climate enhancing solutions that may not be 
a core part of a particular refurbishment or initiative but 
can be efficiently and cost effectively accommodated into 
a wider programme, where otherwise such enhancements 
may not have progressed.

To advance the integration of climate resilience across 
the investment and property lifecycle, we developed our 
Climate Adaptation Plan by leveraging our comprehensive 
understanding of our material climate-related risks. 
Headed by Sara Jennings, Director of Operations and Guest 
Experience, and the NZC Committee, it aims to proactively 
improve the resilience of our strategy and portfolio against 
potential future impacts by caused by climate change. 
In doing so, the Group will reduce the vulnerability of 
its portfolio to physical and transition climate-related 
risks via the identification and installation of appropriate 
adaptation measures using four tools developed as part 
of the Climate Adaptation Plan, as described below and in 
more detail in the Risk Management section.

1.  The Climate Risk Acquisition Checklist ensures a broad 
range of physical and transition climate-related risks 
are assessed as part of the acquisition due diligence 
process and that asset-level resilience measures are 
formally considered to understand the target asset’s 
existing adaptive capacity before confirming investment 
decisions. The tool is constructed of two sections: the 
Pre-Acquisition Requirements, and the Acquisition 
Checklist. The Pre-Acquisition Requirements involves 
two steps – step 1 is mandatory and requires the 
assessor to conduct a forward-looking and historic 
climate risk assessment. If the asset’s risk level exceeds 
our desired threshold, step 2 is needed, using the 
Climate Resilience Framework to understand the 
existing adaptive capacity to mitigate against potential 
risk impacts. Subsequently, the Acquisition Checklist is 
leveraged to assess the target asset against a broader 
set of sustainability thresholds, including climate risk 
and resilience, to inform a final decision.

2.  The Climate Resilience Framework helps evaluate 

existing and target assets’ resilience to climate hazards, 
assess the effectiveness of adaptative solutions in 
reducing climate risk, and determine the impact of 
adaptative measures on vulnerability to support 
strategic investment and refurbishment decisions 
aligned with the Group’s commitment to building 
climate resilience. The tool has five steps following 
an initial set of baseline questions collecting asset 
level information concerning the site. Step 1 involves 
a risk assessment that determines the climate 
hazard exposure of a target asset. Step 2 involves a 
resilience assessment that utilises collected asset-level 
documentation, and due diligence documentation 
from Step 1, to evaluate its current level of climate 
resilience. Step 3 combines the assessment results 
into one output to determine the final vulnerability 
and resilience rating of the target asset for each 

applicable hazard. Step 4 tracks the performance of 
assets’ climate adaptation measures to monitor and 
measure their implementation and effectiveness 
using appropriate indicators. Step 5 evaluates how the 
existing or necessary adaptation solutions identified 
in the Resilience Assessment align with the existing 
Planned Preventative Measures (PPM) at the asset level 
to determine how and/or if adaptation solutions are 
already considered in the maintenance plans. 

3.  The Retail Technical Design Guide: Sustainable Fit-out 
Measures provides a comprehensive set of guidelines 
and recommendations for achieving climate resilience, 
energy-efficiency, and environmentally sustainable 
outcomes during the interior fit-out of retail units and 
other tenant-controlled spaces. The tool is used to 
support and encourage the adoption of green building 
practices, materials, technologies, and design strategies 
that increase climate resilience, minimise environmental 
impact, enhance occupant wellbeing, and optimise 
resource efficiency. There are three steps to the Guide 
– Step 1 involves a Design & Approval Phase whereby 
tenants are given the Retail Technical Design Guide and 
must submit a concept design in line with the guidance 
to the landlord. Step 2 involves a Fit-out Phase following 
approval of the concept design where permission is 
granted and the fit-out commences. Step 3 is the Open 
to trade Phase, it commences following completion of 
the fit-out whereby tenants may open to trade.

4.  The Climate Adaptation Conflict Tool assists decision-
makers to implement climate change adaptation 
solutions by evaluating the potential synergies or 
conflicts a climate adaptation solution may have with 
other sustainability goals, including climate mitigation, 
nature and biodiversity, community, and resource 
use. It is intended for use when considering the 
implementation of a climate adaptation measure as 
part of a wider refurbishment and necessary upgrades 
to meet minimum performance requirements or 
risk thresholds, or as part of a Planned Preventative 
Maintenance upgrades.

More detailed information can be found in our ‘Climate 
Adaptation Plan’ report on our website.

Additionally, our clear and robust net zero Carbon 
pathway will further improve our climate resilience 
and sustainability performance. In the context of the 
geography in which our business operates, we recognise 
the UK government has published a strategy which sets 
out policies and proposals for decarbonising all sectors of 
the UK economy to meet a net zero target by 2050. This 
strategy will introduce policies for driving transition in 
our sector particularly relating to the energy efficiency of 
buildings and electrification of heating demand.

Our net zero carbon pathway prioritises the necessary 
emission reductions up to 2040 and beyond, supported 
by a clear and actionable implementation plan, designed 
with all stages of the property lifecycle in mind. Read our 
pathway to net zero carbon for more information. Owing 
to more stringent UK regulations, EPC ratings are a top 
priority for C&R and are included as a key target area in 
our Net Zero Carbon Pathway Wheel of Delivery. The EPC 
ratings are also included within internal KPIs and in the 
deals submitted to our SLT for approval, as well as the 
heads of terms when the commercials are agreed. As part 

114

Stock code: CALof the UK strategy for net zero carbon, the Government 
has stated an ambition to transition all electricity 
generation from fossil fuels by 2035. Decarbonising 
electricity is also a part of our strategy, whereby shopping 
centres’ landlord electricity is 100% renewable and 
REGO certified. However, the transition to renewable gas 
has proved slower and more challenging, particularly 
considering our Food & Beverage (F&B) occupiers and their 
higher reliance on gas sources. 

Snozone’s electricity is 100% renewable and 100% 
traceable, sourced from the Hornsea North Sea wind farm 
for our UK venues, about 90 miles from our Yorkshire 
venue. In Madrid, 68% of power is sourced from a mixture 
of solar, wind and nuclear energy, with the remaining 32% 
supplied by 1,600 of our own solar panels. 

For both asset types, we continue to investigate 
opportunities to increase onsite renewable energy. For 
our shopping centres, we are working through a feasibility 
study on implementing solar PV at select assets.

Resilience of the organisation’s 
strategy, taking into consideration 
different climate-related scenarios, 
including a 2°C or lower scenario
Our rigorous climate risk assessment enabled us to 
understand and assess the most material climate-
related risks across the short-, medium-, and long-term 
time horizons outlined above. Understanding the most 
material climate-related risks across the time horizons 
has enabled us to discern the most effective climate risk 
mitigation measures to improve our climate risk resilience 
and reduce our climate risk exposure. Additionally, 
reducing our carbon footprint with our Net Zero Carbon 
pathway strategy will support the Group in effectively 
managing climate-related risks, most notably transition 
risks associated with a shift to a low-carbon economy and 
physical risks associated with flooding, heat stress and 
drought.

The scenarios we selected for our analysis were the 
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 
Representative Concentration Pathways RCP4.5 and 
RCP8.5. These are recognised climate scenarios models 
and align with consensus around the most likely range 
of average global temperature increases from now until 
2100. Aligning with a 2°C or lower scenario, the RCP 4.5 
scenario models a global temperature increase of 1.7°C - 
3.2°C by 2100 and represents significant short-term policy 
action to meet the Paris Agreement. It is characterised by 
transition risks, although physical risks are still present 
with global temperature increase persisting. The RCP 8.5 
scenario models a scenario where there is insufficient 
global policy action to meet the aims of the Paris 
Agreement and models a global temperature increase of 

3.2°C - 5.4°C by 2100. This scenario is characterised by very 
severe physical climate risks, particularly in the long term. 
Analysing these two distinct climate scenarios has enabled 
us to understand a wide scope of climate-related risks and 
opportunities across different possible future trajectories, 
providing insights into what actions best support the 
Group’s climate resilience. Furthermore, our net zero 
carbon strategy is aligned with CRREM 1.5°C Global and 
Sector Pathways. As such, we are considering a scenario 
whereby the transition demands are greater than the 
RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 climate models. 

We have confidence that our approach to decarbonisation 
will make the business resilient to the transition risks 
expected with a 2°C or lower scenario. Within the 
RCP8.5 model as with other scenarios, is an amount of 
uncertainty spread over time. It is difficult to truly predict 
and anticipate the full magnitude of impacts associated 
with global temperature rises over 3°C but it is likely that 
there will be macroscale social and economic disruption 
which will be difficult to avoid. Our work on improving 
our resilience to the effects of such a scenario includes 
a focus on climate adaptation and responding to the 
experiences of severe weather events. For example, we 
have developed our response plans for our buildings and 
the welfare of people in reaction to weather events with 
hot or cold extremes, as a well as learning from specific 
incidents of flood risk and how they might manifest in our 
building archtypes. We are also planning on furthering 
our resilience with additional climate-related KPIs and risk 
management measures, such as regular legislation and 
regulation reviews and climate risk upskilling.

As a signatory to the BBP Climate Commitment, we 
developed a Climate Adaptation Plan as part of our 
comprehensive resilience strategy. A comprehensive 
resilience strategy as outlined by the BBP must 
demonstrate the ability to adapt to operating in a world 
where climate-driven disruption is more frequent and 
severe. We recognise that simply identifying risks is 
insufficient without material action, therefore, we have 
positioned ourselves as proactive leaders in creating and 
implementing our Climate Adaptation Plan.

Our Climate Adaptation Plan is designed to capture, 
assess, and respond to the physical and transition risks 
that are not already addressed by the net zero carbon 
pathway. The plan was developed in line with the eight 
requirements set out by the BBP, and is accompanied with 
a Climate Adaptation User Manual allowing anyone with 
a need to identify and implement adaptation measures 
in a simple and timely manner. Activating our Climate 
Adaptation Plan requires sign-off from Sara Jennings, 
Director of Operations and Guest Experience, and the NZC 
Committee, securing senior level buy-in.

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Capital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Strategic ReportTCFD Disclosure continued
TCFD Disclosure continued

3  Risk Management
Describe the organisation’s processes 
for identifying and assessing climate-
related risks
We are aware that climate change poses an existential 
threat to not only our business and sector, but the global 
economy. We recognise that there is much we need to do 
to improve the impact of our business on the environment. 
As such, in 2021 we engaged with external agency, JLL, to 
conduct two rigorous climate scenario analysis exercises, 
the first to model climate-related risks and opportunities 
to our portfolio and the second to qualitatively assess the 
resilience of our overall business strategy. The results of 
the two assessments were used to develop our Climate-
related risk matrix.

In-line with TCFD’s recommendation, the assessment used 
two distinct, plausible scenarios established by the IPCC, 
one of which considers a transition to a lower-carbon 
economy consistent with a 2°C or lower scenario, RCP 
4.5, and one consistent with increased physical climate-
related risks, RCP 8.5. The two scenarios covered a broad 
range of likely physical and transition climate-related risks 
over the short, medium, and long term.  Furthermore, 
our net zero carbon strategy is aligned with CRREM 1.5°C 
Global and Sector Pathways.  To understand our impact 
and develop a trajectory of how our shopping centre 
portfolio will perform from a net zero carbon and energy 
perspective over the period to 2040, we have set a carbon 
baseline in the most recent, representative year: 2019. The 
baseline and projection to 2040 represent a business-as-
usual scenario, including assumptions about growth plans, 
strategic shifts, grid decarbonisation, operational carbon at 
current energy usage intensity rates and embodied carbon 
based on current intensity rates.

The first climate risk analysis exercise quantitatively 
assessed the vulnerability of our portfolio based on our 
assets’ location and characteristics to a range of climate-
related risks, including physical risks such as flooding, heat 
stress, drought and storm damage and transition risks, 
such as market, legal, reputation and technology risks. 
The assessment helped us determine the geographical 
distribution of climate-related risks and opportunities and 
the potential financial losses and gains to our portfolio, 
as well as the different types of climate risks posed to our 
shopping centres and Snozone assets. The assessment 
also helped determine the most at-risk assets, allowing 
us to make strategic decisions on where to best focus 
mitigation actions and harness the available opportunities. 

The second climate risk analysis exercise involved an 
in-depth review of the most up-to-date, credible climate 
literature to determine the Significance and Likelihood 
of a range of physical and transition climate-related risks 
and helped establish which risks are most material to our 
business. The results from the quantitative climate risk 
assessment were taken into account when scoring the 
Significance and Likelihood of individual climate-related 
risks. Significance scoring considered the impact, financial 
impact and ease/cost of mitigation on a scale of 1-5, 
ranging from minimal/no impact to catastrophic impact 
threatening the future of the business. Likelihood scoring 

considered the likelihood, frequency, duration of impact, 
and how quickly the risk materialises on a scale of 1-5, 
from unlikely risks with a short duration that materialise 
slowly to certain risks with a high frequency and duration 
that persist over a long period of time. 

The results of the two scenario analyses were synthesised 
together to identify the top risks and opportunities to 
the Group, as well as inform detailed risk management 
recommendations. These have been embedded into 
risk management and decision-making by forming the 
new Climate-related risk matrix specifically for climate-
related risks, feeding into the Group’s Risk Review (see 
Governance).

Building on the climate risk assessment process conducted 
previously, the development of our Climate Adaptation 
Plan facilitates greater integration of adaptation and 
resilience across the business and decision-making 
process. Embedding this action plan into our business 
strategy decisions across the entire investment lifecycle 
supports our ability to fully address the challenges 
posed by climate change now and to prepare effectively 
for potentially greater risk in future. In doing so, we 
aim to secure long-term sustainability and protection 
of our portfolio against potential climate risks, as well 
as contribute to a more resilient and thriving future for 
our business and society.  As part of the plan, we have 
developed a range of tools that aid the identification, 
assessment and management of climate risks into decision 
making and business processes across all stages of the 
investment lifecycle. 

Featured in our Climate Adaptation Plan toolkit, our 
Climate Risk Acquisition Checklist ensures that a range of 
physical and transition climate-related risks are identified 
and assessed during acquisition due diligence to avoid 
acquiring spaces that expose the business to climate-
related risks beyond our adaptative capacity. As part of 
the Pre-Acquisition Requirements, this involves conducting 
both a physical and a transition climate-related risk 
assessment. 

When assessing physical risk, a historic climate risk 
assessment reviews publicly available information, such 
as flood maps and heat maps, to determine the historical 
likelihood of climate-related impacts and whether the 
asset is in a historically high-risk area. A forward-looking 
approach is also taken using climate modelling tools (a 
minimum of two climate scenarios must be conducted, 
including a 2°C scenario) to identify and assess potentially 
material climate-related risks to the target asset over 
time. This assessment provides analysis of the potential 
financial losses (potential disruption costs, damage costs, 
insurance costs, operational expenditure costs and capital 
expenditure costs) that could be incurred in the event of 
physical climate events materialising at the property. 

We recognise emerging regulatory risks through our 
climate-related risk matrix whereby the transition risk 
category of increased regulation includes  anticipated 
policy for improving existing building stock with increased 
energy efficiency requirements and building labelling 
schemes. 

116

Stock code: CALTransition climate-related risks are assessed using two 
audits, a Rapid Net Zero Carbon Audit, and an Asset 
Performance Audit. The audits help determine the 
operational performance of the asset regarding energy 
and carbon by assessing building certifications, EPC 
ratings, type of energy procured, operational efficiency, 
GHG emission intensity, efficiency of existing building 
systems and machinery, age and useful life of machinery 
and equipment, opportunities to improve systems, 
feasibility for low-carbon technologies and the associated 
capital expenditure costs. Target assets must possess 
an acceptable level of risk for the acquisition process to 
proceed following authorisation, with identified potential 
financial losses not exceeding defined investment 
thresholds.

Our Climate Resilience Framework tool is leveraged to 
identify and assess the residual climate risk facing an asset 
following an assessment of the asset’s existing resilience 
and adaptive capacity. We calculate an initial vulnerability 
score using results from the climate risk assessments 
performed during acquisition due diligence and the 
assessment of our existing portfolio in 2021. The resilience 
assessment utilises a target asset’s site documentation and 
the results from the climate risk assessments to assess 
the asset’s existing adaptive capacity to climate hazards 
most material to our business, including heat stress, 
storms, flooding, drought and water stress, and solid 
mass-related events. We use our Climate Resilience Score 
Grid to input the target asset’s adaptative solutions. A 
score, between -1 to +1, is determined based on the target 
asset’s exposure to risk and adaptive capacity. The scores 
are simplified to ‘positive’, ‘neutral’, and ‘negative’ and can 
be evaluated and assessed using guidance provided in the 
Climate Resilience Score Guide. This tool provides us with 
a fuller understanding of our risk, and informs effective 
management solutions. 

Describe the organisation’s processes 
for managing climate-related risks
The Group’s Risk Matrix is reviewed twice a year by the 
Group’s Senior Leadership Team, the Audit Committee, 
and the Board to ensure that the Group remains on top 
of existing identified and any new emerging risks and 
their potential impact to the business, the likelihood of 
them occurring, the actions being taken to manage them, 
and the individuals responsible for managing them. In 
the Risk Matrix principal risks are scored and ranked for 
Significance and Likelihood across low, medium, and 
high levels. Significance levels are given financial values 
to indicate the potential financial impact of principal 
risks to the business. Climate-related is a principal risk in 
the Group’s Risk Matrix that considers the top identified 
transition and physical climate-related risks to the 
business. These are also scored and ranked by Significance 
and Likelihood in a separate Climate-related risk matrix 
following the rigorous climate risk assessment described 
in the previous sub recommendation. The Climate-related 
principal risk and Climate-related risk matrix are overseen 
by the ESG Committee 

The climate risk assessment process we have undertaken 
in late 2021, described above, has informed detailed 
risk management recommendations, which we used 
to develop a five-year roadmap for implementing key 

actions across four main stages of the property life cycle: 
Governance, Acquisition, Property management and Asset 
management, that set the foundations for short-term 
actions for embedding climate-related risk management 
and improving climate resilience in the medium and 
long term.

Risk management processes are present at each stage 
of the property lifecycle, with all activities taking place 
within our defined risk appetite. EPC ratings are actively 
considered in the acquisition due diligence process and 
in our Acquisition Checklist. Additionally, no acquisition 
would progress without a detailed building survey first 
being undertaken, which would incorporate environmental 
and sustainability considerations in reviewing construction 
and condition and lifecycle replacement programmes. The 
outputs from these surveys will not only inform cyclical 
replacement and upgrade programmes, but will be taken 
into consideration alongside asset initiative investment 
that would form part of any underwriting. Thus, 
ensuring investment commitments for refurbishment 
or general initiatives can incorporate opportunities to 
enhance NZC readiness in a timely manner and when 
opportunities arise.

Through the formation of our Climate Adaptation Plan 
this year, we have further developed and formalised our 
approach to managing our material climate-related risks. 
This has involved assigning responsibility to managing 
climate risks across the investment lifecycle to named 
individuals within our Senior Leadership Teams and 
developing a suite of complementary tools to ensure 
climate-related considerations are thoroughly evaluated 
before acquisitions and major capital expenditures. 

Strengthening our existing acquisition process mentioned 
above, our new Climate Risk Acquisition Checklist sets 
thresholds that inform a go and no-go investment 
decision, protecting our portfolio from exceeding our set 
risk thresholds. Where an investment case remains, we 
conduct a further set of assessments prior to acquisition, 
including use of our Climate Resilience Framework 
to identify climate adaptation measures required to 
reduce the target asset’s overall residual risk following 
implementation, which then inform capital expenditure 
plans prior to the asset’s acquisition.

Within our Climate Resilience Framework tool, our Climate 
Adaptation Performance Tracker is used to measure 
and monitor the effectiveness of climate adaptation 
measures which may have been implemented to address 
the identified material climate hazards. Efficacy is 
measured against a 2023 baseline and monitored annually 
to highlight any change in vulnerability following the 
implementation of new adaptative solutions and ongoing 
climate transformation. Furthermore, the framework 
ensures that proposed adaptation solutions align with the 
existing Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM) at the 
centre-level to ensure we allocate our capital expenditure 
appropriately and invest where resilience is most required.

To enhance our ability to manage climate-related risks in 
tenant-controlled spaces, we have introduced Green Lease 
Clauses considering minimum energy efficiency standards 
(MEES) compliance and are engaging with tenants around 
their operational behaviour, energy efficiency and data 
sharing. We are pursuing to move to 100% renewable 
landlord electricity supply. Additionally, we undertake 

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asset level net zero carbon audits to identify opportunities 
to reduce energy consumption and improve efficiencies. 
Together, these strategies inform our investment and 
capital allocation activities, as well as acquisition and 
divestment decisions to maximise the overall performance 
and resilience of our portfolio’s assets.

Furthermore, we also manage climate-related risks in 
our tenant-controlled spaces via our new Retail Technical 
Design Guide: Sustainable Fit-Out Measures. This guidance 
provides comprehensive recommendations for enhancing 
climate resilience, energy-efficiency, and environmentally 
sustainable outcomes across key sustainability areas 
during the interior fit-out of retail units and other tenant-
controlled spaces. The recommended initiatives cover a 
broad range of sustainability themes, including climate 
change resilience, health and wellbeing, and carbon 
and energy efficiency, and either support Green Fit-Out 
(structural changes to facilities) or Green Operation 
(processes) transformation. 

We have already undertaken climate resilience upgrades 
across our portfolio, such as at our Snozone sites where 
voltage optimisers have been installed to improve the 
efficiency of energy consumption in extreme temperatures 
and capital expenditure has been specifically dedicated 
to improving the insulation of these sites. These types of 
adaptation measures are important at these sites given the 
expectation that temperature extremes will become more 
frequent and significant in the future, leading to potential 
physical asset damages and material financial losses. 

When implementing climate adaptation measures across 
our sites, we will leverage our Climate Adaptation Conflict 
tool to evaluate an adaptation solution’s potential impact 
on our wider sustainability goals. By considering the 
goals linked to climate change mitigation, nature and 
biodiversity, community, and resource use, we want to 
make sure that these decisions are made with a holistic 
approach. For this intent, the tool measures potential 
synergies and trade-offs, safeguarding our responsible 
management of climate risks and ensuring that we 
implement the solutions that offer the greatest resilience 
potential, without exacerbating wider sustainability 
challenges.

We conduct regular weekly calls with asset operations 
managers to specifically  discuss and address weather 
impacts across our sites. This allows us to gain insight into 
the potential risks and effects posed by weather events at 
a site scale, prioritising adaptation solutions accordingly 
to enhance asset resilience strategies. Climate risk is also 
being integrated into health and safety audits, ensuring 
emergency plans and procedures are in place and effective 
when required. With climate risk being integrated into 
the breadth of the management processes including 
emergency plans, there is a strong social focus where the 
wellbeing of employees and tenants are at the heart of 
decisions surrounding climate adaptation. 

In addition to our compliance to the Streamlined Energy 
and Carbon Reporting (SECR), Carbon Trust and ISO14001, 
our organisational commitment to reach net zero by 2040, 
which is supported by our Net Zero Carbon Pathway, is a 
key step to managing and mitigating transition climate-
related risk, specifically risks associated with increased 
costs of carbon and shifting market and occupier demand 
towards low carbon buildings.

Describe how processes for 
identifying, assessing and managing 
climate-related risks are integrated 
into the organisation’s overall risk 
management
We have now fully integrated climate-related risks and 
opportunities into our risk management processes. 
We have integrated the outputs of the climate risk 
assessments into our risk management framework and 
will continue to integrate key risks within the Risk Matrix 
and separate climate-related risk matrix owned by the ESG 
Committee and overseen by the Audit Committee and the 
Board. 

Through the development of the Climate Adaptation 
Tool, responsibility for managing climate-related risks is 
integrated at the top governance levels, for which training 
workshops were carried out to facilitate immediate 
integration and effective activation. We have committed 
to developing robust risk management of climate-related 
considerations as we recognise that climate-related risks 
could increasingly materially impact our financial and 
business strategy decisions.

118

Stock code: CAL4  Metrics and Targets
Disclose the metrics used by the 
organisation to assess climate-related 
risks and opportunities in line with its 
strategy and risk management process
We report in line with EPRA Sustainability Best Practices 
Recommendations (sBPR) for sustainability reporting. We 
provide information to our stakeholders on our climate-
related performance and activities by reporting on a range 
of metrics for resource consumption, energy, and carbon 
emissions across our portfolio.

These include:

•  Total and like-for-like Scope 1 and 2 emissions were 

calculated using internal data alongside the emissions 
factors from the UK Government’s GHG Conversion 
Factors for Company Reporting 2020. Scope 3 emissions 
will be calculated in the Net Zero Carbon pathway being 
developed.

•  Total and like-for-like Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions 

in tCO2e, including GHG intensity from building energy 
(kgCO2e/sqft/year), also split by asset type

•  Total and like-for-like electricity consumed in kWh, 

including energy intensity in kWh/sqft/year, also split by 
asset type

•  Total and like-for-like water consumption, including 

occupier water consumption in m3/year, also split by 
asset type

•  Total and like-for-like waste disposal in tonnes, split into 
landfill, incineration, recovery recycling, and anaerobic 
digestion in metric tonnes

As part of our Net Zero Carbon pathway strategy, we will 
be implementing metrics, including:

•  Maximise onsite renewable energy

•  High quality renewable energy procurement % 
•  Major refurbishment embodied carbon intensity (tCO2e/

m2 GIA)

•  Minor development and fit-out embodied carbon 

intensity (tCO2e/m2 GIA)

•  Total portfolio embodied carbon development (tCO2e)
•  Offset residual carbon emissions (tCO2e)

To supplement our quantitative measures, we also 
assess key qualitative measures, including EPC ratings 
and building certifications to build a holistic view of our 
portfolio’s performance. Following the in-depth climate risk 
assessment conducted in late 2021, we are in the process 
of defining and tracking further climate-related metrics 
and targets.

As outlined in Risk Management, key material climate-
related risks and opportunities have been identified by 

conducting rigorous climate risk assessments. Using 
indicators in the climate resilience framework, we can 
assess and track an asset’s performance on climate risk 
and resilience and the corresponding changes when 
adaptive measures are implemented.

Within The Climate Resilience Framework, indicators have 
been identified for the purpose of performance tracking. 
Such indicators cover the identified physical climate-
related risks of heat stress, storms, flooding, drought 
and water stress, solid mass-related events and other 
material physical climate-related risks. These indicators 
include: the thermal performance of the roofing system, 
the percentage of both external and internal shading 
coverage, the number of repairs made to the HVAC 
system, the number of repairs made to the drainage along 
with their costings and the number of leaks detected 
within the last year. 

Disclose Scope 1, Scope 2 and, if 
appropriate, Scope 3 greenhouse gas 
(GHG) emissions, and the related risks
We disclose Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions in our 
SECR disclosures and on our website. These have been 
calculated and reported in line with the GHG Protocol 
Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard.

Scope 3 GHG emissions are calculated in the Net Zero 
Carbon pathway and reported accordingly.

Describe the targets used by the 
organisation to manage climate-
related risks and opportunities and 
performance against targets
In recognition of the real estate sector’s contribution 
to global GHG emissions and climate change, we are 
developing our Net Zero Carbon pathway strategy with the 
intention to reach net zero carbon by 2040. 

Each of our retail and leisure centres has developed its 
own multiyear carbon reduction plan, which builds on 
the carbon reductions achieved to date, and outlines 
the pathway to achieving net zero by 2040. These plans 
include annual carbon intervention targets. The Centre 
teams monitor their carbon reduction plan on monthly 
basis which is being enhanced through a rollout of real-
time circuit monitoring for utilities.

In 2024, we will recalculate our CRREM pathways to align 
with the most recent changes to our portfolio. Asset 
interventions recommended by the framework will provide 
insight as we continue to develop our future plans.  

Read our pathway to net zero carbon for more 
information. 

119

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123 Board of Directors
125 Senior Leadership Team
126 Corporate Governance Report
134 Nomination Committee Report
137 Audit Committee Report
142 Directors’ Remuneration
144 Directors’ Remunerations Policy
151 Directors’ Remunerations Report
161 Directors’ Report
166 Directors’ Responsibilities Statement
167 Independent Auditor’s Report

120

Stock code: CAL121

GovernanceCapital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Chair’s Introduction to Governance

I am pleased to present  
Capital & Regional’s corporate 
governance report for 2023. 

David Hunter
Chairman

The primary focus of the business in 2023 was in navigating the continuing 
operational recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, advancing the Group’s ESG 
agenda and growing the business through the acquisition of Gyle, shopping 
centre in Edinburgh, the Group’s first property acquisition since 2017.

The composition of the Board, in 
terms of diversity and tenure, has 
been considered by the Nomination 
Committee during the year. 
Disclosures regarding ethnic and 
gender diversity required by Listing 
Rule 9.8.6R(10), are set out on page 
136. Our succession planning takes 
account of the diversity targets as 
set out in the Listing Rules and we 
engaged Nurole, specialists in Non-
Executive Director roles, to assist with 

the search to replace Ian Krieger who 
will retire in 2024 having completed 
nine years’ service which resulted in 
the appointment of Gerry Murphy.

The Board remains committed to high 
standards of corporate governance, 
which it considers to be critical 
to effective management and to 
maintaining investor confidence. I 
am satisfied that our approach, as 
embedded throughout our business, 

delivers this and will continue to 
evolve and improve to keep pace 
with changes in best practice and 
regulation and the Board will continue 
to keep itself appraised of proposed 
changes in governance including 
the changes to the UK Corporate 
Governance Code. 

David Hunter
Chairman

122

Stock code: CALBoard of Directors

Executive Directors

Non-executive Directors

Committee membership

A  Audit Committee

E  ESG Committee

N  Nomination Committee

R  Remuneration Committee

 Chair of Committee

 Senior Independent  
Director
*Independent (as per the UK  
Corporate Governance Code).

Lawrence Hutchings 
Chief Executive 

David Hunter 

Chairman of the Board

Committee membership  E

Committee membership  N

Appointed 2017 

Appointed 2020 

Relevant skills and experience
Lawrence joined the Group in 2017 
following four years at Blackstone in 
Australia, two as Managing Director, 
and has over 20 years’ experience in the 
property industry. Prior to Blackstone, 
Lawrence was at Hammerson plc for 
four years, the last three as Managing 
Director - UK Retail, before which he 
spent almost seven years at Henderson 
Global Investors. 

External appointments
•  None

Relevant skills and experience
David has many years’ experience in UK and 
international real estate markets, including 19 years 
as an independent adviser and professional non-
executive director. His current roles include Chairman 
at Dar Global plc. His background includes previous 
board level positions in the UK and overseas. He is a 
Senior Adviser to ICG Real Estate, a leading real estate 
debt fund manager. Prior to 2005, David was Managing 
Director of Aberdeen Property Investors and in 2004 
he was President of the British Property Federation.

External appointments
•  DAR Global plc (Chairman)
• 

ICG-Longbow (Senior Adviser)

Stuart Wetherly 
Group Finance Director 

and Company Secretary

Appointed 2019 

Relevant skills and experience
Stuart joined Capital & Regional as 
Group Financial Controller in October 
2012, and was additionally appointed 
Company Secretary in April 2013. He 
was appointed Group Finance Director 
in March 2019. Prior to joining Capital 
& Regional, Stuart spent 12 years at 
Deloitte in London where he qualified 
as a Chartered Accountant.  Stuart also 
worked in a group finance role at Johnson 
Matthey plc.

External appointments
•  None

Ian Krieger 
Non-Executive* 

Committee membership  A   N   R  
Appointed 2014 

Relevant skills and experience
Ian is the Audit Committee Chairman and Senior 
Independent Director at Primary Health Properties 
PLC. Aside from his Non-Executive Director experience; 
Ian also brings extensive financial expertise from 
having previously been a senior partner and vice-
chairman at Deloitte until his retirement in 2012.

External appointments
•  Primary Health Properties plc (Audit Committee 

Chair, Senior Independent Director)

123

GovernanceCapital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023 
Board of Directors

Non-executive Directors

Gerry Murphy 
Non-Executive

Norbert Sasse 
Non-Executive

Panico Theocharides 
Non-Executive

Committee  
membership  A   N   R

Appointed 2024

Relevant skills and experience
Gerry is currently a Non-Executive 
Director of Currys PLC and was previously 
Senior Independent Director of Capital 
& Counties Properties PLC. Gerry is also 
a Non-Executive board member of the 
Department of Health and Social Care, 
chairs its Audit and Risk assurance 
committee and is a co-opted member of 
the NHS England Audit and Risk assurance 
committee. He is a former Deloitte 
LLP partner and was a member of the 
Deloitte board and chairman of its audit 
committee. Prior to that, Gerry was also 
chairman of the Audit and Assurance 
Faculty of the Institute of Chartered 
Accountants in England and Wales.

External appointments
•  Currys plc (Non-Executive Director)
•  Department of Health and Social Care 

(Non-Executive Director)

Appointed 2019

Appointed 2023

Relevant skills and experience
Norbert is the Group Chief Executive 
Officer of Growthpoint Properties Limited.  
He holds a BCom and Honours Degree in 
Accounting from Rand Afrikaans University 
and is a Chartered Accountant. Norbert 
has 25 years’ experience in corporate 
finance, funds management and all 
aspects of listed property, as well as equity 
and debt capital market experience. He 
is a director of all major Growthpoint 
subsidiaries and investments in South 
Africa, Australia and the United Kingdom.

External appointments
•  Growthpoint Properties Limited
•  Growthpoint Properties Australia 

Limited

•  Globalworth Real Estate Investments 

Limited

Relevant skills and experience
Panico joined Growthpoint in February 
2023 as Group Head of Investments.  
Panico has over 20 years’ experience in 
the real estate, advisory and investment 
banking industries. Prior to joining 
Growthpoint Panico worked for five years 
as an independent property advisor 
and previously was Head of Property 
Advisory, Corporate Finance at Investec 
in South Africa.  Before that Panico was 
the Joint Chief Executive Officer of Annuity 
Properties Limited, a South African focused 
REIT that was listed on the Johannesburg 
Stock Exchange.

External appointments
•  Growthpoint Properties Australia 

Limited 

•  Globalworth Real Estate Investments 

Limited

Katie Wadey 
Non-Executive* 

Laura Whyte 
Non-Executive*

Committee  
membership  A   E   N   R

Committee  
membership  A   N   R

Appointed 2020

Appointed 2015

Relevant skills and experience
Katie is the Chief Product and Commercial 
Officer of Wesleyan Financial Services. 
Katie has over 20 years of multi-industry 
experience across a range of customer 
and commercial functions and has held 
senior roles at blue chip consumer facing 
organisations including BT, LV=, Tesco, 
British Gas and Aviva. Katie has also been a 
trustee of Transform Housing and Support 
since 2019.

External appointments
•  Wesleyan Financial Services
•  Transform Housing and Support 

(Trustee)

Relevant skills and experience
Laura had a long and successful career 
with John Lewis Partnership where she 
served on the Management Board for over 
ten years, firstly as Registrar and latterly as 
HR Director. Laura is also a Non-Executive 
Director and Chair of the Remuneration 
Committee at Trifast plc and Macfarlane 
Group PLC and a Trustee of The Old Royal 
Naval College, Greenwich.

External appointments
•  Trifast plc
•  Macfarlane Group plc
•  The Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich 

(Trustee)

124

Stock code: CALSenior Leadership Team

Board Diversity at 
30 December 2023

Board composition 
(number of Directors)

1

2

2

3

Chairman
Executive Directors
Independent Non-Executive 
Directors
Non-Executive Directors

Board tenure

3

1

4

1 - 3 years
3 - 6 years
6 - 9 years

Average tenure – 5.1 years

Board gender split (%)

25%

75%

Male
Female

Lawrence Hutchings 
Chief Executive

Stuart Wetherly 
Group Finance Director 
and Company Secretary

Frankie Chrysanthou 
Commercial Director

Sara Jennings 
Director of Operations 
& Guest Experience

Frankie joined C&R in 2022 bringing 
more than 20 years of experience 
across commercial leasing and 
business planning and performance. 
Her most recent roles were with 
leading flexible workspace providers 
IWG and Landmark Space. As 
Commercial Director, Frankie 
supports our community strategy 
and is responsible for directing the 
leasing team, CML and temp lettings 
to drive new retail deals and execute 
innovative asset management 
strategies to optimise the use of space 
across our shopping centre portfolio.

Sara began her retail career 
working for House of Fraser in Store 
Management before joining C&R 
in 2001. She has held a number of 
positions within C&R before taking 
on the role of Director of Guest 
and Customer Experience. Sara 
is responsible for the day to day 
management of the Group’s shopping 
centres and leads the integration 
process of new acquisitions.

James Ryman 
Investment Director

Nick Phillips 
Managing Director 
Snozone

James joined Capital & Regional in 
2007 and prior to that qualified as a 
Chartered Surveyor at Donaldsons 
Chartered Surveyors where he spent 
13 years specialising in all aspects of 
shopping centre asset management, 
latterly running the Retail Asset 
Management team.  As Investment 
Director, James is responsible for 
driving investment performance from 
our shopping centre portfolio.

Nick joined C&R in 2012 as Snozone’s 
Managing Director.  Nick started 
his career with Aldi, joining them in 
their embryonic stages in the UK as a 
regional New Store Openings Manager 
in the northwest.  He then went on to 
hold a number of positions with Lidl 
and Whitbread PLC as David Lloyd 
Leisure’s Regional Director for the 
south of England before becoming 
their Sales & Operations Director for 
the UK & Europe. 

125

GovernanceCapital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Compliance with the Corporate Governance Code

The Company has, throughout the year ended 30 
December 2023, applied the principles and complied with 
the provisions of the 2018 UK Corporate Governance 
Code except for (i) Provision 11 - that in light of the 
Board featuring two representatives of Growthpoint, the 
Company’s majority shareholder, at least half the Board, 
excluding the Chair, are not considered to be independent 
non-executive directors. 

In order to fully comply with Principle G of the 2018 
Corporate Governance Code, the Board would need to 
recruit one further independent non-executive director. 

This would result in a disproportionately large Board 
number in comparison to the current scale and complexity 
of the Business. In the Company’s view, the breadth 
of experience and knowledge brought to the Board by 
the Chairman, who is considered to be independent 
in practice, and non-executive directors coupled with 
their detachment from the day-to-day issues within the 
Company provide for constructive debate and robust 
decision making. The Board considers the current 
composition to be effective in holding the executives and 
the management team to account.

Board 
Leadership 
and Company 
Purpose

Division of 
responsibilities

Composition, 
Succession and 
Evaluation

Audit, Risk and 
Internal Control

Remuneration

ESG

Disclosure 
responsibilities

The Board has overall responsibility for delivering the long-term sustainable 
success of the Group. It also has the responsibility to ensure the Group’s key 
stakeholders are clearly identified and that the success is for their benefit and 
for the wider community.

The Board has devised a clear purpose of the Business with well-defined values 
and strategy that aim to provide a solid platform for achieving this purpose and 
instilling the right culture across the Business. 

The Board and its four Committees have well-established responsibilities that 
are set out in the Schedule of Matters Reserved for Board Approval and Terms 
of Reference for each Committee, respectively. The division of responsibilities 
between the Chairman, tasked with ensuring the effectiveness of the Board, 
and the Chief Executive, who is responsible for the leadership of the Group’s 
business, has been clearly defined.

All divisions of responsibilities have been agreed and approved by the Board.

The Board, as a whole, keeps under review the composition of the Board and its 
Committees. Appointments to the Board are recommended by the Nomination 
Committee. The Nomination Committee is also responsible for ensuring 
adequate succession planning is in place for Board and senior management 
positions. The Nomination Committee is also responsible for reviewing the 
Group’s policy on Diversity and Inclusion.

The Board undertakes an annual review of its own effectiveness.

