Posted on December 1, 2010 by John Cronin
A business park in County Durham is supporting the Help For Heroes charity by hosting a fundraising event in one the huge on-site offices.
The Lingfield Point business park in Darlington is set to host a fund-raising tea break in one of the large office floors with the help of armed services organisation NAAFI. The event will take place at 10am on 6th December, 2010 and the famous NAAFI strong tea will be served.
The announcement from the publicity team of Lingfield Point suggests that one of the office buildings within the business park has the largest, single office floor plate (pictured) in the UK measuring 100,000 sq ft.
A former wool factory sitting within a 107 acre site, Lingfield Point is the resultant conversion of old factory buildings into a range of serviced office units. Whilst very large floor plates have been made available, hot desking and small incubator offices at around 300 sq ft are also available.
Office space is available in several of the converted buildings within the mixed-use scheme. The Meadow building offers Grade A specification offices along with very large floor plates. The larger offices have been aimed at tenants seeking regional or headquarters accommodation. Current tenants include The Student Loans Company, Capita and Darlington Borough Council.
The recently launched Alaska building now allows the centre to offer hot-desking and serviced office facilities. There are also on-site meeting rooms and free wifi access.
Developers behind the redevelopment are Marchday. Flexible lease agreements are available upon request.
Posted in County Durham |
Tagged Business Parks, Renovations, Serviced Offices |
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Posted on December 1, 2010 by Rob Powell
Eleven councils in the south of England are using their combined purchasing power to bring down the cost of office supplies.
Brighton & Hove City Council are leading the Sussex Stationery Consortium which is putting a three year stationery and office supplies contract out to tender.
The Consortium has already been in operation for about ten years but the group of councils, which spend about £1.2million per annum on office supplies, are now seeking to find a single supplier to extract even better value for money.
Brighton and Hove Council leader Mary Mears said: “Our council is proud to be leading on this contract. Buying as a consortium is much more efficient and saves taxpayers money.”
The other councils in the consortium are Adur, Arun, Brighton & Hove, Chichester, East Sussex, Eastbourne, Hastings, Lewes, Rother, Wealden and Worthing.
Posted in East Sussex, West Sussex |
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Posted on November 30, 2010 by Rob Powell
A huge development in Wirral has been given the thumbs up by Secretary of State of Communities and Local Government, Eric Pickles.
The £4.5 billion scheme will see the construction of a vast mixed use development, including 5,000,000 square feet of modern office space, in Birkenhead docklands with the expected creation of thousands of jobs.
The development had already been approved by Wirral Council but it had to be referred to the Secretary of State for final approval. He has opted not to call in the application for further review which means Wirral Waters can go ahead.
Wirral Council Leader Cllr Jeff Green said: “It’s not everyday that a Leader of a Council is given the go-ahead to see 26,000 jobs created. I am delighted the Government has demonstrated its trust in allowing local people to make the decision and will not ‘call in’ the Wirral Waters plan for national review.
“This is a £4.5bn project which will create many thousands of jobs over 10-15 years. It is a landmark day for Wirral and is tremendous news.”
The developer for the project is the Peel Group who are also behind the £5.4 billion Liverpool Waters scheme.
Posted in Merseyside |
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Posted on November 30, 2010 by John Cronin
A business park in Lincolnshire is set to expand after being granted planning permission for additional office buildings.
The Lincolnshire Enterprise Park (pictured) on the outskirts of Lincoln is set to expand with the addition of three more industrial units and a further four office units. Phase four of the five-acre development will provide a further 4,388 sq ft of serviced office space along with 6,647 sq ft of industrial space.
Having already let or sold all the buildings constructed in the previous three development phases the developers are confident there will be strong demand for the latest buildings. Nick Falkinder, a Director of Lincoln Enterprise Park says: “The business park is in a perfect location for new and established businesses and we’ve been tremendously encouraged by its success so far.”
Built on the site of a long-standing, former equestrian centre, construction of the business park began in 2005. Phase four will complete the redevelopment of the site that is situated in a rural location close to the A46 and A1.
Construction is due to start in the New Year. The office units will be made available on a freehold basis, either as complete units or on a floor-by-floor basis. Quoted asking prices (ex VAT) for the office buildings are:
Unit 18: £177,500 (1,178 sq ft)
Unit 19: £177,500 (1,178 sq ft)
Unit 23: Under Offer (1,016 sq ft)
Unit 24: £152,500 (1,016 sq ft)
Marketing agents are JH Walter.
Posted in Lincolnshire |
Tagged Business Parks, Serviced Offices, Speculative Developments |
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Posted on November 29, 2010 by John Cronin
Commercial property agents Lambert Smith Hampton (LSH) have been instructed to market one of the largest office properties in the Commercial Estates Group (CEG) portfolio.
