Argent’s Groves adds BCO role to a taste of Paradise
As if heading up one of the largest regeneration projects in Birmingham’s history wasn’t enough responsibility, Argent’s regional director Rob Groves has now landed himself with an additional role.
Mr Groves, who is leading the £700m Birmingham Paradise scheme, has now been appointed chairman of the British Council for Offices’ committee in the Midlands and East Anglia.
Mr Groves has more than 30 years of planning, design and construction experience. Prior to joining Argent in 2007 he was an equity partner at a large multi-disciplinary consulting engineer practice.
His experience includes mixed-use, commercial, residential, industrial schemes as well as major public sector infrastructure and he has led schemes from feasibility through to planning, compulsory purchase, which includes expert witness work, detailed design and construction.
The 51-year-old, from Warwickshire, takes over as chairman from Lee Jones, partner of Quantem Consulting.
Mr Groves said: “I am very proud to have been appointed chairman of the British Council for Offices in the Midlands and East Anglia. Our mission is to research, develop and communicate best practice in all aspects of the office sector and, in our case, with a particular focus on the Midlands, which includes some extremely active areas.
“Birmingham is a very important market outside London, but we also see a lot of activity in cities including Cambridge where the university and science sectors play a key role. These are undoubtedly exciting times for the office sector as many major new developments in our region get underway and the requirements of occupiers continue to evolve.”
Established in 1990, the BCO is Britain’s leading forum for the discussion and debate of issues affecting the office sector.
Its members are all organisations involved in creating, acquiring or occupying office space, whether architects, lawyers, surveyors, financial institutions or public agencies.
The Paradise development is a joint venture with Birmingham City Council and Hermes Real Estate for a new commercial-led mixed use development of up to two million sq ft. Occupiers signed up to the development include PwC, which has agreed a 20-year lease on 90,000 sq ft of office space at the building known as One Chamberlain Square.
