Posted on May 9, 2012 by Rob Powell
COUNCIL offices in a Devon mansion are to be converted in to a new hotel.
Planning permission has been granted for Oldway Mansion in Paington to be turned in to a 57-bed four star hotel.
The imposing property was built in the 19th century and then later rebuilt in the style of the Palace of Versailles.
Having been used as part of the war effort, it was purchased by the local council after the the second world war and has since been used as a wedding venue and office space by the local authority.
But faced with rising costs of up keep, the council has now decided to back plans to turn the site into a hotel.
Further reporting from the BBC and the local Herald Express.
Posted in Devon |
Tagged Conversions, Listed Buildings |
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Posted on May 8, 2012 by Rob Powell
A PUBLIC space at the heart of a City office estate looks set to get a revamp.
Broadgate Circle is a public amenity in the heart of the Square Mile, used as a place for meeting and gathering by local City workers.
Joint owners British Land and the Blackstone Group have applied to local planning authority, the City of London Corporation, for permission to revamp the space.
The famous arena ice rink will be retained throughout the winter months but designers Arup want to create a new enhanced performance space, with new shops and restaurants around it.
Tim Roberts from British Land said: “The proposals for Broadgate Circle are designed to enhance the public amenity and structure at the heart of Broadgate, while preserving its essential character.”
Broadgate is a 32 acre office and retail state off Bishopsgate.
Posted in London |
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Posted on April 30, 2012 by Rob Powell
NEW MOTHERS are more likely to return to the workplace sooner if they can breastfeed at work, according to new research.
Academics at the Institute for Social & Economic Research, at Essex University, say that mums are 8% more likely to go back to the workplace within six months, and 5% more likely within four months, if breastfeeding is welcomed.
The research also showed that breastfeedingly-friendly offices will only make a difference to mums who stayed in education until they were at least 19. For less-well educated mothers, breastfeedingly in the workplace is not a driver for an earlier return to work.
Dr Emilia Del Bono, from ISER, is co author of the research with Dr Chiara Pronzato at the Università di Torino. Dr Del Bono says:
“Lower educated mothers have shorter maternity leave periods due to income constraints, so the availability of breastfeeding facilities has little impact on their decision to return to work. More educated mothers, by contrast, have more choice in relation to the duration of their maternity leave and are also more likely to breastfeed longer, so the availability of breastfeeding facilities is more important in this group.”
The research was carried out using a sample of over 3,000 mothers.
Posted in Misc |
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Posted on April 29, 2012 by Rob Powell
CENTRAL London was brought to a standstill on Friday afternoon after a three-hour siege in an office.
Thousands of nearby workers were evacuated as the incident unfolded in Tottenham Court Road.
Office furniture and computers were thrown from a fifth floor office window in to the street.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed later that Michael Green, 48, of Stevenage, had been charged with a number of offences:
– Possession of a weapon for the discharge of a noxious liquid/gas or electrical incapacitating device/thing;
– False imprisonment;
– Bomb hoax, communicate false information;
– Criminal damage recklessly endangering life.
Detective Chief Inspector Raffaele D’Orsi, of Camden police, said: “Yesterday’s events were extremely rare and I would like to thank the general public and local business community for the support they provided to my officers in dealing with these matters so expeditiously.
Finally I can confirm it is all back to business as usual in Tottenham Court Road and the surrounding area.”
Posted in London |
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Posted on April 19, 2012 by Rob Powell
FORMER BBC offices in central London are to spend the summer hosting live music and theatre.
The office space in Marylebone was home to BBC London but will turned into a temporary arts hub this summer.
Theatre Delicatessen plan to establish an ‘indoor pleasure garden’ where live performance, music, installation and sporting highlights from the summer of 2012 can be enjoyed.
Maryelebone Gardens, as the project will be known, opens its doors next month with a contemporary staging of Henry V.
Jessica Brewster, Co Artistic Director of Theatre Delicatessen, said “We at Theatre Delicatessen are passionate about transforming spaces across the city into new theatre worlds that capture the imaginations of audiences and artists alike.
This is our most ambitious programme of work yet, opening with our immersive interpretation of Henry V, through a programme of installations and performances with artists responding to the Summer of Sport”
Posted in London |
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Posted on April 2, 2012 by Rob Powell
SERVICED office provider i2 Office has launched its new business lounge membership club.
The i2 Access scheme gives members access to professional places to work, relax or have a meeting at any of the i2 Office businesses centres around the country for a fixed monthly fee.