CEG recently purchased several commercial properties from the administrators of the collapsed Kenmore property group. Kenmore Group having entered into administration on the 12th November. LSH and Hanover Green are now jointly marketing the building.
The former headquarters building known as Prospect Park in Hurley, near Maidenhead (pictured) has been re-branded as Horizon.
The new building offers 82,500 sq ft of office floor space over three floors and is located within 11 acres of landscaped grounds.
The premises are being marketed to prospective tenants that might need large floor plates – the building offers floor plates of approximately 28,000 sq ft. The building offers a fit-out specification to Grade A rating. The agents believe that the other main selling point of the building is the rural location.
Kevin Hawthorn, Partner at Hanover Green, says: “Behind the re-brand strategy is the location of the building; its self-contained base within a natural environment, and its 360 degree countryside views, set it apart from other office schemes and business parks in the region.”
The agents suggest potential tenants will include the pharmaceutical and technology, media, telecoms sectors. Flexible office spaces are available from 10,000 sq ft upwards. Whole floors lets are available is a whole-building option. Rental prices are quoted at £20 / sq ft. Flexible lease terms are available upon request.
Posted in Berkshire |
Tagged Rental Prices, Speculative Developments |
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Posted on November 27, 2010 by Rob Powell
The Shard London Bridge tower this week became Britain’s tallest building.
Construction on the development is still underway but the core has now moved higher than the previous tallest building – One Canada Square at Canary Wharf. The landmark Canary Wharf tower had held the record for 18 years.
Once completed in 2012, the Shard, next to London Bridge station in Southwark, will stand at 310m in height and offer 600,000 square feet of prime office space spread over 24 floors.
Other floors in the tower, designed by Renzo Piano, will be used for a luxury hotel, residential apartments, restaurants, a spa and viewing gallery.
Posted in London |
Tagged Skyscrapers |
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Posted on November 26, 2010 by John Cronin
A revised masterplan for a large scale office development in the centre of Coventry was unveiled to the public last night.
Developers behind the controversial Friargate scheme, that is proposed for a site next to Coventry railway station, presented their revised plans for the development to a packed council meeting on Wednesday night. Many local residents have voiced concerns about increased traffic congestion in the area.
Cannon Kirk, a property development company, has already been granted outline planning permission for a £1.5billion scheme in the centre of Coventry (pictured). The proposed scheme will offer a 3.2 million sq ft in an office led, mixed-use development that will include 14 Grade A office buildings. In total the development will consist of 26 new buildings.
The developers believe that the old commercial buildings on the 37 acre site are under-utilised and are unable to meet the demands of potential occupiers looking for high quality, modern and efficient offices.
Rodney Pilcher, Friargate Coventry LLP, commented when outline planning permission was granted earlier this year: “Coventry is already benefiting from a number of successful new office developments but Friargate presents the opportunity for us to deliver the highest quality regeneration right next to the train station”.
Attendees of the latest public meeting were not wholly satisfied with what they heard however. Councillor Kevin Foster told the Coventry Telegraph: “For all the residents turning up it was quite a frustrating evening. They had been invited to the event and got very little answers. Their key issues have not been listened to.”
The revised masterplan will be used as the basis for a detailed planning application that is expected to be submitted in December.
Architects behind the speculative scheme are Allies and Morrison.
Posted in West Midlands |
Tagged Friargate, Speculative Developments |
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Posted on November 25, 2010 by John Cronin
The Coventry Building Society has taken on more office space in one of the biggest office lettings deals seen in the city in 2010.
Having agreed a 15-year lease, the Coventry Building Society has taken 24,000 sq ft of the available 30,000 sq ft within the office block in the Binley Business Park. Oak Tree Court is currently let to Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce (official site) who will continue to lease 6,000 sq ft of the available floor space. The building is owned by Midlands based property company A&J Mucklow. Rental prices have not been disclosed as yet.
The Coventry, now the third largest building society in the UK having merged with the Stroud and Swindon Building Society in September, will continue to occupy the adjacent office building – the 52,000 sq ft Oakfield House.
Binley Business Park offers a range of office accommodation with many office buildings aimed at the technology and IT industries. The business park offers a conference centre and is also home to part of the University of Warwick Science Park.
The Binley Innovation Centre (pictured) offers serviced offices and is joint venture between Coventry City Council, Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce and the University of Warwick. The building consists of multiple units ranging in floor spaces from 238 sq ft up to 1700 sq ft. All 39 offices are available on flexible leases, ranging from periods of 6 months to 3 years.