The Board delegates and receives updates from the Audit Committee in respect 
of monitoring the integrity of financial statements and ensuring robust systems 
and adequate controls are in place to manage risk. The Board has also tasked 
the Audit Committee with monitoring and maintaining the Group’s relationship 
with the external audit firm.

The Board, through the Remuneration Committee, ensures that remuneration 
policies and practices are designed to support the Group’s strategy and 
promote long-term sustainable success. The Remuneration Committee ensure 
that formal and transparent policies are in place for determining director and 
senior management remuneration.

The Board, through the ESG Committee sets and reviews the ESG strategy, 
benchmarks and measures the Group’s ESG performance against national and 
global industry standards, ensures that there are appropriate policies in place to 
support the Group’s ESG framework and assists on other matters related to ESG 
as may be referred to it by the Board.

The Board delegates responsibilities in identifying Inside Information and 
determining when disclosure is required to a sub-committee formed of the 
Chairman, Chief Executive and Group Finance Director. This group meets on 
an as required basis to identify when how and when the Group should disclose 
Inside Information in accordance with the Disclosure Policy and having regard, 
in particular, to information previously disclosed by the Company.

  For more on Board 
Structure see 
page130-131

  For more on Purpose and 
Strategy see page 3 and 
pages 24-29

  For more on Division 
of Responsibilities see 
pages 130-132

  For more on  
Composition, Succession 
and Evaluation, see page 
133 and page 135

  For more on Group’s Risk 
management, see pages 
140-141

  For more on Audit and 
Internal Controls, see 
pages 139-141

  For more on 
Remuneration see  
pages 142-160

  For more on ESG see 
pages 62-107

Compliance with the Disclosure and 
Transparency Rules
The disclosures required under DTR 7.2 of the Disclosure 
and Transparency Rules are contained in this report, 
except for those required under DTR 7.2.6 which are 
contained in the Directors’ Report.

Task Force for Climate-Related 
Financial Disclosures
In accordance with LR 9.8.6(8), details of the Group’s 
pathway to providing disclosure consistent with the 
recommendations of the Task Force for Climate-Related 
Financial Disclosures (TCFD) are provided in the ESG 
Report on pages 108-119. The Board is aware of the 
importance in reducing the Group’s impact on climate to 
further mitigate its direct link to financial risk.

126

Stock code: CALBoard leadership and company purpose

Board Activity
Main activities undertaken during the financial year:

Strategy

 Risk Management &   
  Internal Controls

Financial  
  Performance

•  Reviewed strategic options 
for the further growth and 
development of the business

•  Considered the impact on 

•  Reviewed the Group’s 

operations from the cost of 
living crisis  

performance against budget 
and peers 

•  Approved the annual 

business plan and budget

•  Approved interim and full 

year results

•  Reviewed the dividend policy 

•  Reviewed the Group’s major 
capital expenditure projects

•  Reviewed the Group’s debt 

facilities 

•  Received updates on 

•  Reviewed the Group’s 

emerging and principal risks 
and the risk matrix and 
internal control systems

•  Reviewed the effectiveness 
of the material financial, 
operational and compliance 
controls that mitigate the 
Group’s key risks

•  Through the Board’s Audit 
Committee, met with the 
Company’s independent  
property valuers twice in 
the year

property cycle and sector 
trends including the 
interaction of physical and 
online retail

•  Continued to monitor 

management’s progress 
on positioning the asset 
portfolio to increase 
exposure to resilient 
customer categories in line 
with changing consumer 
demands

•  Assessing the Group’s capital 
structure including capital 
allocation and considering 
and approving capital 
expenditure investment

•  Considered and approved 
the acquisition of the Gyle 
shopping centre and its 
part funding by a fully 
underwritten open offer.

Governance

Stakeholders

•  Received updates on 
interaction with and 
feedback from shareholders

•  Reviewed employee 

engagement survey results 
and updates on company 
culture

•  Received updates on key HR 

and people matters

•  Discussed the results of the 

Board evaluation

•  Received regular updates 

from the Chairs of the Audit, 
Remuneration, Nomination 
and ESG Committees

•  Received briefings on key 

governance and regulatory 
developments

•  Completed the annual review 
of the Company’s Modern 
Slavery Statement

•  Reviewed and updated the 

Board Committees’ Terms of 
Reference

127

GovernanceCapital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Board leadership and company purpose continued

Aligning purpose, values, strategy and 
culture & the role of the Board
The Board of Directors at Capital & Regional PLC takes 
on the collective responsibility to promote the long-term 
sustainable success of the Company for the benefit of its 
shareholders, stakeholders and for the wider community. 
They achieve this by setting a clear Company purpose and 
strategy that aligns to the desired culture and values of the 
Group. The Board ensures that it reviews and approves key 
policies and decisions, particularly in relation to culture. It 
also assesses the Group’s allocation of capital resources 
and approves the Group’s business plans, which outline 
key remerchandising and leasing initiatives for each 
centre, against the strategy on an annual basis, ensuring 
it remains relevant to the securing the long-term vision 
for the Group. As a premium listed Company, the Board 
is ever mindful of governance and compliance with laws 
and regulations when taking decisions. It retains ultimate 
responsibility for approving business development 
opportunities, including major investments and disposals 
ensuring these are aligned to long term strategy. 

The Board, with the support of the Company Secretary, 
meets regularly, on an at least quarterly basis, throughout 
the year to ensure that the Directors allocate sufficient 
time to discharge their duties effectively. Board meetings 
are scheduled to coincide with key events in the 
Company’s financial calendar, including interim and final 
results and the Annual General Meeting (AGM). Other 
meetings during the year will review the Company’s 
strategy and budgets for the next financial year and 
the Company’s key risks and financial and operating 
performance.

The Board delegates the day-to-day management of 
the business to the Executives. However, a schedule of 
matters reserved for the Board is maintained to ensure 
material matters, such as significant transactions, are 
brought to the Board for approval. The Executive Directors 
take operational decisions and also approve certain 
transactions within defined parameters of the Delegation 
of Authority which forms part of the Schedule of Matters 
Reserved for the Board.

The Board delegates certain responsibilities to its four 
Committees, which operate within specified terms of 
reference that are reviewed annually. The Committee 
Chairs’ report on all proposed actions in relation to their 
delegated activities to make sure that the Board retain 
overall accountability. 

Purpose
The Group’s primary purpose is to invest in, manage and 
enhance retail property through the creation of dynamic 
environments tailored to their local community. We define 
and lead community shopping through the creation of 
vibrant retail spaces and exceptional customer and guest 
experience. 

Strategy
The Group strategy is coming into its seventh year since 
its launch in 2017. The Board continues to believe that 
community shopping centres, actively remerchandised 
to increase exposure to growth and resilient non-
discretionary retailer offerings with a best-in-class 
management platform remains a robust strategy for 
delivering shareholder return in the medium term. 

Monitoring and assessing our culture
The Board is responsible for defining, monitoring and 
overseeing the culture of the organisation and ensuring 
that it is aligned with the Company’s purpose and strategy. 
To foster and support an open culture, where all staff 
understand the strategic direction of the business, key 
points arising from strategic discussions held by the Board 
and Senior Leadership Team are communicated to staff 
members via regular Town Hall meetings. 

The Board’s agenda is managed to ensure that the value 
which the Company generates is preserved over the long-
term, with key stakeholder considerations and governance 
issues playing a fundamental part in its decision making. 

The Board receives regular updates on the operational 
performance of the Group’s centres against key KPIs, 
including footfall and leasing activity and feedback on 
guest surveys, providing insight into the demand and 
engagement within each community.

The Board also receives regular people updates on the 
Company’s culture and whether it is embracing the values 
of inspiring creative thinking, encouraging collaborative 
engagement, acting with integrity and delivering dynamic 
solutions.

The Board of Directors are also encouraged to visit centres 
outside of formal Board visits to engage with employees 
and to gain a deeper understanding of the trading 
environment and the differences in guest experiences 
across the assets. A visit to the Group’s shopping centre 
in Ilford was incorporated into one of the Board meetings 
during the year. 

Shareholder relations
The Company encourages regular dialogue with its 
shareholders at the AGM, corporate functions and 
property visits. The Company also attends road shows, 
participates in sector conferences and, following the 
announcement of final and interim results, and throughout 
the year, as requested, holds update meetings with 
institutional investors. The Chairman, Senior Independent 
Director and Committee Chairs are available to hold 
meetings with institutional shareholders, when required, 
to discuss key issues. All the Directors are accessible to all 
shareholders, and queries received verbally or in writing 
are addressed as soon as possible. 

Announcements are made to the London Stock Exchange, 
the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and the business media 
concerning business developments to provide wider 
dissemination of information. Registered shareholders are 
sent copies of the annual report and relevant circulars. The 
Group’s website (capreg.com) is kept up to date with all 
announcements, reports and shareholder circulars.

128

Stock code: CALKey engagement events during the year included:

•  Shareholders invited to attend the full year and 

interim results presentations in person and via video 
conference

•  Post-results investor road shows 

•  An in person Annual General Meeting

•  Participated in a number of industry conferences

•  Provided regular updates to the market throughout 

the year

In addition to these responsibilities, Laura periodically 
attends Townhall meetings and has an open invitation 
to join the Employee Voice and Diversity & Inclusion 
Committees. Laura reviews and monitors feedback and 
insights driven by our employee surveys and is consulted 
on the topics covered. As Chair of the Remuneration 
Committee, Laura is also briefed on any remuneration 
matters affecting employees and is able to provide 
feedback to the Remuneration Committee on any concerns 
raised by employees. 

Conflicts of interest
Directors are required to report actual or potential 
conflicts of interests to the Board for consideration and 
the Company maintains a register of authorised conflicts 
of interest. The Chairman notes the Register and reminds 
Directors of their duties under the Companies Act 2006 
relating to the disclosure of any conflicts of interest at the 
beginning of each Board meeting. Where matters arise 
that involve a potential conflict of interest the Chairman 
will ask conflicted members to leave the meeting while 
such matters are discussed. An example of this in 2023 
occurred where the Board discussed the pricing of the 
new equity to be raised and noting that Growthpoint 
were acting as underwriter for the transaction the Board 
members representing Growthpoint were asked to leave 
the meeting while the rest of the Board discussed and 
concluded on the matter. 

Directors’ interests in the shares of the Company and the 
terms of their appointment are disclosed on page 158-159.

Independent advice
Directors can raise concerns at Board meetings and have 
access to the advice of the Company Secretary. There 
is an established procedure for Directors, in relevant 
circumstances, to obtain independent professional advice 
at the company’s expense. No such requests were made 
in 2023. Directors’ and Officers’ Liability Insurance is 
maintained for all Directors.

Employee and Workforce engagement
The Board has received regular updates from Laura 
Whyte, Non-Executive Director responsible for workforce 
engagement, on staff engagement throughout the year 
including updates from ESG sub-committees All About You, 
and Diversity and Inclusivity Committee, and Employee 
Voice. 

The Executive Directors hold ‘Townhall’ meetings following 
each scheduled Board meeting to update all employees 
on the decisions taken and provide an opportunity for 
employees to ask any questions they may have. In 2023, 
Townhall meetings were held on a monthly frequency to 
provide regular updates to employees across the Support 
Office and centre teams. The meetings covered updates 
on the business, feedback from board meetings, reviews 
of sustainability projects, an explanation of remuneration 
policies and understanding the Group’s diversity and 
inclusion initiatives and guest external speakers from 
various of the Group’s customers and advisors. The 
meetings also covered the Company’s approach to 
performance reviews and remuneration and how it aligns 
with executive remuneration.

The ESG Committee also reviews the outputs of the 
employee engagement surveys “C&R Pulse” and the 
“Team Survey” at Snozone on a regular basis and this 
is summarised and communicated back to staff on the 
monthly Townhall meetings. Responses from the surveys 
helped inform various actions during the year including 
the Company’s choice, location and set-up of new office 
premises. 

Laura Whyte is the Non-Executive Director responsible 
for workforce engagement. The purpose and key 
accountabilities of the role include: 

•  Learning about employee experiences and perspectives 

on current challenges facing the business

•  Sharing those views at Board meetings to inform 

broader decision making

•  Ensuring the Board takes appropriate steps to evaluate 

the impact of proposals and developments on 
employees and consider relevant steps to mitigate any 
adverse impact

•  Providing feedback to employees, through the Senior 
Leadership Team, on Board decisions that will impact 
them directly

129

GovernanceCapital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Division of Responsibilities

Board

Audit Committee

Key Responsibilities
•  Collectively 

responsible for 
promoting the long-
term sustainable 
success of the Group 
for the benefit of 
its stakeholders 
through the 
creation of long-
term sustainable 
shareholder value 
and contribution to 
wider society.

•  Setting the Group’s 
strategic direction 
and overseeing 
management’s 
execution of the 
strategy.

•  Responsible for 

establishing Group 
purpose and values, 
and for ensuring 
that our culture and 
behaviours are both 
appropriate and 
consistent.

Key Responsibilities
•  Reviews the clarity, completeness and appropriateness of disclosure in the Group’s 

Financial Statements and reports findings to the Board. 

•  Advises the board on whether the annual report is fair, balanced and understandable.

•  Monitors, reviews and recommends to the Board the need for an Internal Audit 

function.

•  Recommends the appointment of the External Auditors and reviews their 

effectiveness, independence and fees. 

•  Reviews and approves the appointment of the Group’s independent property valuers.

•  Reviews and approves the Group’s arrangements and policy for its workforce to raise 

concerns, in confidence, about possible wrongdoing. 

•  Delegated by the Board to monitor the internal controls and risk management 

process. Ultimate approval remains with the Board.   

Further information 
on pages 137-141

Nomination Committee

Key Responsibilities
•  Reviews the structure, size and composition of the Board and Board Committees to 
ensure that they are appropriately balanced in terms of diversity, knowledge, skills 
and experience.

•  Reviews and recommends appointments to the Board and to other senior leadership 

positions.

Further information 
on pages 134-136

Remuneration Committee

Key Responsibilities
•  Makes recommendations to the Board on the Group’s executive director 

Remuneration Policy.

•  Oversees the Group’s Remuneration Schemes. 

•  Reviews and recommends to the Board the Group’s Remuneration Policy.

Further information 
on pages 142-160

ESG Committee

Key Responsibilities
•  Sets the ESG strategy and ensures that it remains fit for purpose.

•  Benchmarking and measuring the Group against national and global industry 

standards, in relation to its ESG strategy and goals. 

•  Ensures that there are appropriate policies in place to support the Group’s ESG 

framework. 

•  Assists on other matters related to ESG as may be referred to it by the Board

Further information 
on pages 62-107

130

Stock code: CALBoard balance and independence
Details of the directors including their qualifications, 
experience and other commitments are set out on 
pages 123-124. The Board currently comprises the 
Chairman, two Executive Directors and five Non-
Executive Directors.    

The Board reviews the independence of its Non-
Executive Directors on an annual basis. Panico 
Theocharides and Norbert Sasse are not considered 
independent as they act as representatives of 
Growthpoint Properties Limited. The Board has 
concluded that all other Non-Executive Directors 
continue to demonstrate their independence.  

In the Company’s view, the breadth of experience and 
knowledge of the Chairman and the Non-Executive 
Directors and their detachment from the day-to-day 
issues within the Company provide a sufficiently strong 
and experienced balance with the executive members 
of the Board. 

The Company has well-established separation of 
responsibilities between the Chairman and Chief 
Executive and written terms of reference are available 
on the Group’s website.  The Senior Independent 
Director undertakes regular reviews to ensure the 
distinction of roles and responsibilities remains 
appropriate. 

Chairman

Chief Executive

•  Responsible for the objective leadership of the 

•  Responsible for the day-to-day operations and 

Board of Directors in the effective directing of the 
Company.  

•  Should maintain a culture of openness and ensure 
that time is made for debate and constructive 
challenge.

management of the Group’s business.

•  Develop and recommend the Group strategy to 
the Board and implement the agreed strategy 
across the Group.

•  Deliver financial performance in line with the 

•  Continually assess and monitor the collaborative 

agreed budgets.

nature of the Board and take the lead in its annual 
effectiveness review.

•  Set the annual workplan for the Board and set 
the agenda, style and tone of each meeting of 
the Board

•  Ensure Directors receive timely, accurate and clear 
information in order for them to make informed 
collective decisions

•  Oversee the induction process for new Directors 
and the ongoing training and development of 
the Board

•  Provide regular updates to the Board on all 

operational matters

•  Responsible for recruitment, leadership and 
development of the Senior Leadership Team

•  Deliver the Group’s ESG strategy.

•  Ensure effective communication with the Group’s 

shareholders and stakeholders.

 Senior Independent Director

Non-Executive Directors

•  Acts as a sounding board to the Chairman. 

•  Remain independent of management and to be 

•  Serves as an intermediary for Non-Executive 
Directors when necessary and available to 
shareholders if they wish to raise concerns 
outside the usual communication channels of 
the Chairman, Chief Executive or other Executive 
Directors. 

•  Leads the evaluation of the Chairman’s 

performance, as part of the annual Board 
evaluation process.

free from any business or other relationships that 
could compromise their independence.

•  Provide independent judgement, knowledge 

and commercial experience to discussions and 
decision making.

•  Provide constructive challenge to Executive 
Directors and scrutinise the performance of 
management against key objectives. 

•  Provide oversight of management’s success in 
delivering the agreed strategy within the risk 
appetite and control framework agreed by the 
Board. 

•  Through the Board Committees, the independent 

Non-Executive Directors are responsible for 
managing the delegated tasks given to them by 
the Board.

131

GovernanceCapital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Division of Responsibilities continued

Board and committee meeting attendance 
The number of meetings of the Board and its Committees during 2023, and individual attendance by Directors, is set  
out below. 

D Hunter
L Hutchings 
S Wetherly
I Krieger
G Muchanya
N Sasse 
P Theocharides
K Wadey 
L Whyte 

Scheduled 
Board 

Unscheduled 
Board 

Audit

Remuneration

Nominations

5/5
5/5
5/5
5/5
1/1
5/5
4/4
4/5
5/5

1/1
1/1
1/1
1/1
–
1/1
1/1
1/1
1/1

*
*
3/3

*
*
3/3
3/3

3/3

3/3

1/1**
3/3

4/4

4/4
4/4

ESG

4/4

4/4
3/3

* Directors who are not members of the respective Committees also attended meetings as appropriate at the invitation of the Committee Chair.

** Katie Wadey was appointed to the Nomination committee on 25 May 2023

Prior to Board meetings, each member receives, as 
appropriate to the agenda, up-to-date financial and 
commercial information, management accounts, budgets 
and forecasts, details of potential or proposed acquisitions 
and disposals, cash flow forecasts and details of funding 
availability. At each scheduled Board meeting, the 
Executive Directors provide updates on their key areas of 
responsibility. The Committee Chairs also provide updates 
on the work of the Committees and highlight any matters 
requiring consideration by the full Board. Other matters 
for discussion are added to the agenda for scheduled 
Board meetings, or discussed at additionally convened 
Board meetings, as required.

Time Commitment
The Nomination Committee considers the time 
commitments of proposed candidates prior to 
appointment to ensure that they are able to dedicate 
sufficient time to the role. Directors’ external commitments 
are reviewed on a regular basis to ensure they continue 
to devote sufficient time to the role. All Directors are 
required to obtain prior approval before taking on any 
additional external appointments. Directors are expected 
to attend all Board and relevant Committee meetings and 
attendance in 2023 is set out in the table above. During 
the year, the Board held five scheduled meetings. There 
was full attendance at Board meetings during the year 
other than one instance where a Board member had a 
conflicting commitment.

132

Stock code: CALComposition, Succession and Evaluation

Composition
Details of the Directors, including their skills and 
experience are outlined on pages 123-124.

Board evaluation

Board succession
Succession planning is led by the Nomination Committee. 
Further information is provided on pages 134-136.

Induction and professional 
development
The Chairman, supported by the Company Secretary, 
ensures all new Directors are provided with induction 
training. Comprehensive packs are provided containing the 
most recent Board & Committee materials, recent auditor 
reports, key business policies and relevant business KPIs. 

New Directors are introduced to the Board and senior 
management through one-to-one meetings, coupled with 
visits to our shopping centres and Snozone sites to tour 
the trading environments and to meet the operational 
teams. 

During the year all Directors received training from 
external advisers on their obligations as directors of a 
premium listed company focusing on compliance with 
the Listing Rules, Disclosure Guidance and Transparency 
Rules and the UK Market Abuse Regulations. Specific 
training requirements are reviewed on a regular basis and 
undertaken individually, as necessary.

Stage 1 
Led by the Chairman, all Directors of the Board 
complete a detailed questionnaire covering: 

•  Performance of the Board, as a whole, and as 

individuals;

•  Processes that determine the Board’s 

effectiveness (including the Board composition 
and skills gaps, experience, independence and 
knowledge of the persons on the Board and 
decision-making);

•  Company culture, strategy and risk 

management; and

•  Performance of the Board’s Committees. 

The Senior Independent Director directly receives 
questionnaires completed by the other Directors 
in respect of the Chairman’s performance. The 
Senior Independent Director then arranges, as and 
if required, one-to-one meetings with the other 
Directors to review and discuss any matters raised.

The Chairman meets with the Non-Executive 
Directors without the presence of the Executive 
Directors to evaluate the performance of the Chief 
Executive. The Senior Independent Director meets 
with the Chairman to discuss the outcome of the 
review of the Chairman’s performance.

Stage 2
The completed questionnaires are collated by the 
Company Secretarial team and reviewed with the 
Chairman to pull out summaries and key findings.

Stage 3
A paper, summarising the key findings with 
recommendations and associated actions, is drafted, 
and submitted for Board discussion and approval. 

The review for 2023 took place at the December 
2023 Board Meeting. The Board concluded that it 
was operating effectively and continues to engage 
and provide for robust and collective decision-
making in line with its strategic objectives. The 
Board was comfortable that the Company had the 
appropriate controls, processes and approach to risk 
management. 

Areas of continued focus for 2024 were identified 
as improving the time allocation of meetings and 
the Board having more direct oversight of business 
culture noting that at present this is primarily 
covered via the Board’s ESG committee. 

It was noted that previous areas of focus of 
broadening shareholder engagement and providing 
increased visibility to the Board of investment 
opportunities were felt to have improved with the 
latter best illustrated by the regular and detailed 
communications provided in respect of the 
considerations around the Gyle acquisition.

133

GovernanceCapital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Nomination Committee Report

Other members

Ian Krieger

Laura Whyte

Katie Wadey

David Hunter
Chairman

The Nomination Committee is chaired by David Hunter, Chair of the 
Board of Directors. The other members of the Committee are Ian 
Krieger, Gerry Murphy, Laura Whyte, and Katie Wadey all of whom 
are independent Non-Executive Directors. The Committee met three 
times during the year. Attendance is set out on page 132.

Responsibilities
The Nomination Committee meets as required to select 
and recommend to the Board suitable candidates for 
both Executive and Non-Executive appointments. The 
Nomination Committee also considers succession planning 
for the Board and senior leadership positions taking into 
account the need for diversity and the skills and expertise 
required by the Board to deliver its strategy. The formal 
role of the Nomination Committee is set out in its terms of 
reference which are available on the Company’s website at 
capreg.com

Activities of the Committee  
during the year

Appointment of New Non-executive Director 
The Board underwent one Directorate change during the 
year. Panico Theocharides, was appointed as a Non-
Executive Director on 22 February 2023 replacing George 
Muchanya as one of the shareholder nominated directors 
of Growthpoint. Panico brings a wealth of complementary 
experiences to the Board and his proven expertise in 
driving significant business growth will benefit Capital 
& Regional as we continue to implement our strategy in 
order to deliver value for our shareholders. 

Succession planning
Ian Krieger, Senior Independent Director and Chair of 
the audit committee completed nine years’ service on 
1 December 2023 and therefore will not stand for re-
election at the 2024 AGM. During the year the Committee 
commenced the search to replace Ian. A candidate and 
role specification including the time commitment expected 

were agreed by the Committee, with criteria including 
recent and relevant financial experience, listed company 
experience and ideally experience in the real estate and 
retail sectors. Nurole, an independent search consultancy 
were engaged to run a search process. After interviewing 
a short list of high quality and diverse candidates the 
decision was taken to appoint Gerry Murphy. It was 
concluded that Gerry’s combination of retail, property, 
finance and audit experience made him the outstanding 
candidate.

The Committee has also considered the risks around 
retention and succession of executive management and 
the senior leadership team. While the size and scale of 
the business makes it impractical to maintain internal 
candidates for every senior position the Committee 
discussed and identified areas of possible exposure and 
plans for any eventualities that may potentially arise.

Re-election of Directors 
All non-Executive Directors undertake a fixed term of 
three years subject to annual re-election by shareholders. 
The fixed term can be extended subject to not extending 
beyond nine years as per the Code. The executive 
directors are also put forward for re-election annually by 
shareholders Before considering recommending to the 
Board that a director be put forward for re-election, the 
Committee considers each Directors performance and 
the time they have available to allocate to the role. , The 
Committee has recommended to the Board the re-election 
of all Directors, with the exception of Ian Krieger who as 
noted above has completed his maximum term and has 
advised that he will not be standing for re-election at the 
2024 AGM.

134

Stock code: CALBoard Evaluation
As part of the annual Board evaluation process all Board 
members were asked to consider the composition of the 
Board and highlight any areas they viewed were not being 
suitably covered. 

The Board will continue to keep its composition under 
review and remain committed to maintaining the 
appropriate combination of directors that promotes 
balanced and robust decision making. In order to fully 
comply with Principle G of the 2018 Corporate Governance 
Code, the Board would need to recruit one further 
independent non-executive director. The Committee 
continues to hold the view that an increase in the number 
of directors would result in a large Board number in 
comparison to the current scale and complexity of the 
Business. It is believed that the breadth of experience 
and knowledge brought to the Board by the Chairman 
and non-executive directors, particularly the independent 
non-executive directors, coupled with their detachment 
from the day-to-day issues within the Company provide 
for constructive debate and robust decision making. 
The Committee considers the current composition to be 
effective in holding the executives and the management 
team to account. The Committee will continue to keep this 
under review. 

Diversity Policy
The Nomination Committee, and the Board, recognises 
the importance of diversity in its broadest sense, including 
gender, ethnicity, culture, socio-economic background, 
disability, sexuality and diversity of thought, perspective 
and experience. 

The Committee seeks to ensure that all suitable candidates 
available are taken into account when drawing up 
shortlists of candidates for possible appointments. The 
Committee continues to engage with executive search 
firms that are signatories to the UK Voluntary Code for 
“Women on Boards and the Voluntary Code of Conduct for 
Executive Search Firms”. The Company engaged Nurole 
who work with high quality, diverse candidates to assist 
with the search to replace Ian Krieger.

The priority of the Committee and the Board is to ensure 
that the Group continues to have the strongest and most 
effective Board possible, and therefore all appointments to 
the Board are made on merit against objective criteria. 

As a business, we are committed to maintaining a diverse 
workforce at all levels across the Company, and more 
information on how we do this, including a description of 
the policies relating to diversity and how they have been 
implemented, can be found in the ESG Report on pages 
62-107. The Committee is also responsible for monitoring 
the existing working environment to ensure it is inclusive 
and to explore ways of further improving this both through 
internal and external engagement. 

135

GovernanceCapital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Nomination Committee Report continued

Information required under LR 9.8.6R(10) as at 30 December 2023 
The Company has not met the target of 40% of the Board being woman, nor having a senior position held by a woman 
although the latter will be addressed in 2024 when Laura Whyte will take over as the Senior Independent Director of the 
Company from Ian Krieger when he steps down at the Company’s AGM. 

The Company did meet the target of having at least one individual on its board of directors from a minority ethnic 
background until February 2023 when George Muchanya resigned.

Gender

Percentage of the 
board

25%

75%

Number of senior 
positions on the  
board (CEO, CFO, SID 
and Chair)

4

Number in executive 
management

Percentage of  
executive management

3

43%

4

57%

Male
Female

Male
Female

Male
Female

Male
Female

Ethnic background

Number of board 
members

Percentage  
of the board

Number of senior 
positions on the board 
(CEO, CFO, SID and Chair)

8

100%

4

White British or other White 
(including minority-white groups)

White British or other White 
(including minority-white groups)

White British or other White 
(including minority-white groups)

Number in executive 
management

Percentage of executive 
management

1

14%

6

86%

White British or other White 
(including minority-white groups)
Asian/Asian British

White British or other White 
(including minority-white groups)
Asian/Asian British

Terms of Reference
During the year the Board reviewed and updated its terms of reference in line with the UK Governance Code and new 
listing rule DTR 7.2.8A on diversity and these were approved by the Board.

136

Stock code: CALAudit, Risk and Internal Control
Audit Committee Report

Other members

Katie Wadey

Laura Whyte

Ian Krieger
Chair of the 
Audit Committee

The Audit Committee is currently chaired by Ian Krieger, a Chartered 
Accountant with the recent and relevant financial experience required 
by the 2018 UK Corporate Governance Code.

The other members of the Committee are Gerry Murphy 
(who will succeed Ian Krieger as Chair from the 2024 
AGM), Katie Wadey and Laura Whyte, all independent 
Non-Executive Directors deemed to have the relevant 
sector experience in which the Company operates. Stuart 
Wetherly, Group Finance Director attended each of the 
meetings held in the year apart from those parts of the 
meeting reserved for the Committee to meet privately with 
the Company’s external Auditor, Mazars LLP. Other senior 
members of Finance and representatives from Mazars LLP 
attended meetings by invitation. The Company’s Chairman 
and Chief Executive also attended meetings during the 
year by invitation.

Responsibilities
The Committee’s role is to assist the Board in discharging 
its duties and responsibilities for ensuring the integrity 
of financial reporting, advising the Board on whether 
the annual report is fair, balanced and understandable, 
internal controls and the appointment, remuneration and 
relationship management of the Company’s independent 
external Auditor. The Committee is responsible for 
reviewing the scope and results of audit work and its cost 
effectiveness, the independence and objectivity of the 
Auditor and the Group’s arrangements on whistleblowing. 

Significant issues considered in 
relation to the financial statements
During the year, the Committee considered key accounting 
matters and judgements in respect of the financial 
statements relating to:

• 

Investment property valuation – At 30 December 
2023 the value of the Group’s investment property 
assets was £372.8 million (see Note 10b of the 
financial statements for further details). The Group 
saw an increase in property values over the year of 
2.6% excluding the impact of the Gyle acquisition. 

The valuation of investment property is inherently 
judgemental and involves a reliance on the work of 
independent professional qualified valuers. During 
2023, the Audit Committee met with the valuers, 
considered their independence and qualifications and 
reviewed and challenged the valuations for both the 
year end and interim results dates to understand the 
basis for them and the rationale for movements in the 
context of both the individual properties, the impact 
of wider macro-economic developments including 
the increase in gilt and interest rates and the general 
property investment market. The valuation judgements 
were deemed to be in compliance with the RICS 
Red Book.

•  REIT regime compliance – The Committee continued 
to monitor and consider the Group’s compliance with 
the REIT regulations. The dividends paid during the 
year were sufficient to meet the Group’s estimate 
of the minimum Property Income Distribution (PID) 
distribution requirement for 2022 that was due during 
2023 and given the Group is also compliant with the 
other relevant tests the Committee was satisfied that 
the Group remained compliant with REIT regulations for 
the period under review. 

•  Management override of controls – The Committee 
reviewed the risk of material misstatement due to 
fraud through management overriding of established 
controls, particularly around key judgements and 
estimates made by management in relation to the 
valuation of the investment property portfolio, financial 
reporting process, accounting of significant unusual 
transactions and the review of top-side adjustments. 
The financial statements were assessed for bias in 
accounting judgements and management was asked 
about any known fraud situations. Journal entries and 
any unusual activity in this regard was investigated. 
Board minutes were assessed for any instances of 
override of controls being discussed. The Committee 
found no issues of note. 

137

GovernanceCapital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Report on the Committee’s  
activities during the year
The Committee has a schedule of events which detail the issues to be 
discussed at each of the meetings of the Committee in the year. The schedule 
also allows for new items to be included into the agenda of any of the 
meetings.

During the year, the Committee met three times and discharged its 
responsibilities by:

a.  reviewing and approving the Group’s 2022 annual report and financial 

statements and the 2023 interim results statement prior to discussion and 
approval by the Board;

b.  reviewing the continuing appropriateness of the Group’s accounting 
policies including management’s approach to the reassessment of 
IFRS 16, the impact on the accounting treatment of the Group’s lease 
arrangements and the presentation of the Group’s Adjusted Profit metric;

c.  reviewing Mazars LLP plan for the 2023 Group audit, approving their 

terms of engagement and proposed fees and reviewing and updating the 
Group’s policy for the award of non-audit work to its external Auditor; 

d.  reviewing the Company’s ongoing REIT regime compliance;

e.  reviewing reports on controls and assessing whether a stand-alone 

internal audit function was required;

f.  receiving the results of a review of commission payments performed 

by Donald Reid Group, a firm of independent accountants, and further 
updates provided by Management in respect of Commercial Leasing 
transactions;

g.  assessing the effectiveness and independence of Mazars LLP as external 

Auditor; 

h.  reviewing management’s biannual Group Risk Review report and the 
effectiveness of the material financial, operational and compliance 
controls that help mitigate the principle risks; 

i.  reviewing the effectiveness of the Group’s whistleblowing policy;

j.  considering management’s approach to Going Concern in respect of the 
year end results announcement, the Annual Report and the half year 
results and the viability statement in the Annual Report;

k.  meeting with the responsible individuals from the Group’s independent 

valuers, CBRE Limited and Knight Frank LLP to review and challenge their 
valuations of the Group’s investment properties.  Reviewed and approved 
a recommendation by Management to consolidate valuations under CBRE 
Limited given the reduced number of assets under management;  

l.  meeting with Deloitte LLP (in respect of the 2022 Audit) and Mazars LLP (in 
respect of the June 2023 Interim Review) without management present;

m. meeting with BDO LLP to review the Working Capital report that they had 
been engaged to perform for the Group in relation to the equity raise that 
completed in September 2023;

n.  receiving an update on Cyber Security within the Group including training 
provided to staff on cyber security and other compliance topics such as 
bribery and corruption modern slavery and GDPR;

o.  approved an external review of Cyber Security undertaken in early 2024;

p.  reviewing the Committee’s terms of reference and updating for approval 

by the Board;

q.  reviewing the Corporate broking arrangements and making a 

recommendation to the Board.  

r.  carrying out an annual performance evaluation exercise and noting the 

satisfactory operation of the Committee; and

s.  reviewing the Whistle Blowing and Non-Audit work policies.

138

Stock code: CALAudit, Risk and Internal Control continued
Audit Committee Report continued

•  Going concern and covenant compliance - The 

Committee reviewed, challenged and concluded upon 
the Group’s going concern review and consideration 
of its viability statement. This process included giving 
due consideration to the appropriateness of key 
judgements, assumptions and estimates underlying the 
budgets and projections that underpin the review and 
a review of compliance with key financial covenants. 
The Committee also assessed the non-recourse nature 
the Group’s loan facilities and the opportunity to cure 
possible breaches of financial covenants. The use 
of reasonable scenarios and sensitivity analysis by 
management was reviewed as part of the process given 
the volatile market environment.

•  Use of Service Organisations - The Committee 

reviewed the controls the Group maintains in respect 
of the use of third-party service organisations.  The 
Committee considered particularly the controls in 
respect of car park income where the management 
of revenue is undertaken by two operators who 
between them cover the five assets where car park 
income is generated.  The Committee considered the 
routine and granular reviews that are undertaken at 
the asset level and upwards, comparing and reviewing 
performance against business plan, prior year’s 
performance and analysing against footfall and other 
key performance metrics.  The Committee concluded 
that they were satisfied that the controls were effective 
and appropriately mitigated any risk of material 
misstatement.

Impairment of external receivables and 
inter-company investments and receivables 
– Management perform an annual review of inter-
company investments and receivables to determine the 
values to be maintained in the Plc Company only and 
individual subsidiary balance sheets. Management also 
performed a review at the period end of outstanding 
trade receivables assessing on a tenant-by-tenant basis 
the need for provision of outstanding amounts. The 
Committee considered the movement over the year 
and the key assumptions, particularly in the case of 
investments where balances were held with reference 
to value in use as opposed to net assets of the 
underlying entity.

• 

•  Climate change – Within the Risk Review undertaken 
by Management and reviewed by the Committee is 
incorporated a separate Climate-related risk matrix. 
This is reviewed by the Committee on a semi-annual 
basis considering the spectrum of short, medium and 
long-term risks that could potentially impact on both 
current operations and the Group’s longer term climate 
goals. Consideration of environmental factors into 
capital allocation is also considered at full Board level 
being one of the factors assessed around acquisition 
opportunities and that was reviewed ahead of the 
Group proceeding with the purchase of Gyle Shopping 
Centre that completed in September 2023. 

Auditor rotation and tender process
Following the conclusion of a competitive tender process, 
in November 2022, in accordance with the Committee’s 
recommendation, the Board announced it had selected 
Mazars LLP to be the Group’s auditor from the financial 
year beginning 30 December 2023. The appointment was 
subject to shareholder approval, which was received at 
the AGM held in May 2023. During FY 2023 a planned 
transition took place from the Company’s previous auditor 
Deloitte LLP who had stepped down due to approaching 
their maximum tenure under s494ZA Companies Act 2006. 
Mazars worked alongside Deloitte and the Committee 
received updates from Mazars on the audit transition and 
preparation for commencement of its audit. Mazars LLP’s 
first formal involvement commenced with performing the 
review of the Group’s Interim Results for the six months 
ended 30 June 2023. The Committee envisages the 
next competitive tender process will take place no later 
than 2032. 

Effectiveness of the external Auditor
The Committee carried out a review of the effectiveness of 
the 2022 external audit in terms of both the performance 
of the Company’s previous external Auditor, Deloitte 
LLP and Management’s input into the audit process. The 
review covered amongst other factors, the quality of the 
staff, the expertise, the resources and the independence of 
the Auditor as well as the quality of information and level 
of transparency provided by Management. The Committee 
reviews the audit plan for the year and subsequently 
considers how the Auditor performed to the plan. They 
consider the quality of written and oral presentations 
and the overall performance of the lead audit partner. 
The Committee noted instances where the Auditor 
demonstrated professional scepticism including utilising 
their own specialists such as in the auditing of property 
valuations where the Auditor engages an in-house 
property valuation specialist. The Committee discussed 
with the Auditor their view of property valuations including 
how they benchmarked them against their own views and 
available transactional evidence.

It was determined that the overall work completed 
had been to a high standard and the Committee and 
Management were satisfied with Deloitte’s performance as 
Auditor. The first formal review of Mazars LLP performance 
will take place after the end of the 2023 financial year, 
being their first year of appointment, however effective 
working relationships have been maintained between 
the Committee and Management and the lead audit 
engagement partner and their team to date. 

Auditor Independence
The Committee considers the external Auditor to be 
independent. The Audit Committee is responsible for 
reviewing the cost-effectiveness and the volume of 
non-audit services provided to the Group by its external 
Auditor. The Group does not impose an automatic ban 
on the Group’s external Auditor undertaking non-audit 
work, other than for those services that are prohibited by 
regulatory guidance. Instead, the Group’s aim is always to 
have any non-audit work involving the Group’s external 
Auditor carried out in a manner that affords value for 
money and ensures independence is maintained by 
monitoring this on a case by case basis.

139

GovernanceCapital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Audit, Risk and Internal Control continued
Audit Committee Report continued

The Group’s policy on the use of its external Auditor 
for non-audit services, which was reviewed in October 
2023, precludes the external Auditor from being engaged 
to perform valuation work, accounting services or any 
recruitment services or secondments. The policy also 
stipulates that for any piece of work likely to exceed 
£20,000 at least one other alternative firm provide a 
proposal for consideration. During the year, the only non-
audit services performed by Mazars LLP was the review 
of the Half Year Results for the period ending 30 June 
2023 and reporting to the Company’s major shareholder 
Growthpoints’ Auditors Ernst & Young, South Africa for 
which a fee of £30,000 was charged. 

