Posted on November 15, 2013 by Offices.org.uk
Office space rented in July 2012 for the Scottish Police Authority remains empty over a year later, despite over £130,000 being spent on renting during that time.
The revelation is contained in a report by Audit Scotland in to the merger of Scotland’s police forces to create a new organisation called Police Scotland.
The offices at Bremner House at Stirling Castle Business Park were acquired to house the new Scottish Police Authority which took on a police oversight role from the Scottish Police Services Authority as part of the merger.
“The Scottish Government rented Bremner House in Stirling in July 2012 as the interim location for the SPA. No staff have been transferred to Bremner House despite it being available from November 2012. As at September 2013, it remains unoccupied,” a report by Audit Scotland notes. The annual rental charge for the offices is £132,000.
The merger of Scotland’s police is one of the biggest reforms to have taken place since devolution in 1999.
Auditor General for Scotland, Caroline Gardner, said:
“The creation of a single police service has been one of the biggest reforms in Scotland’s public sector. Much was achieved over a short timeframe and front-line operations were maintained throughout. However, a lack of good information in non-operational areas like finance and staffing, and differing views on how the new arrangements would work in practice affected planning for the move to a single police service.
“The Scottish Police Authority and Police Scotland will find it challenging to deliver the savings expected by these reforms. There are a number of reasons for this, including limited flexibility with police officer and staff numbers. They need to urgently agree a long-term financial strategy and savings plans.”
Related: Find offices in Stirling
Posted in Stirlingshire |
Leave a comment
Posted on November 7, 2013 by Offices.org.uk
SOCIAL media giant Facebook have agreed a ten year letting at British Land’s Regent’s Place mixed use campus in London NW1.
The tech firm are taking 87,719 sq ft of space and will occupy three floors of 10 Brock Place, joining other tenant businesses there such as Manchester City FC, Debenhams and Whitefoord LLP.
Tim Roberts, Head of Offices at British Land, said: “We are excited to welcome another high profile occupier to this excellent West End development. This strong leasing performance demonstrates the appeal of 10 Brock Street and Regent’s Place alike to occupiers looking for high quality office space in a convenient central location.”
Facebook will be moving to 10 Brock Street from its current offices in Earlham Street, WC2.
Last month British Land announced a newly commissioned, 14-metre tall piece of public art for Regent’s Place.
Posted in London |
Leave a comment
Posted on October 22, 2013 by Offices.org.uk
A NEW 175-workstation serviced office centre has been opened at Hertsmere House at Canary Wharf.
The new business centre from Targetspace sits at the western end of West India Docks and is the fourth serviced office space in their London portfolio.
Targetspace Managing Director Stephen Finnegan commented: “Hertsmere House is the ideal location to conduct business, well served by both Docklands Light Railway and the London Underground and in close proximity to surrounding bars and restaurants.”
The serviced office operator, formed in 2006, also has business centres at Centre Point in the West End, St Mary Axe in the City of London and at Wembley.
Hertsmere House had previously been identified for redevelopment with 63-storey Columbus Tower gaining planning permission from the Mayor of London in 2009, despite being turned down by Tower Hamlets council. Following the economic downturn, the developer announced in 2011 they would be reviewing their proposals.
The skyscraper would have been taller than One Canada Square but with those plans stalled, Targetspace have secured a five year lease at Hertsmere House. They are offering 15,000 sq ft of unbranded office space as well as meeting rooms and virtual offices.
Posted in London |
Leave a comment
Posted on October 15, 2013 by Offices.org.uk
ARCHITECTS have been selected to create the new London HQ of the Metropolitan Police.
Allford Halls Monaghan Morris won an international design competition (winning design pictured above) and it is their plans that will now go forward for the new Scotland Yard building.
The firm, previously responsible for designs for Google’s London HQ at King’s Cross and a new University of Amsterdam building, will retain the Met’s famous revolving sign.
The Met decided to leave it’s previous base, New Scotland Yard, in Victoria as part of a cost cutting drive and its new HQ will be in the Curtis Green building on the Victoria Embankment.
Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime Stephen Greenhalgh said: “Scotland Yard is returning to its historical home in Whitehall. The new, smaller Met HQ will help deliver a 21st century police force and AHMM’s design, which includes a public space, will help Londoners to reconnect with the Met.
“By selling outdated and impractical buildings like the New Scotland Yard that are costly to maintain, we can reduce property running costs. The money raised from the sale of these buildings will be ploughed back into frontline policing so that our officers are equipped with the tools and technology they need to fight crime and to continue to keep London safe.”
Posted in London |
Leave a comment
Posted on October 14, 2013 by Rob Powell
THE DELAPIDATED offices in which the RMS Titanic was designed in Belfast look set to be reopened.
It was in the Harland and Wolff Drawing Office that plans for the ill-fated Titanic were drawn up.
She famously capsized and sunk after hitting an iceberg on her maiden voyage to New York with the loss of more than 1500 lives.
