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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Posted on November 23, 2010 by John Cronin
A serviced offices company has signed up for two floors of a premium office building in the centre of Glasgow.
Serviced offices provider i2 Office, a relatively new company to the market, has agreed to let floors 1 and 2 in the 2 West Regent Street office scheme in Glasgow. The company has signed a 15 year lease for just under 16,000 sq ft of floor space. Market reports suggest that the agreed rental price comes in at £24.30 / sq ft.
This deal marks the first letting within the £17m speculative build that was completed in 2009 and officially opened by former Secretary of State for Scotland, Rt. Hon Jim Murphy. Indicative rental prices published by the developers in December were in the range £23.50 – £25 / sq ft depending upon length of lease.
2 West Regent Street (pictured) offers total floor space of 77,850 sq ft over 10 floors within the scheme. The largest, available floor plates are 8,450 sq ft on the 3rd, 4th and 5th floors. The building offers Grade A rated, flexible floor space within a building that has a BREEAM rating of ‘Very Good’.
The new office block replaces the former Standard Life House, a well-known Glasgow landmark building that was demolished in 2008 to make way for the current scheme.
The developers behind the scheme are City Estates plc who also have other office schemes in Glasgow at Bothwell Street and St Vincent Street. The company also has office and retail space in Kirkcaldy and London.
Agents for the scheme are DTZ and GVA Grimley.
Posted in Glasgow |
Tagged Rental Prices, Serviced Offices, Speculative Developments |
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Posted on November 22, 2010 by John Cronin
A large office block in County Durham that was once used by chemical conglomerate ICI is set to be demolished.
Billingham House (pictured – credit) is a large, multi-storey office building that was once the headquarters for chemicals company ICI. The building however has stood empty for over a decade and in recent years has been an easy target for arsonists and vandals.
The building, which was originally constructed in 1959, is owned by a company called Bizzy B Management Ltd. However, Stockton Council recently took control of the building after undertaking legal proceedings and are now hoping that the current owners will bring forward plans to redevelop the brownfield site.
A £400,000 grant has been secured from One North East, the Regional Development Agency, to help fund the demolition of the imposing office block. Director of Business and Industry, Ian Williams, said: “Billingham House was once a thriving office block at the heart of ICI’s Tees Valley operations, but sadly the last decade has seen it fall into disrepair.
Once cleared, Stockton Council aim to market the site as a potential new business hub for various process engineering, life-sciences and biotechnology businesses. Councillor Bob Cook said: “Securing the funding from One North East is welcome news and will help us work with the owners to bring the site back into use as a valuable asset for businesses and the local community.”
Plans submitted in 2007 to convert the offices into flats fell through. The site does has outline planning permission for an office development. Demolition work is expected to commence in early 2011 after the work is put out to tender.
Posted in County Durham |
Tagged Demolitions, Planning |
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Posted on November 19, 2010 by John Cronin
Construction of the first phase of new offices in a large Lancashire business park has been completed.
Riverside Business Park in Barrowford, Lancashire covers a 24-acre site and has planning consent for approximately 300,000 sq ft of office space along with a small hotel, pub and a nursery facility. The development, close to J15, M65 is a joint venture between property giant Peel and Barnfield Construction.
The first phase of the speculative development has been named Vantage Court and offers a total of 35,000 sq ft of floor space within self-contained office units varying between 1,500 sq ft and 4,000 sq ft each. There are 6 ‘high quality’ office buildings (pictured) in this phase of the scheme with EPOS systems provider PRS Ltd being the first signed-up tenant.
The developers believe the site as whole offers scope for larger office occupiers who are looking for bespoke headquarters-style buildings or call centres. A further nine business courts, each containing between one and five buildings, will be constructed within the business park.
Planning permission was originally granted for a business park to be developed on the greenfield site in 1993. This permission expired without any construction being undertaken and subsequently various proposals were declined before full planning permission was granted in 2008 for the current scheme.
Dennis Mendoros, Chairman of Pendle Vision commented: “We are thrilled about the investment opportunities and jobs the park will bring to the local economy. Barrowford is an affluent place to live and we feel the development will further compliment this perception, encouraging more people into the Borough”
Joint letting agents on the scheme are Trevor Dawson and Knight Frank.
Posted in Lancashire |
Tagged Business Parks, Peel Group, Speculative Developments |
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Posted on November 18, 2010 by John Cronin
A south west based commercial property consultants reports that demand for smaller footage office space in Cardiff is returning.