Risk Management and internal 
controls
The Board delegates the responsibility for monitoring a 
sound system of internal control and risk management 
to the Audit Committee. An ongoing biannual process is 
in place for identifying, evaluating and managing risk of 
the Group. This is fed into the Audit Committee agenda 
for review and referral to the Board, which has ultimate 
oversight and approval responsibility. 

Such a system is designed to manage, but not eliminate, 
the risk of failure to achieve business objectives. There 
are inherent limitations in any control system and, 
accordingly, even the most effective system can provide 
only reasonable, and not absolute, assurance. 

Key features of the Group’s system of internal control are 
as follows:

•  Defined organisational responsibilities and authority 
limits. The day-to-day involvement of the Executive 
Directors in the running of the business ensures that 
these responsibilities and limits are adhered to;

•  Financial and operational reporting to the Board 

including the preparation of budgets and forecasts, 
cash management, variance analysis, property, taxation 
and treasury reports and a report on financing. Year 
end and interim financial statements are reviewed by 
the Audit Committee and discussed with the Group’s 
Auditor, Mazars LLP, before being submitted to the 
Board for approval;

•  Review and approval of the Group’s risk matrix twice a 
year by the Group’s Senior Leadership Team, the Audit 
Committee and the Board as detailed on pages 52-57 
in the Managing Risk section of the Strategic Report. 
The Risk matrix includes a specific Climate-related risk 
matrix that assesses and charts the Group’s key climate 
related risks and feeds into the placing of overall 
Climate-related risk as one of the Group’s principle 
risks; 

•  Review the risk of fraud within the business;

•  Anti-Bribery and Corruption policies which are 

communicated to all staff and for which compliance 
reviews are conducted on an annual basis; and

•  The Group’s whistleblowing policy.

140

Stock code: CALWhistleblowing
The Group has in place a whistleblowing policy which 
encourages employees to report any malpractice or illegal 
acts or omissions or matters of similar concern by other 
employees or former employees, contractors, suppliers or 
advisers. The policy provides a mechanism to report any 
ethical wrongdoing or malpractice or suspicion thereof 
through a hotline. The Group’s process provides staff with 
options to contact members of senior management, the 
Group’s Senior Independent Director and the Group’s 
external audit partner. 

The Audit Committee on behalf of the Board reviews 
the established processes on an annual basis and last 
reviewed the policy in October 2023. The Committee 
reports to the Board on the process and any updates 
arising from its operation. There were no calls made to 
the whistleblowing hotline during 2023, nor any issues of 
wrongdoing raised through any other channel.

Fair, balanced and understandable
The Committee has reviewed the contents of the Annual 
Report and Financial Statements 2023 and concluded that 
the disclosures, and the processes and controls underlying 
its production, were appropriate and recommended 
to the Board that the Annual Report and Financial 
Statements 2023, taken as a whole, is fair, balanced and 
understandable and provides the necessary information 
for shareholders to assess the Company’s position and 
performance, business model and strategy.

Ian Krieger
Chairman of Audit Committee

Steps are continuously being taken to embed internal 
control and risk management further into the operations 
of the business and to deal with areas of improvement 
which come to management’s and the Board’s attention.

During the year the Board, through the Audit Committee, 
reviewed the effectiveness of the material financial, 
operational and compliance controls that mitigate the 
key risks (as disclosed in the Managing Risk section on 
pages 52-57). This review considered each risk in turn and 
identified the key mitigating controls. The effectiveness 
of each control was then assessed either with reference 
to existing evidence or by specific testing. The review 
concluded that all material financial, operational and 
compliance controls were operating effectively. A 
statement of the Directors’ responsibilities regarding 
the financial statements is on page 166. There were no 
changes to principal Group Risks from 2023, though the 
level of some risks was adjusted to reflect changes in the 
macro-economic landscape

Internal Audit
The Group does not have a dedicated stand-alone internal 
audit function but manages an ongoing process of control 
reviews performed either by staff, independent of the 
specific area being reviewed, or by external consultants, 
where deemed appropriate. During the year reviews were 
tabled on IT security and leasing commission payments 
along with reviews of the effectiveness of material controls 
and the risk of fraud within the organisation. 

In accordance with the Committee’s terms of reference, 
the Committee conducted the annual review of the need 
to establish an internal audit function in 2023. It was 
determined that the current size and complexity of the 
Group did not justify establishing a stand-alone internal 
audit function and the existing arrangements remain 
appropriate. Protective factors were considered including 
the segregation of duties between the operation of 
shopping centres and the support offices and the use of 
external valuers. The absence of an internal audit function 
is not considered to have any material impact on the level 
of work undertaken by the Group’s external Auditor. 

141

GovernanceCapital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Directors’ Remuneration
Annual Statement

Other members

Ian Krieger

Katie Wadey

Laura Whyte
Chair of the  

Remuneration Committee

Dear Shareholder,

As Chair of the Remuneration Committee and on behalf of the Board, 
I am pleased to present the Directors’ Remuneration Report for the 
year ended 30 December 2023.

The primary focus of the business in 2023 was in 
navigating the continuing operational recovery from the 
Covid-19 pandemic, advancing the Group’s ESG agenda 
and growing the business through the acquisition of The 
Gyle, shopping centre in Edinburgh, the Group’s first 
property acquisition since 2017.

Our approach to remuneration has been measured 
and balanced, seeking to ensure that a consistent 
approach is taken across the business and that executive 
remuneration and reward is well aligned with shareholder 
objectives and experience. 

The Committee met four times during 2023 to discharge its 
responsibilities. In addition, informal meetings and other 
correspondence took place to discuss wider remuneration 
issues. In addition to the other Committee members, Gerry 
Murphy, Ian Krieger and Katie Wadey, all independent 
Non-Executive Directors, the Chief Executive and other 
Non-Executive Directors are invited to attend meetings, as 
required. In accordance with the Corporate Governance 
Code 2018, no Director was included in the decision-
making process for their own remuneration nor present at 
any meeting where the same was being discussed.

Board Policy
Our Remuneration Policy was last presented to 
shareholders at the Company’s Annual General Meeting in 
May 2022 and received a vote in favour of 96.1%.

Board Changes
The only Board change during the year was Panico 
Theocharides replacing George Muchanya as one of 
Growthpoint’s nominated Non-Executive Directors. As 
Growthpoint’s representatives do not take a fee this 
change did not have any consequences in respect of 
remuneration. 

2023 Company Performance and 
Combined Incentive Plan (CIP)
In what remains a challenging operating environment the 
Group has performed robustly with a continued recovery 
in Net Rental Income and Adjusted Profit supported 
by strong operational metrics including improving rent 
collection to levels that exceed pre-pandemic levels and 
mitigating, by way of lettings completed post year end 
to B&M, the impact of the loss of Wilko, a top ten tenant. 
Further progress has also been made in reducing the 
Group’s energy consumption with significant reductions in 
utility consumption both compared to 2022 and the 2019 
pre-pandemic base year. Total Shareholder Return for the 
year was +1.8%. 

The Group also made its first property acquisition since 
2017, acquiring Gyle Shopping Centre in Edinburgh. The 
transaction, which involved co-ordinating an equity raise 
and a new debt facility provided by the vendors, was well 
received across the property industry and has attracted 
positive feedback from analysts and shareholders. 
The Group also resolved its position in respect of its 

142

Stock code: CALinvestment in The Mall, Luton averting an insolvency of the 
entity structure and maintaining good relationships with 
the lender and other stakeholders involved. 

Reflecting on all of the above the Board believe 
management have performed well during 2023. The 
outturn of the 2022 CIP objectives for the year was 67% of 
the maximum which the Committee considered a fair and 
balanced outcome.   

The Committee continues to believe that the CIP provides 
the best mechanism to motivate, reward and retain 
Executive Directors. For 2024, the Committee has set 
70% financial and 30% non-financial strategic targets 
which reflect the key priorities of the business over the 
next 12 months and to properly incentivise executive 
management. As in previous years, the Committee will 
provide full disclosure of the targets and outcomes 
in the 2024 Remuneration Report and will exercise 
downward discretion on CIP outcomes if the Committee 
view that they do not reflect corporate performance, the 
shareholder experience or create reputational issues from 
either an internal or external stakeholder perspective. 

Vesting of second tranche of  
2019 CIP awards 
The second one third tranche of the 2019 CIP awards 
became available for vesting from 1 January 2024. The 
Committee reviewed relative TSR performance of the 
Group against an agreed peer group of other retail 
property companies. The Committee were satisfied that 
the Company’s TSR performance satisfied the requirement 
of being at median level or above and consequently 
approved vesting of the awards in full. This has resulted in 
73,459 and 39,610 shares becoming available for Lawrence 
Hutchings and Stuart Wetherly to exercise respectively. 

Retention Award
As detailed in the 2021 Remuneration Report the Group 
granted one-off Retention Awards to the Executive 
Directors in November 2021 following a consultation 
with shareholders and having obtained strong support at 
an Extraordinary General Meeting where the resolution 
to amend the Remuneration Policy passed with 93.56% 
of votes cast in favour. These awards were paid on 2 
October 2023. Further detail is provided in the Directors 
Remuneration policy section.

Executive Director Salary Increases
The Executive Directors have been awarded a pay rise of 
2%. Fees paid to Non-Executive Directors will also increase 
by 2%. Both are in line with the low end of the range of 
general pay rises provided to the wider workforce of 
between 2% and 4%. In considering the wider workforce 
salary increases management continue to be focused on 
supporting those most impacted by increased costs of 
living and thus decided to adopt a range of salary uplifts 
to provide greater increases for the lower paid team 
members. This is also reflected in the lower fee uplifts at 
Director level providing a consistency of approach across 
the organisation. 

Pension
The Executive Directors received a pension contribution 
in 2023 of 8% of salary. This is in line with the range of 
contributions made to the wider workforce which was 
5-10% of salary in 2023 and will increase to 6%-10% 
in 2024 

Workforce and senior  
management pay
The Committee is regularly updated on workforce pay 
and benefits throughout the Group and considers 
workforce remuneration as part of the review of executive 
remuneration. The Committee is also tasked with 
overseeing major changes in employee benefit structures. 
It has responsibility for the remuneration of the members 
of the Group’s Senior Leadership Team and is therefore 
able to ensure that the remuneration of the Executive 
Directors is in line with senior management and other 
colleagues.

Committee Changes
There have been no changes to the committee 
membership during the year. 

Committee Aims
Our aim as a Committee continues to be to ensure we 
recruit and retain talented individuals who are motivated 
to deliver outperformance for shareholders, receiving 
a fair base pay with potential for significant rewards on 
delivering strong shareholder returns.

Laura Whyte
Chair of Remuneration Committee

143

GovernanceCapital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Directors’ Remuneration Policy

Remuneration philosophy and principles
Our principles continue to be to maintain a competitive remuneration package that will attract, retain and motivate a 
high-quality team, avoid excessive or inappropriate risk taking and align their interests with those of shareholders. These 
principles are designed to:

•  Drive accountability and responsibility 

•  Provide incentives which align both short-term and long-term performance with the value/returns delivered to 

shareholders

•  Apply demanding performance conditions to deliver sustainable high performance; setting these conditions with due 

regard to actual and expected market conditions and business context

•  Ensure that a large part of potential remuneration is delivered in shares in order that executives are expected to 

build up a shareholding themselves and therefore they are directly exposed to the same gains or losses as all other 
shareholders

•  Take account of the remuneration of other comparator companies of similar size, scope and complexity within our 

industry sector 

•  Keep under review the relationship of remuneration to risk. The members of the Remuneration Committee are also 

members of the Audit Committee

•  Ensure that the incentive structure does not raise any environmental, social or governance risks through compliance 

with our ethics and standards of operating 

How the Committee sets remuneration

Salary

Pension

Benefits

Fixed compensation

Median

Total = Median or above for 
above median performance

Combined Incentive Plan

Performance based compensation

Median or above for above 
median performance

The Committee benchmarks remuneration against our selected comparator group companies and seeks to ensure that 
Directors’ fixed compensation is around the median in the comparator group. Remuneration is also dependent on the 
skills and experience of the individual and the scope and responsibility of the position. 

The Committee’s view is that by putting an emphasis on performance related compensation, executives are encouraged 
to perform to the highest of their abilities. The performance-based compensation is targeted to be at median or 
above, for above median performance, within the comparator group to ensure that outstanding relative performance 
is appropriately rewarded. The overall effect is that our total compensation is at median, or above median, for above 
median performance.

The Committee addressed the following factors when determining the remuneration policy and practices, as recommend 
by the UK Corporate Governance Code:

Clarity

Simplicity

Risk

The Remuneration Policy and its application in the year is clearly disclosed in the Annual Report. The 
Committee engages with shareholders on remuneration matters and is updated on workforce pay 
and benefits across the Group.

The remuneration structure comprises of fixed and variable remuneration, with variable 
remuneration granted under a single combined scheme, the CIP, clearly outlined in the Remuneration 
Policy.

The CIP Rules provide discretion to the Committee to reduce award levels. Awards are subject to 
malus and clawback provisions. The Committee has overriding discretion to reduce the formulaic 
outcome of the CIP.

Predictability

The range of possible outcomes under the CIP are outlined on page 150.

Proportionality

CIP awards are determined based on a proportion of base salary and stretching targets set to 
incentivise Executive Directors. The Committee has overriding discretion to reduce the formulaic 
outcome of the CIP.

Alignment to culture

The Committee ensures that personal performance measures under the CIP incentivise behaviours 
consistent with the Company’s culture, purpose and values.

144

Stock code: CALDirectors’ Remuneration Policy
This part of the report has been prepared in accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act 2006 and Schedule 8 of 
the Large and Medium-sized Companies and Groups (Accounts and Reports) (Amendment) Regulations 2013 (“the Act”). 

This section of the report contains details of the Directors’ Remuneration Policy that was approved at the Company’s AGM 
in May 2022. The approval lasts until the AGM in May 2025.

The Policy was determined following a review of the existing structure provided by the Group’s remuneration advisors, 
PwC. This was discussed with the Committee, Executive Management and the Board including the representatives 
from the Company’s largest shareholder, Growthpoint. A short consultation with other key stakeholders and major 
shareholders was undertaken before concluding on the policy that was presented at the Annual General Meeting.

Purpose & link 
to strategy

Operation

Base salary

Reviewed annually to reflect:

•  To aid recruitment, 

•  general increases throughout the Company or 

retention and 
motivation of high 
quality people

•  To reflect 

experience and 
importance of role 

Pension

•  To help recruit and 
retain high quality 
people

•  To provide an 
appropriate 
market competitive 
retirement benefit

changes in responsibility or role; and

•  benchmarking against comparator group to ensure 
salaries are about the median level and market 
competitive.

•  Salary increases will normally be aligned to the 

average increase awarded to the wider workforce.

•  Increases may be above this level if there is an 

increase in the scale, scope or responsibility of the 
role or to allow the basic salary of newly appointed 
Executives to move towards market norms as their 
experience and contribution increases.

The Company does not operate a defined benefit 
pension scheme, all pension benefits are paid either 
to defined contribution pensions schemes of each 
Executive Director’s choice or as a cash supplement. 

Effective from 1 January 2023 the Executive Directors 
receive a pension allowance of 8% of basic salary.

This compares to a range of pension contributions paid 
to the UK workforce of 5% - 10% in 2023, increasing to 
6%-10% in 2024. 

Performance 
metrics

n/a

Opportunity

The maximum 
increase 
applicable in any 
year is capped 
at 10% of base 
salary.

n/a

Executive 
Directors receive 
a pension 
contribution of 8%.

For new 
appointments, 
the Committee 
will ensure 
that pension 
contributions are 
in line with that of 
the workforce of 
6-10%.

Benefits

•  To aid recruitment 

The Company offers a package to Executive Directors, in 
line with local market, including but not limited to:

No maximum

n/a

and retention

•  private medical insurance;

•  To provide market 

•  critical illness cover;

competitive 
benefits

•  To support 

physical, mental 
and emotional 
wellbeing

•  life insurance;

•  permanent health insurance; and

•  holiday and sick pay.

Benefits are brokered and reviewed annually. 

145

GovernanceCapital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023 
 
Directors’ Remuneration Policy continued

Opportunity

The plan provides 
a combined 
annual awards 
of up to 250% 
of salary for 
Executive 
Directors / 300% 
for the Chief 
Executive

Targets calibrated 
so maximum 
pay-out represents 
exceptional 
performance

Performance 
metrics

Performance 
targets set annually 
based on a 100% 
Group financial 
and strategic 
performance 
targets.

2023 objectives 
were weighted 
70% on financial 
performance and 
30% strategic 
and operational 
measures.

Financial metrics 
may typically 
include metrics 
such as profit, net 
rental income and 
cost management. 

Operational 
and strategic 
metrics may 
include metrics 
such as footfall 
and strategy 
implementation.

Threshold 
performance 
where relevant 
for individual 
objectives is 
typically set at 50%.

The annual 
nature allows the 
Company to link 
them directly to 
Company strategy 
in a challenging 
macro-economic 
environment and 
ensure that the 
remuneration 
principles agreed 
by the Committee 
will be met. 

Purpose & link 
to strategy

Operation

Combined Incentive  
Plan (CIP)

•  To incentivise 
delivery of 
short-term 
business targets 
and individual 
objectives based on 
annual KPIs

The plan is reviewed annually to ensure bonus 
opportunity, performance measures and weightings are 
appropriate and support the stated Company strategy.

All measures and targets will be reviewed and set 
annually by the Committee at the beginning of the 
financial year and levels of award determined by the 
Committee after the year end are determined based 
on achievement of performance against the stipulated 
measures and targets.

•  To recognise 

One third of the award is paid in cash after one year. 

performance whilst 
controlling costs 
in reaction to the 
market context or 
company events

•  To reinforce 

delivery of long-
term business 
strategy and 
targets

•  To align 

participants with 
shareholders’ 
interests

•  To retain Directors 
over the longer 
term

Two thirds of the award is deferred into shares. 

Deferred shares will vest in three equal tranches in 
years three, four and five and will be subject to the 
achievement of a performance underpin. Vested 
deferred shares will be subject to an additional holding 
period to the 5th anniversary of the date of grant. Upon 
vesting, sufficient shares can be sold to pay tax.

Up to 100% of deferred shares will lapse if median 
relative TSR performance against the peer group is not 
achieved. 

Malus and Clawback provisions apply such that the 
Committee has the discretion to reduce or cancel any 
awards that have not been exercised, in any of the 
following situations: 

•  C&R’s financial statements or results being negatively 

restated due to the Executive’s behaviour;

•  A participant having deliberately misled management 

or the market regarding Company performance;

•  A participant causing significant reputational damage 

to the Company; or

•  A participant’s actions amounting to serious / gross 

misconduct.

•  The discovery that any information used to determine 
the Bonus and/or the number of Plan Shares placed 
under a Share Award relating to a Bonus Award 
was based on error, or inaccurate or misleading 
information; and/or

•  Failure of risk management; and/or corporate failure

In line with UK corporate governance best practice 
the Committee will retain the discretion to adjust 
the payment and vesting outcomes (both upwards 
and downwards) under the CIP to reflect the overall 
corporate performance and shareholder experience. 
The maximum combined incentive award potential in 
any year (300% of salary) will be adjusted downwards to 
reflect the year on year reduction in the profit outturn 
(if any) or if the shareholder return over the same 
period has been negative.

The Committee retains the discretion in exceptional 
circumstances to change performance measures and 
targets and the weightings attached to performance 
measures part-way through a performance if there 
is a significant and material event which causes the 
Committee to believe the original measures, weightings 
and targets are no longer appropriate.

146

Stock code: CAL 
 
Performance 
metrics

Continued 
employment 
and not subject 
to disciplinary 
or performance 
procedures. 

Opportunity

Lawrence 
Hutchings received 
a cash award of 
£1,000,000. 

Stuart Wetherly 
received a cash 
award of £500,000. 
The awards were 
paid on 2 October 
2023. 

No new Awards 
will be made.

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

Purpose & link 
to strategy

Long Term  
Retention Award

•  Aligns the Executive 
Directors’ interests 
with those of 
shareholders.

•  Rewards and helps 

retain/recruit 
executives.

Executive  
shareholding 

•  To support 

alignment of 
Executive Directors 
with shareholders

Non-Executive  
Director  
Remuneration

•  To reflect 

experience and 
importance of role 

Operation

A cash based one-off Long-Term Retention Award was 
implemented by the Company in November 2021 to 
incentivise the retention of the Executive Directors. 

The Award was approved by shareholders at a General 
Meeting on 1 November 2021 and a one-off award was 
granted to Lawrence Hutchings and Stuart Wetherly, 
which vested on 30 September 2023

Clawback provisions apply to the Long Term Retention 
Awards if it is discovered within two years of the 
payment of a Long Term Retention Award that:

•  there has been a material misstatement or 

miscalculation in the results of the Company;

•  the award holder has committed an act of gross 

misconduct;

•  the award holder has committed an act which in the 
Remuneration Committee’s opinion has given or 
could give rise to serious reputational damage to the 
Group;

•  the award holder has committed an act which 
in the Remuneration Committee’s opinion 
deliberately misled the Board or the market as to the 
performance of the Group;

•  the award holder has committed an act which in the 
Remuneration Committee’s opinion has caused the 
Company or business in which the award holder 
is employed to suffer a material failure of risk 
management; and/or

•  the Company enters an involuntary administration 

or insolvency process or a company voluntary 
arrangement.

All Executive Directors are expected to build a 
shareholding to at least 2 x basic annual salary value 
based on current market value or the aggregate 
purchase price of the shares over a five year period.

Deferred or other unvested share awards not subject 
to performance conditions can count towards the 
guideline in line with corporate governance best 
practice.

There is a 200% base salary post-cessation of 
employment shareholding requirement for two years.

The Chairman and Non-Executive Directors fees are set 
by the Board taking into account the time commitment, 
responsibilities, skills and experience and roles on 
Board Committees. The fees are reviewed annually

Details of the fees can be found on page 152. The 
Senior Independent Director and individuals who are 
members of Board Committees receive an additional 
fee per annum. 

Non-Executive Directors do not receive any variable 
remuneration element or receive any other benefits.

Non-Executive Directors are reimbursed for all 
reasonable travelling and subsistence expenses 
(including any relevant tax) incurred in carrying out their 
duties

147

GovernanceCapital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023 
 
Directors’ Remuneration Policy continued

Notes to the Policy table
The Remuneration Committee reserves the right to make any remuneration payments and payments for loss of office, 
notwithstanding that they are not in line with the policy set out above where the terms of the payment were agreed: (i) 
before the policy set out above, or (ii) at a time when a previous policy, approved by was in place provided the payment is 
in line with the terms of that policy, or (iii) at a time when the relevant individual was not a Director of the Company and 
the payment was not in consideration for the individual becoming a Director of the Company.

Discretion
The Committee has discretion in several areas of Policy as set out in this report. The Committee may also exercise 
operational and administrative discretions under relevant plan rules approved by shareholders as set out in those rules. 
In addition, the Committee has the discretion to amend Policy with regard to minor or administrative matters where it 
would be, in the opinion of the Committee, disproportionate to seek or await shareholder approval.

Employee Context
All permanent employees of the Group, including Executive Directors, receive a basic remuneration package including 
basic salary, private medical insurance, travel insurance, income protection, critical illness cover and life assurance. For 
all permanent employees below Board level, the Company pays pension contributions of between 5% - 10% (increasing 
to between 6% and 10% in 2024) into either a Group Pension Scheme, individual employees’ own pension scheme or by a 
cash contribution.

The Committee ensures that employees’ remuneration across the Company is taken into consideration when reviewing 
executive remuneration policy although no direct consultation is performed. The Committee reviews internal data in 
relation to staff remuneration and is satisfied that the level is appropriate. 

Recruitment of Executives
New Executive Directors will receive a remuneration package that will reflect the Company’s Remuneration Policy 
within the parameters outlined. In certain circumstances, such as an internal promotion, an appointment may be at 
a salary level discount to reflect experience at that point; the Committee may increase it over time on the evidence of 
performance achievement and market conditions. All new Executive Directors’ service agreements will include mitigation 
of the payment of notice as standard.

The Company will not make an ex-gratia award to new joiners. This excludes amounts paid to buy out individuals from 
existing performance awards. 

Service contracts
Executive Directors are employed on rolling service contracts with notice periods of twelve months from the Company 
and from the Executive Director. Copies of the Directors’ service agreements are available to view, upon appointment, at 
the Company’s registered office.

148

Stock code: CALExit payment policy 
When considering termination payments, the Committee takes into account the best interests of the Company and 
the individual’s circumstances including the reasons for termination, contractual obligations, and CIP scheme rules. 
The Remuneration Committee will ensure that there are no unjustified payments for failure on an Executive Director’s 
termination of employment. The policy in relation to leavers is summarised in the table below:

Salary and benefits
Executive Directors are on notice periods of twelve months. In cases of an executive leaving this can be served or 
settled with a payment in lieu of notice.

Combined Incentive Plan (CIP)
For leavers during the award year 

•  Typically, for good leavers, rights to awards under the CIP will be pro-rated for time in service to termination as a 
proportion of the performance period, and will, subject to performance be paid at the normal time in the normal 
manner (i.e. in cash / deferred awards as appropriate).

•  Typically for other leavers, rights to awards under the CIP will be forfeited.

For leavers during the deferral period

•  Outstanding deferred awards under the CIP will be paid at the normal time, subject to performance against the 

underpin performance condition. The Committee retains the discretion to apply time pro-rating (over the deferral 
period) for good leavers and to accelerate the vesting and/or release of awards if it considers it appropriate. 

•  Typically for other leavers, rights to deferred awards will be forfeited. 

The Committee will seek to mitigate the cost to the Company. In the event that the Committee exercises the discretion 
detailed above to treat an individual as a Good Leaver and/or to make a performance related bonus payment, the 
Committee will provide an explanation in the next remuneration report.

Senior Management
The policy for senior management remuneration is set in line with the policy for the Executive Directors, with a degree 
of discretion for the Committee to take into account specific issues identified by the Chief Executive, such as the 
performance of a specific individual or division.

External Appointments
The Company allows Executive Directors to take up external positions outside the Group, providing they do not involve 
a significant commitment and do not cause conflict with their duties to the Company. These appointments can broaden 
the experience and knowledge of the Director, from which the Company can benefit. Executives are allowed to retain all 
remuneration arising from any external position. 

Total Compensation 
•  The minimum scenario is based on nil incentive award;

•  The on-target scenario is based on CIP award at 50% of maximum (i.e. 150% of salary for Chief Executive and 125% 

of salary for Executive Directors), split into 1/3 cash and 2/3 shares (excluding share price appreciation and accrual of 
dividend equivalent payments); and

•  The maximum scenario is based on CIP award at 100% of maximum (i.e. 300% salary for Chief Executive and 250% 

for Executive Directors) split into 1/3 cash and 2/3 shares (excluding share price appreciation and accrual of dividend 
equivalent payments).

In addition, the maximum scenario is illustrated based on share price increase of 50% for the maximum share element 
which could be granted for the CIP. 

149

GovernanceCapital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Directors’ Remuneration Policy continued

All figures in £’000
£2,500

£2,342

£1,882

£1,190

£503

£1,336

£1,084

£705

£329

87%

42%

27%

22%

Minimum

Target

Maximum

Maximum

Minimum

Target

Maximum

Maximum

L Hutchings

S Wetherly

Salary

CIP – Cash

CIP – Shares

Pensions

Salary

CIP – Cash

CIP - Shares

Benefits

Pension

92%
39%
24%
20%

Salary
92%
43%
28%
23%

0%
19%
24%
20%

0%
39%
49%
59%

CIP – Cash
0%
18%
23%
19%

CIP - Shares
0%
36%
46%
57%

1%
0%
0%
0%

Benefits
1%
0%
0%
0%

7%
3%
2%
2%

Pension
7%
3%
2%
2%

Total

100%
100%
100%
100%

Total
100%
100%
100%
100%

£2,000

£1,500

£1,000

£500

£0

L Hutchings

Minimum
Target
Maximum
Maximum

S Wetherly
Minimum
Target
Maximum
Maximum

Consultation and shareholders’ views
In the second half of 2021, the Committee undertook a consultation with its largest shareholders before implementing 
the Retention Awards that were proposed at the General Meeting in November 2021 and that vested in September 2023. 
The vote passed with 93.6% of votes in favour.

Following the decision to essentially retain the same CIP structure as has been in operation a short consultation with 
other key stakeholders and major shareholders was undertaken in early 2022 before concluding on the policy that was 
presented for approval at the 2022 Annual General Meeting. The policy passed with 96.1% of votes cast in favour.

Where requested, further clarification and discussion can be provided to all shareholders to assist them in making an 
informed voting decision. If any major concerns are raised by shareholders these can be discussed with the Committee 
Chairman in the first instance and the rest of the Committee as appropriate. 

Committee evaluation
The Committee reviews its performance with Board members and other participants, including through the annual Board 
evaluation. 

150

Stock code: CALDirectors’ Remuneration Report 

This section sets out how the Directors’ Remuneration Policy that 
was implemented during 2023. Where stated, disclosures regarding 
Director’s remuneration have been audited by the Company’s external 
auditor Mazars LLP. 

The Remuneration Committee
The Committee met four times during 2023 as well as holding informal meetings and other correspondence to discuss 
wider remuneration issues. Committee members during 2023 were Laura Whyte (Chair), Ian Krieger and Katie Wadey, 
all independent Non-Executive Directors. All members of the Committee attended each meeting in the year. The Chief 
Executive and other Non-Executive Directors are invited to attend meetings as required, except in circumstances where 
their own remuneration is being discussed.

The Remuneration Committee agrees the framework for the remuneration of the Chairman and the Executive Directors. 
The Committee approves salaries and sets the levels, conditions and performance objectives for the annual bonus and 
share awards for Executive Directors. The Committee also reviews the remuneration of the senior management below 
Board level. It also makes recommendations to the Board on matters that require shareholder approval.

The terms of reference of the Committee are available at www.capreg.com/about-us/people/board-committees.

Advisors
PwC LLP act as the independent remuneration consultants to the Company. PwC LLP’s fees charged during 2023 were 
£9,000, which were charged on a time/cost basis. No other services were provided by PwC LLP during the course of 2023.

PwC LLP is a member of the Remuneration Consultants’ Group, and as such chooses to operate pursuant to a code 
of conduct that requires remuneration advice to be given objectively and independently. PwC were appointed by the 
Remuneration Committee, following a robust tender process. The Committee is satisfied that the advice provided by PwC 
LLP in relation to remuneration matters is objective and independent. 

The Committee is satisfied that the members of the PwC LLP team do not have connections with the Company or its 
Directors which might impair their independence. 

Summary of performance year ended 30 December 2023 (unaudited)

Net Rental Income 
Adjusted Profit1
Adjusted Earnings per share1 
IFRS Profit/(loss) for the period
Total dividend per share
Net Asset Value (NAV) per share
EPRA NAV per share
Group net debt
Net debt to property value

Notes

2023

2022

£23.8m
£12.7m
6.8p
£3.7m
5.70p
90p
88p
£162.7m
43.6%

£23.5m
£10.3m
6.2p
£12.1m
5.25p
106p
103p
£130.9m
40.6%

1.  Adjusted Profit, Adjusted Earnings per share and net debt are as defined in the Glossary. Adjusted Profit incorporates profits from operating 
activities and excludes revaluation of properties and financial instruments, gains or losses on disposal, and other non-operational items. A 
reconciliation to the equivalent EPRA and statutory measures is provided in Note 9 to the financial statements. 

151

GovernanceCapital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Directors’ Remuneration Report continued

Single total figure of remuneration for Directors (audited):
The table below sets out the remuneration received/receivable in relation to the year ended 30 December 2023. 

£’000

Salary/Fees

Taxable 
benefits1

Other 
benefits1

Pension

Total 
fixed pay

Annual 
Bonus2

Other3

Total 
variable pay

Total pay

2023 2022 2023 2022 2023 2022 2023 2022 2023 2022 2023 2022 2023 2022 2023 2022 2023 2022

L Hutchings
S Wetherly

TOTAL
D Hunter
I Krieger5
G Muchanya4
N Sasse4
P Theocharides4
K Wadey5
L Whyte5
TOTAL
TOTAL ALL

Notes

451
296
747
147
55
–
–
–
50

438
287
725
143
54
–
–
–
49

50
302

49
295
1,049 1,020

4
2
6
–
–
–
–
–
–

–
–
6

4
2
6
–
–
–
–
–
–

–
–
6

2
1
3
–
–
–
–
–
–

–
–
3

2
1
3
–
–
–
–
–
–

–
–
3

36
23
59
–
–
–
–
–
–

–
–
59

58
23
81
–
–
–
–
–
–

493
322
815
147
55
–
–
–
50

502
313
815
143
54
–
–
–
49

–
–

49
50
295
302
81 1,117 1,110

302
165
467
–
–
–
–
–
–

–
–
467

311
170
481
–
–
–
–
–
–

–
–
481

38
20
58
–
–
–
–
–
–

–
–
58

–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–

–
–
–

340
185
525
–
–
–
–
–
–

–
–
525

813
311
833
170
483
507
481 1,340 1,296
143
147
54
55
–
–
–
–
–
–
49
50

–
–
–
–
–
–

–
–

49
50
295
302
481 1,642 1,591

1.  Taxable benefits include private medical care and critical illness cover; other benefits include life insurance and permanent health insurance. 

Taxable benefits include the complete list required in paragraph 11(1)(a) of Schedule 8 of the Regulations. 

2.  Figures represent the cash bonus element of the Combined Incentive Plan and do not include the element deferred into shares subject to relative 

TSR performance.

3.  Represents the value of Combined Incentive Plan shares that were exercised during the year.

4.  G Muchanya (until 22 February 2023). P Theocharides (from 22 February 2023) and N Sasse, served as Growthpoint’s representatives and do not 

receive a fee.

5. 

I Krieger, K Wadey and L Whyte receive(d) an additional fee of £5,000 per annum as members of Board Committees. I Krieger receives a further fee 
of £5,000 as Senior Independent Director. 

Basic salary increases for Executive Directors
The Executive Directors have been awarded a pay rise of 2%. This in line with the low end of the range of general pay rises 
provided to the wider workforce of between 2% and 4%. In considering the wider workforce salary increases management 
were focused on supporting those most impacted by significant increased costs of living and thus decided to adopt a 
range of salary uplifts to provide greater increases for the lower paid team members. 

L Hutchings
S Wetherly

2024
£’000

460
302

%

2.0
2.0

2023
£’000

451
296

%

3.0
3.0

2022
£’000

438
288

%

2.0
2.0

2021
£’000

429
282

20201
£’000

429
282

%

–
–

%

1.0
2.5

2019
£’000

425
275

%

1.0
–

1.  L Hutchings and S Wetherly took a voluntary 20% reduction in salary for the months of April, May and June 2020, the actual base salary received in 

2020 was £407k and £268k respectively.

Non-Executive Director Fees
Non-Executive Director fees will increase by 2% in line with the increase provided to the salaries of Executive Directors 
and the lower end of the wider workforce. This will result in a fee of £150,000 for the Chairman and a base fee of 
£46,200 for the Non-Executive Directors in 2024. No increase will be applied to the additional £5,000 per annum for 
being a member of the Audit and Remuneration Committees nor the additional £5,000 fee per annum paid to the Senior 
Independent Director. 

The Growthpoint representative Directors (George Muchanya, Panico Theocharides and Norbert Sasse during 2023), in 
accordance with the terms of the Growthpoint Relationship agreement, do not receive a fee as Non-Executive Directors.

152

Stock code: CALCombined Incentive Plan (CIP) (audited)
The number of awards and the performance periods for all outstanding CIP awards are summarised in the table below. 
The Company’s Clawback provisions apply during the holding period where the level of vesting may be reduced, including 
to nil. Awards granted in 2020, 2022 and 2023 relate to 2019, 2021 and 2022 performance respectively, as disclosed in the 
relevant Remuneration Reports for those years. No awards were granted in 2021 as the CIP awards for the 2020 financial 
year were waived by the Executive Directors.

Name

No. of 
awards at 
30 December 
20231

Date of
 Award

Type of 
award

Face value at 
date of award2
 £’000 

Maximum 
vesting3

End of 
Performance 
Period

L Hutchings

27.04.2020

146,918 Nil cost option

25.04.2022

1,080,976 Nil cost option

02.05.2023

1,229,456 Nil cost option

S Wetherly

27.04.2020

79,220 Nil cost option

25.04.2022

591,534 Nil cost option

02.05.2023

672,787 Nil cost option

372 1/2 of shares 
1/2 of shares 
643 1/3 of shares
1/3 of shares
1/3 of shares
682 1/3 of shares
1/3 of shares
1/3 of shares
200 1/2 of shares
1/2 of shares
352 1/3 of shares
1/3 of shares
1/3 of shares
373 1/3 of shares
1/3 of shares
1/3 of shares

01.01.2024
01.01.2025
01.01.2025
01.01.2026
01.01.2027
01.01.2026
01.01.2027
01.01.2028
01.01.2024
01.01.2025
01.01.2025
01.01.2026
01.01.2027
01.01.2026
01.01.2027
01.01.2028

Holding 
period

1 year
–
2 years
1 year
–
2 years
1 year
–
1 year
–
2 years
1 year
–
2 years
1 year
–

1. 

Includes dividend equivalent shares subsequently awarded.

2.  The awards issued in April 2020 were calculated based on a share price of 253.67 pence, being the average market value of a share over the final 

nine dealing days to 30 December 2019. The awards issued in April 2022 were calculated based on a share price of 59.50 pence, being the average 
market value of a share over the final twenty dealing days to 30 December 2021. The awards issued in May 2023 were calculated based on a share 
price of 55.5 pence, being the average market value of a share over the final twenty dealing days to 30 December 2022. The period used for the 
April 2020 awards was shorter to exclude the impact of the equity raise and partial offer transaction within which Growthpoint acquired a majority 
stake in the Company. 

3.  Shares will vest subject to the performance underpin of median relative Total Shareholder Return against a retail property comparator group.

Dividend equivalents:
Whenever a dividend or other cash distribution is paid by the Company in respect of Shares, the number of Shares 
subject to each Unvested Share Award (as at the time the dividend or other cash distribution is paid) shall be increased by 
such number of whole Shares (rounded down to the nearest whole number) as outlined in the CIP Rules.

2023 Combined Incentive Plan and achievement of objectives (audited):

L Hutchings
S Wetherly

Maximum CIP 
opportunity as 
% of salary

% of objectives 
achieved

Effective % 
of maximum 
achieved

Cash Bonus 
payable 
£’000

Deferred 
Share award
£’000

300%
250%

67%
67%

201%
167.5%

302
165

604
331

Deferred share awards are subject to the individual remaining in continuing employment (unless they qualify as a Good 
Leaver). Up to 100% of deferred shares will lapse if median relative TSR performance is not achieved. 

The annual Combined Incentive Plan criteria for 2023 were determined with a weighting of 70% for Financial Objectives 
and 30% on Operational and Strategic objectives.

153

GovernanceCapital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Directors’ Remuneration Report continued

Group Objectives: Financial Targets (70%)

Performance Measure

Adjusted Profit
Net Rental Income
Rent Collection
Cost Management (Central Costs)
Balance Sheet management 
Total

Threshold

Maximum

% of
 bonus

3.75%
3.75%
2.5%
3.75%
3.75%
17.5%

Required 
performance 

% of 
bonus

Required 
performance 

Actual 
achieved

Pay-out as % of 
max.

