Property news: Harbur Construction; J Fletcher Engineers; MCR & more
CONSTRACTORS have completed work on a scheme of 13 new family homes in the Cheshire village of Helsby.
The Cheshire Plains development, comprising five three-bedroom properties, seven four-bedroom homes and an apartment, is based on Chester Road off Lower Robin Hood Lane at the former site of the Robin Hood Hotel.
Built by Manchester-based Harbur Construction, the scheme has regenerated an eyesore site which had stood derelict since the former pub was demolished after being set alight by arsonists in 2011.
Richard Hutchinson, managing director at Harbur, said: “The completion of this scheme marks the transformation of a site which was a blemish on an otherwise picturesque and desirable area of Cheshire.
“Cheshire Plains has not only helped bring this disused land back into use, but has also helped meet the need for high quality homes for local families and couples.”
Arranged in a courtyard, the development utilises a mix of housing styles including detached, semi-detached and terraced, as well as an apartment, all with landscaped gardens.
Harbur has built the scheme on behalf of Halebank Developments which will make the properties available for open-market sale.
::
INTERNAL works are well underway on Manchester’s most talked-about new developments, No.1 Spinningfields and the XYZ Building.
Eccles, Greater Manchester-based engineering group J Fletcher Engineers have started work on a revolutionary new heating and chilled water pipe system that uses cutting-edge materials – in keeping with the ‘forward-thinking’ theme of the two buildings.
The two internal projects, each valued at £500,000, are thundering along, with XYZ now nearing first-stage completion. True to the projects’ ethos of innovation and creativity – being hailed as the “XYZ way” of working and collaborating – J Fletcher is defying convention.
The firm plans to utilise new technologies in pipeworks; forgoing traditional carbon materials and designing an advanced system made from stainless steel.
Steve Fletcher, director at J Fletcher Engineers, said: “Traditionally, carbon steel pipework is used on such projects. We’re using thin-wall stainless steel as it has many benefits; it’s much lighter, so health and safety risks during installation are greatly reduced. It’s also cost-effective; corrosion is limited so the material offers a much longer lifespan than carbon steel; a lifespan of up to 40 years.”
::
MANCHESTER-based property company MCR has relocated its head office, taking 8,000sq ft at Universal Square in Piccadilly.
Universal Square is a 260,000sq ft office campus already home to more than 50 different companies.
The scheme was originally built as the head office of Great Universal Stores and was subsequently reconfigured to provide a wide range of office accommodation from 150sq ft, up to individual floors of 16,50 sq ft.
The remodeling also included the provision of an on-site restaurant and gym and a new landscaped central square. The site also has secure parking for over 900 cars.
The scheme has been successful in attracting a wide range of occupiers. Notably Softcat, the IT Reseller has been a prominent occupier at Universal Square, taking an initial 1,500 sq ft in 2008. Since then the company has expanded several times and now occupies 16,500 sq ft employing over 250 staff.
::
COMMERCIAL property agency Canning O’Neill has signed up Shafi Solicitors to The Bank in West Didsbury in Manchester.
The criminal law firm, which specialises in serious crime and fraud, has relocated from offices in Burnage to take 1,227sq ft on the ground floor on a five-year lease at £23,500 per annum.
Located at The Bank, 99 Palatine Road, the building was originally the West Didsbury branch of the Manchester & Liverpool District Banking Company, designed by Manchester architects Barker Ellis & Jones in 1914 and constructed the following year.
The bank opened for business in 1915 and was later used as a bank by Nat West until 1996 and was subsequently Grade II listed in 2010.
Conrad O’Neill, Director at Canning O’Neill, sole agents for the scheme, said: “We anticipated and saw a great deal of interest in the property due to its’ unique character and fabulous location close to the Metrolink and trendy bars and restaurants of West Didsbury.
“Shafi Solicitors were the first to view, within days of the premises being placed on the market, and terms were agreed very quickly – demonstrating the strong demand for and limited supply of characterful offices in this popular location.”
Canning O’Neill acted on behalf of a private landlord.
::
LOTHBURY Investment Management, on behalf of Lothbury Property Trust, has disposed of its high specification distribution facility at Manor Park, Runcorn to Exeter Property Group, in partnership with GIC.
The facility is let to Fresenius Kabi, the German pharmaceuticals manufacturer and distributor, for a further six years. The sum paid was undisclosed.
Developed in 2006, the property comprises a modern distribution warehouse with ancillary office accommodation located a short distance from junction 11 of the M56.
The purchase represents Exeter’s second significant investment in the North West following their speculative development of 357,700sq ft at Logistics North, which is currently on site.
Zaman Roberts represented Exeter Property Group whilst Lothbury was advised by JLL.
