Property round-up: Atherton House full let; IQA takes Strong position; and more
WILTON Developments has confirmed that its Atherton House building in Old Trafford is now fully let.
Rullion Build has become the latest tenant to relocate into the scheme, taking the final 3,500s q ft suite in the five-storey building on a five-year lease.
The building, which is close to Lancashire County Cricket Club’s stadium, underwent a £500,000 refurbishment 2008.
Wilton Developments’ James Scott said: “We are very pleased to be able to confirm that Atherton House is fully let. It is no mean feat in the current economic climate and a real testament to our agents’ hard work in getting the space away.”
Nicola Moran at Rullion Build said: “We chose Atherton House due to the large open office space which means we can create our ‘own’ office. The location is ideal, close to Manchester city centre which is easily accessible via the Metrolink.” The firm intends to initially employ 18 people on site but added that the space provdes scope for growth.
Canning O’Neill and Jones Lang LaSalle are joint letting agents.
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IQA Operations Group, a Scottish contracting firm serving the utilities sector, has taken 10,000 sq ft of industrial space at Knowsley Business Park on a new five-year lease.
The firm has relocated to the former Strong Group HQ on Villiers Road within Knowsley Business Park.
Darren Hill, senior surveyor at CBRE North West, who acted on behalf on the landlord, commented: “We are very pleased to have secured this letting within six months of bringing the property to market.
“The additional office content was ideal for IQA’s purposes, as was the location on Knowsley Business Park.”
Paul Thorne of Mason Owen, who advised IQA, added: “Having enjoyed a successful first year in Merseyside, IQA was keen to secure larger premises to match its growth plans for the area.
“A number of potential options were considered across the region, with Knowsley the preferred location due to its excellent transport links.
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TWO new wine bars are opening shortly within Kings Court in Altrincham after lettings were agreed with the administrators of the company which previously owned the space, Property North West.
Unit 7 at Kings Court (left) will shortly reopen under the previously-successful pseudonym of ‘Jaspers’.
The self-contained premises has 1,153 sq ft on ground and first floors and has been taken on a five-year lease by business partners M Kevil and A Robinson at an annual rent of £22,000.
Meanwhile, a former Indian restaurant in Unit 4 is set to reopen as
High Society Wine Bar. The 614 sq ft ground floor unit has been taken on a six-year lease at an annual rental of £14,500.
Nick Rogers of High Society Wine Bar Ltd said; “Myself and business partner Simon Sheridan thought the courtyard was an ideal location, as it was central yet private from the main road.
“The cheap car park and good transportation links for the area were also plus points. We are looking to create a chilled bar experience that’s fun and offers something that no-one else does locally – in particular an excellent range of well-presented cocktails.”
The lettings were arranged by Regional Property Solutions on behalf of administrators Duff & Phelps.
Daniel Lee of Regional Property Solutions said: “These lettings reflect the increasing take-up of units for leisure use in Altrincham and the general upturn of interest in the town with the go-ahead for the development of the new hospital on Railway Street, which will significantly improve the outlook of this gateway into the town centre.”
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THE Specialist Markets team at CBRE North West has been instructed to sell the Morton Arms in Moreton, Wirral, with a guide price of £350,000.
The 0.7 acre site in a densely-populated urban area just north of Moreton town centre contains a two-storey former pub with two single-storey extensions and a car park with space for 25 vehicles. 
The site is close to Moreton Railway station, and has convenient road connections to the nearby Tarran Road and Pasture Road Industrial Estate.
Julian Such, associate director at CBRE North West, said: “The Morton Arms could continue in its current use, but also has strong development potential.
“The site would be a great location for a roadside retail unit, or a healthcare property.”
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Mechanical power transmissions firm Bearing and Engineering Services has taken a 2,238 sq ft unit at Greater Manchester Property Venture Fund’s Globe Park estate in Rochdale.
Bearing and Engineering Services is a Skelmersdale-based distributor of Fenner power distribution products. It has taken unit 3 on the site on a ten-year lease.
Ruth Leighton, associate at GVA, said: “Bearing and Engineering Services will benefit greatly from the Park’s close proximity to the North West motorway network.”
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NOLAN Redshaw, has been instructed on a raft of residential development sites across West Lancashire.
The three latest instructions include a six-acre site in Tarleton with planning permission for housing, a two-acre site on the outskirts of Tarleton that was the former Bayleaf Indian Restaurant and a six-acre site in Burscough which has been allocated in the Local Plan for future residential development.
Mike Redshaw, director of Bury-based Nolan Redshaw, said: “We already have strong interest in the former mill premises in Plox Brow, Tarleton; which is made up of six acres of prime residential land on the edge of the village, with a number of major house builders and residential and commercial developers all showing interest.
“We have not brought the site in Burscough forward yet, as the planning issues have not all been resolved but, again, we expect very strong interest. In our opinion, this is a clear signal that residential developers are showing a keen interest in West Lancashire, following the planning moratorium, which halted any residential development in West Lancashire for a number of years.”
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A Grade II-listed former Gate House on Long Lane in Aintree is one of 50 lots up for sale at Venmore’s summer auction.
The four-bedroom detached property is has been restored to a high standard and is on the market with a guide price of £175,000. It has an estimated rental value of £24,000 a year.
Venmore said that it expects a lot of interest in the lots following a successful May auction where 68% of properties were bought.
The summer auction takes place at Liverpool Town Hall on July 19.
Ronan Connolly, Venmore auction sales manager, said: “Following on from the last auction, we are continuing to see that traditional terraced houses in well-established rental areas continue to be attractive for both established and new landlords and are clearly proving popular as the team are still inundated with the enquiries and offers being made.
“In this auction, we have a great variation lots including a former builders’ merchants located in Aigburth, student let investments both in Wavertree and Aigburth and a beautiful period building converted into 7 apartments in Grove Park.”
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TOWN Centre Securities has installed a renewable energy scheme on the roof of its Urban Exchange retail development on Great Ancoats Street in Manchester.
The installation of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels follows a successful project at its Clarence Dock car park in Leeds. Both were installed by Leeds-based contractor GMI.
The Urban Exchange installation consists of 208 panels that were installed on the roof of the building withing a week.
It will provide around 44,800 kwh of energy a year, generating a combined income and saving of £10,550 per year over the 25-year feed-in-tariff period. It will also produce a 9% return on the investment cost.
The energy generated will be used on site, helping Town Centre Securities to reduce its carbon footprint by 17,813 kg of CO2 per year.
Ben Ziff, managing director of Town Centre Car Parks (TCCP), a subsidiary of TCS, said: “We installed PV panels at the Clarence Dock car park in Leeds last year, creating the UK’s largest city centre renewable energy system in Leeds, and are very pleased with their performance so far. Not only do they cut our energy bills, but they provide us with a return on our investment.
“Introducing solar systems to our estate is a part of our ongoing strategy to use innovative and technological ways to improve our business and help shape the environment in challenging times.”