£10.7m
£21.5m
95%
7.3
n/a

15%
15%
10%
15%
15%
70%

£12.0m
£24.2m
99%
6.4
n/a

£12.0m
£22.3m
99%
£7.4m
n/a

15%1
9%1
10%
–
8%
42%

1.  Payout assessed at £12.0 million for Adjusted Profit and £22.3 million for Net Rental Income, excluding the impact on the respective metrics of the 

Gyle acquisition and for Adjusted Profit the impact of the cash element of the CIP award.

Group Objectives: Implementation of Strategy (10%)
In assessing the performance against strategy the Committee considered the following:

•  The Group’s successful acquisition of the Gyle shopping centre which received positive feedback from shareholders, 

analysts and other industry figures;

•  The delivery of the new TK Maxx anchor unit at Ilford, which successfully opened for trading in November 2023 and the 

progression of the new NHS community healthcare centre which is on track to open in the Spring of 2024;

•  Remerchandising in line with Community Centre strategy – in addition to the TK Maxx and NHS units at Ilford the 
Group expanded the diagnostics centre at Wood Green and opened food markets, the Bridge at Wood Green and 
Crate at Walthamstow;

•  Completion of the disposal of the Group’s interest in The Mall, Luton. Delivering a solvent exit for the Group from the 

investment and maintaining strong relationships with the relevant stakeholders; and

•  Progress in further rightsizing the Group’s cost base delivering year on year savings net of significant inflationary 

pressures. 

In consideration of the progress made the Committee concluded to award a payout of 9% of the maximum 10% available.

Group Objectives: Operating Metrics (10%)

Performance  
Measure

% of bonus

Required performance

Actual achieved 

Operating metrics 10%

5% based on Footfall outperforming 
the national index by at least 0.5%

5% based on leasing performance 
against ERV and Previous Passing Rent

Footfall was +1.5% on 2022 although 
below the national index impacted by 
the Wilko administration (units re-let to 
B&M in Q1 2024) 

Pay-out as % 
of max.

8%

86 new leases and renewals signed at 
average premium to previous rent of 
6.8% and to ERV of 16.6%

Group Objectives: ESG performance (10%)
In assessing the Company’s ESG performance the Committee considered the Group’s GRESB and EPRA sustainability 
assessment performances, the Group’s carbon emission metrics and the results of social impact assessments. The 
Committee noted that the Group had improved its GRESB score by three points to 73/100 although not its star rating. 
The Group did not qualify for an EPRA award this year in its first year of consideration. The Group significantly exceeded 
consumption targets for all utilities for Snozone and the Shopping Centre business other than Water due to development 
activity. EPC ratings of three centres improved from a ‘D’ to a ‘B’ rating.

In consideration of the above made the Committee concluded to award a payout of 8% of the maximum 10% available.

Overall Committee Assessment of Combined Incentive Plan Payment 
The above resulted in a total payout of 67%. The committee considered the trend of key metrics against the prior year 
and shareholder experience, noting that Total Shareholder Return for 2023 was +1.8%. 

Reflecting on all of the above the Board believe management have performed well in delivering the Group’s first property 
acquisition since 2017 and guiding the business through a year of further recovery. The Committee were as a result 
satisfied that a payout of 67% of maximum was a fair outcome.

154

Stock code: CALCIP Objectives for 2024
The Committee will continue to set stretching performance targets based on the Group’s key financial performance 
metrics which form at least 70% of the metrics used. The remaining 30% will be subject to strategic and operational 
measures, providing a link between financial and strategic out turns. 

Adjusted Profit
Net Rental Income
Rent collection
Cost management
Balance sheet resilience
Total Financial:
Operating metrics

Footfall against benchmark
Leasing performance

ESG performance

GRESB and EPRA sustainability assessment performance
Reduction in Group Carbon emissions
Social impact measurement

Strategy Implementation
Total Operational and Strategic:

% of max.

20%
20%
10%
10%
10%
70%
10%

10%

10%
100%

Pay-out levels for threshold performance will remain controlled at a minimum of 25% of the CIP and maximum pay-out 
will represent ‘exceptional performance’. Target performance levels of pay-out will be at 50%. 

Detailed targets have not been disclosed due to their commercially sensitive nature. The targets and the extent to which 
they have been achieved will be published in full in the 2024 Directors Remuneration Report. 

Combined Incentive Plan (audited):

Vesting of 2019 Combined Incentive issue
The first one third tranche of the 2019 CIP awards vested on 1 January 2023. The Committee reviewed relative TSR 
performance of the Group against an agreed peer group of other retail property companies. The Committee were 
satisfied that the Company’s TSR performance satisfied the requirement of being at median level or above and 
consequently approved vesting of the awards in full. This resulted in 70,106 and 37,802 shares becoming available for 
Lawrence Hutchings and Stuart Wetherly to exercise respectively. These shares were exercised in October 2023. 

The second one third tranche of the 2019 CIP awards became available for vesting from 1 January 2024. The Committee 
reviewed relative TSR performance of the Group against an agreed peer group of other retail property companies. The 
Committee were satisfied that the Company’s TSR performance satisfied the requirement of being at median level or 
above and consequently approved vesting of the awards in full. This resulted in 73,459 and 39,610 shares becoming 
available for Lawrence Hutchings and Stuart Wetherly to exercise respectively. 

Long Term Retention Award (audited):
The number of awards and the performance periods for all outstanding retention awards are summarised below. 

November 2021 Award
Lawrence Hutchings was granted a cash award of £1,000,000 on 1 November 2021 with the sole condition of remaining in 
continued employment and not being subject to disciplinary or performance procedures at the payment date. 

Stuart Wetherly was granted a cash award of £500,000 on 1 November 2021 with the sole condition of remaining in 
continued employment and not being subject to disciplinary or performance procedures at the payment date.

The awards vested on 30 September 2023 and were paid on 2 October 2023. The Company’s Clawback provisions apply 
until 2 October 2025, being two years after the payment date. 

155

GovernanceCapital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Directors’ Remuneration Report continued

Exit payments and payments to past Directors (audited)
No exit payments were awarded to Directors in 2023. Neither were any payments made to past Directors.

Performance graph
The graph below illustrates the Company’s Total Shareholder Return (i.e. share price growth plus dividends paid) 
performance compared to the FTSE All Share and FTSE 350 Real Estate indices as these indices provide a measure of 
a sufficiently broad equity market against which the Company considers that it is suitable to compare itself. The graph 
shows how the total return on a £100 investment in the Company made on 30 December 2013 would have changed over 
the ten-year period measured, compared with the total return on a £100 investment in the comparable indices. 

Capital & Regional plc

FTSE All-Share

FTSE 350 UK Real Estate

D e c-14

D e c-15

D e c-16

D e c-17

D e c-18

D e c-19

D e c-2 0

D e c-21

D e c-2 2

180

160

140

120

100

80

60

40

20

0

D e c-13

The table below sets out the total remuneration of the Chief Executive, over the same period as the Total Shareholder 
Return graph. The quantum of Annual Incentive awards granted each year and long-term incentive vesting rates are given 
as a percentage of the maximum opportunity available.

Year

2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014

Chief Executive

Lawrence Hutchings
Lawrence Hutchings
Lawrence Hutchings
Lawrence Hutchings
Lawrence Hutchings
Lawrence Hutchings
Lawrence Hutchings/Hugh Scott-Barrett
Hugh Scott-Barrett
Hugh Scott-Barrett
Hugh Scott-Barrett

Single figure of total 
remuneration (£’000)

Annual bonus payment 
(% of maximum)

Long-term 
incentive vesting
(% of maximum)

833
813
1,7781
481
718
752
957
2,112
796
833

67%
71%
65%
–
51%
53%
45%
70%
70%
85%

33.33%
–
–
–
–
–
35.26%
91.85%
–
–

1. 

Includes £1 million retention bonus awarded in November 2021 and paid in October 2023.

156

Stock code: CALAnnual change in pay for Directors verses the wider workforce in 2023
The percentage change in the remuneration of Directors compared to that of employees generally is included below. The 
year-on-year movement in salary for Directors and employees reflects the annual review applied as effective from January 
2023. Non-Executive Directors do not receive any benefits.

Employee 
Group1

Executive Directors

Non-Executive Directors

L Hutchings S Wetherly

D Hunter

I Krieger

G Muchanya/  
P Theocharides2

N Sasse2

K Wadey

L Whyte

3–5%
0%
No 

3%
–3%

3%
–3%
No 
change

3%
–

–

3%
–

–

–
–

–

–
–

–

3%
–

–

3%
–

–

Benefits

change No change

2023

Salary
Bonus

Employee 
Group1

Executive Directors

Non-Executive Directors

L Hutchings

S Wetherly

D Hunter

I Krieger

G Muchanya2

N Sasse2

K Wadey

L Whyte

2%
8.4%

2%
11%
No change No change No change

2%
11%

2%
–
–

2%
–
–

–
–
–

–
–
–

2%
–
–

2%
–
–

Employee 
Group

Executive Directors

Non-Executive Directors

L Hutchings

S Wetherly

D Hunter

I Krieger

G Muchanya2

N Sasse2

K Wadey

L Whyte

–
n/a2

–
n/a2
No change No change No change

–
n/a2

–
–
–

–
–
–

–
–
–

–
–
–

–
–
–

–
–
–

2022

Salary
Bonus
Benefits

2021

Salary
Bonus
Benefits

Employee 
Group

Executive Directors

Non-Executive Directors

2020

L Hutchings

S Wetherly D Hunter

T Hales

I Krieger

G Muchanya2

L Norval N Sasse2

K Wadey

L Whyte

2.5%
Salary
(100%)
Bonus 
Benefits No change No change No change

1%
(100%)

1%
(100%)

n/a
– 
– 

1%
– 
– 

1%
– 
– 

–
– 
– 

1%
– 
– 

–
– 
– 

n/a
– 
– 

1%
– 
– 

1.  Calculated on a like for like basis with reference to employees of Capital & Regional plc and Capital & Regional Property Management Limited who 

have been at the Companies for the entirety of the current and prior years. 

2.  G Muchanya, P Theocharides and N Sasse as Growthpoint representative directors do not receive a fee.

Chief Executive pay ratio 
The tables below show how pay for the CEO compares to employees at the lower, median and upper quartiles (calculated 
on a full-time equivalent basis). The ratios have been calculated in accordance with Option A of The Companies 
(Miscellaneous Reporting) Regulations 2018, which uses the total pay and benefits for all employees. Excluded from 
our analysis are joiners, leavers and long-term absentees from the Company during the year.  Given the alignment of 
incentive arrangements cascaded below Board level, the Remuneration Committee believes the pay ratios are consistent 
with the pay, reward and progression policies for the company’s employees taken as a whole.

Year

2023
2022
2021
2020

Year

2023
2022
2021
2020

Method

Option A
Option A
Option A
Option A

CEO

833
813
1,7781
481

25th percentile 
pay ratio

Median 
pay ratio

75th percentile 
pay ratio

 39:1
43:1
96:1
27:1

 38:1
40:1
93:1
25:1

 33:1
37:1
78:1
18:1

25th percentile 
pay ratio

Median 
pay ratio

75th percentile 
pay ratio

21
19
19
18

22
20
19
19

 25
22
23
26

1. 

Includes £1 million retention bonus awarded in November 2021 and paid in October 2023.

Note: All figures in £’000

157

GovernanceCapital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Directors’ Remuneration Report continued

Relative importance of spend on pay compared to distributions to shareholders

Executive Director’s remuneration
Employee costs (per Note 7 of the financial statements)
Dividends paid (Total of Interim and Final Dividend for the respective year)

2023
£m

1.3
13.5
11.4

2022
£m

1.3
13.8
4.7

%

–
–2.2%
+142.5%

Directors’ service agreements and letters of appointment 

Name

Unexpired term of appointment

Date of service agreement

Notice period

Potential termination 
payment

Executive Directors
L Hutchings

Rolling contract

13 June 2017

S Wetherly

Rolling contract

11 March 2019

12 months

12 months

12 months’ salary 
and benefits value
12 months’ salary 
and benefits value

Non-Executive Directors
D Hunter
I Krieger
L Whyte

N Sasse

K Wadey
P Theocharides
G Murphy

Rolling contract
Rolling contract
Rolling contract

Rolling contract

Rolling contract
Rolling contract
Rolling contract

Date of initial appointment

9 March 2020
1 December 2014
1 December 2015

9 December 2019

20 October 2020
22 February 2023
22 April 2024

6 months
No notice
No notice

No notice

No notice
No notice
No notice

None
None
None

None

None
None
None

Non-Executive Directors are all appointed on rolling contracts with no notice period save for David Hunter who 
as Chairman has a six-month notice period. All Directors stand for re-election annually and Board appointments 
automatically terminate in the event of a Director not being re-elected by shareholders. Copies of the Directors’ service 
agreements are available to view at the Company’s registered office.

External Appointments
Executive Directors may accept external appointments as Non-Executive Directors of other companies and retain any 
related fees paid to them, subject to the approval of the Board in each case. No external appointments were undertaken 
by the Executive Directors during 2023.

Workforce Engagement 
The Committee is regularly updated on workforce pay and benefits throughout the Group and considers workforce 
remuneration as part of the review of executive remuneration. Laura Whyte, the Chair of the Remuneration Committee 
periodically attends staff Town Hall meetings and other staff sub-committee meetings where performance management 
and the interaction with pay of both staff and executive management is discussed. In addition the Committee reviews 
feedback from employee surveys and takes this into account when setting pay. 

The Committee is also tasked with overseeing major changes in employee benefit structures. It has responsibility 
for the remuneration of the members of the Group Senior Leadership Team and is therefore able to ensure that the 
remuneration decisions made in respect of the Executive Directors are made with consideration of, and in line with, 
senior management and other employees. The Committee also reviews the proposed pay awards and bonus payments 
made to the wider workforce to ensure alignment and consistency with the principles set in determining executive pay.

158

Stock code: CALInterests in shares (audited)
The Directors and, where relevant, their connected persons (within the meaning of Section 252 of the Companies Act 
2006) were beneficially interested in the ordinary share capital of the Company at the dates shown in the table. This 
excludes unvested CIP share awards, these are disclosed separately on page 153.

D Hunter
L Hutchings
S Wetherly
I Krieger
G Muchanya
N Sasse
P Theocharides
K Wadey
L Whyte

30 December 
2023 
Shares

30 December 
2022 
Shares

142,824
87,042
87,812
23,234
n/a
78,770
–
–
36,950

109,145
12,439
36,813
17,630
–
62,187
n/a
–
32,207

There were no changes to Directors’ shareholdings from 30 December 2023 to 29 April 2024, being the latest practicable 
date prior to the issue of this report.

Executive share ownership (audited)
All Executive Directors are expected to build a shareholding to at least 2 x basic annual salary value, based on current 
market value or the aggregate purchase price of the shares, over a five year period.

There is no set timescale for Executive Director to reach the prescribed target but they are expected to retain net shares 
received on the vesting of long-term incentive awards until the target is achieved. Shares that count towards the holding 
guideline are unfettered and beneficially owned by the Executive Directors and their connected persons. 

Executive Directors

L Hutchings
S Wetherly

Time from appointment as 
Executive Director

6 years 6 months
4 years 9 months

Target % of salary

200
200

Target 
currently met?

Current % of 
salary1

No
No

11%
17%

1.  Calculated with reference to the share price of 57.6 pence per share as at Friday 29 December 2023.

Post cessation shareholding requirements
There is a 200% base salary post-cessation of employment shareholding requirement for two years. Shares awarded but 
subject to further deferral periods or performance conditions are included for the purposes of the calculation.

159

GovernanceCapital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Directors’ Remuneration Report continued

Consultation and shareholders’ views
The Chair corresponds with shareholders and also engages with governance agencies including ISS and the Investment 
Association. 

Shareholder voting on the 2022 Directors’ Remuneration Report, which was tabled at the 25 May 2023 AGM, was as 
follows:

Resolution

For

% For

Against

% Against

Total 
Shares Voted

% 
Shares Voted

Votes 
Withheld

To approve the Directors’ 
Remuneration Report

128,912,089

94.76

7,124,225

5.24 136,036,314

80.40%

6,782

Shareholder voting on the Directors’ Remuneration Policy which was last tabled at the 19 May 2022 AGM, was as follows:

Resolution

For

% For

Against

% Against

Total 
Shares Voted

% 
Shares Voted

Votes 
Withheld

To approve the Directors’ 
Remuneration Policy

125,803,575

96.10

5,107,180

3.90 130,910,755

79.15

22,019

Shareholder voting on the Long-Term Retention Awards, which was tabled at the 1 November 2021 EGM, was as follows:

Resolution

For

% For

Against

% Against

Total 
Shares Voted

% 
Shares Voted

Votes 
Withheld

To approve the Long-Term 
Retention Awards

74,164,267

93.56

5,107,522

6.44

79,272,149

70.97

84,550

Laura Whyte
Chair of Remuneration Committee

160

Stock code: CALDirectors’ Report

Business review
In accordance with section 414C(11) of the Companies Act 2006 disclosures regarding — employee involvement; the 
future development, performance and position of the Group can be found in the CEO and Chairman’s Statements and 
Operating and Financial Reviews within the Strategic Report on pages 14-61 which is incorporated into this report by 
reference. This also includes our statutory reporting on greenhouse gas emissions. A report on corporate governance and 
compliance with the provisions of the 2018 UK Corporate Governance Code, which forms part of this Directors’ Report, is 
set out on page 126. This Directors’ Report forms part of the management report required under 4.1.8 R of the Disclosure 
and Transparency Rules

The results for the year are shown in the Group income statement on page 178. Post balance sheet events are disclosed 
in Note 31 to the financial statements. The use of financial instruments and risk management policies is set out in Note 19 
to the financial statements.

The purpose of this annual report is to provide information to the members of the Company. The annual report 
contains certain forward-looking statements with respect to the operations, performance and financial condition of the 
Group. By their nature, these statements involve uncertainty since future events and circumstances can cause results 
and developments to differ materially from those anticipated. The forward-looking statements reflect knowledge and 
information available at the date of preparation of this annual report and the Group undertakes no obligation to update 
them. Nothing in this annual report should be construed as a profit forecast.

Dividends
An interim dividend of 2.75 pence per share (the “Dividend”) was paid on 22 September 2023 (2022 – 2.5 pence per share) 
100% as a property income distribution (“PID”). 

The Directors recommend a final dividend of 2.95 pence per share all to be paid as a Property Income Distribution (PID). 
This will result in a total distribution for the year ended 30 December 2023 equivalent to 5.70 pence per share (2022: 5.25 
pence per share). 

Subject to approval of shareholders at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 3 June 2024, the final dividend will be paid 
on 7 June 2024. The key dates are set out as below:

•  Confirmation of ZAR equivalent dividend and Scrip dividend pricing 

•  Last day to trade on Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) 

•  Shares trade ex-dividend on the JSE 

•  Shares trade ex-dividend on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) 

•  Record date for LSE and JSE and last election for Scrip 

•  Annual General Meeting 

•  Dividend payment date 

Tuesday, 2 April 2024

Tuesday, 9 April 2024

Wednesday, 10 April 2024

Thursday, 11 April 2024

Friday, 12 April 2024

Monday, 3 June 2024

Friday, 7 June 2024

South African shareholders are advised that the final dividend will be regarded as a foreign dividend.  Further details 
relating to Withholding Tax for shareholders on the South African register were provided within the announcement 
detailing the currency conversion rate on Tuesday, 2 April 2024.  

Property Income Distributions (PIDs)
As a UK REIT, Capital & Regional plc is exempt from corporation tax on rental income and gains on UK investment 
properties but is required to pay Property Income Distributions (PIDs). UK shareholders will be taxed on PIDs received at 
their full marginal tax rates. A REIT may in addition pay normal dividends. 

For most shareholders, PIDs will be paid after deducting withholding tax at the basic rate. However, certain categories 
of UK shareholder are entitled to receive PIDs without withholding tax, principally UK resident companies, UK public 
bodies, UK pension funds and managers of ISAs, PEPs and Child Trust Funds. Further information on UK REITs is available 
on the Company’s website, including a form to be used by shareholders to certify if they qualify to receive PIDs without 
withholding tax. 

PIDs paid to shareholders on the South African share register are subject to UK withholding tax at 20%. South 
African shareholders may apply to His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs after payment of the PID for a refund of the 
difference between the 20% withholding tax and the prevailing UK/South African double tax treaty rate. Other overseas 
shareholders may be eligible to apply for similar refunds of UK withholding tax under the terms of the relevant tax 
treaties.

161

GovernanceCapital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Directors’ Report continued

Directors
The names and biographical details including all significant appointments, of the present Directors of the Company are 
given on pages 123-124. George Muchanya resigned as one of Growthpoint’s nominated Non-Executive Directors on 
22 February 2023 and was replaced by Panico Theocharides. Gerry Murphy was appointed on 22 April 2024. All other 
Directors served for the full year of 2023. 

Ian Krieger will step down as a director at the 2024 Annual General Meeting having completed nine years’ service. All 
other Directors will retire and being eligible, offer themselves for re-election at the 2024 Annual General Meeting

Directors’ interests
Directors’ interests in the share capital and equity of the Company at the year-end are contained in the Directors’ 
Remuneration Report on pages 151-165. There were no contracts of significance subsisting during or at the end of the 
year in which a Director of the Company was materially interested. No Director had a material interest in the share capital 
of other Group companies during the year.

Pursuant to the Growthpoint Relationship Agreement that the Company entered into in 2019, the Company agrees, upon 
request, to appoint two Non-Executive Directors nominated by Growthpoint to the Board for so long as they own 20% or 
more of the issued ordinary capital in the Company and one Non-Executive Director to the Board if they own less than 
20%, but not less than 15%. Panico Theocharides and Norbert Sasse are the Growthpoint Nominated Non-Executive 
Directors.

All other Directors are appointed in a personal capacity.

Indemnities
In accordance with the Company’s Articles and s.234(2) of the Act, a qualifying third party indemnity is in force to the 
extent permitted by law for the benefit of each of the Directors in respect of liabilities incurred as a result of their office 
For those liabilities for which Directors may not be indemnified, the Company maintains insurance in respect of liabilities 
arising from the performance of their duties.

Additional disclosures
The following table sets out where disclosures required in compliance with Listing Rule 9.8.4R, Schedule 7 of The Large 
and Medium-sized Companies and Groups (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 or other regulatory requirements are 
located.

Interest capitalised and tax relief
Details of long-term incentive schemes
Waiver of emoluments by a Director
Waiver of future emoluments by a Director
Non pre-emptive issues of equity for cash
Non pre-emptive issues of equity for cash by major subsidiary undertakings
Parent company participation in a placing by a listed subsidiary
Contracts of significance
Provision of services by a controlling shareholder
Shareholder waivers of dividends

Shareholder waivers of future dividends

Group’s financial instruments and risk management policies
Future developments of the business

Relationships with suppliers 
Agreements with controlling shareholders

n/a
Page 146-147
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
Shares held by Employee Share Ownership Trust 
– see section below
Shares held by Employee Share Ownership Trust 
– see section below
Note 19 to the Financial Statements
See Looking forward section of the Chief 
Executive’s statement on Page 34
Pages 23, 59 and 71
Page 163

162

Stock code: CALSHARES 

Substantial shareholdings 
As at 30 December 2023 (the accounting reference date of this report), the Company was notified of the following 
interests in its issued ordinary share capital: 

Growthpoint Properties Limited
Mstead Limited

No. of shares

153,227,266
8,004,829

%

68.13
3.56

As at 15 April 2024 (the latest practicable date prior to the issue of this report) the Company has been notified of the 
following interests in its issued ordinary share capital:

Growthpoint Properties Limited
Clerkenwell Capital
Mstead Limited

No. of shares

153,227,266
8,683,472
8,004,829

%

68.13
3.86
3.56

Shares held by Employee Share Ownership Trust
At 30 December 2023 the Capital & Regional Employee Share Ownership Trust held 415,798 shares in the Company. The 
shares held by the Trust are registered in the nominee name, Winterflood Client Nominees, and a dividend waiver is in 
place to cover the entire holding.

Purchase of own shares
The Company did not make any purchases of its own shares during 2023 or up to 15 April 2024 being the latest 
practicable date prior to the issue of this report. 

The Company was authorised by shareholders at the 2023 AGM held on 25 May 2023 to purchase up to a maximum of 
10.0% of its ordinary shares in the market. This authority will expire at the 2024 AGM and the directors will be seeking 
a new authority for the Company to purchase its ordinary shares. This will only be exercised if market and financial 
conditions make it advantageous to do so. 

Share capital 
As at 30 December 2023 the Company’s total issued share capital was 224,906,731 ordinary shares of 10 pence each, all 
with equal voting rights. The changes in the Company’s Issued share capital during 2023 are detailed in Note 20 to the 
financial statements. 

The Company has a Secondary Listing of shares on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE). At 30 December 2023, 
8,755,640 of the Company’s shares were held on the JSE share register representing 3.89% of the total shares in issue.

Controlling shareholder
Growthpoint, through its nominees, holds 68.13% of the issued share capital of the Company. The Relationship 
Agreement, entered into on 17 October 2019, incorporates those terms required by the Listing Rules as a result of 
Growthpoint becoming a controlling shareholder. It remains effective as long as Growthpoint and any of its nominees 
hold at least 20% of the voting rights in the Company. The Relationship Agreement provides various rights including the 
ability to appoint two Non-Executive Directors nominated by Growthpoint to the Board for so long as they own 20% or 
more of the issued ordinary capital in the Company and one Non-Executive Director to the Board if they own less than 
20%, but not less than 15%. The Directors believe that the terms of the Relationship Agreement enable the Group to 
carry on its business independently of Growthpoint. A copy of the Relationship Agreement is available on the Company’s 
website at capreg.com. 

163

GovernanceCapital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Directors’ Report continued

Change in control
The Group’s £39 million debt facility in respect of The Exchange Centre, Ilford allows the lender to potentially demand 
repayment of the facility with 120 days’ notice if there is a change in control resulting in an individual or entity acquiring 
control of 50% or more of Capital & Regional Plc’s shares. 

In addition certain potential tax liabilities could be crystallised in some circumstances where there are varying degrees of 
change of ownership of the Group’s shares.

Furthermore the Group could lose its status as a REIT as a result of the actions of third parties (for example, in the event 
of a successful takeover by a company that is not a REIT and which does not, unlike Growthpoint Properties Limited, 
qualify as an ‘institutional investor’ for REIT purposes) or due to a breach of the close company condition if it is unable to 
remedy the breach within a specified period.

Articles of Association
The rules governing the appointment and replacement of Directors are contained in the Company’s Articles of 
Association. Changes to the Articles of Association must be approved by shareholders in accordance with the legislation 
in force from time to time.

Human rights
The Group operates in the UK and Jersey and, as such, is subject to the European Convention on Human Rights and the 
UK Human Rights Act 1998.

The Group respects all human rights and in conducting its business the Group regards those rights relating to non-
discrimination, fair treatment and respect for privacy to be the most relevant and to have the greatest potential impact on 
its key stakeholder groups of customers, employees and suppliers.

The Board has overall responsibility for ensuring the Group upholds and promotes respect for human rights. The Group 
seeks to anticipate, prevent and mitigate any potential negative human rights impacts as well as enhance positive 
impacts through its policies and procedures and, in particular, through its policies regarding employment, equality and 
diversity, treating its stakeholders and customers fairly and information security. Group policies seek to ensure that 
employees comply with the relevant legislation and regulations in place to promote good practice. The Group’s policies 
are formulated and kept up to date and communicated to all employees through the Staff Policy Manual. The Group has 
not been made aware of any incident in which the organisation’s activities have resulted in an abuse of human rights.

The Group publishes a Modern Slavery Act Statement annually. This is available on the ESG section of the Group’s website 
at capreg.com. 

Employees
The Group is committed to a policy that treats all of its employees and job applicants equally. No employee or potential 
employee receives less favourable treatment or consideration on the grounds of race, colour, religion, nationality, ethnic 
origin, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, or disability. Nor is any employee or potential employee disadvantaged 
by any conditions of employment or requirements of the Group that cannot be justified, as necessary, on operational 
grounds. 

We give full consideration to applications for employment from disabled persons where the requirements of the job 
can be adequately fulfilled by people with disabilities. We endeavour to retain the employment of, and arrange suitable 
retraining for, any employee who becomes disabled during their employment as well as providing training, career 
development and promotion to disabled employees wherever appropriate.

During the year, the Group maintained arrangements to provide employees with information on matters of concern 
to them, to regularly consult employees for views on matters affecting them, to encourage employee involvement in 
the Group’s performance through share schemes, and to make all employees aware of financial and economic factors 
affecting the performance of the Group.

Political donations
The Group has not made any political donations during the year and intends to continue its policy of not doing so for the 
foreseeable future.

164

Stock code: CALDisclosure of Information to the Auditor 
The Directors who held office at the date of approval of this Directors’ Report confirm that, so far as they are each aware, 
there is no relevant audit information of which the Company’s Auditor is unaware; and each Director has taken all the 
steps that they ought to have taken to make themselves aware of any relevant audit information and to establish that the 
Company’s Auditor is aware of that information. This confirmation is given, and should be interpreted, in accordance with 
the provisions of s418 of the Companies Act 2006. A resolution to appoint Mazars LLP as the Company’s Auditor will be 
proposed at the forthcoming Annual General Meeting.

Research and development 
During the normal course of business, the Group continues to invest in new technology and systems and to develop 
new products and services to improve operating efficiency and strengthen its proposition for occupiers, customers and 
partners.

Overseas branches
A list of the Group’s subsidiaries is included on Page 224. The Group’s Snozone business has a subsidiary, Snowzone S.L.U 
that is domiciled in Spain being the operator of the indoor snow resort at the Xanadu centre in Madrid.

Annual General Meeting
The Company’s Annual General Meeting is due to be held on 3 June 2024. The Notice of Annual General Meeting 2024, 
accompanies this report, which accounts for and explains the business to be covered at the Annual General Meeting of 
the Company.

The Directors Report was approved by the Board of Directors on 30 April 2024 and is signed on its behalf by:

Stuart Wetherly
Company Secretary 

30 April 2024

Registered Company name: Capital & Regional plc 

Registered Company number: 01399411 

Registered office: 138-142 Strand, Strand Bridge House, London, WC2R 1HH 

165

GovernanceCapital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Directors’ Responsibilities Statement

The directors are responsible for preparing the Annual Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable 
law and regulations. 

Company law requires the Directors to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under that law the Directors 
are required to prepare the Group financial statements in accordance with United Kingdom adopted International 
Accounting Standards and Article 4 of the IAS Regulation and have elected to prepare the parent Company financial 
statements in accordance with FRS 101, as published by the Financial Reporting Council, and applicable law in the United 
Kingdom. Under company law the Directors must not approve the financial statements unless they are satisfied that they 
give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Company and of the profit or loss of the Company for that year. 

In preparing the parent Company financial statements, the Directors are required to:

•  select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;

•  make judgments and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent;

•  state whether applicable UK Accounting Standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed 

and explained in the financial statements; and

•  prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the Company 

will continue in business.

In preparing the Group financial statements, International Accounting Standard 1 requires that Directors:

•  properly select and apply accounting policies;

•  present information, including accounting policies, in a manner that provides relevant, reliable, comparable and 

understandable information; 

•  provide additional disclosures when compliance with the specific requirements in IFRSs are insufficient to enable users 
to understand the impact of particular transactions, other events and conditions on the entity’s financial position and 
financial performance; and 

•  make an assessment of the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern.

The Directors are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the 
Company’s transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the Company, and to 
enable them to ensure that the financial statements and the Directors’ Remuneration Report comply with the Companies 
Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Company and hence for taking reasonable steps for 
the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities. 

The Directors are responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the corporate and financial information included on 
the Company’s website. Legislation in the UK governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may 
differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.

Directors’ responsibilities statement
We confirm that to the best of our knowledge:

•  the financial statements, prepared in accordance with the relevant financial reporting framework, give a true and fair 
view of the assets, liabilities, financial position and profit or loss of the Company and the undertakings included in the 
consolidation taken as a whole; 

•  the Strategic Report includes a fair review of the development and performance of the business and the position of the 
Company and the undertakings included in the consolidation as a whole, together with a description of the principal 
risks and uncertainties that they face; and

•  the Annual Report and financial statements, taken as a whole, are fair, balanced and understandable and provide the 

information necessary for shareholders to assess the Company’s performance, business model and strategy.

This responsibility statement was approved by the Board of Directors on 30 April 2024 and is signed on its behalf by:

Lawrence Hutchings 
Chief Executive 

Stuart Wetherly
Group Finance Director

166

Stock code: CALIndependent Auditor’s Report 
To the members of Capital & Regional plc

Opinion
We have audited the financial statements of Capital & Regional plc (the ‘Parent Company’, the ‘Company’) and its 
subsidiaries (the ‘Group’) for the year ended 30 December 2023 which comprise the Consolidated income statement, 
Consolidated statement of comprehensive income, Consolidated balance sheet, Consolidated statement of changes in 
equity, Consolidated cash flow statement and notes to the financial statements, including material accounting policy 
information, the Company balance sheet, the Company Statement of changes in equity and notes 176 to 217 to the 
financial statements, including material accounting policy information.

The financial reporting framework that has been applied in the preparation of Group financial statements is applicable 
law and UK-adopted international accounting standards. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in 
preparation of the Company financial statements is applicable law and UK Accounting Standards, including FRS 101 
“Reduced Disclosure Framework” (UK Generally Accepted Accounting Practice). 

In our opinion, the financial statements:

•  give a true and fair view of the state of the Group’s and of the Parent Company’s affairs as at 30 December 2023 and of 

the Group’s profit for the year then ended;

•  have been properly prepared in accordance with UK-adopted international accounting standards and, as regards the 
Parent Company financial statements, as applied in accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act 2006; and

•  have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.

Basis for opinion
We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our 
responsibilities under those standards are further described in the “Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial 
statements” section of our report. We are independent of the Group and the Parent Company in accordance with the 
ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical 
Standard as applied to listed entities and public interest entities, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in 
accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to 
provide a basis for our opinion.

Conclusions relating to going concern 
In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the directors’ use of the going concern basis of accounting in 
the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate. 

In addition to those matters set out in the “Key audit matters” section below, we identified going concern of the Group 
and of the Parent Company as a key audit matter. 

The director’s consideration of the going concern basis of preparation is set out in the Going Concern statement 
on page 50. Directors have adopted the going concern basis of accounting for the Group and Parent Company and 
have concluded that there are no material uncertainties that may cast significant doubt over the Group’s and Parent 
Company’s ability to adopt going concern basis for a period of at least twelve months from the date when the financial 
statements are authorised for issue.

The Group operates in the retail and leisure sectors. Going concern is a significant area of focus for the Group, due to  
the adverse macroeconomic factors currently affecting these sectors. At 30 December 2023, the Group’s borrowings 
totalled £192.7 million (30 December 2022: £181.8 million). The Group had cash and cash equivalents of £38.2 million  
(30 December 2022: £55.5 million), of which £17.8 million was without any restriction on conditions of use (30 December 
2022: £28.1 million).

The Group’s going concern assessment is built on cashflow forecasts, considering the cash readily available (without 
restrictions on use) to the Group, together with the Group’s forecast ability to meet its debt covenant obligations and the 
payment of contractual liabilities as they fall due. 

The base case cash flow forecasts indicate that the Group and Parent Company will have sufficient free cash to trade as a 
going concern for at least 12 months from the date on which the financial statements are approved. 

With the exception of the Hemel Hempstead loan facility the Group does not have pre-agreed loan covenant waivers in 
place for any breaches that could occur in the future. Therefore, the consideration of the ability of the Group to meet the 
loan covenant requirements relating to loan to value and interest rate cover ratios during the year, and for a period of at 
least one year from the date when the financial statements are authorised, is relevant. 

On 23 February 2024 the Group agreed a waiver of all financial covenants on its £4 million Hemel Hempstead loan facility 
until maturity in July 2025. The Group also secured an option to extend the maturity by one or two years subject to 
meeting specified covenant tests.

167

GovernanceCapital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Independent Auditor’s Report continued
To the members of Capital & Regional Plc

The Directors have also prepared a downside scenario that considers lower levels of income and rental collections, and a 
15% fall in valuation from the Group’s 30 December 2023 valuations and valuations undertaken by the Group’s respective 
lenders. In this scenario, some of the loan covenants would be breached. However, under the loan agreements, the 
Group has the contractual right, and would have sufficient cash, to potentially cure the loans. If some of the covenants 
were not met, and if the Group decided not to cure them or, in extremity, would not be able to do so, the Group could 
consider surrendering the asset to the lenders. This would involve the surrender of ring-fenced assets to the relevant 
lenders instead of curing the associated breach of covenant. This course of action is available due to the fact that none of 
the facilities are cross-default and any of the facilities can be in default without recourse to the other ring-fenced facilities 
in the Group.

Our audit procedures to evaluate the directors’ assessment of the Group’s and the Parent Company’s ability to continue 
to adopt the going concern basis of accounting included but were not limited to:

•  Obtaining an understanding of the controls and processes operated by the Group and Parent Company around the 

preparation, review and approval of the going concern assessment and risks associated with non-compliance with loan 
covenants.

•  Assessing and challenging the appropriateness of judgements and assumptions applied by directors in their going 

concern assessment and associated forecasts of financial performance and financial position.

•  Evaluating the reasonableness of assumptions used by management in their assessment of the impact of plausible 
downside scenarios (including a reverse stress test) and related sensitivity analysis performed over the cash flow 
forecasts. Furthermore, evaluating the Group’s approach to the modelling of alternative scenarios taking into 
consideration projected capital expenditure, discount rates applied to future cash flows, working capital movements, 
availability of funding, current business and economic trends and significant developments both during and after the 
year end 

•  Assessing key loan documentation to understand the principal terms, including financial covenants and current 

waivers in place, and performing an assessment of the Group’s existing and forecast compliance with debt covenants 
and any associated equity cures and cash traps available to the Group. We have reviewed any assumptions made 
regarding the availability of future loans due to mature within the forecast period and associated rates of interest.

•  Testing the completeness and accuracy of historical data included in management’s going concern assessment. 

Additionally, testing of the mathematical integrity of the cash flow forecasts used to support management’s going 
concern assessment.

•  Assessing and considering in our assessment the impact of the ring-fencing of loans and other financial instruments 

within the Group (non-recourse or no cross-default) impacting on cash flow forecasts. 

•  Assessing the availability of any further mitigating actions available to management in event of breach of its loan 

covenants and where alternative facilities are not available.

•  Evaluating the appropriateness of disclosures related to going concern in the Group’s financial statements.

•  We considered whether there were other events subsequent to the balance sheet date which could have a bearing on 

the going concern conclusion.

Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions 
that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the Group’s and the Parent Company’s ability to continue as 
a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.

Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the directors with respect to going concern are described in the relevant 
sections of this report.

In relation to Capital & Regional plc’s reporting on how it has applied the UK Corporate Governance Code, we have 
nothing material to add or draw attention to in relation to the directors’ statement in the financial statements about 
whether the director’s considered it appropriate to adopt the going concern basis of accounting.

Key Audit Matters
Key Audit Matters are those matters that, in our professional judgement, were of most significance in our audit of the 
financial statements of the current period and include the most significant assessed risks of material misstatement 
(whether or not due to fraud) we identified, including those which had the greatest effect on: the overall audit strategy; 
the allocation of resources in the audit; and directing the efforts of the engagement team. These matters were addressed 
in the context of our audit of the financial statements as a whole, and in forming our opinion thereon, and we do not 
provide a separate opinion on these matters.

We summarise below the Key Audit Matters in forming our opinion above, together with an overview of the principal 
audit procedures performed to address each matter and our key observations arising from those procedures. The 
matters set out below are in addition to going concern which, as set out in the “Conclusions relating to going concern” 
section above, was also identified as a Key Audit Matter.

These matters, together with our findings, were communicated to those charged with governance through our Audit 
Completion Report.