Speaking to Offices.org.uk last December, i2 Office Chief Executive explained the benefits of this kind of club for mobile workers:
“It’s great to think you can come into town and work from one of the coffee chains but it’s noisy, they play the music too loud and they turf you out if you don’t buy enough coffee.
“Here, you’re able to work in a professional business environment, meet people such as suppliers or clients, book a meeting room or meet informally in one of our cafes, get a cup of coffee and do it properly rather than trying to do it round the table in a coffee shop.”
i2 Office, based in Milton Keynes, now operates serviced office centres across London and in Leeds, Manchester, Watford and Glasgow.
Posted in London |
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Posted on March 28, 2012 by Rob Powell
A BRAND new business centre in Kent has been officially opened.
The 85,000 sq ft Dover Innovation Centre in Poulton Close, Dover, offers local businesses serviced office space, meeting rooms, workshop facilities and training rooms.
Anchor tenants at the development, which is a joint enterprise between Whitecliff Dover Limited and Regen Offices Limited, include London Fancy Box and Abba Commercials.
Peter Green, Managing Director of Regen Offices, commented: “We hope that the Dover Innovation Centre will become a catalyst for business and economic growth in Dover and throughout East Kent.”
Cllr Sue Nicholas, Chairman of Dover District Council said: “It’s most welcome that there are business people with the confidence, and belief, that Dover has the potential to provide future employment with its road, rail and sea routes and easy access to the continent. Surely this is the place to be”.
A spokesman from Dover District Council added: “The Council was pleased to be invited to the launch of the Dover Innovation Centre, a much needed resource to encourage an entrepreneurial spirit in the town and retain skilled and ambitious individuals who may have otherwise looked at other areas to help nurture their ideas and grow their businesses.”
Posted in Kent |
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Posted on March 26, 2012 by Rob Powell
MILLIONS of pounds of London office building contracts have been won by Galliford Try.
The building group has announced that it has been chosen to build £100,000 sq ft of Grade-A office space near St James’s Park.
It won the £27 million contract for the project from development company, Green Property.
Galliford Try has also won a contract worth almost £9 million from Royal London Mutual Insurance to refurbish and extend extend 6,500 sq m of office space at 1A Wimpole Street.
Galliford Try Chief Executive Greg Fitzgerald said: “We are delighted to have won such significant contracts in the commercial sector. The London office sector remains an important market for us.”
Previous project by the London based builder include the £37 million construction of One Lothbury and a £17 million mixed use project in Mayfair‘s Dover Street.
Posted in London |
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Posted on March 12, 2012 by Rob Powell
CENTRAL Hong Kong is now the most expensive place in the world for prime office space, according to new research.
Premium offices in Hong Kong will cost businesses owners over £97 per sq ft per annum, says the report by Knight Frank. London’s West End, previously the most expensive place for office space, will cost £92.50 per sq ft per annum to rent.
The City of London comes 8th in the global office rents list, which is based on data collected throughout 2011.
Matthew Colbourne, senior international research analyst at Knight Frank, commented:
“Office occupiers remain cautious in many international markets, particularly with concerns over the strength of the global economy, and the future of the Eurozone, resurfacing in recent months. The pace of prime office rental growth in Europe slowed significantly in the second half of 2011, with rents remaining essentially flat in markets such as London (West End) and Frankfurt.
“Asian cities are experiencing mixed fortunes; while confidence remains high in mainland China, falling office rents were observed in late 2011 in markets dependent on demand from international financial occupiers, such as Hong Kong and Singapore.”
Global Office Rents Top 10
- Hong Kong
- London (West End)
- Tokyo
- Moscow
- Paris
- Singapore
- Perth
- London (The City)
- Geneva
- Sydney
Posted in London |
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Posted on March 12, 2012 by Rob Powell
OFFICES formerly belonging to a brewery in Staines are to be turned into Grade-A office space.
Ashby House is a three story office building in the town centre, formerly occupied by Courage Brewery and more recently the national sales office for Heineken.
Planning consent was granted late last year by the local authority, Spelthorne Council, for the part-demolition and refurbishment of the building which was built in 1989 and is a short walk from the River Thames.
Architects ESA – part of Capita Symonds – have published an image (above) of how the renewed building will look.
Nic Sampson, Design Director, ESA, said: “The result is effectively a new-build, providing Grade-A office space in the heart of the town.”
A tender for contractors will go out in the summer with work expected to start on site in the autumn.
Later this year, the town of Staines will be renamed as Staines-upon-Thames as part of a bid to boost the local economy.
Posted in Middlesex |
Tagged Demolitions, Planning, Renovations |
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