::
LEISURE property specialists Fleurets is marketing the Midland Hotel in Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria for £425,000.
Clive & Amie Bissland purchased the premises in 2010. The then closed business underwent a comprehensive refurbishment, including a new roof, re-wiring, plumbing and tasteful redecoration. Subsequently, the layout is now efficient and suited to a multi-faceted business.
In June 2011, two additional letting rooms were added as well as a kitchen. A further three letting bedrooms were added in 2012, totalling the current five letting rooms.
Subsequently, the Midland Hotel has won two CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) awards, Branch Pub of the Year in Westmorland for both 2013 and 2014.
he snug bar together with the dining room offer 60 covers, and there is also a beer garden. The private accommodation is on the second floor and has a small roof terrace with country views.
::
LUBRIZOL Advanced Materials, a global producer of advanced speciality polymers, has acquired new laboratory space at its North West base Hexagon Tower in Manchester, in order to advance its testing potential.
The international chemical company already occupied a significant area (24,523 sq. ft.) at the UK’s only vertical science park, with both laboratory and technical and commercial office spaces.
However, this additional 4,533sq ft of lab space will allow Lubrizol to carry out technical application testing of new chemicals in textiles for sportswear and home furnishings, as well as digital inks used in industrial printing systems for ceramics and textiles.
Peter Bloyce, global business director at Lubrizol, said: “It’s great to be able to expand our footprint at the Hexagon Tower building. It’s an ideal location for us to develop our new lab with a focus on supporting the digital ink jet chemicals market.
“Our new facility provides state of the art application testing in the digital ink market and the new lab will support global sales of our product range in this segment.”
Lubrizol’s movement in ink testing reflects the history of the Hexagon Tower site, with the original Blackley Works leading chemical innovation through the synthesis of Turkey’s famous red dye in the late 18th century, meaning cotton mills no longer had to import the original.
Stewart Needham, Facilities Manager at Hexagon Tower, said “We’re very pleased to see one of our high value tenants grow within the tower. Their expansion highlights the strength in the UK science sector and its exports.”
Hexagon Tower houses state of the art lab and office facilities designed to encourage the kind of ground-breaking discoveries that have taken place on the tower’s Blackley site for centuries.
::
PM+M, the chartered accountancy, business advisory and wealth management group, has signed a lease for a new 1,622sq ft office in Bury.
The office on Waterfold Business Park is now undergoing a programme of refurbishment works and the firm is planning to move its team in by early September.
The office will be headed up by Helen Clayton – head of the corporate services team at PM+M – and will offer the firm’s complete range of services (please see below notes to editor).
The new Bury office follows the relocation of PM+M’s Burnley base from Cow Lane to Finsley Gate in November last year.
Nolan Redshaw was the agent for the deal whilst Forbes Solicitors acted on behalf of PM+M.
Jane Parry – managing partner of PM+M – said: “We have been looking to open an office in Bury for a while now and we feel that the Waterfold Business Park is the ideal location.
“The town and its surrounding areas are real hubs of entrepreneurial activity so our aim is to now build on our profile and offer local businesses the high level of service that we pride ourselves on.”
::
EDWARDS & Co has agreed three new deals totalling 5,971sq ft at The Hive in Manchester city centre.
Nando’s is set to relocate its regional administration office from Invicta House off Deansgate, having agreed a five-year lease for a 2,678sq ft suite at £18.50 per sq ft. In addition, fashion showroom Lanai Limited has taken 488sq ft on a two-year lease.
Join the Dots (Research), which has been a tenant in the building since 2013, has taken a further 2,805sq ft within the building meaning that it now occupies 9,933sq ft.
The Hive is an 80,000sq ft building situated on Lever Street. It was acquired by UK fund management group Kames Capital in a £17m deal from Argent last year.
In the last six months, Edwards & Co – together with the joint letting agents, Jones Lang LaSalle – have secured several new occupiers including Barbican Insurance and Intelligent Conversation.
Ric Tsang of Kames Capital said: “These new lettings reinforce The Hive’s position as one of the most sought after office buildings in the Northern Quarter and to ensure we maintain this going forward, plans are already in place to provide improved signage / branding and to fully refurbish reception areas.”
Only 4,235sq ft, that benefits from outdoor balconies remains available at a quoting rental of £19.50 per sq ft along with an 875sq ft office showroom within the ground floor arcade.
Ed Keany of Edwards & Co said: “As the only building in Manchester’s Northern Quarter to offer Grade A office accommodation, The Hive continues to attract new tenants.
“Its success is not only due to its location but also to the flexible workspace available as it allows companies to reflect their own identity, fitting to their corporate brand. It is also one of the greenest and most cost effective buildings in Manchester.”