168

Stock code: CALKey Audit Matter

How our scope addressed this matter

Valuation of Investment Properties (Group)

Our audit procedures included, but were not limited to:

Investment properties have a carrying value of £369.6 million 
at 30 December 2023 (30 December 2022: £320.1 million), 
comprising of 80% (30 December 2022: 76%) of the Group’s 
total assets. The portfolio consists of six (30 December 2022: 
five) community based shopping centres. During the year, the 
Group acquired the Gyle Shopping Centre for a consideration 
of £43 million, including acquisition costs (refer to Note 10a).

The value of investment properties is considered to be a 
key driver of commercial property return for the Group and 
involves significant level of judgement in ascertaining the 
fair value under IFRS 13. The valuation of the investment 
properties is inherently subjective due to, among other 
factors, the individual nature of each property, its location and 
the expected future rentals. The wider challenges currently 
facing the real estate sector, as a result of regional and 
macroeconomic factors, further contributed to the subjectivity 
in establishing valuations at 30 December 2023. 

The valuations were carried out by a third party valuer CBRE 
(the ‘valuer’). The valuer was engaged by the Directors and 
performed their work in accordance with the Royal Institute 
of Chartered Surveyors (“RICS”) Valuation – Professional 
Standards and the requirements of IAS 40 ‘Investment 
property’.

There is also a risk of fraud in relation to the valuation 
of the property portfolio, where the use of the valuation 
methodology and model, the large volume of data involved 
and, the assumptions and judgements applied could be 
subject to undue influence by management.

As a result of the above factors, the valuation of investment 
properties is considered to be a Key Audit Matter.  

The accounting policy for investment property is set out in 
Note 1 to the Group’s financial statements including director’s 
assessment of this key source of estimation uncertainty. 

The Audit Committee’s discussion of this Key Audit Matter 
is set out on page 137. The investment property portfolio is 
disclosed in Note 10 of the Group financial statements.

•  Obtaining an understanding of the Group’s relevant 
processes and controls around investment property 
valuations and performing a walkthrough to test the design 
and implementation of the controls. 

•  Evaluating the competence, capabilities, independence and 

objectivity of the Group’s independent valuer. 

•  Obtaining the valuation reports and evaluating that the 
valuation approach was in accordance with the RICS 
standards;

•  Engaging our own valuation specialist to review and 

challenge the model, methodology and assumptions used by 
management’s expert external valuer.

•  Attending key discussions with the Group’s independent 

valuers appointed by management to challenge and gain an 
understanding of significant judgements and assumptions 
applied in the valuation model.

•  Analysing the individual property valuations to understand 

significant movements against prior year/acquisition value in 
the year for the Gyle shopping centre and corroborating such 
movements to comparative market data. considered by the 
independent valuer. 

•  Verifying movements in key judgements and assumptions 
and, benchmarking and discussing yields in detail with 
independent valuer and our own valuation specialists. 

•  Assessing whether the trend on each specific asset was in 

line with expectations relevant to that asset and its location, 
prospects and expected cash flows. Where possible, market 
evidence was also used to corroborate yield assumptions.

•  Testing the completeness and accuracy of the data inputs 

used in the valuation model by inspecting lease contracts and 
comparing the information in the lease tenancy schedule to 
data used in the valuation report.

•  Testing the sustainability of the cash flows used in the 
valuation model and corroborating it with our audit 
procedures on revenue and expected credit losses on 
external debtors. Additionally, testing specifically the void 
assumptions, tenant incentives, cash collection as well 
as variable income of each of the properties in order to 
conclude that the assumptions used in the assessment of 
sustainability of the cash flows are reasonable. 

• 

Inspected deeds of ownership of all investment properties, 
including the evaluation of management’s accounting 
treatment in relation to the the acquisition of Gyle Shopping 
Centre to ensure that it is in compliant with the provisions of 
IAS 40 – Investment Property. 

•  Reviewing the adequacy of the disclosure in the financial 

statements, including the valuation methodology, 
assumptions and fair value hierarchy used.

Our observations

Based on the work performed and evidence obtained, we 
consider the methodology and assumptions used to value the 
investment properties to be appropriate.

169

GovernanceCapital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Independent Auditor’s Report continued
To the members of Capital & Regional Plc

Key Audit Matter

How our scope addressed this matter

Revenue – Completeness of revenue managed by service 
organisations

The Group engages and relies upon service organisations to 
manage a portion of this material class of transactions. 

We had originally anticipated the receipt of Service 
Organisation Control reports that would have been used to 
support our understanding of the controls in operation at the 
service organisations in line with ISA 402.13 and 402.14. Such 
reports were not available for the service organisations for the 
year ended 30 December 2023. 

In light of the above, and the requirement to perform 
alternative audit procedures, we reassessed our risk in 
relation to the completeness of revenue. As a result, the 
completeness of revenue is considered to be a Key Audit 
Matter.

Our audit procedures included, but were not limited to:

•  We engaged our IT specialist team to obtain an 

understanding of the controls in place at the service 
organisations, This involved testing of the IT General Controls 
design and implementation and considering the reliance on 
the allocation of cash to customers within the IT system;

•  Where possible, we tested the operating effectiveness of 

key controls identified in relation to the bank reconciliation 
process at the service organisations;

Where the results of the IT General Controls Design & 
Implementation procedures were ineffective, resulting in us not 
being able to place reliance on controls,  we engaged further 
with management to determine whether, by applying alternative 
audit procedures, we could obtain sufficient appropriate audit 
evidence from accounting records held by the Group.

We inspected records and documents held by Capital & Regional 
plc and performed analytical procedures to obtain appropriate 
and sufficient audit evidence.

Our observations

Based on the work performed and evidence obtained, we 
concluded that the risk of material misstatement of the 
completeness of revenue managed by service organisations was 
reduced to an acceptably low level.

Key Audit Matter

How our scope addressed this matter

Impairment of Investment in Subsidiary (Parent Company)

Our audit procedures included, but were not limited to:

Investments in subsidiaries have a carrying value of  
£186.4 million at 30 December 2023 (30 December 2022:  
£161.1 million) comprising of 80% (30 December 2022: 74%) 
of the Parent Company’s total assets. There is a risk that the 
carrying value of the investment in subsidiaries cannot be 
supported and that the values should be impaired. 

Investments are subject to an impairment review using a 
discount rate of 15.2% (2022: 16.1%). The forecasting of future 
cash flows to support the carrying values of the investments 
in subsidiaries is a key area of judgement and is identified as a 
key audit matter. In particular, it relies on the reasonableness 
of the cash flow forecasts, long-term growth rates, and the 
discount rates applied in the discounted cash flow calculations 
used to substantiate investments held at above the net asset 
value of the subsidiaries. 

As a result of the above factors, the impairment of 
investments in subsidiaries is considered to be a Key Audit 
Matter.

The accounting policies for investment in subsidiaries are set 
out in Note A to the Parent Company financial statements 
including the director’s assessment of this as a key source of 
estimation of uncertainty. The Audit Committee’s discussion of 
this key audit area matter is set out on page 139.

•  Obtaining an understanding of the Parent Company’s 

processes and controls to address the risk of impairment of 
investment in subsidiaries and intercompany debtors. 

•  Assessing the Group’s discounted cash flow forecasts 

including comparison of input assumptions to internally 
and externally derived data with involvement of internal 
valuation experts. The inputs considered included the cash 
flow projections, long-term growth rates, and discount rates. 
Additionally, we have performed sensitivity analysis on key 
assumptions. 

•  Reviewing the methodology applied by management 

including the assumptions and judgements made in the 
determination of the value-in-use of the investments, being 
the present value of the estimated future cash expected to 
be derived by the investment, to ensure these are reasonable 
- (including a reverse stress test).. 

•  Corroborating whether the forecasts employed are 

consistent with those used to support other judgements in 
the financial statements. 

•  Evaluating the sufficiency of disclosures in the financial 

statements. 

Our observations

We consider that the carrying value of Parent Company 
investment in subsidiaries and intercompany debtor balances 
are appropriate.

170

Stock code: CALOur application of materiality and an overview of the scope of our 
audit
The scope of our audit was influenced by our application of materiality. We set certain quantitative thresholds for 
materiality. These, together with qualitative considerations, helped us to determine the scope of our audit and the 
nature, timing and extent of our audit procedures on the individual financial statement line items and disclosures and 
in evaluating the effect of misstatements, both individually and on the financial statements as a whole. Based on our 
professional judgement, we determined materiality for the financial statements as a whole as follows:

Group materiality

Overall materiality

£1.8 million

How we determined it

The overall Group statutory materiality has been calculated with reference to the Group’s net 
assets, of £202 million which it represents approximately 1%.

Rationale for benchmark applied Net assets have been identified as the principal benchmark within the financial statements as 

it is considered to be the focus of the shareholders.

Performance materiality

Reporting threshold

1% has been chosen to reflect the level of understanding of the stakeholders of the Group in 
relation to the inherent uncertainties around accounting estimates and judgements.
Performance materiality is set to reduce to an appropriately low level the probability that the 
aggregate of uncorrected and undetected misstatements in the financial statements exceeds 
materiality for the financial statements as a whole.

On the basis of this being our first year audit of the Group, together with our risk 
assessments and our assessment of the Group’s overall control environment, we set 
performance materiality at £0.99 million which is approximately 55% of overall Group 
materiality. 

We have applied a lower specific materiality threshold of £0.5 million for testing all balances 
impacting Adjusted Profit (as defined in Note 1 to the Group’s financial statements) which is 
approximately 1% of revenue.
We agreed with the Audit Committee that we would report to them misstatements identified 
during our audit above £54,000 as well as misstatements below that amount that, in our view, 
warranted reporting for qualitative reasons.

Parent company materiality

Overall materiality

£0.99 million

How we determined it

The Parent Company’s statutory materiality has been calculated with reference to the Parent 
Company’s net assets, of which it represents approximately 0.5%. 

Rationale for benchmark applied Net assets have been identified as the principal benchmark within the financial statements as 

it is considered to be the focus of the shareholders. 

Performance materiality

Reporting threshold

0.5% has been chosen to reflect the level of understanding of the stakeholders of the Group 
in relation to the inherent uncertainties around accounting estimates and judgements.
Performance materiality is set to reduce to an appropriately low level the probability that the 
aggregate of uncorrected and undetected misstatements in the financial statements exceeds 
materiality for the financial statements as a whole.

On the basis of this being our first year audit of the Group, together with our risk 
assessments and our assessment of the Group’s overall control environment, we  set 
performance materiality at £546,000 which is approximately 55% of overall Parent Company 
materiality.
We agreed with the directors that we would report to them misstatements identified during 
our audit above £30,000 as well as misstatements below that amount that, in our view, 
warranted reporting for qualitative reasons.

As part of designing our audit, we assessed the risk of material misstatement in the financial statements, whether due to 
fraud or error, and then designed and performed audit procedures responsive to those risks. In particular, we looked at 
where the directors made subjective judgements, such as assumptions on significant accounting estimates.

We tailored the scope of our audit to ensure that we performed sufficient work to be able to give an opinion on the 
financial statements as a whole. We used the outputs of our risk assessment, our understanding of the Group and the 
Parent Company, their environment, controls, and critical business processes, to consider qualitative factors to ensure 
that we obtained sufficient coverage across all financial statement line items.

Our group audit scope included an audit of the Group and the Parent Company financial statements. Based on our risk 
assessment, the components that are subjected to full scope audit account for 99% of the Group’s consolidated net 
assets, 89% of Group’s revenue and 92% of Group’s profit. All investment properties consolidated in the Group accounts 

171

GovernanceCapital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Independent Auditor’s Report continued
To the members of Capital & Regional Plc

have been included in our scope of work. For the residual components, we performed other procedures, including 
analytical review, testing of consolidation journals and intercompany eliminations, to respond to any potential risks of 
material misstatement to the Group financial statements. The components that are subjected to full scope audit were 
also selected to provide an appropriate basis for undertaking audit work to address the key audit matters. Our audit work 
was performed at levels of materiality applicable to each individual entity which were between 1% and 55% of the Group 
materiality, which corresponds to component materiality of between £0.1 million and £1.8 million. 

At the Parent Company level, the Group audit team also tested the consolidation process and carried out analytical 
procedures to confirm our conclusion that there were no significant risks of material misstatement of the aggregated 
financial information.

Other information
The other information comprises the information included in the annual report other than the financial statements 
and our auditor’s report thereon. The directors are responsible for the other information. Our opinion on the financial 
statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do 
not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.

Our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially 
inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the course of audit or otherwise appears to be 
materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required 
to determine whether this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. If, based on the 
work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to 
report that fact.

We have nothing to report in this regard.

Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006
In our opinion, the part of the directors’ remuneration report to be audited has been properly prepared in accordance 
with the Companies Act 2006.

In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of the audit:

•  the information given in the strategic report and the directors’ report for the financial year for which the Group’s 

financial statements are prepared is consistent with the Group’s financial statements and those reports have been 
prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements;

•  the information about internal control and risk management systems in relation to financial reporting processes 
and about share capital structures, given in compliance with rules 7.2.5 and 7.2.6 in the Disclosure Guidance and 
Transparency Rules sourcebook made by the Financial Conduct Authority (the FCA Rules), is consistent with the 
Group’s financial statements and has been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements; and

• 

information about the parent company’s corporate governance code and practices and about its administrative, 
management and supervisory bodies and their committees complies with rules 7.2.2, 7.2.3 and 7.2.7 of the FCA Rules.

Matters on which we are required to report by exception
In light of the knowledge and understanding of the Group and the Parent Company and their environment obtained in 
the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the:

•  strategic report or the directors’ report; or 

• 

information about internal control and risk management systems in relation to financial reporting processes and 
about share capital structures, given in compliance with rules 7.2.5 and 7.2.6 of the FCA Rules.

We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Companies Act 2006 requires us to 
report to you if, in our opinion:

•  adequate accounting records have not been kept by the parent company, or returns adequate for our audit have not 

been received from branches not visited by us; or

•  the Parent Company financial statements and the part of the directors’ remuneration report to be audited are not in 

agreement with the accounting records and returns; or

•  certain disclosures of directors’ remuneration specified by law are not made; or

•  we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit; or

•  a corporate governance statement has not been prepared by the parent company.

172

Stock code: CALCorporate governance statement
The Listing Rules require us to review the directors’ statement in relation to going concern, longer-term viability and that 
part of the Corporate Governance Statement relating to Capital & Regional plc’s compliance with the provisions of the UK 
Corporate Governance Statement specified for our review.

Based on the work undertaken as part of our audit, we have concluded that each of the following elements of the 
Corporate Governance Statement is materially consistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained during 
the audit:

•  Directors’ statement with regards the appropriateness of adopting the going concern basis of accounting and any 

material uncertainties identified, set out on page 50;

•  Directors’ explanation as to its assessment of the entity’s prospects, the period this assessment covers and why they 

period is appropriate, set out on page 51;

•  Directors’ statement on fair, balanced and understandable, set out on page 141;

•  Board’s confirmation that it has carried out a robust assessment of the emerging and principal risks, set out on page 

140-141;

•  The section of the annual report that describes the review of effectiveness of risk management and internal control 

systems, set out on page 140-141; and;

•  The section describing the work of the audit committee, set out on page 137-141.

Responsibilities of Directors
As explained more fully in the directors’ responsibilities statement set out on page 166, the directors are responsible for 
the preparation of the Group and Parent Company’s financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true 
and fair view, and for such internal control as the directors determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial 
statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

In preparing the Group and Parent Company’s financial statements, the directors are responsible for assessing the 
Group’s and the Parent Company’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to 
going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the directors either intend to liquidate the Group 
or the Parent Company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements 
Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from 
material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes our opinion. 
Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with 
ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are 
considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic 
decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.

The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud is detailed below.

Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line 
with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud.

Based on our understanding of the Group and the Parent Company and their industry, we considered that non-
compliance with the following laws and regulations might have a material effect on the financial statements which include 
compliance with Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) legislation. RICs standards, employment regulation, health and safety 
regulation and anti-money laundering regulation.

To help us identify instances of non-compliance with these laws and regulations, and in identifying and assessing the risks 
of material misstatement in respect to non-compliance, our procedures included, but were not limited to:

•  Gaining an understanding of the legal and regulatory framework applicable to the Group and the Parent Company, the 
industry in which they operate, and the structure of the Group, and considering the risk of acts by the Group and the 
Parent Company which were contrary to the applicable laws and regulations, including fraud; 

• 

Inquiring of the directors, management and, where appropriate, those charged with governance, as to whether 
the Group and the Parent Company is in compliance with laws and regulations, and discussing their policies and 
procedures regarding compliance with laws and regulations;

• 

Inspecting correspondence with relevant licensing or regulatory authorities, including Financial  Conduct Authority; 

•  Reviewing minutes of directors’ meetings in the year; and

•  Discussing amongst the engagement team the laws and regulations listed above, and remaining alert to any 

indications of non-compliance.

We also considered those laws and regulations that have a direct effect on the preparation of the financial statements, 
such as the Listing Rules, UK Corporate Governance Code, Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules, UK Tax 
legislation and Companies Act 2006. 

173

GovernanceCapital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Independent Auditor’s Report continued
To the members of Capital & Regional Plc

In addition, we evaluated the directors’ and management’s incentives and opportunities for fraudulent manipulation of 
the financial statements, including the risk of management override of controls, and determined that the principal risks 
related to posting manual journal entries to manipulate financial performance, management bias through judgements 
and assumptions in significant accounting estimates, in particular in relation to the valuation of investment property, 
impairment of investment in subsidiaries and intercompany debtors, and impairment of external debtors and revenue 
recognition (which we pinpointed to the occurrence and cut-off assertion), and significant one-off or unusual transactions. 

Our procedures in relation to fraud included but were not limited to:

•  Making enquiries of the directors and management on whether they had knowledge of any actual, suspected or 

alleged fraud;

•  Gaining an understanding of the internal controls established to mitigate risks related to fraud;

•  Discussing amongst the engagement team and relevant specialists the risks of fraud, including how and where fraud 

might occur in the financial statements and any potential indicators of fraud; 

•  Performing analytical procedures to identify any unusual or unexpected relationships that may indicate risks of 

material misstatement due to fraud;

•  Reading minutes of meeting of those charged with governance and reviewing correspondence with external legal 

counsel; and

•  Addressing the risks of fraud through management override of controls by performing journal entry testing; and

•  Assessing whether the judgements made in key sources of estimation uncertainty may be indicative of a potential 

management bias; and evaluating the business rationale of any significant transactions that are unusual or outside the 
normal scope of business; 

The primary responsibility for the prevention and detection of irregularities, including fraud, rests with both those 
charged with governance and management. As with any audit, there remained a risk of non-detection of irregularities, as 
these may involve collusion, forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations or the override of internal controls.

The risks of material misstatement that had the greatest effect on our audit are discussed in the “Key Audit Matters” 
section of this report. 

A further description of our responsibilities is available on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at www.frc.org.uk/
auditors responsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor’s report.

Other matters which we are required to address
Following the recommendation of the audit committee, we were appointed by audit committee on 21 October 2022 to 
audit the financial statements for the year ended 30 December 2023.The period of total uninterrupted engagement is one 
year, covering the year ended 30 December 2023.

The non-audit services prohibited by the FRC’s Ethical Standard were not provided to the group or the parent company 
and we remain independent of the Group and the Parent Company in conducting our audit.

Our audit opinion is consistent with our additional report to the audit committee.

Use of the audit report
This report is made solely to the company’s members as a body in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies 
Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the company’s members those matters we are 
required to state to them in an auditor’s report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do 
not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the company and the company’s members as a body for our 
audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

As required by the Financial Conduct Authority Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rule these financial statements 
form part of the electronic reporting format-prepared annual financial report filed on the National Storage Mechanism of 
the Financial Conduct Authority. This auditor’s report provides no assurance over whether the annual financial report has 
been prepared using the correct electronic reporting format.

Richard Metcalfe (Senior Statutory Auditor) 
for and on behalf of Mazars LLP 
Chartered Accountants and Statutory Auditor
30 Old Bailey 
London 
EC4M 7AU

30 April 2024

174

Stock code: CAL175

GovernanceCapital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Financials

178 Consolidated Income Statement
178 Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income
179 Consolidated Balance Sheet
180 Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity
181 Consolidated Cash Flow Statement
182 Notes to the Financial Statements
218 Company Balance Sheet
219 Statement of Changes in Equity
220 Notes to the Company’s Separate Financial Statements
225 Glossary of Terms
227 Five Year Review (Unaudited)
228 Portfolio Information (Unaudited)
229 EPRA Performance Measures (Unaudited)
231 Advisers and Corporate Information
232 Shareholder Information

176

Stock code: CAL177

FinancialsCapital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Consolidated Income Statement
For the year to 30 December 2023

Continuing operations
Revenue
Gain on expected credit losses
Cost of sales
Gross profit
Administrative costs
Loss on revaluation of investment properties
Other (losses) and gains
Profit on ordinary activities before financing
Finance income
Finance costs
Profit before tax
Tax
Profit for the year from continuing operations
Profit for the period from period from discontinued operations
Profit for the year

Continuing operations
Basic earnings per share
Diluted earnings per share

Continuing and discontinued operations
Basic earnings per share
Diluted earnings per share

EPRA earnings per share
EPRA basic earnings per share
EPRA diluted earnings per share

Note

3
6
4

10a
6

5
5
6
8a

16
2a

9a
9a

9a
9a

2023
£m

59.0
0.1
(31.5)
27.6
(9.9)
(8.1)
(0.1)
9.5
0.5
(9.9)
0.1
3.6
3.7
–
3.7

2.0p
1.9p

2.0p
1.9p

5.6p
5.5p

2022 
Restated1
£m

56.8
0.4
(29.0)
28.2
(10.9)
(19.6)
15.6
13.3
1.1
(9.4)
5.0
0.3
5.3
6.8
12.1

3.2p
3.2p

7.3p
7.2p

5.3p
5.3p

Consolidated statement of comprehensive income
For the year to 30 December 2023

Profit for the year
Other comprehensive income
Total comprehensive income for the year

2023
£m

3.7
–
3.7

2022
£m

12.1
–
12.1

The results for the current and preceding year are fully attributable to equity shareholders.

The EPRA alternative performance measures used throughout this report are industry best practice performance 
measures established by the European Public Real Estate Association (EPRA). They are defined in the Glossary to 
the Financial Statements.  EPRA earnings and EPRA EPS are shown in Note 9 to the Financial Statements. EPRA net 
reinstatement value (NRV), net tangible assets (NTA) and net disposal value (NDV) are shown in Note 25 to the Financial 
Statements. We consider EPRA NTA to be the most relevant measure for our business.

1.  2022 comparative figures have been restated for a prior year adjustment to service charge and expenditure recognised in the period.  

There is no change to Profit.

178

Stock code: CAL 
Consolidated balance sheet
At 30 December 2023

Non-current assets
Investment properties
Plant and equipment
Right of use assets
Receivables
Deferred tax
Total non-current assets

Current assets
Receivables
Cash and cash equivalents
Total current assets
Total assets

Current liabilities
Trade and other payables
Current tax
Lease liabilities
Bank loans
Total current liabilities
Net current (liabilities)/assets

Non-current liabilities
Bank loans
Other payables
Lease liabilities
Total non-current liabilities
Total liabilities
Net assets

Equity
Share capital
Share premium
Merger reserve
Own shares reserve
Retained earnings
Equity shareholders’ funds

Basic net assets per share
EPRA net reinstatement value per share
EPRA net tangible assets per share
EPRA net disposal value per share

2023
£m

369.6
3.5
20.1
7.8
3.6
404.6

16.5
38.2
54.7
459.3

(30.2)
–
(3.1)
(42.7)
(76.0)
(21.3)

(155.0)
(0.3)
(26.0)
(181.3)
(257.3)
202.0

22.5
24.6
60.3
(0.2)
94.8
202.0

89.8p
87.9p
87.9p
93.5p

2022
Restated1
£m

320.1
1.8
21.6
8.5
1.1
353.1

12.3
55.5
67.8
420.9

(28.9)
(1.0)
(3.0)
–
(32.9)
34.9

(181.8)
–
(27.1)
(208.9)
(241.8)
179.1

16.9
1.7
60.3
–
100.2
179.1

105.9p
103.4p
103.4p
115.1p

Note

10
11
12
14

14
15

2b

17
8a
27
18a

18a
17
27

2b

20
20

22

25
25
25

1.  2022 comparative figures have been restated to exclude from trade receivables amounts invoiced but due after the balance sheet date.

These financial statements were approved by the Board of Directors, authorised for issue and signed on their behalf on 
30 April 2024 by:

Stuart Wetherly

Group Finance Director

179

FinancialsCapital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023 
Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity
For the year to 30 December 2023

Share
capital
£m

16.5

Share 
premium1
£m

266.1

Merger
reserve2
£m

60.3

Capital
redemption
reserve1
£m

4.4

–

–

–

–

–
–
0.4
16.9

–

–

–

–
–
5.6
–
22.5

–

–

–

(266.1)

–
–
1.7
1.7

–

–

–

–
–
22.9
–
24.6

–

–

–

–

–
–
–
60.3

–

–

–

–
–
–
–
60.3

–

–

–

(4.4)

–
–
–
–

–

–

–

–
–
–
–
–

Own
shares
reserve3
£m

–

–

–

–

–

–
–
–
–

–

–

–

–
–
–
(0.2)
(0.2)

Retained
earnings
£m

(178.9)

Total
equity
£m

168.4

12.1

12.1

–

–

12.1

12.1

270.5

0.5
(4.0)
–
100.2

3.7

–

3.7

0.7
(9.4)
–
(0.4)
94.8

–

0.5
(4.0)
2.1
179.1

3.7

–

3.7

0.7
(9.4)
28.5
(0.6)
202.0

Balance at 30 December 2021

Profit for the year
Other comprehensive income  
for the year
Total comprehensive income  
for the year

Capital reduction4
Credit to equity for equity-settled 
share-based payments (Note 21)
Dividends paid, including scrip
Shares issued, net of costs (Note 20)
Balance at 30 December 2022

Profit for the year
Other comprehensive income  
for the year
Total comprehensive income  
for the year

Credit to equity for equity-settled 
share-based payments (Note 21)
Dividends paid, including scrip
Shares issued, net of costs (Note 20)
Other movements
Balance at 30 December 2023

Notes: 

1.  These reserves are not distributable. 

2.  The merger reserve of £60.3 million arose on the Group’s capital raising in 2009 which was structured so as to allow the Company to claim merger 

relief under section 612 of the Companies Act 2006 on the issue of ordinary shares. 

3.  Own shares relate to shares purchased out of distributable profits and therefore reduce reserves available for distribution.

4. 

In June 2022 a capital reduction was completed transferring the reserves from share premium and the capital redemption reserve to retained 
earnings. 

180

Stock code: CAL 
Consolidated Cash Flow Statement
For the year to 30 December 2023

Operating activities
Net cash from operations
Interest paid
Interest received
Income tax paid
Cash flows from operating activities

Investing activities
Disposal of investment properties
Purchase of plant and equipment
Acquisition costs relating to investment properties
Capital expenditure on investment properties
Cash flows from investing activities

Financing activities
Dividends paid (net of scrip) including withholding tax
Bank loans drawn down
Bank loans repaid
Loan arrangement costs
Derivatives purchased
Issue of ordinary shares 
Costs of share issue
Fixed payments under head leases
Cash flows from financing activities

Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents 
Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year

Transfer from assets classified as held for sale
Cash and cash equivalents excluding assets classified as held for sale

Note

23

10

18

15

2023
£m

20.1
(6.6)
0.5
–
14.0

–
(2.0)
(43.0)
(18.7)
(63.7)

(5.2)
16.0
–
(0.6)
(1.3)
25.0
(1.1)
(0.4)
32.4

(17.3)
 55.5
38.2

–
38.2

2022
£m

25.3
(8.0)
–
(0.1)
17.2

59.1
(0.7)
–
(10.6)
47.8

(1.2)
4.0
(70.8)
(1.6)
–
–
–
(0.4)
(70.0)

(5.0) 
58.5  
53.5

2.0
55.5

181

FinancialsCapital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023 
Notes to the Financial Statements
For the year to 30 December 2023

1 Significant Accounting Policies

General information
Capital & Regional plc is a public company limited by shares domiciled and incorporated in England, United Kingdom 
under the Companies Act 2006. The address of the registered office is Strand Bridge House, 138-142 Strand, London WC2R 
1HH. The Group is a specialist real estate investor and asset manager, focused on dominant in-town community shopping 
centres. Further information on the Group’s operations is disclosed in Note 2a and the operating and financial reviews.

Basis of accounting
The financial statements comprise the consolidated income statement, the consolidated statement of comprehensive 
income, the consolidated balance sheet, the consolidated statement of changes in equity, the consolidated cash 
flow statement and notes 1 to 32. They are prepared on the historical cost basis except for the revaluation of certain 
investment properties and financial instruments that are measured at revalued amounts or fair values at the end of the 
reporting year, as explained in the accounting policies below. Other than as noted in the “Accounting developments and 
changes” section below, the accounting policies have been applied consistently to the results, other gains and losses, 
assets, liabilities, income and expenses.

Fair value is the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between 
market participants at the measurement date, regardless of whether that price is directly observable or estimated 
using another valuation technique. In estimating the fair value of an asset or liability, the Group takes into account the 
characteristics of the asset or liability if market participants would take those characteristics into account when pricing 
the asset or liability at the measurement date. Fair value for measurement and/or disclosure purposes in these financial 
statements is determined on such basis, except for share-based payments that are within the scope of IFRS 2.

In addition, for financial reporting purposes, fair value measurements are categorised into Level 1, 2 or 3 based on the 
degree to which the inputs to the fair value measurements are observable and the significance of the inputs to the fair 
value measurement in its entirety, which are described as follows:

•  Level 1 inputs are quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.

•  Level 2 inputs are inputs other than quoted prices included within Level 1, that are observable for the asset or liability, 

either directly (i.e. as prices) or indirectly (i.e. derived from prices).

•  Level 3 inputs are unobservable inputs for the asset or liability.

The financial statements are presented in pounds sterling because that is the currency of the primary economic 
environment in which the Group operates. Foreign operations are included in accordance with the accounting policies set 
out below.

Statement of compliance
The consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with international accounting standards in 
conformity with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 and International Financial Reporting Standards as adopted 
by the United Kingdom. 

Accounting developments and changes
The accounting policies used in these financial statements are consistent with those applied in the last annual financial 
statements, as amended where relevant to reflect the adoption of the following new standards, amendments and 
interpretations which became effective during the year:

•  Amendments to IFRS 17 Insurance Contracts 

•  Amendments to IAS 8 Accounting Policies, Changes in Accounting Estimates and Errors: Definition of Accounting 

Estimates

•  Amendments to IAS 12 Income Taxes: Deferred Tax related to Assets and Liabilities arising from single transaction

• 

International Tax Reform—Pillar Two Model Rules – Amendments to IAS 12

•  Amendments to IAS 1 – Presentation of Financial Statements and IFRS Practice Statement 2 Making Materiality 

Judgements: Disclosure of Accounting Policies

Prior year restatement
The Group’s accounting policy has been amended in the year to state that recognition of a trade receivable requires 
payment to be due in accordance with the billing schedule set out in the lease contract, and not solely the issue of an 
invoice. In applying this treatment the Group has restated the 2022 results for a prior year adjustment. This restatement 
derecognises the trade receivable for invoices issued and unsettled at 30 December 2022 but not due for payment until 
after that date. The impact of this change is set out below. The impact on Profit and Net Asset Value is £nil. We have not 
provided a restated balance sheet for the year ended 30 December 2021 on the basis we do not consider it to have a 
material effect given there is no impact on Profit or Net Asset Value. 

182

Stock code: CAL1 Significant Accounting Policies continued

Receivables
Trade and other payables

30 December
2022
£m

30 December
2021
£m

(2.1)
2.1

(3.1)
3.1

In addition a prior year adjustment has been made in respect of the service charge income and expenditure recognised 
in 2022, the impact of which is a £3.8million reduction in Revenue and a corresponding £3.8 million reduction in Cost of 
Sales. The impact on Profit is £nil. A prior year restatement has been made to the right of use assets for a remeasurement 
of the Snozone leases. The impact is to increase both cost and depreciation by £3 million. There is no impact on the 
carrying value. 

New and revised standards issued but not yet effective
At the date of authorisation of these financial statements, the Group has not applied the following new and revised IFRS 
Standards that have been issued but are not yet effective:

•  Amendment to IFRS 16 – Leases: Lease liability in a sale and leaseback

•  Amendment to IAS 1 – Classification of Liabilities as Current or Non-Current

•  Amendments to IAS 7 – Statement of cash flows and IFRS 7 Financial Instruments: Disclosures: Supplier finance 

Agreement

•  Amendments to IAS 21 – The effects of changes in foreign exchange rates lack of exchangeability

None of these standards are anticipated to have a material impact upon the Group’s results.

Critical accounting judgements 
The preparation of financial statements requires the Directors to make the following judgements that may affect the 
application of accounting policies. 

Going concern
Under the UK Corporate Governance Code the Board needs to report whether the business is a going concern. In making 
its assessment of Going Concern, the Group has considered the general risk environment and the specific risks that relate 
to the Group and its sector. This has incorporated considering the current macro-economic inflationary pressures, the 
ongoing impacts and speed of recovery from Covid-19, as well as the structural trends that were already under way in the 
retail industry. 

At 30 December 2023, the Group had total cash at bank on balance sheet of £36.3 million (2022: £52.1 million). Of which 
£17.8 million (2022: £28 million) was held centrally outside of secured loan arrangements. This provides a significant cash 
contingency to cover any reasonable disruption to operations in both the base and downside scenarios that have been 
modelled for at least the period of the next 18 months to 30 June 2025 that is considered for going concern purposes. 
The remaining balances are subject to meeting conditions or having passed through relevant waterfall calculations within 
relevant loan facilities.

Loan facilities overview
Mall facility (£140 million): This facility finances properties in Maidstone, Walthamstow, and Wood Green. The Group 
remains compliant with all covenant tests on the loan facility. The covenants reverted in November 2023 to the original 
terms set in the January 2017 loan agreement after the expiration of a two-year period of covenant waivers agreed as 
part of the November 2021 loan restructure.

Ilford facility (£39 million): Significant enhancements have been made to the loan agreement, including an extension 
of the loan maturity to September 2025 and the addition of further loan extension options until December 2027. 
Additionally, various improvements have been agreed upon regarding covenant terms, effective until the new maturity 
date and potentially beyond if extension options are exercised.

Hemel Hempstead facility (£4 million): The Group has secured a waiver of all covenant requirements on the £4 million 
loan facility until maturity in July 2025. Furthermore, the Group has an option to extend the maturity by one or two years 
subject to meeting specified covenant tests.

New facility for Gyle (£16 million): In September 2023, the Group entered into a new £16 million loan facility to partially 
finance the acquisition of Gyle property in Edinburgh.

All of the Group’s asset backed loan facilities are ring-fenced within their own SPV structures with no recourse to Capital & 
Regional plc and no cross-default provisions. 

183

FinancialsCapital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Notes to the Financial Statements continued
For the year to 30 December 2023

1 Significant Accounting Policies continued
In making its assessment of Going Concern, the Group has run updated forecasts on both a base case and downside 
basis. In the latter, the Group has sensitised rent collection to 90%, reduced car park and ancillary income by 10% 
and removed any contribution from Snozone to reflect how a significant downturn in expected trading could impact 
cashflows. The Group has also considered a 15% reduction in property valuations both from the Group’s 30 December 
2023 valuations and valuations undertaken by the Group’s respective lenders. 

The combination of the cash maintained on the Group’s balance sheet and actions available within Management’s 
control provides sufficient contingency to cover all of the various downside sensitivities modelled in combination to the 
most adverse end of the scenarios modelled. At the most adverse end the Group would need to take some additional 
measures to preserve cash involving some combination of reducing or deferring Capital Expenditure and/or reducing 
dividend payments or utilising a Scrip option.

In coming to its Going Concern conclusion, the Group has also considered, but not relied upon, other options available 
to generate or conserve additional cash, to reduce debt levels and to fund value accretive capital expenditure and letting 
initiatives. These include but are not limited to: the potential disposal of assets either in whole or part and the potential 
raising of additional funds. 

Having due regard to all of the above matters and after making appropriate enquiries, the Directors have a reasonable 
expectation that the Group and the Company have adequate resources to continue in operational existence for 
the foreseeable future. Therefore, the Board continues to adopt the Going Concern basis in preparing the financial 
statements.

Key sources of estimation uncertainty
The preparation of financial statements requires the Directors to make estimates that may affect the reported amounts 
of assets and liabilities, income and expenses. The following are the key sources of estimation uncertainty that have the 
most significant effect on the amounts recognised in the financial statements: 

Property valuation
The valuation of the Group’s property portfolio is inherently subjective due to, among other factors, the individual nature 
of each property, its location and the expected future rental revenues from that particular property. As a result, the 
valuations the Group places on its property portfolio are subject to a degree of uncertainty and are made on the basis of 
assumptions which may not prove to be accurate. We are now in a phase of the valuation cycle where there is persistent 
negative sentiment and low transactional evidence as such greater judgement has been applied.

With fewer recent comparable sales or market transactions to reference, we have had to rely more heavily on alternative 
valuation methodologies and qualitative assessments to determine fair values. Additionally, the lack of recent market 
activity has increased the uncertainty surrounding valuation inputs, necessitating a more nuanced and cautious approach 
in our valuation process. As a result, our valuations have been subject to greater scrutiny and deliberation, reflecting the 
need to navigate the challenges posed by the current market conditions.

The investment property valuation contains a number of assumptions upon which the valuation of the Group’s properties 
as at 30 December 2023 was based. The assumptions on which the property valuation reports have been based include, 
but are not limited to, matters such as the tenure and tenancy details for the properties, the condition of the properties, 
prevailing market yields and comparable market transactions. These assumptions are market standard and accord with 
the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Valuation – Professional Standards UK 2014 (revised January 2022).

If the assumptions upon which the valuation was based prove to be inaccurate, this may have an impact on the value 
of the Group’s investment properties, which could in turn have an effect on the Group’s financial position and results. 
Estimated rental values and equivalent yields are considered key assumptions. Note 10c provides sensitivity analysis 
estimating the impact that changes in the estimated rental values or equivalent yields would have on the Group’s 
property valuations.

Provision for expected credit losses of trade receivables
When measuring expected credit loss the Group uses reasonable and supportable forward looking information, which 
is based on assumptions for the future movement of different economic drivers and how these drivers will affect each 
other. In assessing whether the credit risk of an asset has significantly increased the Group takes into account qualitative 
and quantitative reasonable and supportable forward looking information. Probability of default constitutes a key input in 
measuring expected credit losses (ECL). Probability of default is an estimate of the likelihood of default over a given time 
horizon, the calculation of which includes historical data, assumptions and expectations of future conditions. Sensitivity of 
the expected credit loss to probability of default is disclosed in note 14. 

Deferred tax 
Deferred tax liabilities are generally provided for in full and deferred tax assets are recognised to the extent that it is 
judged probable that future taxable profit will arise against which the temporary differences will be utilised. In particular, 
the Company has exercised judgement in respect of the deferred tax asset held on the Statement of Financial Position. 
Based on the Company’s forecasts, it is considered probable that this will be utilised over a reasonable timeframe.

184

Stock code: CAL1 Significant Accounting Policies continued

Basis of consolidation
The consolidated financial statements incorporate the financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries at 30 
December. Control of subsidiaries is achieved where the Company has the power over the investee, is exposed, or has 
rights, to variable return from its involvement with the investee and has the ability to use its power to affect its returns.

The results of subsidiaries acquired or disposed of during the year are included in the consolidated income statement 
from the effective date of acquisition or up to the effective date of disposal. The reporting year for all material 
subsidiaries and affiliates ends on 31 December and their financial statements are consolidated from this date. There is 
no material impact on the Group’s results from this difference in reporting date. All intra-group transactions, balances, 
income and expenses are eliminated on consolidation.