Alder King, who have seven offices across the south west, believe that they are a seeing a slow return of demand for offices with a floor space under 5,000 sq ft. The agents have recently secured two office lettings in Cardiff, both involving floor space of under 2,000 sq ft. Partner, Owen Young says: “Whilst businesses remain cautious about committing to premises over 5,000 sq ft, they are proving more willing to commit to smaller suites in established locations.”
The first of the two lettings secured is for a 1,659 sq ft office suite on the ground floor of Wilson House at Ashtree Court on Cardiff Gate Business Park. Music systems specialist Linn Centres Ltd have taken a five year lease at a base rate of £16,000 – equivalent to £9.65 / sq ft although the rent good rise as the letting has incentives.
Cardiff Gate is a large business park over a 100-acre site and offers a range of office buildings (typical building pictured). The park has a wide range of tenants including several international businesses such as Coca Cola and Lloyds Banking Group. Serviced office provider Regus also has a centre within the business park.
Some 500,000 sq ft of floor space within the park is now occupied. Approximately 70% of the available land has now been developed and further office blocks are being constructed. Work started earlier this year on a speculative 82,880 sq ft development with a first 20,000 sq ft phase scheduled for release next month.
In a second, smaller deal, Alder King have secured a 742 sq ft office suite letting within the Globe Centre in the centre of Cardiff on a five year lease at an annual rent of £6,000 – equivalent to approximately £8 / sq ft.
Posted in South Glamorgan |
Tagged Rental Prices, Serviced Offices, Speculative Developments |
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Posted on November 18, 2010 by Nell Frizzell
Watching the opening sequence of the Apprentice it’s hard not to bring to mind the Honey Monster, what with all these mentions of cereal entrepreneurs and Lords of Sugar. So, who are the Sugar Puffs and who are simply puffed up? Let the battle commence.
It’s 6am and the sun is rising over the exhaust fumes and extraction units of London. Oh the glamour. Lordy Lordy Sugarmordy is calling to order all his apprentices to Pinewood Studios. Hopefully this means he’s going to drown the whole guileless group in one of the James Bond shark tanks, or possibly lock them in one of the New York Warehouses.
“I have no idea what Pinewood is” admits Laura. “I’m pretty sure it’s a furniture store” counsels Sandeesh. This show really is a case of the bog-eyed leading the offensively thick.
An aerial camera zooms in on the ‘enormous bluescreen’ used in ‘blockbuster movies’. Which, it turns out, just looks like a big blue wall, however you try to jazz up the angles. If this is all Lord Sugarrush wanted he could have just nipped over to Hackney to stand around in front of the Olympic fence.
And so, like Oddjob himself, Lord Sugar drives up to his quivering young entrepreneurs in a shining black Bentley and vaguely ill-fitting suit. According to his following speech, this blue screen could ‘transport’ the apprentices to ‘anywhere in the world’. Oooh, you mean like a real job? Or an actual job interview? Run my children, run!
Their task, should they choose to accept it (and Christ knows why they still are) is to “sell the big screen experience to the general public.” In “London’s biggest shopping centre.” So, they’ll be looking after a telly in Westfield, basically. You can almost hear the chuckles rolling over from Currys and PC World. It appears that the apprentices will be showing hapless shoppers just what it would look like if, instead of popping out to buy some stomach-control pants and some in-soles, they were in fact flying to the moon or sailing a boat. So, reminding them just how comparatively pitiful a shopping trip to Westfield really is.
After the customary shake up of the teams (figurative, rather than physical, sadly) Stella and Joanna move over to Apollo to be lead by Stuart ‘A Face Even A Mother Can’t Love’ Baggs, while Sandeesh takes the reins of Synergy. And so they start thinking about how best to “sell the general public the chance to star in their own movie.” You know, if they’re too technically inefficient to make an honest-to-goodness sex tape like the rest of us.
“Yeah I’ll work in the ranks if I have to but only to get to the top. I don’t sit anywhere but the top.” honks Stuart ‘The Brand’ Boggs. What about when you’re on the toilet Stuart? Surely you don’t stand to deliver?
On the other team, recruitment consultant Sandeesh is trying to book the aquarium. Or is it motorbike? Oh well, it doesn’t really matter, as long as they take their cue from trigger-fingered snipers across the world and “Get ready and shoot one of their own.”
