Posted on September 25, 2018 by Offices.org.uk
Serviced office provider BE Offices has completed a £84 million refinancing deal with HSBC.
The refinancing package sets up BE for continued expansion and has extended the period of the company’s fixed debt to five years.
BE’s office portfolio has grown to 800,000 sq ft of flexible workspace in 19 business across the UK, 14 of which are in London.
Simon Rusk, BE’s Finance Director and co-founder, commented: “This is a major step forward for the company. Not only does the refinancing provide us with a solid foundation and security going forward, it also releases significant cash to fund our planned expansion over the next few years.”
David Saul, BE’s Managing Director and co-founder, added: “We regard this refinancing as a major endorsement of the business and its future. We believe BE is extremely well placed to take advantage of the fast-growing flexible workspace market. BE has a quarter of a century of successful and profitable experience in this market which we will bring to bear as the sector enters the next phase of its expansion.”
Last November BE acquired Headspace that took it into the tech, media and creative industries sectors for the first time. It also launched BESpoke last Autumn which is aimed at the corporate market.
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Posted on September 20, 2018 by Offices.org.uk
A NEW co-working space at one of south west London’s most well known arts venues has welcomed its first arrivals.
The first local businesses, creatives and charities moved into the Scratch Hub at Battersea Arts Centre earlier this week.
Scratch Hub, which draws its name from the the venue’s process for developing ideas for theatre and performance called “Scratch”, has a capacity of 50 workspaces.
Membership of the new co-working space is curated by the centre to develop a “diverse community for sharing skills, exchanging feedback, sparking connections and collaborating.”
The Scratch Hub is currently in a soft launch phase ahead of an official opening in November and the centre still has space for interested businesses or social enterprises.
Click here for more information about Scratch Hub
Built as Battersea Town Hall, the Grade II listed property on Lavender Hill in Battersea has been a community arts space since the mid 1970s. The centre has bounced back after a major fire badly damaged the Grand Hall during a major renovation programme in 2015.
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Posted on August 24, 2018 by Offices.org.uk
TRANSPORT For London (TFL) has announced that workspace provider HB Reavis will build seven storeys of high quality office space above the brand new Elizabeth Line platforms at Farringdon station in London.
The deal will see a new 138,000 sq ft mixed use development on the corner of Cowcross Street and Farringdon Road, adjacent to the station building, with retail space at ground floor and basement levels.
Each of the office floors will have a single core with a flexible floorplate of over 29,000 sq ft. HB Reavis says the development will aim to achieve the WELL Building Institute standard of Platinum, and will include a landlord-operated gym and one of London’s highest office space to terrace ratios.
Graeme Craig, Director of Commercial Development at TfL, said “With the arrival of the Elizabeth line, Farringdon will become one of the best connected places in London.
“We are therefore delighted to have reached this agreement with HB Reavis at this superb location.”
Twelve major developments are now planned over and around the new Elizabeth line stations and construction sites totalling three million square feet of office, retail and residential space between Paddington in the west and Woolwich in the east. The developments are expected to raise £500m for reinvestment in improving transport in London.
Services on the Elizabeth Line will begin in December 2018.
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Posted on August 22, 2018 by Offices.org.uk
THE FORMER head office of the Raleigh Bicycle Company has been recognigsed with a Grade II listing and become the 400,000th property on the National Heritage List for England.
The purpose-built head office for Raleigh in Nottingham is one of several new additions to the list after the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport accepted the latest recommendations from Historic England.
Decorative panels by Nottingham-born artist Charles Doman showing cherubic children, known as putti, holding bicycle parts adorn the front of the property which was built in 1931 and designed by architect Thomas Cecil Howitt.
Raleigh were at one time the biggest manufacturer of bicycles in the world and they were major employers in Nottingham. The company sold the flagship head office in 1983 and moved to Triumph Road, also in Nottingham.
Today, the Howitt building as it’s named, is home to the Lenton Business Centre as well as organisations providing support to the African Caribbean community in Nottingham.
Other new additions to the National Heritage List for England include Elmdon terminal building at Birmingham Airport, Theatre Royal in Plymouth, and the Birches ‘Squatter’s cottage’ in Cleeton St Mary, Shropshire.
Duncan Wilson, Historic England’s Chief Executive, said: “The List is a treasure trove of special historic places that demonstrates the rich variety of England’s history. Reaching 400,000 entries is a milestone – it confirms just how important our heritage is and how much deserves protecting for future generations.”
Jeremy Wright, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, said: “The National Heritage List for England tells the story of our past, and the people, places and events that shaped it. This landmark highlights the huge diversity of historic places that we have protected and the integral role heritage plays in our culture.”
Image: Decorative panel by artist Charles Doman. (Historic England).
Posted in Devon, Northamptonshire, Shropshire, West Midlands |
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Posted on August 21, 2018 by Offices.org.uk
NEW research from the US says that open-plan office workers are more active.
The study by academics at the University of Arizona also found that workers in an open-plan setting are less stressed than those in cubicles.
Data from 231 workers across four sites wearing chest sensors was analysed as part of the research which has just been published in Occupational & Environmental Medicine.
“Higher physical activity at the office was in turn related to lower physiological stress outside the office as measured by heart rate variability,” was one of the key findings of the report.
It concludes by saying that “office design, driven by office workstation type, could be a health-promoting factor.”