If the Group loses control of a subsidiary, the disposal is accounted for in accordance with IFRS 10. Upon loss of control, 
the subsidiary’s assets and liabilities are derecognised from the consolidated financial statements at their carrying 
amounts at the date when control is lost.

Any resulting gain or loss on the disposal of the subsidiary is computed as the difference between the net disposal 
proceeds and the carrying amount of the subsidiary’s net assets at the date of loss of control. The carrying amount of the 
net assets is determined based on their fair values at the date of loss of control. The gain or loss on disposal is recognised 
in profit or loss in the period in which control is lost, unless the transaction qualifies for recognition as a discontinued 
operation, in which case it is recognised as part of the gain or loss on discontinued operations.

The Group reassesses whether or not it controls an investee if facts and circumstances indicate that there has been a 
significant change in one or more of the elements of control, as defined under IFRS 10.

Factors considered in this reassessment include changes in ownership interests, contractual arrangements, voting rights, 
or other relevant indicators of control. If the Group determines that control has been lost or gained, the appropriate 
accounting treatment, including derecognition of the subsidiary’s assets and liabilities or consolidation of the investee, is 
applied in accordance with IFRS 10 and other relevant accounting standards.

Subsidiaries 
The results of subsidiaries acquired or disposed of during the year are included from the effective date of acquisition 
or up to the effective date of disposal or loss of control. Accounting practices of subsidiaries which differ from Group 
accounting policies are adjusted on consolidation. All intra group transactions, balances, income and expenses are 
eliminated on consolidation. 

Foreign currency

Foreign currency transactions
Transactions in foreign currencies are translated into sterling at exchange rates approximating to the exchange rate 
ruling at the date of the transaction. Monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies at the balance 
sheet date are translated to sterling at the exchange rate ruling at that date and differences arising on translation are 
recognised in the income statement.

Financial statements of foreign operations
The assets and liabilities of foreign operations, including goodwill and fair value adjustments arising on consolidation, 
are translated into sterling at the exchange rates ruling at the balance sheet date. The operating income and expenses of 
foreign operations are translated into sterling at the average exchange rates for the year. Significant transactions, such as 
property sales, are translated at the foreign exchange rate ruling at the date of each transaction. 

The principal exchange rate used to translate foreign currency denominated amounts in the balance sheet is the rate at 
the end of the year: £1 = €1.1535 (2022: £1 = €1.1317). The principal exchange rate used for the income statement is the 
average rate for the year: £1 = €1.1500 (2022: £1 = €1.1733).

Gains and losses
Foreign exchange gains and losses from monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are recognised 
in profit or loss at each reporting date. Non-monetary items are translated at the exchange rate prevailing at the 
transaction date, with subsequent changes in exchange rates not affecting gains or losses.

185

FinancialsCapital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Notes to the Financial Statements continued
For the year to 30 December 2023

1 Significant Accounting Policies continued

Property, plant and equipment

Group/central
Property, plant and equipment (PPE) is stated at cost, net of depreciation and any provision for impairment. Depreciation 
is provided on all PPE, other than land, on a straight-line basis over their expected useful lives:

•  Leasehold improvements – over the term of the lease

•  Fixtures and fittings – over three to five years

•  Motor vehicles – over four years

Snozone
PPE is stated at cost net of depreciation and any provision for impairment. Cost includes the original purchase price of the 
asset and the costs attributable to bringing the asset to its working condition for its intended use.

Depreciation is provided so as to write off the cost of the assets, less their estimated residual values, on a straight-line 
basis over their expected useful lives, which are given below as a general rule, however as part of the day to day running 
of the business there may be some assets which fall outside of this, these assets are treated the same and are always 
depreciated on a straight-line basis over their expected useful lives. 

•  Snow equipment – over one to five years

•  Computer equipment – over two to five years

•  Office equipment – over two to five years

•  Operations equipment – over two to five years

•  Plant – over twenty years

The expected useful lives and depreciation methods are reviewed annually at each reporting date. Subsequent costs 
incurred after the initial recognition of PPE are capitalised if they meet the recognition criteria. Such costs include 
expenditures that increase the future economic benefits expected to be obtained from the use of the asset beyond its 
originally assessed standard of performance.

Upon disposal of PPE, any resulting gain or loss is calculated as the difference between the net disposal proceeds and 
the carrying amount of the asset in the financial statements at the date of disposal. Gains or losses on disposals are 
recognised in profit or loss in the period in which the disposal occurs.

Property portfolio

Investment properties
Investment properties are properties owned or leased which are held either for long-term rental income or for capital 
appreciation or both. Investment property is initially recognised at cost (including directly related transaction costs) and 
is revalued at the balance sheet date to fair value, being the market value determined by professionally qualified external 
valuers, with changes in fair value being included in the income statement. Valuations are generally carried out twice a 
year. In accordance with IAS 40 Investment Property, no depreciation is provided in respect of investment properties.

Leasehold properties
Leasehold properties that are leased to tenants under operating leases are classified as investment properties or 
development properties, as appropriate, and included in the balance sheet at fair value.

Capital expenditure
Refurbishment expenditure in respect of major works is capitalised. Renovation and refurbishment expenditure of a 
revenue nature is expensed as incurred. Our business model for developments is to use a combination of in-house staff 
and external advisers. The cost of external advisers is capitalised to the cost of developments. The cost of staff working 
on developments is capitalised subject to meeting certain criteria related to the degree of time spent on and the nature of 
specific projects.

Property transactions
Acquisitions and disposals are accounted for at the date of legal completion. Investment properties are reclassified as 
held for sale once it is highly probable that a transaction will be completed within the next 12 months. 

186

Stock code: CAL1 Significant Accounting Policies continued

Leases

The Group as lessor
Rental income from operating leases is recognised on a straight-line basis over the term of the relevant lease. Initial direct 
costs incurred in negotiating and arranging an operating lease are added to the carrying amount of the leased asset and 
recognised on a straight-line basis over the lease term. Incentives and costs associated with entering into tenant leases 
are amortised on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease.

The Group as lessee
The Group assesses whether a contract is or contains a lease, at inception of the contract. The Group recognises a right-
of-use asset and a corresponding lease liability with respect to all lease arrangements in which it is the lessee, except for 
short-term leases (defined as leases with a lease term of 12 months or less) and leases of low value assets (such as tablets 
and personal computers, small items of office furniture and telephones). For these leases, the Group recognises the lease 
payments as an operating expense on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease unless another systematic basis is 
more representative of the time pattern in which economic benefits from the leased assets are consumed. 

The lease liability is initially measured at the present value of the lease payments that are not paid at the commencement 
date, discounted by using the Group’s incremental borrowing rate. Lease payments included in the measurement of the 
lease liability comprise fixed lease payments (including in-substance fixed payments), less any lease incentives receivable. 
The lease liability is subsequently measured by increasing the carrying amount to reflect interest on the lease liability 
(using the effective interest method) and by reducing the carrying amount to reflect the lease payments made.

The Group remeasures the lease liability (and makes a corresponding adjustment to the related right-of-use asset) whenever:

•  The lease term has changed or there is a significant event or change in circumstances resulting in a change in the 

assessment of exercise of a purchase option, in which case the lease liability is remeasured by discounting the revised 
lease payments using a revised discount rate.

•  The lease payments change due to changes in an index or rate or a change in expected payment under a guaranteed 
residual value, in which cases the lease liability is remeasured by discounting the revised lease payments using an 
unchanged discount rate (unless the lease payments change is due to a change in a floating interest rate, in which case 
a revised discount rate is used).

A lease contract is modified and the lease modification is not accounted for as a separate lease, in which case the lease 
liability is remeasured based on the lease term of the modified lease by discounting the revised lease payments using a 
revised discount rate at the effective date of the modification.

The Group did not make any such adjustments during the periods presented.

The right-of-use assets comprise the initial measurement of the corresponding lease liability, lease payments made at 
or before the commencement day, less any lease incentives received and any initial direct costs. The right of use assets 
are amortised on a straight line basis over the length of each lease. To assess for impairment of the right of use asset the 
directors have considered whether the group can reasonably expect to recover the costs of each lease through operation. 
No indication of impairment has been deemed to exist. 

Financial instruments
Financial assets and financial liabilities are recognised in the Group’s balance sheet when the Group becomes party to the 
contractual provisions of the instrument.

Financial assets
Financial assets are initially recognised at fair value and subsequently classified into the following measurement categories:

•  Measured at amortised cost

•  Measured at fair value through profit or loss (FVTPL)

•  Measured at fair value through other comprehensive income” (FVOCI) 

The classification of financial assets depends on the Group’s business model for managing the asset and the contractual 
terms of the cash flows. Assets that are held for the collection of contractual cash flows that represent solely payments 
of principal and interest are measured at amortised cost, with any interest income recognised in the income statement 
using the effective interest rate method.

Financial assets that do not meet the criteria to be measured at amortised cost are classified by the Group as measured 
at FVTPL. Fair value gains and losses on financial assets measured at FVTPL are recognised in the income statement and 
presented within net operating expenses.

The group currently has no financial assets measured at FVOCI.

187

FinancialsCapital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Notes to the Financial Statements continued
For the year to 30 December 2023

1 Significant Accounting Policies continued

Derecognition of financial assets
Financial assets are derecognised from the balance sheet when the contractual rights to the cash flows from the asset 
expire, or when the asset is transferred to a third party and the Group has transferred substantially all of the risks and 
rewards of ownership.

Any resulting gains or losses from derecognition of financial assets are recognised in profit or loss in the period in which 
the derecognition occurs.

Effective interest rate method
The effective interest rate method is a method of calculating the amortised cost of a debt instrument and of allocating 
the interest income over the relevant period. The effective interest rate is the rate that exactly discounts estimated 
future cash receipts (including all fees and points paid or received that form an integral part of the effective interest 
rate, transaction costs and other premiums or discounts) through the expected life of the debt instrument, or, where 
appropriate, a shorter period, to the net carrying amount in initial recognition.

Debt instruments that have fixed or determinable payments that are not quoted in an active market are classified as 
amortised cost. These are measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method less any impairment. Interest 
income is recognised by applying the effective interest rate, except for short term receivables when the recognition of 
interest would be immaterial.

Trade receivables
Trade receivables are carried at the original invoice amount less provision for impairment (credit losses). Discounts and 
similar allowances are recorded on an accrual basis, consistent with the recognition of the related sales, using estimates 
based on existing contractual obligations, historical trends and the Group’s experience. Long-term accounts receivables 
are discounted to take into account the time value of money, where material.

Loss allowances for trade receivables are always measured at an amount equal to lifetime expected credit losses (“ECLs”). 
The Group calculates impairment of trade receivables using the expected credit loss model as required by IFRS 9. ECLs 
are calculated by: (a) identifying scenarios in which a loan or receivable defaults; (b) estimating the cash shortfall that 
would be incurred in each scenario if a default were to happen; (c) multiplying that loss by the probability of the default 
happening; and (d) summing the results of all such possible default events. The Group has adopted the simplified 
“provision matrix” approach to calculate expected credit losses on trade receivables. The Group loss allowance is based 
on the expected credit loss as calculated using the provision matrix approach and a forward-looking component based on 
individual tenant profiles. The Group considers a financial asset to be in default when the borrower is unlikely to pay its 
credit obligations to the Group in full. The Group writes off trade receivables when there is no reasonable expectation of 
recovery. These receivables are written off after six months.

Cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents include cash on hand and demand deposits and other short-term highly liquid investments 
that are readily convertible to a known amount of cash and are subject to an insignificant risk of changes in value. 
Restricted cash balances relate to amounts held by the group on behalf of tenants including ring fenced service charge 
funds and tenant deposits.

No overdraft facilities are held by the Group.

Financial liabilities

Borrowings
Borrowings are initially measured at fair value net of transaction costs. Borrowings are subsequently measured at 
amortised cost using the effective interest method with interest expense recognised on an effective yield basis. 

Derivative financial instruments
Derivatives are initially recognised at fair value at the date a derivative contract is entered into and are subsequently 
remeasured to their fair value at each balance sheet date. The fair value of forward foreign exchange contracts is 
calculated by reference to spot and forward exchange rates at the balance sheet date. The fair value of interest rate 
swaps is calculated by reference to appropriate forecasts of yield curves between the balance sheet date and the maturity 
of the instrument. Changes in fair value are included as finance income or finance costs in the income statement. 
Derivative financial instruments are classified as non-current when they have a maturity of more than twelve months and 
are not intended to be settled within one year. The group does not apply hedge accounting.

Trade payables 
Trade payables are stated at cost which equates to their fair value, with any gains or losses arising on remeasurement 
recognised in the income statement.

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Stock code: CAL1 Significant Accounting Policies continued

Taxation
Income tax on the profit for the year comprises current and deferred tax. Current tax is the tax payable on the taxable 
income for the year and any adjustment in respect of previous years. Deferred tax is provided in full using the balance 
sheet liability method on timing differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting 
purposes and the amounts used for taxation purposes. 

Deferred tax is determined using tax rates that have been enacted or substantively enacted by the reporting date and 
are expected to apply when the asset is realised or the liability is settled. No provision is made for timing differences (i) 
arising on the initial recognition of assets or liabilities that affect neither accounting nor taxable profit and (ii) relating to 
investments in subsidiaries to the extent that they will not reverse in the foreseeable future.

The Group recognises deferred tax assets for the non-REIT profit entities in respect of head lease payments, capital 
allowances and certain residual tax losses carried forward to the extent that future matching taxable profits are expected 
to arise. No deferred tax asset is recognised in respect of temporary differences arising from investments or investments 
in associates as it is not certain that a deduction will be available when the asset crystallises.

Employee benefits

Pension costs
Pension liabilities, all of which relate to defined contribution schemes, are charged to the income statement as incurred.

Share-based payments 
Equity settled share-based payments are measured at fair value at the date of grant. The fair values of the LTIP are 
calculated using Monte Carlo simulations and the Black-Scholes model as appropriate. The fair values are dependent 
on factors including the exercise price, expected volatility, period to exercise and risk-free interest rate. Market related 
performance conditions are reflected in the fair values at the date of grant and are expensed on a straight-line basis over 
the vesting period. Non-market related performance conditions are not reflected in the fair values at the date of grant. 
At each reporting date, the Group estimates the number of shares likely to vest under non-market related performance 
conditions so that the cumulative expense will ultimately reflect the number of shares that do vest. Where awards are 
cancelled the remaining fair value is expensed immediately.

Own shares
Own shares held by the Group are shown as a deduction from shareholders’ funds and included in other reserves. The 
cost of own shares is transferred to retained earnings when shares in the underlying incentive schemes vest. The shares 
are held in an Employee Share Ownership Trust.

Revenue 
The Group recognises revenue from contracts with customers in accordance with IFRS 15 on an accruals basis. Revenue 
is recognised when control of the promised goods or services is transferred to the customer, typically upon delivery or as 
services are rendered, at an amount that reflects the consideration expected to be received in exchange for those goods 
or services. The Group identifies performance obligations in contracts with customers and recognises revenue when each 
performance obligation is satisfied, based on the terms of the contract. Significant payment terms, including the timing 
of payment and any financing components, are disclosed in the contract terms. The policy also addresses obligations for 
returns, refunds, and warranties associated with the goods or services provided.

Gross rental income – Gross rental income is rental income, adjusted for tenant incentives, recognised on a straight-line 
basis over the term of the underlying lease. Contingent rents, being lease payments that are not fixed at the inception of 
a lease, for example turnover rents, are recorded as income in the periods in which they are earned. Lease incentives are 
capitalised and amortised over the length of the lease. 

Amortisation is offset against rental income. Contracted rental income is recognised on satisfaction of the Group’s 
performance obligation for each lease; to provide a readily useable lettable space.

The Group receives payments from tenants based on a billing schedule, as established in each lease contract. Primarily 
tenants are billed in advance of the period being billed. Trade receivables are recognised when the right to consideration 
becomes unconditional following issue of invoice and when payment falls due in accordance with the billing schedule. As 
amounts are billed in advance, contract liabilities arise when the period billed extends beyond the reporting date. These 
are recorded as deferred income. Contract liabilities are recognised as revenue as the period progresses.

Ancillary income – Ancillary income comprises rent and other income from short term tenancies of mobile units, car park 
income and other sundry income and is recognised over the period of the lettings and contracts.

189

FinancialsCapital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Notes to the Financial Statements continued
For the year to 30 December 2023

1 Significant Accounting Policies continued
Service charge – Service charge income represents recharges of the running costs of the shopping centres made to 
tenants and is recognised on an accruals basis, when the amount of revenue can be reliably measured and it is probable 
that future economic benefits will flow to the Group.

Management fees – Management fees are recognised, in line with the property management contracts, in the year to 
which they relate. They include income in relation to services provided by Capital & Regional Property Management 
Limited (“CRPM”) to associates or third-party assets for asset and property management, project co-ordination, 
procurement, and management of service charges and directly recoverable expenses. 

Dividend and interest income – Dividend income from investments is recognised when the shareholders’ right to receive 
payment has been established. Interest income is accrued on a time basis, by reference to the principal outstanding and 
at the effective interest rate applicable, which is the rate that exactly discounts estimated future cash receipts through the 
expected life of the financial asset to that asset’s net carrying amount. 

Snozone income – Revenue arises from the operation of indoor ski operations. Revenue represents the amounts 
received from customers (excluding sales taxes) for admissions tickets, membership, retail, food and beverage sales and 
sponsorship. Ticket revenue is recognised at point of entry. Revenue from the sale of memberships is deferred and then 
recognised over the period that the membership is valid. Retail and food and beverage sales revenues are recognised at 
the point of sale. Sponsorship revenue is recognised over the relevant contract term. 

Government grants
Government grants are not recognised until there is reasonable assurance that the Group will comply with the conditions 
attaching to them and that the grants will be received.

Government grants are recognised in profit or loss on a systematic basis over the periods in which the Group recognises 
as expenses the related costs for which the grants are intended to compensate. Government grants that are receivable 
as compensation for expenses or losses already incurred or for the purpose of giving immediate financial support to the 
Group with no future related costs are recognised in profit or loss in the period in which they become receivable, offset 
against the expense they are intended to compensate where applicable. 

The Company is due to receive £3.0 million from London Borough of Waltham Forest (see Other Receivables in Note 
14), the freeholder of the 17&Central shopping centre, as a viability contribution towards the consented development 
of the site. This has been allocated against the food hall project completed in 2023.  The amount has offset the capital 
expenditure incurred on that project during 2023.

Finance costs
All borrowing costs are recognised under Finance costs in the income statement in the year in which they are incurred. 
Finance costs also include the amortisation of loan issue costs and any loss in the value of the Group’s interest 
rate swaps.

Operating segments
The Group’s operating segments are Shopping Centres, Snozone and Group/Central. Shopping Centres includes the 
results of the Group’s centres at Ilford and Hemel Hempstead (from 11 April 2022 being the date an agreement to buy 
back its loan was reached) and those centres within The Mall loan facility, namely Blackburn (until it was sold on 9 August 
2022), Maidstone, Walthamstow and Wood Green. It also includes the results of Gyle shopping centre in Edinburgh from 
the date of acquisition on 6 September 2023. 

The Group deconsolidated its interest in Luton on 20 May 2022 reflecting changes that took place on that date to 
constitution of the Luton entities including the appointment of an independent director with specific rights regarding the 
proposed sale process for the asset. 

Group/Central includes management fee income, Group overheads incurred by Capital & Regional plc, Capital & Regional 
Property Management and other subsidiaries and the interest expense on the Group’s central borrowing facility.

The Shopping Centres segments derive their revenue from the rental of investment properties. The Snozone and Group/
Central segments derive their revenue from the operation of indoor ski slopes and the management of property funds 
or schemes respectively. The split of revenue between these classifications satisfies the requirement of IFRS 8 to report 
revenues from different products and services. Depreciation and charges in respect of share-based payments represent 
the only significant non-cash expenses. Prior period comparatives have also been restated as a result.

Adjusted Profit
Adjusted Profit is the total of Contribution from The Group’s Shopping Centres, the profit from Snozone and property 
management fees less central costs (including interest, excluding non-cash charges in respect of share-based payments) 
after tax. 

190

Stock code: CAL1 Significant Accounting Policies continued 
Adjusted Profit excludes revaluation of properties, profit or loss on disposal of properties or investments, gains or losses 
on financial instruments and adjusting one-off items for example gains from debt repurchase. Results from Discontinued 
Operations are included in adjusted profit up until the point of disposal or reclassification as held for sale. 

Further detail on the use of Adjusted Profit and other Alternative Performance Measures is provided within the Financial 
Review. 

Adjusted profit within Snozone is Leisure EBITDA. Leisure EBITDA is an alternative performance measure for the Snozone 
business. It excludes Depreciation, Amortisation, (notional) Interest, Tax and non-operational one-off items. It includes 
rent expense, based on contractual payments adjusted for rent free periods. This provides a measure of Snozone trading 
performance which removes the profiling impact of IFRS 16 that would otherwise see a significantly higher charge in early 
years of a lease and significantly lower net charge in later years.

A reconciliation of Adjusted Profit to the statutory result is provided in Note 2a and, on a per share basis, in Note 9, where 
EPRA earnings figures are also provided.

Discontinued operations and assets held for sale
A discontinued operation is a component of the Group which represents a significant separate line of business, either 
through its activity or geographical area of operation, which has been sold, is held for sale or has been closed.

Where at the balance sheet date the sale of a component of the Group, which can include a property, is considered 
probably and is available for immediate sale in its present condition as well as taking into account other required 
accounting criteria, it is classified as held for sale. Such classification assumes the expectation that the sale will complete 
within one year from the date of classification. Assets and liabilities held for sale are measured at the lower of carrying 
amount and fair value less costs to sell.

If an investment in a joint venture or associate is reclassified to assets held for sale, equity accounting ceases on the date 
of reclassification and any subsequent movements in the fair value are recognised as impairment gains or losses. 

Business combinations
Business combinations are accounted for using the acquisition method. Under this method, the identifiable assets 
acquired, liabilities assumed and any non-controlling interest in the acquiree are recognised at their fair values at the 
acquisition date which is the date control is transferred to the Company. Where control is achieved in stages, the cost is 
the consideration at the date of each transaction.

The consideration transferred for the acquisition is measured as the sum of the acquisition-date fair values of the assets 
transferred, liabilities incurred, and equity instruments issued by the Company.

Any excess of the consideration transferred over the net identifiable assets acquired is recognised as goodwill. If the 
consideration transferred is less than the fair value of the net identifiable assets acquired, the difference is recognised 
directly in profit or loss.

Transaction costs incurred in connection with business combinations are expensed as incurred and included in 
administrative expenses in the statement of profit or loss and other comprehensive income.

Share Capital
The Company’s share capital represents the nominal value of shares issued by the Company. Share capital is initially 
recorded at the par value of the shares issued and is subsequently adjusted for any issue or redemption of shares.

Share capital is classified as equity and presented separately in the statement of financial position. Changes in share 
capital resulting from transactions with shareholders are recorded directly in equity.

Share Premium
Share premium represents the excess of the issue price of shares over their nominal value. Share premium arises when 
shares are issued at a price higher than their par value.

Share premium is classified as equity and presented separately in the statement of financial position. 

Merger Reserve
Merger reserve represents the excess of the nominal value of shares issued over the nominal value of shares acquired 
from the Group’s capital raising activity which occurred in 2009. This reserve was established with the intention of utilising 
it to gain merger relief under section 612 of the Companies Act 2006 on the issuance of ordinary shares.

Merger reserve is classified as equity and presented separately in the statement of financial position.

191

FinancialsCapital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Notes to the Financial Statements continued
For the year to 30 December 2023

Investment in Associates
Investments in associates are accounted for using the equity method. This involves recognising the initial investment 
at cost and adjusting it subsequently to reflect the Group’s share of the associate’s net assets. Impairment losses are 
recognised when there are indications of a decrease in the recoverable amount. Any dividends received reduce the 
carrying amount of the investment.

2a Operating segments

Year to 30 December 2023

Rental income from external sources
Property and void costs1
Net rental income
Interest income
Interest expense 
Snozone income/Management fees2
Management expenses
Depreciation
Variable overhead 
Adjusted Profit/(loss)
Revaluation of properties
Loss on disposal/transaction costs
Snozone depreciation and amortisation
Notional interest (net of rent expense within EBITDA)
Loss on financial instruments
Long-term incentives
Tax credit
Profit/(loss)

Total assets
Total liabilities
Net assets/(liabilities)

1. 

Includes expected credit loss.

Note

2b

2b

21

2b
2b

Shopping 
Centres
£m

34.7
(10.8)
23.9

(7.9)
–
–
–
–
16.0
(8.1)
(0.3)
–
–
(2.0)
–
–
5.6

408.5
(225.2)
183.3

Snozone
£m

Group/
Central
£m

–
–
–

–
14.9
(12.6)
–
–
2.3
–
–
(2.2)
0.8
–
–
(0.3)
0.6

26.0
(28.8)
(2.8)

–
–
–
0.5
–
1.9
(6.3)
(0.3)
(1.4)
(5.6)
–
–
–
–
–
(0.8)
3.9
(2.5)

24.8
(3.3)
21.5

Total 
£m

34.7
(10.8)
23.9
0.5
(7.9)
16.8
 (18.9)
(0.3)
(1.4)
12.7
(8.1)
(0.3)
(2.2)
0.8
(2.0)
(0.8)
3.6
3.7

459.3
(257.3)
202.0

2.  Asset management fees of £2.3 million charged from the Group’s Capital & Regional Property Management entity to wholly owned assets have 

been excluded from the table above as they are eliminated within the Group consolidation.

192

Stock code: CAL2a Operating segments continued

Year to 30 December 2022

Rental income from external sources
Property and void costs1
Net rental income
Net interest expense
Snozone income/Management fees2
Management expenses
Depreciation
Variable overhead 
Adjusted Profit/(loss)
Revaluation of properties
Profit on disposal
Snozone depreciation and 
amortisation
Notional interest (net of rent expense 
within EBITDA)
Gain on financial instruments
Long-term incentives
Tax credit
Other items3
Gain on debt repurchase4
Profit/(loss)

Total assets
Total liabilities
Net assets/(liabilities) (restated)5

1. 

Includes expected credit loss.

Note

2b

2b

6

2b
2b

Shopping 
Centres 
– Investment 
Assets
£m

Shopping 
Centres 
– Managed
Assets
(discontinued 
operations)
£m

Snozone
£m

Group/
Central
£m

34.7
(11.2)
23.5
(9.3)
–
–
–
–
14.2
(19.6)
1.5

–

–
1.1
–
–
1.6
12.5
11.3

363.4
(208.5)
154.9

–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–

–

–
–
–
–
6.8
–
6.8

–
–
–

–
–
–
–
13.0
(11.6)
–
–
1.4
–
–

(2.1)

0.8
–
–
–
–
–
0.1

27.1
(28.9)
(1.8)

–
–
–
–
3.3
(6.7)
(0.3)
(1.6)
(5.3)
–
–

–

–
–
(0.5)
0.3
(0.6)
–
(6.1)

30.4
(4.4)
26.0

Total 
£m

34.7
(11.2)
23.5
(9.3)
16.3
(18.3)
(0.3)
(1.6)
10.3
(19.6)
1.5

(2.1)

0.8
1.1
(0.5)
0.3
7.8
12.5
12.1

420.9
(241.8)
179.1

2.  Asset management fees of £2.5 million charged from the Group’s Capital & Regional Property Management entity to wholly owned assets have 

been excluded from the table above as they are eliminated within the Group consolidation.

3.  Other Items includes the £6.8m gain on the deconsolidation of Luton. 

4.  £12.5 million gain on repurchase of Hemel Hempstead debt at a discount. 

5.  2022 comparative figures have been restated to exclude from trade receivables amounts invoiced but due after the balance sheet date.

193

FinancialsCapital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Notes to the Financial Statements continued
For the year to 30 December 2023

2b Reconciliations of reportable revenue, assets and liabilities

Revenue and other income

Rental income from external sources
Service charge income
Management fees
Other income
Snozone income
Revenue for reportable segments 
Elimination of inter-segment revenue
Revenue and other income per consolidated income statement 

Revenue and other income by country
UK
Spain
Revenue and other income per consolidated income statement

Assets
Investment assets
Snozone
Group/Central
Total assets of reportable segments and Group assets

Liabilities
Investment assets
Snozone
Group/Central
Total liabilities of reportable segments and Group liabilities

Net assets by country
UK
Spain
Group net assets

Note

2a

2a

2a

3

Note

2a

2a

Year to
30 December
2023
£m

Year to
30 December

2022 
Restated1
£m

34.7
8.2
1.9
0.1
14.9
59.8
(0.8)
59.0

55.0
4.0
59.0

2023
£m

408.5
26.0
24.8
459.3

(225.2)
(28.8)
(3.3)
(257.3)

200.4
1.6
202.0

34.7
10.5
3.4
 –
13.0
61.6
(1.0)
60.6

57.1
3.5
60.6

2022
Restated1
£m

363.4
27.1
30.4
420.9

(208.5)
(28.9)
(4.4)
(241.8)

177.8
1.3
179.1

1.  2022 comparative figures have been restated to exclude from trade receivables amounts invoiced but due after the balance sheet date, and for a 

prior year adjustment to service charge income and expenditure recognised in the period. 

194

Stock code: CAL3 Revenue

Gross rental income
Car Park and ancillary income
Income from external sources
Service charge income
External management fees 
Other income
Snozone income
– Slope Revenue
– Ancillary Revenue

Revenue and other income per consolidated income statement 

Year to
30 December
2023
£m

Note

Year to
30 December
2022
Restated1
£m

27.2
7.5
34.7
8.2
1.1
0.1

12.8
2.1
14.9
59.0

26.7
8.0
34.7
6.7
2.4
–

11.1
1.9
13.0
56.8

2a
2b

2a

2b

1.  2022 comparative figures have been restated for a prior year adjustment to service charge income and expendititure recognised in the period. 

External management fees represent revenue earned by Capital & Regional Plc and the Group’s wholly owned Capital & 
Regional Property Management subsidiary. Fees charged to wholly owned assets have been eliminated on consolidation.

4 Cost of sales

Property and void costs
Service charge costs
Snozone expenses
Total cost of sales

Year to
30 December
2023
£m

Year to
30 December

2022 
Restated1
£m

(10.2)
(7.3)
(14.0)
(31.5)

(10.4)
(5.7)
(12.9)
(29.0)

1.  2022 comparative figures have been restated for a prior year adjustment to service charge income and expenditure recognised in the period.

5 Finance income and costs

Finance income
Gain in fair value of financial instruments:
– Bank interest income
– Interest rate swaps
Total finance income
Finance costs
Amortisation of deferred loan arrangement fees
Interest payable on bank loans and overdrafts
Other interest payable
Lease liabilities 
Loss in fair value of financial instruments
Total finance costs

Year to
30 December
2023
£m

Year to
30 December
2022
£m

0.5
–
0.5

(0.5)
(6.9)
(0.1)
(0.4)
(2.0)
(9.9)

–
1.1
1.1

(0.6)
(8.3)
(0.1)
(0.4)
–
(9.4)

195

FinancialsCapital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023 
 
Notes to the Financial Statements continued
For the year to 30 December 2023

6 Profit before tax
The profit before tax has been arrived at after charging/(crediting) the following items:

Variable lease payments not capitalised under IFRS 16 
Expected credit loss
Loss on revaluation of investment properties
Other gains and losses (see below)
Depreciation of plant and equipment
Depreciation of right of use assets
Staff costs 
Auditor’s remuneration for audit services (see below)

Other gains and losses 

Discount on purchase of loan net of costs 
Gain on settlement of insurance debtor
(Loss)/gain on disposal of investment property
Investment income
Total other gains and losses

Auditor’s remuneration
The analysis of the Auditor’s remuneration is as follows:

Note

14
10a

11
12
7

Note 

16

Year to
30 December
2023
£m

Year to
30 December
2022
£m

–
(0.1)
8.1
0.1
0.3
2.0
13.6
0.4

0.5
(0.4)
19.6
(15.6)
0.6
2.0
13.8
0.5

Year to
30 December
2023
£m

Year to
30 December
2022
£m

–
–
(0.2)
0.1
(0.1)

12.5
1.6
1.5
–
15.6

Fees payable to the Company’s Auditor and its associates for the audit of the Company’s annual 
financial statements
Fees payable to the Company’s Auditor and its associates for other services to the Group – the 
audit of the Company’s subsidiaries 
Total audit fees for the Company and its subsidiaries

Fees payable to the Company’s Auditor and its associates for other services to the Group – 
reporting to parent company auditors
Audit related assurance services – Review of Interim Report
Other assurance services
Total non-audit fees
Total fees paid to Auditor and their associates

Year to
30 December 
 2023
£’000

Year to
30 December 
 2022
£’000

270

85
355

30
40
–
70
425

263

112
375

26
59
–
85
460

196

Stock code: CAL 
 
 
7 Staff costs

Salaries
Discretionary bonuses 
Share-based payments

Social security
Other pension costs

Note

21

Year to
30 December
2023
£m

Year to
30 December
2022
£m

9.3
1.8
0.8
11.9
1.4
0.3
13.6

9.7
2.0
0.5
12.2
1.3
0.3
13.8

Staff costs amounting to £nil (2022: £nil) have been capitalised as development costs during the year.

Staff numbers
The monthly average number of employees (including Executive Directors), being full-time equivalents, employed by the 
Group during the year was as follows:

C&R Property Management/ C&R PLC
Shopping centres
Snozone
Total staff numbers

Year to
30 December
2023
Number

Year to
30 December
2022
Number

34
38
175
247

41
49
158
248

The monthly average number of total employees (including Executive Directors) employed within the Group during the 
year was 368 (CRPM – 35, Shopping centres - 48, Snozone – 285) compared to 364 in 2022 (CRPM – 41, Shopping centres 
– 63, Snozone – 260). These do not agree to the table above as they are average total employees not adjusted for full time 
equivalents. 

Other than three Directors (2022: three) there were no employees (2022: none) employed by the Company during 2023. 
Management duties were fulfilled by employees within the CRPM entity.

8 Tax

8a Tax credit/(charge)

Current tax
UK corporation tax 
Adjustments in respect of prior years
Total current tax credit

Deferred tax 
Prior year adjustments
Origination and reversal of temporary timing differences
Total deferred tax
Total tax credit

Year to
30 December
2023
£m

Year to
30 December
2022
£m

–
1.0
1.0

–
2.6
2.6
3.6

(0.4)
0.4
–

–
0.3
0.3
0.3

Of the total tax charge, £nil (2022: £nil) relates to items included in other comprehensive income.

197

FinancialsCapital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023 
 
 
 
Notes to the Financial Statements continued
For the year to 30 December 2023

8 Tax continued

8b Tax credit/(charge) reconciliation

Profit before tax on continuing operations
Expected tax charge at 23.52% (2022: 19%)
REIT exempt income and gains
Non-allowable expenses and non-taxable items
Excess tax losses
Prior year adjustments
Movement in deferred taxes
Effect of tax rate change on deferred tax
Actual tax credit

Year to
30 December
2023
£m

Year to
30 December
2022
£m

Note

0.1
–
(0.2)
(1.3)
0.7
1.0
3.4
-
3.6

5.0
(1.0)
2.1
(1.4)
–
0.4
–
0.2
0.3

8a

8c Deferred tax
The Finance Act 2021 enacted provisions maintaining the main corporation tax rate at 19% for the year commencing  
1 April 2022 and increasing the rate to 25% for the year commencing 1 April 2023. Consequently, the UK corporation tax 
rate at which deferred tax is booked in the consolidated financial statements is 23.52% (30 December 2022: 19%).

The Group has recognised a deferred tax asset of £3.6 million (30 December 2022: £1.1 million). The group has 
recognised deferred tax assets for the non-REIT profit entities in respect of head lease payments, capital allowances and 
certain residual tax losses carried forward to the extent that future matching taxable profits are expected to arise.

No deferred tax asset has been recognised in respect of temporary differences arising from investments or investments 
in associates in the current or prior years as it is not certain that a deduction will be available when the asset crystallises.

The Group has £20.1 million (30 December 2022: £12.1 million) of unused revenue tax losses, all of which are in the UK. 
A deferred tax asset has been recognised in respect of £9.1 million of these losses (30 December 2022: £nil) where the 
Group considers it is sufficiently certain taxable profits will arise to utilise the losses. A deferred tax asset has not been 
recognised on the remaining £11 million of those losses due to restrictions on the utilisation of these losses. The Group 
also has unused capital losses of £24.2 million (30 December 2022: £24.2 million) that are available for offset against 
future gains. No deferred tax has been recognised in respect of these losses owing to the unpredictability of future capital 
gains and other reasons which may restrict the utilisation of the losses. The unused revenue and capital losses do not 
have an expiry date.

8d REIT compliance
The Group converted to a group REIT on 31 December 2014. Therefore, the Group does not pay UK corporation tax on 
the profits and gains from qualifying rental business in the UK provided it meets certain conditions. Non-qualifying profits 
and gains of the Group continue to be subject to corporation tax as normal. In order to retain group REIT status certain 
ongoing criteria must be maintained. The main criteria are as follows:

•  at the start of each accounting year, the value of the assets of the property rental business plus cash must be at least 

75% of the total value of the Group’s assets;

•  at least 75% of the Group’s total profits must arise from the property rental business; and

•  at least 90% of the Group’s UK property rental profits as calculated under tax rules must be distributed.

The Directors intend that the Group should continue as a group REIT for the foreseeable future, with the result that 
deferred tax is no longer recognised on temporary differences relating to the property rental business. 

198

Stock code: CAL 
9 Earnings per share
The European Public Real Estate Association (“EPRA”) has issued recommendations for the calculation of earnings per 
share information as shown in the following tables: 

9a Earnings per share calculation

Year to 30 December 2023

Year to 30 December 2022

Note

Profit

EPRA 

Adjusted 
Profit

Loss

EPRA

Adjusted 
Profit

Profit (£m)
Profit for the year 
Revaluation loss on 
investment properties (net 
of tax)
Loss/(profit) on disposal (net 
of tax)
Changes in fair value of 
financial instruments
Share-based payments
Tax
Other items1
Profit (£m)

Earnings per share (pence)
Diluted earnings per share 
(pence) 

9b

9b

9b
2a

3.7

–

–

–
–
–
–
3.7

2.0

1.9

3.7

8.1

0.3

2.0
–
(3.6)
–
10.5

5.6

5.5

3.7

8.1

0.3

2.0
0.8
(3.6)
1.4
12.7

6.8

6.6

12.1

12.1

12.1

–

–

–
–
–
–
12.1

7.3

7.2

19.6

(1.5)

(1.1)
–
–
(20.3)
8.8

5.3

5.3

19.6

(1.5)

(1.1)
0.5
–
(19.3)
10.3

6.2

6.1

1.  Other Items in 2023 includes the adjustments for Leisure EBITDA. In 2022 it includes the £12.5 million gain on repurchase of Hemel Hempstead 

debt at a discount and £6.8 million gain on the deconsolidation of Luton, in addition to the adjustments for Leisure EBITDA. 

None of the current year earnings (2022: £6.8 million) related to discontinued operations.

Weighted average number of shares (m)

Ordinary shares in issue
Own shares held
Basic
Dilutive contingently issuable shares and share options
Diluted

Note

22

Year to
30 December
2023

Year to
30 December
2022

188.1
(0.4)
187.7
3.9
191.6

166.3
–
166.3
2.4
168.7

At the end of the year, the Group had nil (2022: nil) share options and contingently issuable shares granted under share-
based payment schemes that could potentially dilute earnings per share in the future, but which have not been included 
in the calculation because they are not dilutive or the conditions for vesting have not been met.