Last month Coventry City Council instructed agents North Rae Sanders to sell the former Visteon premises – an office building comprising approximately 19,500 sq ft.
Posted in West Midlands |
Tagged Business Parks, Serviced Offices |
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Posted on November 25, 2010 by Nell Frizzell
And so, there are eight remaining figures fighting for a six figure salary. Instead of simply ringing up a recruitment agency, like most sane-minded CEOs, Lord Sugarpuff is still insisting on finding his new teasmaid via television humiliation. Well, we all need a hobby, I suppose.
This week it is Hollyoaks Jamie who answers the phone. He is told, by Lord Alanstrad’s PA to ‘pack clothes for all weathers’, which will be something of a problem for the rubbery-lipped estate agent, as he has already admitted to the nation that his wife chooses and buys all his clothes. Cue footage of Jamie turning up in the Hague wearing an ‘I Heart Big Butts’ t-shirt and leather trousers. So, anyway, they’re off for a two day jolly somewhere abroad. In foreignland. I wonder how they’ll take the news?
Greasemongrel Stuart ‘the brand’ Baggs predicts ‘either a war zone, or somewhere hot.’ Because we all know how chilly it gets over there in the deserts of Iraq. Strangely, Baggs’ fighting talk goes down surprisingly badly with ex-marine Christopher. I take it a tour of service under the fourth battalion of Armystrad isn’t quite what he had in mind for this new career path.
In fact, the team are off to Germany. To sell crisps. “I hate the Germans as well,” sighs ex-Commando Chris. I take it he left the army to become a diplomat. Specifically, the team are heading off to Hamburg. Please tell me that Lord Sugarmort is going to lock them in the Kaiserkeller for 48 nights until they’ve learned some Eddie Cochran covers and can have a bash at ‘Please, Please Me’.
According to Lord Talking Tortoise, Germany is Britain’s largest export market. Man, those Germans must really love McVities and bowler hats; or whatever three things we still manufacture as a country. Both Synergy and Apollo will be representing two small British crisp companies, who are keen to get in to this lubricated, I mean, lucrative market.
Stella is chosen to be project manager for Apollo, because Baggs is ‘a load of knackers’. Oh, sorry, ‘knackered’. Synergy, on the other hand, chooses monotone Christopher. Well, you might as well go out with a bang, mightn’t you?
And so, to the flavours. Strangely, this is decided by the television contestants, and not the company who will spend the next year actually producing these salty snacks. But, hey, let’s not get caught up in the little people. Stella’s team go for traditional British grub. Like curry. And paprika and stilton, whatever in the name of bubbling ulcers that will taste like. ‘Would stilton and paprika go together?’ asks Stella. Why yes, if by ‘go together’ you mean ‘go together in a sack of vomit’.
Synergy on the other hand are extending the, albeit dreadfully misinformed, arm of kinship to our European cousins with bratwurst and goulash. As a Hungarian friend of mine pointed out, given that goulash isn’t even German, and what Hungarians call goulash isn’t what we do, it’s a plan that can hardly fail. Anyway, the choice of bratwurst gives Hollyoaks Jamie and ex-Commander Chris the excuse to sit down over an enormous plate of gravy-covered phalluses, which I suspect had been the plan all along.
For team Apollo, it’s time for Joanna and Baggyjowls to munch sausages and drink beer in the bars of Hamburg. Cue revolting ‘I’ve got a white sausage’ gag from Baggs. With ‘gag’ being the operative word, as audiences across the country projective vomit over furniture and unsuspecting pets.
Unsurprisingly, for an estate agent and a squaddie, Jamie and Christopher appear to head straight to the Reeperbahn for a little door-to-door selling. ‘If I wanted sexy time I think I would head here’. Thanks for that Jamie. Now let’s all see if Christopher uses his xenophobic quip from earlier as his opening sales pitch: ‘Guten tag. I hate the Germans. Fancy a crisp?’
Getting far more in to the teutonic swing of things, Stuart decides to introduce himself as ‘hair bags’ and tells everyone that he is very pleased to have arrived in Germany tomorrow. “I must sound so stupid to them but I think it’s at least a bit endearing that I try.” Oh Stuart, never before has one testicle-faced fool been so wrong. Danke.
Apollo land a meeting with the Marriot hotel. I really hope this taste test will be supervised by Flava Flav. This show could do with a little glamour. Sadly, Joanna is instead met by a be-suited white man. Such is the world of business, I’m afraid. The cleaning queen pitches ‘Aberdeen Angus Steak with chilli’. Sadly, he’s not sitting in the plastic-clad surroundings of an Aberdeen Angus steakhouse as he eats them, which would certainly be enough to crumble any man’s resistance. But Apollo still sell six months’ worth of crisps at the meeting, which is something of a business miracle.