Apparently naan-faced Stuart wants to attract the ‘affluent’ people of Westfield with motor racing. Has this man never been to Westfield? We’re talking about the home of discount support tights and meal deals, for Chrissakes. “Stuart’s leadership style leaves me trembling with irritation,” admits Nick! That’s not irritation Nick. It’s lust. Believe me.
“I have to reign in my extreme masculinity in this task,” blurts out Stuart. “I absolutely live adrenaline and for me, if my heart’s not racing, why be alive? I mean, why be boring? That’s for everyone else to do.” This man has been inorganically constructed from Ricky Gervais’ belly button fluff and the mould in Richard Branson’s fridge. I am quite sure of it.
On the other team, Marine Christopher and Hollyoaks Jamie are indoor skiing in Milton Keynes. Indoor. Skiing. Milton Keynes. Think ‘doing the lambada in the fourth circle of hell’ and you’re nearly there. They even put Jamie in a Pingu penguin outfit just in case he wasn’t feeling depressed enough.
Apollo’s Stuart decides to market to children. “I feel so much more comfortable now we’re all going for kids.” Someone give this guy a CRB check, and fast.
Sandeesh, meanwhile, wants Jamie to do the leg work running between front and back of the production. What does he think to that? “I think I’ll be wasted.” Well, at least he’s honest about his drink problem. To be fair, a tipple sounds rather appealing to me right now.
“No arse covering. I hate that as a practice. Clearly defined roles. Happy days,” farts Stuart out of his big, fleshy face. Oh dear. Stuart ate Jamie Oliver.
Down on the shop floor (well, under a staircase in a starkly-lit shopping centre) Joanna and her sales team are shovelling driving DVDs like candy to a baby. Those minors must really love Grand Theft Auto.
Sadly, things aren’t going so well for Sandeesh’s team. So, like all good sales people, they cut their prices. Still, the idea of spending £8 on a craply shot DVD of my joy riding toddler somewhat boggles the mind.
By 8pm, the show is over. Which can mean only one thing – it’s time to look tense in a boardroom antechamber. Which they all do most professionally.
Lord of the Borings wants to talk figures. Apollo made £347.50, spent £85 and so walk away with a profit of £262.50. Synergy made £372.97, spent £150, which leaves a profit of just £222.97. Somehow, in the midst of his gorilla-like arse scratching stupidity, facile and offensive blustering and obscenely inadequate leadership, Stuart ‘the Jo Brand’ Baggs has managed not to lose. So, him and his team head off to a champagne tasting masterclass, which is rather wasted on the chumped-up little squit who barks “It’s like drinking anti-freeze!” after every sip.
Meanwhile, in the losing team, Liz is feeling gutted next to a squeezy brown sauce. Is there anything sadder than a glum condiment?
However, even in the boardroom the team barely manage to muster up a good ding dong. Instead, they simply admit guilt and show remorse. Come on guys! You’re here to rip each others’ throats out and beg for mercy! This is a gladiator fight, not a self help group.
The firing line is between Chris, Liz and Sandeesh. So, between Blue, Bambi and Bulbous.
It’s the fourth time that Sandeesh has been in the final three and the third time that Christopher has been on the losing team. Let me hear you spell f-a-i-l!
“Regretfully someone is going today.” I’m so glad to see that Lord Sugarmort has finally picked up the rules of this whole business pantomime. The team give him almost no backchat. Which, of course, drives Alan up the wall. So, he fires Sandeesh. Well, you know what they say, ‘there’s no googly eye in team’.
Conclusion: When ‘reality television’ starts selling ‘virtual reality’, it’s time to give yourself a reality check.
Missed an episode? Catch up with all the posts in our Apprentice Blog series.
Posted in Misc |
Tagged Apprentice Blog |
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Posted on November 17, 2010 by Rob Powell
The boss of developers British Land has expressed his disappointment at the moniker given to one of his forthcoming developments.
The 47 storey development, designed by Rogers Stirk Harbour and Partners, at 122 Leadenhall Street has been nicknamed and widely referred to as “The Cheesegrater“.
But Chris Grigg, Chief Executive of British Land is quoted in the Daily Mail as saying: “We’re not massive fans. We think it will be a stunning piece of British architecture, so to call it a “Cheesegrater” is very disappointing.”
BL refers to the development simply as “The Leadenhall Building”. The shell and core of the building is expected to be completed by the summer of 2014.
Posted in London |
Tagged Cheesegrater |
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