199

FinancialsCapital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Notes to the Financial Statements continued
For the year to 30 December 2023

9 Earnings per share continued

9b Headline earnings per share
Headline earnings per share is an alternative performance measure as required by the JSE Listing Requirements. It has 
been calculated and presented in line with the JSE guidance. 

Profit (£m)
Profit for the year
Revaluation loss on investment properties (including tax)
Loss/(profit) on disposal (net of tax)
Other items
Headline earnings

Weighted average number of shares (m)
Ordinary shares in issue
Own shares held
Dilutive contingently issuable shares and share options

Year to 30 December 2023

Year to 30 December 2022

Basic

Diluted 

Basic

Diluted 

3.7
8.1
0.3
–
12.1

188.1
(0.4)
–
187.7

3.7
8.1
0.3
–
12.1

188.1
(0.4)
3.9
191.6

12.1
19.6
(1.5)
(20.3)
9.9

166.3
–
–
166.3

12.1
19.6
(1.5)
(20.3)
9.9

166.3
–
2.4
168.7

Headline Earnings per share (pence) Basic/Diluted

6.4

6.3

6.0

5.9

10 Investment properties

10a Wholly owned properties

Cost or valuation
At 30 December 2021
Capital expenditure (excluding capital contributions)
Disposal1
Valuation deficit2
Remeasurement of head lease
Transfer from held for sale
At 30 December 2022
Capital expenditure (excluding capital contributions)
Acquisition 
Valuation deficit2
At 30 December 2023

1.  This represents the net book value including tenant incentives. 

Freehold
investment
properties
£m

Leasehold
investment
properties
£m

Total
property
assets
£m

Note

16

227.1
3.2
–
(3.8)
–
10.2
236.7
13.0
43.0
(4.0)
288.7

149.3
5.8
(54.9)
(16.2)
(0.6)
–
83.4
1.5
–
(4.0)
80.9

376.4
9.0
(54.9)
(20.0)
(0.6)
10.2
320.1
14.5
43.0
(8.0)
369.6

2.  £(8.1) million per Income statement (2022: £(19.6) million) and Note 2a includes letting fee amortisation adjustment of £0.1 million (2022: £(0.4) 

million).

On 18 May 2022 the Group completed the acquisition of its debt in respect of the Marlowes shopping centre in Hemel 
Hempstead, as a result the Freehold property was transferred back from held for sale. 

On 23 May 2022 the Group exchanged contracts for the sale of The Mall, Blackburn to the retail arm of the Adhan 
Group of Companies for £40 million, representing a premium to the December 2021 valuation of £38.2 million. The sale 
completed on 9 August 2022 delivering cash proceeds of £39.4 million.

200

Stock code: CAL 
10 Investment properties continued
As part of the agreement to run a consensual sale process, changes to the constitution of the Luton entities were made 
effective from 23 May 2022, including the appointment of an independent director with specific rights regarding the sale 
process. The effective loss of control that they triggered resulted in the Group deconsolidating its interest in Luton from 
that date. The sale of The Mall Luton and its corporate structure completed on 16 March 2023.

On 11 July 2022, the Group completed the sale of land for residential development at its 17&Central community shopping 
centre in Walthamstow to Long Harbour for c.£21.65 million. The head lease at The Mall Walthamstow was remeasured 
as a result of an extension of the lease term effective 23 June 2022.

On 9 August 2023 the Group entered into an agreement to acquire the Gyle shopping centre in Edinburgh for a total 
acquisition consideration of £40 million, excluding costs. The acquisition completed on 6 September 2023.

10b Property assets summary

Investment properties at fair value as reported by the valuer
Add back of lease liabilities
Unamortised tenant incentives on investment properties
IFRS Property Value

30 December 
2023
£m 

30 December 
2022 
£m 

372.8
5.4
(8.6)
369.6

322.8
5.4
(8.1)
320.1

As described in the summary of significant accounting policies in Note 1, where the valuation obtained for investment 
property is net of all payments to be made, it is necessary to add back the lease liability to arrive at the carrying amount 
of investment property at fair value.

10c Valuations
External valuations at 30 December 2023 were carried out on all of the gross property assets detailed in the table above. 
The fair value was £372.8 million (2022: £322.8 million). External valuations were carried out on all of the property assets 
detailed in the table above. The valuations at 30 December 2023 were carried out by independent qualified professional 
valuers from CBRE Limited experienced in UK shopping centre valuations, in accordance with Royal Institute of Chartered 
Surveyors (RICS) standards. These valuers are not connected with the Group and their fees are charged on a fixed basis 
that is not dependent on the outcome of the valuations. 

Real estate valuations are complex and derived from data that is not widely publicly available and involves a degree of 
judgement. For these reasons, the valuations are classified as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy as defined by IFRS 13. The 
valuations are sensitive to changes in rent profile and yields.

The Group considers all of its investment properties to fall within “Level 3”, as defined in Note 1. The table below 
summarises the key unobservable inputs used in the valuation of the Group’s wholly owned investment properties at 
30 December 2023:

Estimated rental value £ per sq ft

Equivalent yield %

Market Value 
£m

372.8

Low

15.11

Weighted 
averaged

15.91

High

16.71

Low

7.00

Weighted 
averaged

8.86

High

17.40

201

FinancialsCapital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Notes to the Financial Statements continued
For the year to 30 December 2023

10 Investment properties continued

Sensitivities
The following table illustrates the impact of reasonably possible changes in key unobservable inputs (in isolation) on the 
fair value of the Group’s properties:

Impact on valuations of 5% 
change in estimated rental value

Impact on valuations of 25bps 
change in equivalent yield

Impact on valuations of 50bps 
change in equivalent yield

Increase
£m

14.6

Decrease 
£m

Increase
£m

Decrease 
£m

(15.3)

(12.5)

12.4

Increase
£m

(23.8)

Decrease 
£m

26.2

Impact on valuations of 100bps 
change in equivalent yield

Increase
£m

(44.5)

Decrease 
£m

57.0

11 Plant and equipment

Cost
At 31 December 2022
Additions
Disposals
At 30 December 2023

Accumulated Depreciation
At 31 December 2022
Additions
Charge for the year
Eliminated on disposal
At 30 December 2023

Carrying amount
At 30 December 2023
At 30 December 2022

Leasehold 
improvements
£m

Fixtures and 
fittings
£m

Computer 
equipment
£m

0.3
0.3
(0.3)
0.3

(0.3)
–
–
0.3
–

0.3
–

5.3
1.7
–
7.0

(3.6)
–
(0.3)
–
(3.9)

3.1
1.7

0.9
–
–
0.9

(0.8)
–
–
–
(0.8)

0.1
0.1

Total
£m

6.5
2.0
(0.3)
8.2

(4.7)
-
(0.3)
0.3
(4.7)

3.5
1.8

202

Stock code: CAL12 Leases

Right of use Assets

Cost
At 31 December 2022
Prior year remeasurement
Additions
Disposals
Remeasurement
At 30 December 2023

Accumulated depreciation
At 31 December 2022
Prior year remeasurement
Charge for the year
Disposals
At 30 December 2023

Carrying value
At 30 December 2023

30 December 
2023
£m

30 December 
Restated1
2022
£m

25.1
-
0.6
(0.8)
(0.2)
24.7

(3.5)
-
(2.0)
0.9
(4.6)

28.9
(3.0)
–
–
(0.8)
25.1

(4.4)
3.0
(2.1)
–
(3.5)

20.1

21.6

1.  2022 comparative figures have been restated for a £3 million prior year adjustment to the Snozone leases. The adjustment has no impact on the 

net book value as at 30 December 2022 or 30 December 2023.

Lease commitments relate to the leasing of the Group’s registered office and the leases of the Snozone business on its 
Castleford, Milton Keynes and Madrid sites. The lease at Snozone Basingstoke expired as at 31 December 2022, and in 
2022 the leases at Milton Keynes and Castleford were revalued following the annual lease payable review. During 2022 
the Group signed an extension of its former registered office lease of one year to July 2023 and in 2023 acquired a lease 
to January 2027 on its new registered office. 

The maturity analysis of lease liabilities is presented in Note 27.

Amounts recognised in profit and loss
Depreciation expense on right-of-use assets
Interest expense on lease liabilities

Year ended  
30 December
2023
£m

Year ended  
30 December
2022
£m

2.0
1.3

2.0
1.4

13 Subsidiaries
A list of the subsidiaries of the Group, including the name, country of incorporation, and proportion of ownership interest 
is given in Note F to the Company financial statements.

203

FinancialsCapital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Notes to the Financial Statements continued
For the year to 30 December 2023

14 Receivables

Non current:
Financial assets
Interest rate swap
Non current financial assets
Non-financial assets
Unamortised tenant incentives
Unamortised rent free periods
Non current non-financial assets

Current:
Financial assets
Trade receivables (net of allowances)
Other receivables2
Accrued income
Interest rate cap
Current financial assets
Non-financial assets
Prepayments
Unamortised tenant incentives
Unamortised rent free periods
Current non-financial assets

30 December
2023
£m

30 December
2022
Restated1
£m

0.5
0.5

2.7
4.6
7.3
7.8

4.3
3.8
1.9
0.3
10.3

4.9
0.5
0.8
6.2
16.5

1.7
1.7

2.1
4.7
6.8
8.5

5.6
–
1.5
–
7.1

4.0
0.5
0.7
5.2
12.3

1.  Restatement to the prior year results was made due to an amendment in accounting policy. This was to derecognise trade receivables for invoices 

issued and unsettled by 30 December 2022 but not due for payment until after that date. The impact on Profit and Net Asset Value is £nil. 

2.  Other receivables in 2023 includes £3.6 million receivable from the freeholder of 17&Central Walthamstow in respect of capital expenditure projects.

Credit losses are calculated at an amount equal to lifetime expected credit losses. The expected credit losses on trade 
receivables are estimated using a provision matrix by reference to past default experience over the period since 30 
December 2020 debtor and an analysis of the debtor’s current financial position, adjusted for factors that are specific to 
the debtor and an assessment of both the current as well as the forecast direction of conditions at the reporting date. 

The Group writes off a trade receivable when there is information indicating that there is no realistic prospect of recovery. 
Changes in expected credit loss allowance arise from increase in calculated expected credit loss, as well as amounts 
written off. The Group does not recognise revenue where collectability is not reasonably expected. In the case of rental 
income this relates to tenants who are insolvent and closed.

The following table details the risk profile of trade receivables based on the Group’s provision matrix.

2023

Forward looking

1-30 days

31-60 days

61-90 days

>90 days

Expected credit loss rate (%)
Estimated total gross carrying  
amount at default (£’m)
Lifetime ECL (£’m)
Adjustment for forward looking 
estimate
Total expected credit loss

–

–
–

(1.2)
(1.2)

14.13

32.00

34.35

27.75

2.4
(0.4)

–
(0.4)

0.5
(0.2)

–
(0.2)

0.1
–

–
–

1.6
(0.4)

–
(0.4)

2022 Restated1

Forward looking

1-30 days

31-60 days

61-90 days

>90 days

Expected credit loss rate (%)
Estimated total gross carrying 
amount at default (£’m)
Lifetime ECL (£’m)
Adjustment for forward looking 
estimate
Total expected credit loss

–

–
–

(1.0)
(1.0)

42.9

52.3

76.4

55.2

2.8
(1.3)

–
(1.3)

–
–

–
–

–
–

–
–

3.6
(1.9)

–
(1.9)

Total

24.872

7.1
(1.7)

(0.5)
(2.2)

Total

47.42

8.2
(3.9)

(0.3)
(4.2)

1.  This represents the total lifetime expected credit loss as a percentage of total group receivables. 

2.  Restatement to the prior year results was made due to an amendment in account policy. This was to derecognise trade receivables for invoices 

issues and unsettled at 30 December 2022 but not due for payment until after that date. The impact on Profit and Net Asset Value is £nil.

204

Stock code: CAL14 Receivables continued

Allowances for credit loss
At the start of the year
Additional allowances created
Utilised during the year
Unused amounts reversed
At the end of the year

The following table illustrates the impact of a 5% change in the rate of expected credit loss. 

30 December
2023
£m

30 December
2022
£m

4.2
1.5
(0.6)
(2.9)
2.2

5.8
1.1
(0.6)
(2.1)
4.2

Expected credit loss

15 Cash and cash equivalents

Cash at bank and in hand
Security deposits held in rent accounts
Other restricted balances

Provision at
30 December
2023
£m

Impact of a
5% increase
£m

Impact of a
5% decrease
£m

2.2

0.4

(0.4)

30 December
2023
£m

30 December
2022
£m

36.3
1.0
0.9
38.2

52.1
0.8
2.6
55.5

Cash at bank and in hand include amounts subject to a charge against various borrowings and may therefore not be 
immediately available for general use by the Group. Of the cash at bank and in hand £17.8 million was held on short 
term deposit and immediately available free of any restrictions or conditions at the year end date (30 December 2022: 
£28.1 million). The remaining balances are subject to meeting conditions or having passed through relevant waterfall 
calculations within relevant loan facilities. All of the above amounts at 30 December 2023 were held in Sterling other than 
£0.7 million which was held in South African Rand (30 December 2022: £nil) and £0.4 million held in Euros (30 December 
2022: £0.6 million). 

Restricted balances include service charge funds held on behalf of our tenants.

16 Assets and liabilities held for sale
As at 30 December 2021, the Group concluded that Hemel Hempstead and Luton, met the criteria to be reclassified as 
‘Held for Sale’. This conclusion was reached as the Group, in conjunction with the respective lenders had decided to seek 
to dispose of whole or part of the investments as at that date. 

The Marlowes, Hemel Hempstead – on 11 April 2022 the Group reached agreement with the respective lender to acquire 
its outstanding debt liabilities of £24 million for a discounted amount of £11.8 million. The acquisition subsequently 
completed on 18 May 2022. The Group reclassified its interest in Hemel Hempstead from Held for Sale as of 11 April 
2022. A book value of £10.2 million was transferred back at this date being the fair value of £10.5m plus tenant incentives 
of £(0.3) million. The transaction resulted in an increase to Net Asset Value of approximately £12.5 million being the 
amount of the discount less related transaction costs.

The Mall, Luton – the Group worked closely with the lender on Luton to explore a disposal of the majority or all of the 
investment or asset. This process was completed on 16 March 2023. As part of the agreement to run a consensual sale 
process changes to the constitution of the Luton entities were made including the appointment of an independent 
director with specific rights regarding the sale process. Two existing directors were required to step down as part of 
the agreement. These changes took effect from 23 May 2022 and the effective loss of control that they triggered have 
resulted in the Group deconsolidating its interest in Luton from that date. This increased the Group’s Net Asset Value by 
£6.8 million being the net liability at the point of deconsolidation.

205

FinancialsCapital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023 
 
 
Notes to the Financial Statements continued
For the year to 30 December 2023

16 Assets and liabilities held for sale continued
The loss for the period from Luton up to the date of deconsolidation is broken down as follows: 

Revenue
Expected Credit loss
Cost of sales
Gross profit
Loss on revaluation of investment properties
Other gains and losses
Loss on ordinary activities before financing
Finance income
Finance costs
Loss before tax
Tax credit/(charge)
Loss for the period 

The gain on disposal as at 23 May 2022 was £6.8 million being the write off of the liability held for sale as at  
30 December 2021. 

17 Trade and other payables

Period from
1 January 
2022 
to 23 May
2022
£m 

4.2
–
(1.4)
2.8
(2.8)
(0.3)
(0.3)
1.7
(1.7)
(0.3)
–
(0.3)

Amounts falling due after one year:
Financial liabilities
Share-based NI accrual
Non-derivative financial liabilities
Amounts falling due within one year:
Financial liabilities
Trade payables
Accruals
Other creditors
Non-derivative financial liabilities
Non-financial liabilities
Deferred income
Other taxation and social security 

30 December
2023
£m

30 December
2022
Restated1
£m

0.3
0.3

5.0
8.0
12.1
25.1

4.8
0.3
30.2

–
–

2.4
10.4
11.4
24.2

4.2
0.5
28.9

1.  2022 comparative figures have been restated to exclude from trade receivables amounts invoiced but due after the balance sheet date.

The average age of trade payables is 34 days (2022: 11 days). No amounts incur interest (2022: £nil).

On 8 March 2024 the Group signed an extension to its £39 million facility on the Ilford Exchange shopping centre 
with Dekabank Deutsche Girozentrale. The agreement extends maturity to September 2025 and provides two further 
conditional extension options to further extend maturity to the end of December 2026 and 2027, respectively. On 
commencement of the new extended term the margin is 300 basis points. The Group has acquired an interest rate cap to 
hedge the maximum all in cost at 5.50% until the current maturity of September 2025. The facility is shown as correct at 
30 December 2023 as the extension was signed after the year end. 

206

Stock code: CAL 
 
18 Bank loans

18a Summary of borrowings 
The Group’s borrowings are arranged to ensure an appropriate maturity profile and to maintain short-term liquidity. 
There were no defaults or other breaches of financial covenants that were not waived under any of the Group borrowings 
during the current year or the preceding year.

Borrowings at amortised cost

Secured
Fixed and swapped loans
Variable rate loans
Total borrowings before costs
Unamortised issue costs
Total borrowings after costs
Analysis of total borrowings after costs
Current
Non-current
Total borrowings after costs

Note

18c
18c

30 December
2023
£m

30 December
2022
£m

179.0
20.0
199.0
(1.3)
197.7

42.7
155.0
197.7

179.0
4.0
183.0
(1.2)
181.8

–
181.8
181.8

On 7 July 2022 the Group drew down a new £4 million facility with BC Invest, a subsidiary of the Group’s strategic 
residential partner, Far East Consortium. The debt matures in July 2025 with options to extend for a further one or two 
years agreed a part of a package that included a waiver of all covenants until original maturity in July 2025 that was 
agreed in February 2024. The facility is shown as current at 30 December 2023 given there was a technical breach of a 
covenant as at that date driven by the administration of Wilko which was then subsequently waived. 

On 6 September 2023 the Group drew down a new £16 million facility arranged by Morgan Stanley with a margin of 
2.75%. The group also acquired a derivative to cap the floating element at 3.75%. The facility was used to part fund 
acquisition of Gyle shopping centre in Edinburgh.

The movement of Secured loans in the year is summarised in the table below:

Secured bank loans at 30 December 2022
Drawdown of new Gyle loan facility

£m

183.0
16.0
199.0

All loans are maintained in separate ring-fenced Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) structures secured against the property 
interests and other assets within each SPV. There is no recourse to other Group companies outside of the respective SPV 
and no cross-default provisions. 

207

FinancialsCapital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023 
 
Notes to the Financial Statements continued
For the year to 30 December 2023

18 Bank loans continued

18b Maturity of borrowings

Between one to two years
From two to five years
Greater than five years
Due after more than one year
Current

18c Interest rate profile of borrowings

Fixed and swapped rate borrowings
Between 2% and 3%
Between 3% and 4%

Variable rate borrowings

30 December
2023
£m

30 December
2022
£m

Note

4.0
 156.0
–
160.0
39.0
199.0

39.0
4.0
140.0
183.0
–
183.0

18a

30 December
2023
£m

30 December
2022
£m

Note

18a
18a

39.0
140.0
179.0
20.0
199.0

–
179.0
179.0
4.0
183.0

19 Financial instruments and risk management

19a Overview

Capital risk management
The capital structure of the Group consists of debt, which includes the borrowings disclosed in Note 18a; cash and cash 
equivalents as disclosed in Note 15; and equity attributable to equity holders of the parent, comprising issued share 
capital, reserves and retained earnings as disclosed in the Statement of changes in equity. For the purpose of calculating 
gearing ratios, debt is defined as long and short-term borrowings (excluding derivatives) excluding unamortised issue 
costs. Equity includes all capital and reserves of the Group attributable to equity holders of the Company.

The Group is not subject to externally imposed capital requirements. The risks associated with each class of capital are 
also considered as part of the risk reviews presented to the Audit Committee and the Board. 

Gearing ratios

Statutory

Debt before unamortised issue costs
Cash at bank and in hand
Group net debt

Equity
Net debt to equity ratio

Note

18a
15

30 December
2023
£m

30 December
2022
£m

199.0
(36.3)
162.7

202.0
80.6%

183.0
(52.1)
130.9

179.1
73.1%

208

Stock code: CAL 
 
 
 
 
19 Financial instruments and risk management continued

Categories of financial (liabilities)/assets

Carrying value
£m

Note

2023

Gain/(loss) 
to income
£m

2022 Restated1

Gain
to equity
£m

Carrying value
£m

Gain/(loss) 
to income
£m

Gain
to equity
£m

Financial assets
Current receivables
Cash and cash equivalents
Financial assets measured 
at amortised cost

Financial liabilities
 Current payables
 Current borrowings
 Non-current payables
 Non-current borrowings
Financial liabilities 
measured at amortised cost
 Interest rate swaps 
 Interest rate cap
Net financial liabilities

14
15

17
18a
17
18a

 14
 14

10.0
38.2

48.2

(25.2)
(42.7)
(0.3)
(155.0)

(223.1)
0.5
0.3
(174.1)

–
–

–

–
(0.3)
–
(0.5)

(0.8)
(0.7)
(1.3)
(2.8)

–
–

–

–
–
–
–

–
–
–
–

7.1
55.5

62.6

(24.2)
–
–
(181.8)

(206.0)
1.7
–
(141.7)

–
–

–
–
–
(0.6)

(0.6)
1.1
–
0.5

–
–

–

–
–
–
–

–
–
–
–

1.  2022 comparative figures have been restated to exclude from trade receivables amounts invoiced but due after the balance sheet date.

Significant accounting policies
Details of the significant accounting policies adopted in respect of each class of financial asset, financial liability and equity 
instrument, including the criteria for recognition, the basis of measurement and the basis on which income and expenses 
are recognised, are disclosed in the significant accounting policies in Note 1.

Financial risk management objectives
Exposure to credit, interest rate and currency risks arise in the normal course of the Group’s business. The Group seeks to 
minimise the effect of these risks by using derivative financial instruments to manage exposure to fluctuations in interest 
rates. Such instruments are not employed for speculative purposes. The use of any derivatives is approved by the Board, 
which provides guidelines on the acceptable levels of interest rate risk, credit risk, foreign exchange risk and liquidity risk, 
and the ranges of hedging required against these risks.

19b Interest rate risk
The Group manages its interest rate risk through a combination of fixed rate loans and interest rate derivatives, typically 
interest rate swaps or caps. The Group’s objective in managing its interest rate risk is to ensure that it always maintains 
sufficient headroom to cover interest payments from anticipated cash flows and the directors regularly review the ratio of 
fixed to floating rate debt to assist this process. The Group does not hedge account its interest rate derivatives and states 
them at fair value with changes in fair value included in the income statement.

The following table shows a summary of the Group’s interest derivatives and their maturity dates:

Loan facility

Maturity date

Notional 
principal

Contract 
fixed rate

30 December 
2023 
fair value £m
Asset/(liability)

Interest rate swap
Interest rate cap

The Exchange, Ilford
The Gyle, Edinburgh

8 March 2024
6 September 2028

£39,000,000
£16,000,000

1.00%
3.75%

0.3
0.5

On 8 March 2024 the Group acquired for £1.3 million an interest rate cap on it’s Exchange, Ilford facility to cap the £29 
million loan at an all in rate of 5.50%  until 8 September 2025. 

209

FinancialsCapital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023 
Notes to the Financial Statements continued
For the year to 30 December 2023

19 Financial instruments and risk management continued

Sensitivity analysis
The following table shows the Group’s sensitivity to a 100bps increase or decrease in interest rates. To calculate the 
impact on the income statement for the year the interest rates on all external floating rate interest bearing loans and 
borrowings and interest earning cash, have been increased or decreased by 100bps. The income statement impact 
includes the estimated effect of a 100bps decrease or increase in interest rates on the market values of interest rate 
derivatives.

Floating rate loans and cash – gain/(loss)
Interest rate derivatives – gain/(loss)
Impact on the income statement – gain/(loss) 
Impact on equity – gain/(loss) 

100bps increase in 
interest rates

100bps decrease in 
interest rates

Year to
30 December
2023
£m

Year to
30 December
2022
£m

Year to
30 December
2023
£m

Year to
30 December
2022
£m

–
0.6
0.6
0.6

–
0.4
0.4
0.4

–
(0.6)
(0.6)
(0.6)

–
(0.4)
(0.4)
(0.4)

19c Credit risk
The Group’s principal financial assets are bank and cash balances, short-term deposits, trade and other receivables and 
investments. Credit risk, being the risk that a counterparty will default on its contractual obligations resulting in financial 
loss to the Group, is primarily attributable to loans and trade and other receivables, which are principally amounts due 
from tenants. Credit risk arising from tenants is mitigated as the Group receives most rents in advance, monitors credit 
ratings for significant tenants and makes an allowance for expected credit loss that represents the estimate of potential 
losses in respect of trade receivables. The Group’s expected credit loss allowance disclosed in Note 14 to the financial 
statements is considered to represent the Group’s best estimate of the exposure to credit risk associated to trade 
receivables, calculated in accordance with IFRS 9. The group recalculates expected credit losses each year, with reference 
to forward looking information, changes in credit risk, including improvements, are identified as part of this process. The 
Group regularly monitors the effectiveness of the criteria used to identify whether there has been a significant increase 
in credit risk and revises them as appropriate to ensure that the criteria are capable of identifying significant increase in 
credit risk before the amount becomes past due. 

The credit risk on short-term deposits and derivative financial instruments is limited because the counterparties are 
banks with high credit ratings assigned by international credit rating agencies. The Group is not exposed to significant 
credit risk on its other financial assets.

19d Liquidity risk
Liquidity risk reflects the risk that the Group will have insufficient resources to meet its financial liabilities as they 
fall due. The day-to-day operations of the Group are largely funded through the items included in the breakdown 
of Adjusted Profit included in Note 2a. The majority of income within Adjusted Profit is received quarterly, since the 
inflows and outflows from net rental income and net interest payable generally coincide with English quarter days, and 
property management fees are billed quarterly. As a result, the Group normally has sufficient funds to cover recurring 
administrative expenses which occur throughout the year. Liquidity risk therefore arises principally from the need to 
make payments for non-recurring items, such as tax payments and the close out of derivative financial instruments. 

The Group’s objective in managing liquidity risk is to ensure that it has sufficient funds to meet all its potential liabilities as 
they fall due, both in normal market conditions and when considering negative projections against expected outcomes, so 
as to avoid the risk of incurring contractual penalties or damaging the Group’s reputation. The Group maintains a rolling 
18 month forecast of anticipated recurring and non-recurring cash flows under different scenarios. This is compared to 
expected cash balances and amounts available for drawdown on the Group’s core revolving credit facility to ensure that 
any potential shortfalls in funding are identified and managed. The Group’s primary means of managing liquidity risk are 
its cash reserves and its long-term debt facilities. 

210

Stock code: CAL19 Financial instruments and risk management continued
The following table shows the maturity analysis of non-derivative financial assets/(liabilities) at the balance sheet date 
and, where applicable, their effective interest rates

2023

Financial assets
Current receivables
Cash and cash equivalents
Non-current receivables

Financial liabilities
Borrowings – bank loans
Current payables
Non-current payables

2022 Restated1

Financial assets
Current receivables
Cash and cash equivalents
Non-current receivables

Financial liabilities
Borrowings – bank loans
Borrowings – other loans
Current payables
Non-current payables

Note

14
15
14

18a
17
17

Note

14
15
14

18a
18
17
17

Effective
interest rate
%

Less than
1 year
£m

1-2 years
£m

2-5 years
£m

More than
5 years
£m

1.1%

3.7%

10.3
38.2
–
48.5

(39.0)
(25.1)
–
(64.1)

–
–
–
–

(3.7)
–
(0.3)
(4.0)

–
–
0.5
0.5

(155.0)
–
–
(155.0)

–
–
–
–

–
–
–
–

Effective
interest rate
%

Less than
1 year
£m

1-2 years
£m

2-5 years
£m

More than
5 years
£m

0%

3.7%

7.1
55.5
–
62.6

–
–
(24.2)
–
(24.2)

–
–
–
–

(38.8)
–
–
–
(38.8)

–
–
–
–

(143.0)
–
–
–
(143.0)

–
–
–
–

–
–
–
–
–

Total
£m

10.3
38.2
0.5
49.0

(197.7)
(25.2)
(0.3)
(223.1)

Total
£m

7.1
55.5
–
62.6

(181.8)
–
(24.2)
–
(206.0)

1.  2022 comparative figures have been restated to exclude from trade receivables amounts invoiced but due after the balance sheet date.

The following tables detail the Group’s remaining contractual maturity for its non-derivative financial liabilities. The tables 
have been drawn up based on the undiscounted cash inflows/(outflows) of financial liabilities based on the earliest date 
on which the Group can be required to pay, including both interest and principal cash flows.

2023

Borrowings – fixed bank loans
Borrowings – variable loans
Non-interest bearing

2022

Borrowings – fixed bank loans
Borrowings – other fixed loans
Non-interest bearing

Less than
1 year
£m

(44.1)
(1.5)
(25.1)
(70.7)

Less than
1 year
£m

(6.2)
(0.4)
(24.4)
(31.0)

1-2 years
£m

2-3 years
£m

3-4 years
£m

4-5 years
£m

(4.8)
(5.3)
(0.3)
(10.4)

(4.8)
(1.0)
–
(5.8)

(140.3)
(1.0)
–
(141.3)

–
(16.7)
–
(16.7)

1-2 years
£m

2-3 years
£m

3-4 years
£m

4-5 years
£m

(44.1)
(0.4)
–
(44.5)

(4.8)
(0.4)
–
(5.2)

(4.8)
(4.2)
–
(9.0)

(140.3)
–
–
(140.3)

More than
5 years
£m

–
–
–
–

More than
5 years
£m

–
–
–
–

Total
£m

(194.0)
(25.5)
(25.4)
(244.9)

Total
£m

(200.2)
(5.4)
(24.4)
(230.0)

211

FinancialsCapital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023 
 
 
 
 
 
Notes to the Financial Statements continued
Notes to the Financial Statements continued
For the year to 30 December 2023
For the year to 30 December 2023

19 Financial instruments and risk management continued
The following tables detail the Group’s remaining contractual maturity for its derivative financial assets/(liabilities), all of 
which are net settled, based on the undiscounted net cash inflows/(outflows). When the amount payable or receivable is 
not fixed, it has been determined by reference to the projected interest rates as illustrated by the yield curves existing at 
the reporting date.

2023

Net settled
Interest rate swaps
Interest rate caps

2022

Net settled
Interest rate swaps

Less than
1 year
£m

0.3
–
0.3

Less than
1 year
£m

1-2 years
£m

2-3 years
£m

3-4 years
£m

4-5 years
£m

More than
5 years
£m

–
–
–

–
–
–

–
–
–

–
0.5
0.5

–
–
–

1-2 years
£m

2-3 years
£m

3-4 years
£m

4-5 years
£m

More than
5 years
£m

–
–

1.7
1.7

–
–

–
–

–
–

–
–

Total
£m

0.3
0.5
0.8

Total
£m

1.7
1.7

19e Fair values of financial instruments
The fair values of financial instruments excluding receivables and payables together with their carrying amounts in the 
balance sheet are as follows:

Financial liabilities not at fair value 
through income statement
Sterling denominated loans
Total on balance sheet borrowings

Derivative assets at fair value through 
income statement
Interest rate caps
Interest rate swaps
Total on balance sheet derivatives

Note

18a

Notional 
principal
£m

2023
Book value
£m

2023
Fair value
£m

2022
Book value
£m

2022
Fair value
£m

(199.0)
(199.0)

(187.1)
(187.1)

(183.0)
(183.0)

(164.6)
(164.6)

18
18

16.0
39.0

0.5
0.3
0.8

0.5
0.3
0.8

–
1.7
1.7

–
1.7
1.7

The fair value of borrowings has been estimated on the basis of quoted market prices. Details of the Group’s cash 
and deposits are disclosed in Note 15 and their fair values are equal to their book values. All of the above financial 
instruments are measured, subsequent to initial recognition, at fair value except for borrowings which is subsequently 
measured at amortised cost. All instruments were considered to be Level 2, as defined in Note 1. There were no transfers 
between Levels in the year. 

212

Stock code: CAL 
 
 
20 Share capital

Ordinary shares of 10p each
At the start of the year
Shares issued
Total called-up share capital

Number of shares issued and 
fully paid

Nominal value of shares issued 
and fully paid

2023
Number

2022
Number

169,191,918
55,714,813
224,906,731

165,399,863
3,792,055
169,191,918

2023
£m

16.9
5.6
22.5

2022
£m

16.5
0.4
16.9

The Company has one class of Ordinary shares which carry voting rights but no right to fixed income. 

The Company maintains a Secondary Listing on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (“JSE”) in South Africa. At 30 December 
2023, 8,755,640 (2022: 7,565,067) of the Company’s shares were held on the JSE register. The table below outlines the 
movements of shares in the year:

Brought forward at 31 December 2022
Shares issued on 2 June 2023
Shares issued on 4 September 2023
Shares issued on 22 September 2023
Carried forward at 30 December 2023

Price per 

share (Pence) No. of shares

Total No. 
of shares

Nominal 
value (£m)

Share 
premium (£m)

0.544
0.540
0.525

4,353,136
46,278,681
5,082,996

169,191,918
173,545,054
219,823,735
224,906,731
224,906,731

16.9
0.4
4.7
0.5
22.5

1.7
1.9
18.8
2.2
24.6

The net issuance of ordinary shares in the cash flow statement, totalling £23.9m, is lower than the movement indicated in 
the table above. This difference is largely due to a non-cash movement of £4.1m resulting from scrip dividend issuance.

21 Share-based payments
The Group’s share-based payments comprise the 2008 LTIP and the Executive Directors’ deferred bonus share scheme 
(DBSS) and the combined incentive plan (CIP). Further details are disclosed in the Directors’ Remuneration Report. Awards 
under the Combined Incentive Plan are nil cost deferred shares that vest in equal thirds on the third, fourth and fifth 
anniversaries of the award date. The awards can be reduced by up to 100% if TSR performance does not achieve the 
median of performance against the Company’s relevant peer group.

In accordance with IFRS 2, the fair value of equity-settled share-based payments to employees is determined at the date 
of grant. For options with market based conditions these are calculated using either a Black-Scholes option pricing model 
or a Monte Carlo simulation. For the elements of options that include non-market based conditions an initial estimate is 
made of the likely qualifying percentage. This is subsequently updated at each reporting date. 

Income statement charge

Equity-settled share-based payments – 2008 LTIP & CIP

The figures above exclude a National Insurance credit in the year of £nil (2022: credit of £nil).

Movements during the year

Outstanding at 30 December 2021
Granted during the year
Exercised during the year
Forfeited during the year
Outstanding at 30 December 2022
Granted during the year
Exercised during the year1
Forfeited during the year
Outstanding at 30 December 2023
Exercisable at the end of the year

Year to
30 December
2023
£m

Year to
30 December
2022
£m

0.8

0.5

Number of Options

LTIP

–
668,310
–
(66,006)
602,304
27,173
(453,791)
(66,006)
109,680
16,501

CIP

294,300
1,538,691
–
–
1,832,991
2,075,808
(107,908)
–
3,800,891
–

1.  The weighted average share price of the options exercised under the LTIP scheme during 2023 was 59.64p. The weighted average share price of the 

options exercised under the CIP in 2023 was 53.84p.

All options in the tables above have a nil exercise price. 

213

FinancialsCapital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023 
Notes to the Financial Statements continued
For the year to 30 December 2023

21 Share-based payments continued

LTIP Assumptions

Share price at grant date
Exercise price
Expected volatility
Expected life including holding period (years)
Average life remaining including holding period (years)
Risk free rate 
Expected dividend yield
Lapse rate
Fair value of award at grant date per share

June 2022 

March 2023 

60.6p
0.0p
n/a
1.5
–
n/a
n/a
n/a
60.6p

55.2p
0.0p
n/a
1.5
0.75
n/a
n/a
n/a
55.2p

Expected volatility is based on the historical volatility of the Group’s share price over the three years to the date of grant. 
The 10 year UK Gilt rate at time of grant is used for estimating the risk free rate. Options are assumed to be exercised at 
the earliest possible date.

The June 2022 and March 2023 awards were issued as a retention award, there are no performance conditions other than 
individuals need to remain in valid employment for the 18 months period following the date of issue.

22 Own shares held
The own shares reserve represents the cost of shares in the Company purchased in the market. At 30 December 2023, 
the Capital & Regional plc 2002 Employee Share Trust (the “ESOT”) held 415,798 (30 December 2022: 31,876) shares to 
assist the Group in meeting the outstanding share awards under the schemes described above. The right to receive 
dividends on these shares has been waived. The market value of these shares at 30 December 2023 was £239,500 (30 
December 2022: £19,763).

23 Reconciliation of net cash from operations

Profit for the year

Adjusted for: 
Income tax credit
Finance income 
Finance expense 
Finance lease costs (head lease)
Loss on revaluation of wholly owned properties 
Depreciation of other fixed assets
Snozone interest and amortisation 
Snozone rental payments
Other gains
(Increase)/decrease in receivables
Increase in payables
Non-cash movement relating to share-based payments
Net cash from operations

Note

8a
5
5
5
10a
2a

6

21

2023
£m

3.7

(3.6)
(0.5)
9.9
(0.4)
8.1
0.7
3.0
(2.1)
0.1
(0.9)
1.4
0.7
20.1

2022
£m

12.1

(0.3)
(1.1)
9.4
(0.3)
19.6
0.3
-
-
(22.4)
4.5
3.0
0.5
25.3

214

Stock code: CAL 
 
24 Changes in liabilities arising from financing activities

2023

Bank loans
Lease liabilities
Total liabilities from financing activities

2022

Bank loans
Lease liabilities
Total liabilities from financing activities

25 Net assets per share

Note

18a

Note

18a

Opening

181.8
30.1
211.9

Opening

238.2
32.9
271.1

Non-cash changes

Financing 
cash flows

Fair value 

adjustments Other changes

30 December
2023

15.4
(2.7)
12.7

–
–
–

0.5
(1.7)
(2.2)

197.7
29.1
226.8

Non-cash changes

Financing 
cash flows

Fair value 

adjustments Other changes

30 December
2022

(68.4)
–
(68.4)

–
–
–

12.0
(2.8)
9.2

181.8
30.1
211.9

IFRS Equity attributable to 
shareholders
Exclude fair value of financial 
instruments
Include fair value of fixed  
interest rate debt
Net asset value
Number of shares
Fully diluted number of shares
Net asset value per share

30 Dec 2023

30 Dec 2022

Basic NAV
£m

EPRA NRV
£m

EPRA NTA
£m

EPRA NDV
£m

Basic NAV
£m

EPRA NRV
£m

EPRA NTA
£m

EPRA NDV
£m

202.0

202.0

202.0

202.0

179.1

179.1

179.1

179.1

–

(0.8)

(0.8)

– 

–

(1.7)

(1.7)

– 

 –
202.0
224.9
–
89.8

 –
201.2
–
228.8
87.9

 –
201.2
–
228.8
87.9

11.9
213.9
–
228.8
93.5

 –
179.1
169.2
–
105.9

 –
177.4
–
171.6
103.4

 –
177.4
–
171.6
103.4

18.4
197.5
–
171.6
115.1

The number of ordinary shares issued and fully paid at 30 December 2023 was 224,906,731 (30 December 
2022:169,191,918). There have been no changes to the number of shares from 30 December 2023 to the date  
of this annual report. 

26 Return on equity

Total comprehensive income attributable to equity shareholders
Opening equity shareholders’ funds plus time weighted additions
Return on equity

30 December
2023
£m

30 December
2022
£m

3.7
189.3
2.0%

12.1
168.9
7.2%

215

FinancialsCapital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023 
Notes to the Financial Statements continued
For the year to 30 December 2023

27 Lease arrangements

The Group as lessee
At the balance sheet date, the Company had outstanding commitments for future minimum lease payments under non-
cancellable leases related to land and buildings, which fall due as set out below. These leases relate to its office premises 
and the Snozone business’ Basingstoke, Castleford, Milton Keynes and Madrid sites, as well as leasehold investment 
property.