Harland and Wolff were at one time the largest shipbuilder in the world and it’s thought over 1,000 ships were designed from the Belfast offices.
Now, over a hundred years later, the new Heritage Lottery Fund’s Heritage Enterprise scheme has awarded £5million in the Category B+ Listed offices which have been vacant since 1989.
Under the new plans, the drawing offices will be opened to the public and a new 87-bedroom boutique hotel will be developed which is expected to create 109 FTE (full time-equivalent) jobs.
Posted in Belfast |
Leave a comment
Posted on October 10, 2013 by Offices.org.uk
LAND Securities has sold almost 400,000 sq ft of office space on the South Bank in central London.
Their portfolio of property at Bankside has been bought for £315 million by M&G Investments.
Two office buildings with space totalling 380,000 sq ft, and let to the Royal Bank of Scotland until 2027, were included in the deal along with 73,000 sq ft of retail space in a third building.
Scott Parsons, Head of London Property at Land Securities, said:
“With our expertise and passion for place-making, Land Securities’ Bankside development in 2007 provided the catalyst for the transformation of this part of the South Bank. Bankside has produced strong, double-digit returns for us since we started on site in 2003, and selling it now fits our strategy of recycling capital to re-invest in other transformational opportunities within the Group’s development pipeline.’
Related: Find serviced offices at the South Bank
Posted in London |
Leave a comment
Posted on October 7, 2013 by Offices.org.uk
BUSINESSES at the Lingley Mere Business Park will soon be about to enjoy the use of a new cafe and meeting space in a state of the art amenity building.
The addition to the park has just finished an eight month construction period and fitting out is currently under way. Once ready, the 7,500 sq ft building will be taken over by catering specialists Autograph who will provide a coffee shop and meeting space for tenants and visitors at the business park.
Wes Erlam, senior development surveyor at Muse Developments, said: “The building has been designed to complement the natural surroundings of Lingley Mere and we are extremely pleased with the outcome. The building will provide an excellent range of on–site amenities, including hot and cold food, a coffee shop, and meeting space with WiFi.
We hope the new facility will be enjoyed by existing occupiers and prove attractive to companies considering relocating to Lingley Mere.”
Lingley Mere currently provides 380,000 sq ft of office accommodation and has outline planning consent to double in size.
Posted in Manchester |
Leave a comment
Posted on October 5, 2013 by Offices.org.uk
A SPECIALLY commissioned piece of art that is 14metres tall has been unveiled by British Land for their Regent’s Place development.
“Pecking Bird” is by Turner prize-nominated Gary Hume and will be located on the corner of Brock Street and Hampstead Road at the mixed use development in London.
It is the first piece of public art created by the Kent-born artist. Chris Grigg, Chief Executive of British Land, said:
“We have always sought to create a diverse, interactive environment at Regent’s Place and public art has been a big part of that. To have a permanent installation from a world-renowned artist such as Gary is a real coup for us, and we think it will capture the imagination and interest of the people living, working or passing through London’s West End.”
Regent’s Place is British Land’s landmark West End asset and occupied by nearly 12,000 workers and residents.
Posted in London |
Leave a comment
Posted on September 30, 2013 by Offices.org.uk
ROLLS ROYCE are to let almost 40,000 sq ft of office space at 62 Buckingham Gate, Land Securities have announced.
The world famous automobile brand will let the entire seventh floor and part of the sixth in the new development in Victoria which has been designed by the renowned Pelli Clarke Pelli.
Kaela Fenn-Smith, Head of Leasing at Land Securities, said, “The latest lettings at 62 Buckingham Gate embody Land Securities’ vision for Victoria and show that the bold architecture and efficiently designed office floors have struck a chord with the needs of today’s discerning occupier.”
62 Buckingham Gate opened in May this year offering 260,000 sq ft of office accommodation over eleven floors.
Find serviced offices in Victoria
Posted in London |
Leave a comment
Posted on June 10, 2013 by Offices.org.uk
290 flats could replace a large office building in Croydon, if a developer’s application is successful.
Menta Redrow wants to demolish Galaxy House in Cherry Orchard Road, Croydon, and replace it with a new tower with hundreds of apartments.
The 12-storey, 43-metre tall, office building which would be knocked down to make way for the scheme was previously used as offices and a data centre by the Bank of America.
The developer says of the scheme: “The regeneration of the site will allow for this part of Cherry Orchard Road to be refreshed and reinvigorated. The redevelopment of this key site will play an important part in recreating Cherry Orchard Road as a high street with new residents on the Galaxy House site bringing increased vibrancy, footfall and spend to local shops and businesses.”
Following public consultations, local councillors will get a chance to voice their opinions on the scheme at a council meeting this week before the developer submits a full planning application.
Search offices.org.uk for Croydon office space
Posted in London |
Leave a comment
Newer posts →
← Older posts