Across town, Laura Moore delivers her pitch at a rate just a little way below supersonic. After being introduced as Stuart’s ‘male colleague’. I always wondered what those polo necks were hiding. She opens with the somewhat bombastic ‘The world has changed’ swiftly followed up by, ‘We have a pretty good idea of where Germany is in the crisp market’. Can you imagine what this woman’s Christmas cards are like?
Meanwhile, Synergy are trying to get a café owner to taste their pseudo-German flavours.”It’s a little bit fat and strong,” the café owner complains. Oh Jesus, has Christopher just fed this man slices of Geoff Capes? There is yet more bad news for Synergy once Bambi-eyes and and Monotone discover that the Marriot have already placed orders with Apollo. This leads to the undignified scene of two grown adults begging a stranger to eat a goulash-flavoured crisp. Eventually the poor hotelier has to point out that it’s all a little ‘unprofessional’. Ouch.
And so the two days of selling finally grind to a halt, and all eight contestants are pulled back to the boardroom on Lord Alanstrad’s big business umbilical cord. Quips are fired back and forth over Herr Baggs being ‘hairbrained’, which is of course hilarious because the man is in fact 80% pastry, 14% grease and 6% honking charm, leaving almost no room for a brain, hairy or otherwise.
Nick and Karen read out the sales results. Synergy sold a substantial 17,995 Euros worth of crisps, but Apollo stormed in to the lead with 19,327 Euros. Hooray! Baggs is saved!
For a treat, Apollo are taken on a shopping trip to Mayfair, where Baggs emerges from the changing room looking like the smart-casual sport commentator member of the Matrix, replete with 90s sunglasses.
For Synergy, however, it’s time for the sad crisp music over a café table full of ketchup. Really, poignant barely scratches the surface. For the sixth time – yes the sixth time – Chris is in the firing line, taking Jamie and Christopher in with him. Hold on, we’ve got a blue-eyed rugby player, an extra from Hollyoaks and an ex-Marine? It’s the perfect calendar shoot! As styled by Lord Sugartits! Whoever pouts and poses the best is saved for another week! No? Oh okay, fine, do it your way. With an infantile slanging match.
“I’m a straight-talker like you Lord Sugar,” says German-hating, model-groping, seedy-winking Commander Christopher. Oh purlease. “I was 24 when I started my business,” interjects Jamie. “I think that is a huge amount of raw skill.” No Jamie, a sushi-making toddler has a huge amount of raw skill – you are an enormous bore. Or, in the words of Lord Sugar – ‘you are sliding down in my estimation’.
So, like the bionic man, Monotone Chris lives to see another day, while the straight-talking lecherous Marine machine Christopher is sent home to play with his model soldiers and hate the Germans.
Conclusion: When it comes to climbing the greasy pole of crisp manufacturing, you may have to stand on a few toes.
Posted in Misc |
Tagged Apprentice Blog |
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Posted on November 24, 2010 by John Cronin
Tunbridge Wells Council has stepped aside in a growing row over an available office building in the town to allow an insurance company to buy it.
Tunbridge Wells Council had originally planned to relocate staff from various local offices into the single, larger office building that is currently occupied by The Land Registry (pictured).
Tunbridge Wells Land Registry is one of three regional offices that are set to close next year and although the building has never been on the open market it has attracted interested from the council. Their relocation plans created concern with some local residents who did not want to see the existing civic centre redeveloped. The council had always denied that any such redevelopment plans had been progressed.
However, the soon-to-be vacant Kent offices were also of interest to insurance services company AXA PPP who are looking to employ a further 800 staff in Tunbridge Wells. The company, who already have some 1,900 office based staff in the town, believed that the Land Registry building offered the only suitable office space within the area. The company was of the opinion that the council should step aside and let them proceed with an offer for the building.
A war of words broke out back in September with AXA operations director David Clarke claiming that trust between the company and the council had broken down. He told the BBC: “We feel that Tunbridge Wells has become very retail friendly but not so much business friendly”. The company had indicated that unless it secured further office space within Tunbridge Wells it might well have to consider relocation as a way forward.
In a new twist it has been announced that the council has now stepped aside and will not proceed with plans to buy the Forest Court building. In a statement issued today, Councillor Tracy Moore said “We have been working hand in hand with AXA PPP for months to find a solution that allows them to both remain in the town and expand, and stepping aside from the Land Registry is we believe the right thing to do.”
The Land Registry has now accepted a bid for the office building from AXA PPP that is currently subject to contract.
Posted in Kent |
Tagged Public Sector |
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