Lease payments
Within one year
Between one and five years
After five years

2023
£m

(3.1)
(11.6)
(125.2)
(139.9)

2022
£m

(3.0)
(10.0)
(126.2)
(139.2)

Lease payments are denominated in Sterling and have an average remaining lease length of 48 years (2022: 48 years). 
Excluding head leases, rentals are fixed for an average of 1 year (2022: 2 years). The Group’s leasehold investment 
property is variable based on a percentage of performance, with a minimum payment per year of £0.4 million (2022: £0.4 
million). The head lease at The Mall Walthamstow was remeasured in 2022 as a result of an extension of the lease term to 
250 years effective 23 June 2022.

The Group as lessor 
The Group leases out all of its investment properties under operating leases for average lease terms of 4.6 years (2022: 
7 years) to expiry. The leasing arrangements are summarised in the portfolio information on page 228. The future 
aggregate minimum rentals receivable under non-cancellable operating leases are as follows:

Unexpired
average
lease
term
Years

4.7
6.9

Less 
than 1
year
£m

26.4
17.5

2 - 5
years
£m

50.8
36.1

6 - 10 
years
£m

18.8
17.6

11 - 15 
years
£m

2.3
4.3

16 - 20
years
£m

0.0
0.8

More 
than 20
years
£m

0.0
9.7

Total
£m

98.2
86.0

30 December 2023
30 December 2022

28 Capital commitments
At 30 December 2023, the Group’s share of the capital commitments of its associates and wholly-owned properties was 
£3.2 million (2022: £14.9 million) relating to capital expenditure projects for the development of the Group’s investment 
properties. The Group also had £0.1 million relating to contractual commitments for the acquisition of property, plant and 
equipment (2022: £0.1 million). 

29 Related party transactions
Transactions between the Company and its subsidiaries, which are related parties, have been eliminated on consolidation 
and are not disclosed in this note. Fees arising from property and asset management between the Group and its 
associates are disclosed below.

Kingfisher Limited Partnership (Redditch)
The Mall (Luton) Limited Partnership

Fee income

Net amounts receivable from 

Year to
30 December
2023
£m

Year to
30 December
2022
£m

As at
30 December
2023
£m

As at
30 December
2022
£m

0.6
0.5

0.7
1.4

–
–

–
0.1

Amounts receivable from associates are unsecured and do not incur interest and they are payable on demand and 
settled in cash. 

The Group’s involvement in Luton ceased following the sale in March 2023. The Group’s involvement in Redditch ceased 
in September 2023 when the asset changed ownership.

216

Stock code: CAL 
29 Related party transactions continued

Transactions with key management personnel
In accordance with IAS 24, key personnel are considered to be the executive directors and Non-Executive Directors and 
members of the Executive Committee as they have the authority and responsibility for planning, directing and controlling 
the activities of the Group. Their remuneration in the income statement is as follows:

Short-term employment benefits
Post-employment benefits
Share-based payments

Year to
30 December
2023
£m

Year to
30 December
2022
£m

1.3
–
0.4
1.7

1.1
–
0.5
1.6

In both years the highest paid Director was the Chief Executive whose remuneration is disclosed in the Directors’ 
Remuneration Report on page 152. There are no directors included in a company pension scheme (2022: nil). 

At 30 December 2023 £nil was outstanding to or from key management personnel (30 December 2022: £nil).

30 Dividends
The dividends shown below are gross of any take-up of Scrip offer.

Interim dividend per share for year ended 30 December 2022 of 2.5p
Final dividend for year ended 30 December 2022 of 2.75p
Interim dividend per share for year ended 30 December 2023 of 2.75p
Amounts recognised as distributions to equity holders in the year
Proposed final dividend for year ended 30 December 2023 of 2.95p

Year to
30 December
2023
£m

Year to
30 December
2022
£m

–
4.7
4.8
9.5
6.6

4.1
–
–
4.1
–

31 Events after the balance sheet date
On 23 February 2024 the Group agreed a waiver of all financial covenants on its £4 million Hemel Hempstead loan facility 
until maturity in July 2025. The Group also secured an option to extend the maturity by one or two years subject to 
meeting specified covenant tests. 

On 8 March 2024 the Group signed an extension to its £39 million facility on the Ilford Exchange shopping centre with 
Dekabank Deutsche Girozentrale.  The agreement extends maturity to September 2025 and provides two further 
conditional extension options to further extend maturity to the end of December 2026 and 2027, respectively.  On 
commencement of the new extended term the margin is 300 basis points.  The Group has acquired an interest rate cap to 
hedge the maximum all in cost at 5.50% until the current maturity of September 2025.

32 Ultimate controlling party
Growthpoint Properties Limited (“Growthpoint”) holds 68.1% of the issued share capital of the Company. As such 
Growthpoint is the ultimate controlling party of the Company and the largest group into which the results of the Company 
are consolidated. The registered office of Growthpoint Properties Limited is The Place, 1 Sandton Drive, Sandton, 2196, 
Johannesburg, South Africa. The financial statements of Growthpoint are available at this address.

217

FinancialsCapital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023 
 
 
Company balance sheet
As at 30 December 2023
Registered number: 01399411
Prepared in accordance with FRS 101

Non-current assets
Investments
Receivables – amounts falling due after one year
Total non-current assets

Current assets
Receivables – amounts falling due within one year
Cash and deposits
Total current assets

Total assets

Current liabilities
Trade and other payables

Net current liabilities

Net assets

Equity
Share capital
Share premium
Merger reserve
Retained earnings
Shareholders’ funds

Note

C
D

D

2023
£m

186.4
30.8
217.2

0.7
15.4
16.1

2022
£m

161.1
37.3
198.4

0.4
17.6
18.0

233.3

216.4

E

(23.1)

(21.8)

(7.0)

(3.8)

210.2

194.6

22.5
24.6
60.3
102.8
210.2

16.9
1.7
60.3
115.7
194.6

The loss for the year attributable to equity shareholders was £3.9 million (2022: profit of £5.0 million).

These financial statements were approved by the Board of Directors, authorised for issue and signed on their behalf on 
30 April 2024 by:

Stuart Wetherly 

Group Finance Director

218

Stock code: CAL 
 
Statement of changes in equity
For the year to 30 December 2023

Non-distributable

Distributable

Share
capital
£m

16.5
–

–
–
–

–
0.4
16.9
–

–
–
5.6
–
22.5

Share
Premium
£m

266.1
–

–
(266.1)
–

–
1.7
1.7
–

–
–
22.9
–
24.6

Capital
redemption
reserve
£m

Retained
earnings
£m

4.4
–

–
(4.4)
–

–
–
–
–

–
–
–
–
–

–
–

–
–
–

–
–
–
–

–
–
–
–
–

Retained
earnings
£m

(156.3)
5.0

Merger
reserve
£m

60.3
–

5.0
270.5
(4.0)

0.5
–
115.7
(3.9)

(3.9)
(9.4)
–
0.4
102.8

–
–
–

–
–
60.3
–

–
–
–
–
60.3

Total
£m

191.0
5.0

5.0
–
(4.0)

0.5
2.1
194.6
(3.9)

(3.9)
(9.4)
28.5
0.4
210.2

Balance at 30 December 2021
Retained profit for the year
Total comprehensive profit  
for the year
Capital reduction1
Dividends paid, including Scrip
Credit to equity for equity-settled 
share-based payments
Shares issued, net of costs
Balance at 30 December 2022
Retained loss for the year
Total comprehensive loss  
for the year
Dividends paid, including Scrip
Shares issued, net of costs
Other movements
Balance at 30 December 2023

In June 2022 a capital reduction was completed transferring the reserves from share premium and the capital redemption 
reserve to retained earnings. 

The Company’s authorised, issued and fully paid-up share capital is described in Note 20 to the Group financial 
statements. The Company’s dividends are as described in Note 30 to the Group financial statements. The other reserves 
are described in the consolidated statement of changes in equity in the Group financial statements. 

The merger reserve of £60.3 million arose on the Group’s capital raising in 2009 which was structured so as to allow the 
Company to claim merger relief under section 612 of the Companies Act 2006 on the issue of ordinary shares. The merger 
reserve is available for distribution to shareholders.

219

FinancialsCapital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023 
Notes to the Company’s separate financial statements
For the year to 30 December 2023

A Accounting policies
The domicile and legal form of the entity, its country of incorporation and the address of its registered office can be found 
in note 1 of the consolidated financial statements. A description of the nature of the entity’s operations and its principal 
activities can be found in the strategic report on pages 3 to 8.

The Company’s separate financial statements for the year ended 30 December 2023 are prepared in accordance with 
Financial Reporting Standard 101 Reduced Disclosure Framework (FRS 101) and in accordance with applicable accounting 
standards. The main accounting policies have been applied consistently in the current year and the preceding year.

As permitted by FRS 101, the Company has taken advantage of the disclosure exemptions available under that standard 
in relation to business combinations, share-based payments, non-current assets held for sale, financial instruments, 
capital management, presentation of comparative information in respect of certain assets, presentation of an income 
statement, cash-flow statement, impairment of assets and related party transactions.

The Company’s financial statements are presented in Pounds Sterling.

Transactions in foreign currencies are translated into sterling at exchange rates approximating to the exchange rate 
ruling at the date of the transaction. Monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies at the balance 
sheet date are translated to sterling at the exchange rate ruling at that date and differences arising on translation are 
recognised in the income statement.

The Company’s related party transactions are described in Note 29 to the Group financial statements. Except for the 
Directors, the Company had no direct employees during the year (2022: none). Information on the Directors’ emoluments, 
share options, long-term incentive schemes and pension contributions is shown in the Directors’ Remuneration Report. 
Further disclosures regarding the nature of the share-based payment schemes operated by the Group are included in 
Note 21 to the Group’s financial statements.

Accounting developments and changes
The accounting policies used in these financial statements are consistent with those applied in the last annual financial 
statements, there have been no new standards, amendments or interpretations which became effective during the year 
affecting these financial statements. 

Key sources of estimation uncertainty
The preparation of financial statements requires the Directors to make estimates that may affect the reported amounts 
of assets and liabilities, income and expenses. The following are the key sources of estimation uncertainty that have the 
most significant effect on the amounts recognised in the financial statements: 

Impairment of investments and intercompany receivables
Investments and amounts owed by subsidiaries are stated at cost less provision for expected credit loss under IFRS 
9. Where there is an indication that an investment is impaired, an impairment review is carried out by comparing the 
carrying value of the investment against its recoverable amount, which is the higher of its estimated value in use and 
fair value less costs of disposal. This review involves accounting judgements about the future cash flows from the 
underlying associates and, in the case of CRPM, estimated asset management fee income less estimated fixed and 
variable expenses. Disclosure of accounting policy for expected credit losses can be found in note 1 to the group financial 
statements.

Investments in Group undertakings
Investments are included in the balance sheet at cost less any provision for impairment. The Company assesses 
investments for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of an 
investment may not be recoverable. If any such indication of impairment exists, the Company makes an estimate of 
the recoverable amount of the investment. If the recoverable amount is less than the value of the investment, the 
investment is considered to be impaired and is written down to its recoverable amount. An impairment loss is expensed 
immediately. Where an impairment loss subsequently reverses, due to a change in circumstances or in the estimates 
used to determine the asset’s recoverable amount, the carrying amount of the investment is increased to the revised 
estimate of its recoverable amount, so long as it does not exceed the original carrying value prior to the impairment being 
recognised.

The Company values its investments in subsidiary holding companies based on a comparison between the net assets 
recoverable by the subsidiary company and the investment held. Where net assets are lower than the investment an 
impairment is recorded. For trading subsidiaries, the investment carrying value in the Company is assessed against the 
net present value of the cash flows of the subsidiary.

220

Stock code: CALA Accounting policies continued

Trade and other receivables
Trade and other receivables are measured at amortised cost, less any loss allowance based on expected credit losses. 
The measurement of expected credit losses is based on the probability of default and the magnitude of the loss if there is 
a default. The assessment of probability of default is based on historical data adjusted for any known factors that would 
influence the future amount to be received in relation to the receivable.

For intercompany receivables, the carrying amount of any loans are reviewed annually at the end of the reporting period 
for impairment, and any necessary provisions are made to reflect expected credit losses.

Intercompany loan interest 
Intercompany loan interest represents interest income or expense arising from loans extended or received between 
entities within the Group. Interest income is recognised on an accrual basis as it accrues, using the effective interest rate 
method. Interest expense is recognised similarly, reflecting the effective interest rate applied to the outstanding balance 
of intercompany loans. 

Any adjustments required for differences in reporting dates between entities are made to ensure accurate recognition of 
intercompany loan interest income or expense.

Cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents include cash on hand and demand deposits and other short-term highly liquid investments 
that are readily convertible to a known amount of cash and are subject to an insignificant risk of changes in value. 
Restricted cash balances relate to amounts held by the group on behalf of tenants including ring fenced service charge 
funds and tenant deposits.

Dividends paid
Dividends are charged to the Company’s retained earnings reserve in the period of payment in respect of an interim 
dividend, and in the period in which shareholders’ approval is obtained in respect of the Company’s final dividend.

Share Capital
The Company’s share capital represents the nominal value of shares issued by the Company. Share capital is initially 
recorded at the par value of the shares issued and is subsequently adjusted for any issue or redemption of shares.

Share capital is classified as equity and presented separately in the statement of financial position. Changes in share 
capital resulting from transactions with shareholders are recorded directly in equity.

Share Premium
Share premium represents the excess of the issue price of shares over their nominal value. Share premium arises when 
shares are issued at a price higher than their par value.

Share premium is classified as equity and presented separately in the statement of financial position. 

Merger Reserve
Merger reserve represents the excess of the nominal value of shares issued over the nominal value of shares acquired 
from the Group’s capital raising activity which occurred in 2009. This reserve was established with the intention of utilising 
it to gain merger relief under section 612 of the Companies Act 2006 on the issuance of ordinary shares.

Merger reserve is classified as equity and presented separately in the statement of financial position.

221

FinancialsCapital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Notes to the Company’s separate financial statements 
continued
For the year to 30 December 2023

A Accounting policies continued

Sensitivities
The following table shows the sensitivity of investment and intercompany receivable impairment to a 5% change in future 
cashflows and a 2% change in the discount rate used. The directors consider these reasonably possible.

Reversal of impairment of investments
Impairment of intercompany receivables

Impact of 5% change in
future cashflows

Impact of a 2% change in
discount rate

Increase
£m

Decrease
£m

Increase
£m

Decrease
£m

0.2
–

(0.2)
–

0.1
–

(0.1)
–

There are no critical accounting judgements that affect these financial statements

B Loss for the year
As permitted by section 408 of the Companies Act 2006, the profit and loss account of the Company is not presented as 
part of these financial statements. 

The fees payable to the Company’s Auditor for the audit of the Company and Group financial statements are disclosed in 
Note 6 to the Group financial statements.

C Fixed asset investments

Cost
At the start of the year1
Additions
Disposals
At the end of the year
Impairment
At the start of the year1
Reversal of impairment
Additional impairment
At the end of the year
Carrying value
30 December 2023
30 December 2022

Subsidiaries
£m

Investment in 
associate 
£m

1,197.1
28.4
–
1,225.5

(1,036.0)
0.1
(3.2)
(1,039.1)

186.4
161.1

13.9
–
–
13.9

(13.9)
–
–
(13.9)

–
–

Total
£m

1,211.0
28.4
–
1,239.4

(1,049.9)
0.1
(3.2)
(1,053.0)

186.4
161.1

1.  2022 comparative figures have been restated to reflect the correction made for the investment in C&R Hemel Hempstead (Jersey) Limited of 

£18.1m, which was fully impaired but not eliminated from the accounts upon dissolution in 2017. There is no impact on the carrying value as at 30 
December 2023 or 2022. 

Investments are subject to an impairment review using a pre-tax discount rate of 15.2% (2022: 16.1%). Impairment is 
recognised after comparing the carrying value of the investment against its recoverable amount, which is the higher of 
its estimated value in use and fair value less costs to sell. During the year, the Company made an investment in Capital & 
Regional (UK Retail) Limited.

Note F shows the subsidiaries, associates held by the Group and the Company. 

222

Stock code: CALD Receivables

Amounts falling due after one year

Amounts owed by subsidiaries

Amounts falling due within one year

Trade receivables
Amount owed by Parent
Other receivables
Taxation and social security

2023
£m

30.8
30.8

2023
£m

0.3
0.1
0.1
0.2
0.7

2022
£m

37.3
37.3

2022
£m

0.1
0.1
-
0.2
0.4

Amounts owed by subsidiaries are stated after impairment of £nil (2022: £nil) and are unsecured and repayable on 
demand. Despite being repayable on demand, the classification of subsidiary debts as due after one year aligns with our 
repayment timing assessment, considering historical patterns and lending arrangements. Impairment is recognised after 
comparing the carrying value of the receivable against the recoverable amount. Interest is charged at 3.5% above Bank of 
England base rate per annum. 

E Trade and other payables

Amounts falling due within one year

Amounts owed to subsidiaries
Accruals and deferred income

2023
£m

22.0
1.1
23.1

2022
£m

18.9
2.9
21.8

Amounts owed to subsidiary companies are unsecured and repayable on demand. Interest is charged at 3.5% above Bank 
of England base rate per annum.

223

FinancialsCapital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023 
 
Notes to the Company’s separate financial statements 
continued
For the year to 30 December 2023

F Subsidiaries at 30 December 2023

Subsidiaries
Capital & Regional (Europe Holding 5) Limited 2
Capital & Regional (Jersey) Limited 2
Capital & Regional (Mall GP) Limited
Capital & Regional (Projects) Limited
Capital & Regional (Shopping Centres) Limited 2
Capital & Regional Earnings Limited
Capital & Regional Holdings Limited
Capital & Regional Ilford Limited 2
C&R Ilford Limited Partnership
C&R Ilford Nominee 1 Limited
C&R Ilford Nominee 2 Limited
C&R Ilford (General Partner) Limited
Capital & Regional Property Management Limited
C&R Retail 1 Limited
Capital & Regional (UK Retail) Limited
Green-Sinfield Limited
Lancaster Court (Hove) Limited
Lower Grosvenor Place London One Limited
Mall Nominee One Limited
Mall Nominee Two Limited
Mall People Limited
Mall Ventures Limited
Marlowes Hemel Limited 2
MB Roding (Guernsey) Limited 1,3
Selborne One Limited
Selborne Two Limited 
Selborne Walthamstow Limited 2
Seventeen Social Space Limited
Snozone Holdings Limited
Snowzone S.L.U 4
Ocio y Nieve S.L.U
Snozone Leisure Limited 
Snozone Limited
The Mall (General Partner) Limited
The Mall Limited Partnership
The Mall REIT Limited 
The Mall Shopping Centres Limited
The Mall Walthamstow One Limited
The Mall Walthamstow Two Limited
Wood Green London Limited 2
Wood Green One Limited
Wood Green Two Limited

Principal associate entities
Euro B-Note Holding Limited 2

1. 

In liquidation/being dissolved.

Nature of
business

Property investment
Property investment
Property investment
Property investment
Property investment
Property investment
Property investment
Property investment 
Property investment
Dormant
Dormant
Property investment 
Property management
Property investment
Property investment
Dormant
Dormant
Dormant
Dormant
Dormant
Property management
Dormant
Property investment
Dormant
Dormant
Dormant
Dormant
Operation of food hall
Operator of indoor ski slopes
Operator of indoor ski slopes
Operator of indoor ski slopes
Operator of indoor ski slopes
Operator of indoor ski slopes
Property investment
Property investment
Dormant
Dormant
Dormant
Dormant
Dormant
Dormant
Dormant

Country of
incorporation

Jersey
Jersey
Great Britain
Great Britain
Jersey
Great Britain
Great Britain
Jersey
Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britian
Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain
Jersey
Guernsey
Great Britian
Great Britain
Jersey
Great Britain
Great Britain
Spain
Spain
Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain
Jersey
Great Britain
Great Britain

Share of
voting
rights

100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%

Finance

Jersey

39.90%

2.  Registered office at 47 The Esplanade, St Helier, Jersey JE1 0BD.

3.  Registered office at PO Box 186, Royal Chambers, St Julian’s Avenue, St Peter Port, Guernsey GY1 4HP.

4.  Registered office at Pista de Nieve en el Centro Comercial Madrid Xanadü, Ctra. A5. Salidas 22 y 25, km 23, Arroyomolinos, Madrid, 28939,

The registered office of all subsidiaries, unless otherwise noted is Strand Bridge House, 138-142 Strand, London WC2R 1HH.

The shares of voting rights are equivalent to the percentages of ordinary shares or units held directly or indirectly by  
the Group. 

224

Stock code: CALGlossary of terms

Adjusted Profit is the total of Contribution from the 
Group’s Shopping Centres, Snozone EBITDA and property 
management fees less central costs (including interest 
but excluding non-cash charges in respect of long-term 
incentive awards) after tax. Adjusted Profit excludes 
revaluation of properties, profit or loss on disposal of 
properties or investments, gains or losses on financial 
instruments and exceptional one-off items. Results from 
Discontinued Operations are included up until the point of 
disposal or reclassification as held for sale.

Adjusted Earnings per share is Adjusted Profit divided by 
the weighted average number of shares in issue during the 
year excluding own shares held.

C&R is Capital & Regional plc, also referred to as the Group 
or the Company.

CRPM is Capital & Regional Property Management 
Limited, a subsidiary of Capital & Regional plc, which earns 
management and performance fees from the Mall assets 
and certain associates and joint ventures of the Group. 

Contracted rent is passing rent and the first rent reserved 
under a lease or unconditional agreement for lease but 
which is not yet payable by a tenant.

Contribution is net rent less net interest, including 
unhedged foreign exchange movements.

Capital return is the change in market value during the 
year for properties held at the balance sheet date, after 
taking account of capital expenditure calculated on a time 
weighted basis. 

Debt is borrowings, excluding unamortised issue costs.

EPRA earnings per share (EPS) is the profit / (loss) after 
tax excluding gains on asset disposals and revaluations, 
movements in the fair value of financial instruments, 
intangible asset movements and the capital allowance 
effects of IAS 12 “Income Taxes” where applicable, less tax 
arising on these items, divided by the weighted average 
number of shares in issue during the year excluding own 
shares held.

EPRA net disposal value  represents net asset value 
under a disposal scenario, where deferred tax, financial 
instruments and certain other adjustments are calculated 
to the full extent of their liability, net of any resulting tax.

EPRA net reinstatement value is net asset value adjusted 
to reflect the value required to rebuild the entity and 
assuming that entities never sell assets. Assets and 
liabilities, such as fair value movements on financial 
derivatives are not expected to crystallise in normal 
circumstances and deferred taxes on property valuation 
surpluses are excluded.

EPRA net tangible assets  is a proportionally consolidated 
measure, representing the IFRS net assets excluding 
the mark-to-market on derivatives and related debt 
adjustments, the mark-to-market on the convertible 
bonds, the carrying value of intangibles as well as deferred 
taxation on property and derivative valuations.

Estimated rental value (ERV) is the Group’s external 
valuers’ opinion as to the open market rent which, on 
the date of valuation, could reasonably be expected to 
be obtained on a new letting or rent review of a unit or 
property.

ERV growth is the total growth in ERV on properties owned 
throughout the year including growth due to development.

Gearing is the Group’s debt as a percentage of net assets.  
See through gearing includes the Group’s share of non-
recourse debt in associates and joint ventures.

Interest cover is the ratio of Adjusted Profit (before 
interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation) to the interest 
charge (excluding amortisation of finance costs and 
notional interest on head leases).

Like-for-like figures, unless otherwise stated, exclude the 
impact of property purchases and sales on year to year 
comparatives.

Leisure EBITDA or EBITDA is an alternative performance 
measure for the Snozone business.  It excludes 
Depreciation, Amortisation, (notional) Interest, Tax and 
non-operational one-off items.  It includes rent expense, 
based on contractual payments adjusted for rent free 
periods.  This provides a measure of Snozone trading 
performance which removes the profiling impact of IFRS 
16 that would otherwise see a significantly higher charge in 
early years of a lease and significantly lower net charge in 
later years.

Loan to value (LTV) is the ratio of debt excluding fair value 
adjustments for debt and derivatives, to the Market value 
of properties.

Market value is an opinion of the best price at which 
the sale of an interest in a property would complete 
unconditionally for cash consideration on the date of 
valuation as determined by the Group’s external or 
internal valuers. In accordance with usual practice, the 
valuers report valuations net, after the deduction of the 
prospective purchaser’s costs, including stamp duty, agent 
and legal fees.

Net Administrative Expenses to Gross Rent is the ratio 
of Administrative Expenses net of external fee income to 
Gross Rental income including the Group’s share of Joint 
Ventures and Associates 

225

FinancialsCapital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Glossary of terms continued

Net assets per share (NAV per share) are shareholders’ 
funds divided by the number of shares held by 
shareholders at the year end, excluding own shares held.
Net initial yield (NIY) is the annualised current rent, net of 
revenue costs, topped-up for contractual uplifts, expressed 
as a percentage of the capital valuation, after adding 
notional purchaser’s costs.

Net debt to property value is debt less cash and cash 
equivalents divided by the property value.

Net interest is the Group’s share, on a see-through basis, 
of the interest payable less interest receivable of the 
Group and its associates and joint ventures.

Net rent or Net rental income (NRI) Net Rental Income 
is rental income from properties, less provisions for 
expected credit losses, property and management costs. It 
is a standard industry measure.

Nominal equivalent yield (NEY) is a weighted average of 
the net initial yield and reversionary yield and represents 
the return a property will produce based upon the timing 
of the income received, assuming rent is received annually 
in arrears on gross values including the prospective 
purchaser’s costs.

Occupancy cost ratio is the proportion of a retailer’s sales 
compared with the total cost of occupation being: rent, 
business rates, service charge and insurance. Retailer sales 
are based on estimates by third party consultants which 
are periodically updated and indexed using relevant data 
from the C&R Trade Index.

Occupancy rate is the ERV of occupied properties 
expressed as a percentage of the total ERV of the portfolio, 
excluding development voids.

Passing rent is gross rent currently payable by tenants 
including car park profit but excluding income from non-
trading administrations and any assumed uplift from 
outstanding rent reviews.

Rent to sales ratio is Contracted rent excluding car park 
income, ancillary income and anchor stores expressed as a 
percentage of net sales.

REIT – Real Estate Investment Trust.

Return on equity is the total return, including revaluation 
gains and losses, divided by opening equity plus time 
weighted additions to and reductions in share capital, 
excluding share options exercised.

Reversionary percentage is the percentage by which the 
ERV exceeds the passing rent.

Reversionary yield is the anticipated yield to which the net 
initial yield will rise once the rent reaches the ERV.

Temporary lettings are those lettings for one year or less.

Total property return incorporates net rental income 
and capital return expressed as a percentage of the 
capital value employed (opening market value plus capital 
expenditure) calculated on a time weighted basis.

Total return is the Group’s total recognised income 
or expense for the year as set out in the consolidated 
statement of comprehensive income expressed as a 
percentage of opening equity shareholders’ funds.

Total shareholder return (TSR) is a performance measure 
of the Group’s share price over time. It is calculated as the 
share price movement from the beginning of the year to 
the end of the year plus dividends paid, divided by share 
price at the beginning of the year.

Variable overhead includes discretionary bonuses and the 
costs of awards to Directors and employees made under 
the 2008 LTIP and other share schemes which are spread 
over the performance period.

See the use of Alternative Performance Measures section in 
the Strategic Report on pages 45–46 for further detail on the 
Key Alternative Performance Measures used by the Group and 
cross-references to the reconciliations to the equivalent GAAP 
figures where relevant. 

226

Stock code: CALFive year review (Unaudited)

Balance sheet
Property assets
Other non-current assets
Investment in associates
Cash at bank
Assets classified as held for sale
Other net current (liabilities)/assets
Bank loans greater than one year
Other non-current liabilities
Net assets
Financed by
Called-up share capital
Share premium account
Other reserves
Own shares reserve
Retained earnings 
Capital employed
Return on equity 
Return on equity
(Decrease)/increase in NAV per share + dividend
Total shareholder return
Year end share price2
Total return
Total comprehensive income/(expense)
Net assets per share
Basic net assets per share3
EPRA triple net assets per share4
EPRA net assets per share4
EPRA net reinstatement value
EPRA net tangible assets
EPRA net disposal value
Gearing
Income statement1
Group revenue
Gross profit
Profit/(loss) on ordinary activities before financing
Net interest payable
Profit/(loss before tax
Tax credit/(charge)
Profit/(loss) after tax
Adjusted Profit
Adjusted Earnings per share3
Interest cover
Earnings per share3

Basic
Diluted
EPRA

Dividends per share

2023
£m

369.6
35.0
–
38.2
–
(59.5)
(155.0)
(26.3)
202.0

22.5
24.6
60.3
(0.2)
94.8
202.0

2022
£m

320.1
33.0
–
55.5
–
(20.6)
(181.8)
(27.1)
179.1

16.9
1.7
60.3
–
100.2
179.1

20211
£m

376.4
35.1
–
58.5
(19.4)
(13.7)
(238.2)
(30.3)
168.4

16.5
266.1
64.7
–
(178.9)
168.4

20202
£m

536.1
29.1
–
84.1
–
(9.6)
(423.9)
(48.7)
167.1

11.2
244.3
64.7
–
(153.1)
167.1

2019
£m

770.9
18.1
–
95.9
–
(20.3)
(422.8)
(66.7)
375.1

10.4
238.0
64.7
–
62.0
375.1

2.%
(10.0)%
1.8%
57.6p

7.2%
(26.7)%
12.2%
62.0p

(14.3)%
(32.1)%
(16.1)%
58.9p

(54.4)%
(55.6)%
(68.0)%
70.2p

(27.7)%
(37.2)%
(2.0)%
25.4p

3.7

12.1

(24.1)

(203.9)

(121.0)

89.8p
–
–
87.9p
87.9p
93.5p
99%

59.0
27.6
9.5
(9.4)
0.1
3.6
3.7
12.7
6.8p
3.0

2.0p
1.9p
5.6p
2.95p

105.9p
–
–
103.4p
103.4p
115.1p
102%

56.8
28.2
13.3
(8.3)
5.0
0.3
5.3
10.3
6.2p
2.4

7.3p
7.2p
5.3p
5.25p

102p
–
–
102p
102p
101p
142%

54.6
27.4
(6.3)
(8.3)
(14.6)
(3.1)
(17.7)
8.8
7.3p
2.4

149.5p
–
–
157.0p
157.0p
138.8p
255%

72.7
37.5
(181.7)
(22.4)
(204.1)
0.2
(203.9)
11.0
10.2p
2.0

36p
36p
36p
363.3p
363.3p
355.8p
114%

89.0
53.6
(97.5)
(23.5)
(121.0)
–
(121.0)
27.4
37.0p
3.2

(20.0)p
(20.0)p
3.5p
–

(188.8)p
(188.8)p
(8.8p)
–

(162.3)p
(162.3)p
(3.5)p
21.0p

1.  2021 results have been restated to present discontinued operations separately. 2021 comparative figures have been restated for a prior year 

adjustment to the treatment of rent concessions and expected credit loss.

2.  2020 results have been restated for a prior year adjustment to the treatment of SaaS configuration costs.  Prior years are other than in this 
case as originally presented, no adjustment has been made to restate prior years for changes in IFRS standards that have been adopted in 
subsequent years.

3.  Prior year numbers are other than where stated have not been adjusted for the 10:1 share consolidation subsequent to year end. A multiple of 10 

must be applied to arrive at the comparative figures. 

4.  EPRA net asset metrics no longer in use.

5.  2022 results have been restated for a prior year adjustment to the service charge and expenditure recognised in the period. 

227

FinancialsCapital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023 
Portfolio information (Unaudited)
At 30 December 2023

Physical data1
Number of properties
Number of lettable units
Size (sq ft – million)

Valuation data
Properties at independent valuation (£m)
Adjustments for head leases and tenant incentives (£m)
Properties as shown in the financial statements (£m)
Revaluation loss in the year (£m)
Initial yield
Equivalent yield
Reversion

Lease length (years)
Weighted average lease length to break
Weighted average lease length to expiry

Passing rent (£m) of leases expiring in:
2024
2025
2026-2026

ERV (£m) of leases expiring in:
2024
2025
2026-2026

Passing rent (£m) subject to review in:
2024
2025
2026-2026

ERV (£m) of passing rent subject to review in:
2024
2025
2026-2026

Rental Data
Contracted rent (£m)
Passing rent (£m)
ERV (£m per annum)
ERV movement (like-for-like)
Occupancy

228

6
543
2,047

372.8
(3.2)
369.6
8.1
7.80%
8.79%
12.2%

2.8
4.7

5.2
2.7
9.2

5.3
2.1
8.7

0.8
0.5
2.8

0.8
0.5
3.1

37.0
35.6
34.5
0.1
93.4%

Stock code: CAL 
 
 
EPRA performance measures (Unaudited)
At 30 December 2023

EPRA earnings (£m)
EPRA earnings per share (diluted) 

EPRA reinstatement value (£m)
EPRA net reinstatement value per share

EPRA net tangible assets (£m)
EPRA net tangible assets per share

EPRA net disposal value (£m)
EPRA net disposal value per share

EPRA LTV (see below)

EPRA cost ratio (including direct vacancy costs)
EPRA cost ratio (excluding vacancy costs)

Like-for-like ERV growth (£m)1

EPRA vacancy rate

Estimated rental value of vacant space
Estimated rental value of whole portfolio
EPRA vacancy rate2

EPRA net initial yield and EPRA topped-up net initial yield

Investment property 
Completed property portfolio 
Allowance for capital costs
Allowance for estimated purchasers’ costs
Grossed up completed property portfolio valuation

Annualised cash passing rental income
Property outgoings
Annualised net rents
Add: notional rent expiration of rent free periods or other lease incentives
Topped up annualised rent

EPRA net initial yield

EPRA topped-up net initial yield 

Note

9a
9a

25
25

25
25

25
25

2023

10.5
5.6p

201.2
88p

201.2
88p

213.9
94p

45.8%

47.6%
39.1%

0.1

2023
£m

2.6
34.5
7.5%

2023
£m

372.8
372.8
14.8 
22.5
410.1

35.6
(3.1)
32.5
0.5
33.0

7.9%

8.0%

2022

8.8
5.3p

177.4
103p

177.4
103p

197.5
115p

44.4%

48.6%
37.8%

1.0

2022
£m

2.6
33.4
7.7%

2022
£m

322.8
322.8
16.8
21.9
361.4

30.5
(6.7)
23.8
1.3
25.1

6.6%

7.0%

1.  Like-for-like ERV growth is based on the Group’s portfolio of five properties with fair value of £372.8 million (2022: £322.8 million).

2.  Further analysis on EPRA vacancy rate is given on page 38.

EPRA LTV Metric

Loan Borrowings

Net payable
Cash and cash equivalents

Net Debt
Investment properties at fair value

Total Property Value

LTV %

Note

19a

19a

10b

Proportional Consolidation

Group £m

Share of Joint 
Ventures £m

Share of 
Material 
Associates £m

Non-
controlling 

Interests £m Combined £m

199.0

8.2
(36.3)

170.9
372.8

372.8

45.8%

–

–

–
–

–

–

–

–

–
–

–

–

–

–

–
–

–

–

199.0

8.2
(36.3)

170.9
372.8

372.8

45.8%

229

FinancialsCapital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023 
EPRA performance measures (Unaudited) continued
At 30 December 2023

EPRA Cost ratios

Cost of sales (adjusted for IFRS head lease differential)
Administrative costs
Service charge income
Management fees 
Snozone (indoor ski operation) costs
Less inclusive lease costs recovered through rent
EPRA costs (including direct vacancy costs)
Direct vacancy costs
EPRA costs (excluding direct vacancy costs)

Gross rental income
Less ground rent costs
Less inclusive lease costs recovered through rent
Gross rental income

EPRA cost ratio (including direct vacancy costs)
EPRA cost ratio (excluding vacancy costs)

2023
£m

31.1
9.7
(8.2)
(1.2)
(14.0)
(2.3)
15.1
(2.7)
12.4

34.7
(0.7)
(2.3)
31.7

2022
£m

32.1
10.9
(10.5)
(2.3)
(12.9)
(1.5)
15.8
(3.5)
12.3

34.7
(0.7)
(1.5)
32.5

47.6%
39.1%

48.6%
37.8%

Property related capital 
expenditure 

All figures in £m

Note

Acquisitions
Development
Investment properties:

Incremental letting space
No incremental letting 
space

Other
Total Capital expenditure
Conversion from accrual to 
cash basis
Total capital expenditure  
on cash basis

10

10

10

2023

2022

Group 
(excl. Joint 
Ventures)

Joint Ventures 
(prop. share)

Total Group

Group
 (excl. Joint 
Ventures)

Joint Ventures 
(prop. share)

Total Group

43.0
1.2

–

13.3
–
57.5

5.5

63.0

–
–

–

–
–
–

–

–

43.0
1.2

–

13.3
–
57.5

5.5

63.0

–
5.8

–

3.2
–
9.0

1.6

10.6

–
–

–

–
–
–

–

–

–
5.8

–

3.2
–
9.0

1.6

10.6

Capital tenant incentives of £1.4 million were paid during the year (2022: £0.9 million). Amortisation of £0.5 million was 
recognised in the income statement (2022: £0.6 million). 

Capital expenditure

Refurbishment expenditure in respect of major works is capitalised. Renovation and refurbishment expenditure of a 
revenue nature is expensed as incurred. Our business model for developments is to use a combination of in-house staff 
and external advisers. The cost of external advisers is capitalised to the cost of developments. The cost of staff working 
on developments is capitalised subject to meeting certain criteria related to the degree of time spent on and the nature of 
specific projects. Staff costs amounting to £nil (2022: £nil) have been capitalised as development costs during the year.

230

Stock code: CALAdvisers and corporate information

Auditor
Mazars LLP
Statutory Auditor
30 Old Bailey
London EC4M 7AU

Principal valuers
CBRE Limited
Henrietta House
Henrietta Place
London W1G 0NB

Investment bankers/brokers
Java Capital Trustees and Sponsors  
Proprietary Limited
(JSE sponsor)
6A Sandown Valley Crescent 
Sandown, Sandton 2196
South Africa

Principal legal advisers
CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang LLP
Cannon Place 
78 Cannon Street 
London EC4N 6AF 

Registered office
Strand Bridge House
138-142 Strand
London WC2R 1HH
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7932 8000
capreg.com

Deutsche Numis 

45 Gresham Street 
London
EC2V 7BF

Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited
150 Cheapside  
London
EC2V 6ET

Registered number
01399411

231

FinancialsCapital & Regional PLC Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 December 2023Shareholder information

Registrars

Equiniti Limited 
Aspect House
Spencer Road
Lancing
West Sussex
BN99 6DA
Telephone: +44 (0) 371 384 2438*
International dialling: +44 (0)121 415 7047

JSE Investor Services (Proprietary) 
Limited 
(South African Transfer Secretaries)
PO Box 4844
Johannesburg, 2000
South Africa
Helpline Number:
086 147 2644 (SA callers)
+27 11 713 0800 (if calling from outside South Africa)
info@jseinvestorservices.co.za

* Lines open 08:30 - 17:30, Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays in England and Wales. 

232

Stock code: CALThe production of this report supports the work of the 
Woodland Trust, the UK’s leading woodland conservation 
charity. Each tree planted will grow into a vital carbon store, 
helping to reduce environmental impact as well as creating 
natural havens for wildlife and people.

Capital & Regional plc 

First Floor 
Strand Bridge House 
138-142 Strand 
London WC2R 1HH

Tel: +44 (0)20 7932 8000

capreg.com