External link: Effects of office workstation type on physical activity and stress
Posted in Misc |
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Posted on August 14, 2018 by Offices.org.uk
A VICTORIAN office building in Liverpool city centre is to be turned into a new hotel.
The Russell Building at the junction of School Lane and Peter’s Lane has been largely left empty since the internal office space was modernised as part of the Liverpool ONE development eight years ago.
Plans from regeneration specialist YPG will see five floors of the six storey Portland stone building turned in to a fifty bedroom boutique hotel with roof terrace.
A ground floor unit occupied by Hotel Chocolat will be unaffected by the redevelopment.
The Liverpool property dates back to the 1860s has been home to various companies and organisations since then including Shell, Colmore cars, Vernon pools, Joblink, and NACRO.
Posted in Merseyside |
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Posted on August 13, 2018 by Offices.org.uk
A FORMER Royal Mail sorting office in Newport looks set to be turned into 50,000 sq ft of new office space.
Newport Council’s Planning Committee has backed a proposal by developer Garrison Barclay Estates to transform the property at 22-29 Mill Street in the south east Wales city.
The fifth, sixth and part of the ground floor will be demolished as part of the scheme which will also provide 84 parking spaces.
The one acre site was used by the Royal Mail until 1999 and subsequently taken over by local company Industrial Automation & Control (IAC).
New cladding and glazing will be added to the reconfigured building which will have three storeys of office floor space in an open plan arrangement, with the reception and lift access located on the ground floor.
Council officers told councillors – who unanimously supported the scheme – that “provision of a refurbished premises in a location with excellent transport links accords with the key drivers for office development and the aspirations of the city to move itself up the value chain.”
Posted in Monmouthshire |
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Posted on August 7, 2018 by Rob Powell
SERVICED office provider Citibase has officially launched its new business centre in the heart of Liverpool.
Citibase Liverpool Moorfields at the recently-refurbished Centric House has over 27,000 sq ft of affordable serviced office space.
The five storey property, just over the road from Liverpool Moorfields station, is the fifth North West business centre in the company’s fast-expanding portfolio.
Citibase is managing the property on behalf of building owner CERT Property who acquired it for £3.3 million earlier this year.
Citibase CEO Steve Jude, comments: “Citibase Liverpool Moorfields is the latest example of one of our existing clients commissioning us to take on another management contract to help transform their vacant office space. We’ve proved that by transforming their under-utilised buildings into thriving flexible office space, we have been able to quickly turn them into positive assets, and provide them with a steady cash flow as a result. After the successful launch of Citibase Salford Quays in their building The Junction, we are thrilled to be working with CERT Property again on Citibase Liverpool Moorfields.”
Managing director of CERT Property, Howard Lord, comments: “Citibase was the perfect partner for us to help transform this building into flexible office space, having worked with them on The Junction in Salford Quays. Centric House is in a superb location in the city core, with Moorfields train station directly opposite and within walking distance of the historic docks. As the world of work continues to evolve, we have recognised the growing demand for adaptable and flexible serviced office accommodation.”
The new hub will be able to offer a vibrant home for over 450 SMEs, start-ups, entrepreneurs.
Find out more about Centric House at 15-33 Moorfields in Liverpool.
Posted in Merseyside |
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Posted on August 2, 2018 by Offices.org.uk
LOCAL planners in Bath have given outline planning permission for a new development which will create 20,000 sqm of new Grade A office space.
The Bath Quays North scheme is part of the council’s wider flagship Bath Quays regeneration project which will span both sides of the River Avon.
Cllr Paul Myers, Cabinet Member for Economic & Community Regeneration at Bath & North East Somerset Council, commented:
“Outline planning at Bath Quays North is a hugely significant step forward for Bath. Bath Quays will meet the needs of Bath’s successful local business community who wish to expand, as well as encourage others to move to the area, bringing with them higher-wage jobs, investment and economic growth.”
It is expected that the Bath Quays North development will also deliver a minimum of 70 new homes and a new, modern basement car park.
Bath & North East Somerset Council is in the process of selecting a development partner for the Bath Quays North scheme. Once a detailed planning application has been approved, construction is likely to commence in early 2020.
Posted in Somerset |
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Posted on July 25, 2018 by Offices.org.uk
A FIFTY-SIX storey skyscraper has been approved by the City of London Corporation.
The Planning and Transportation Committee gave the green light to the new development in Leadenhall Street earlier this month.
Lai Sun Development Company’s new 263 metre tall building, designed by architects SOM, will be the third tallest in the City of London when finished.
Already known as the Cheesegrater 2 because of a profile which complements the nearby Leadenhall Building, the tower will provide over 102,000 square metres (1,097,919 sq ft) of office space.
Chris Hayward, chair of the planning committee, commented:
“I’m delighted that we have approved latest addition to the City’s growing office district.
“As a leading business district accommodating 483,000 workers every day, it is vital to continue to deliver office space for the significant growth expected with the arrival of the Elizabeth line later this year.
“Leading to a church dating back to the 12th century, this development demonstrates the City’s distinctive ability to house the old and new side by side, while becoming more accessible to creative workers and members of the public.
“More than ever we are seeing businesses make location decisions based on the quality of built environment and public realm that they can offer their employees.
“Today’s committee decision will boost confidence and international talent in the City of London.”
Posted in London |
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