Property round-up: Green light for Hale Barns; Avila drives onto Hawarden Business Park, and more
PROPERTY investor Development Securities has secured planning permission to redevelop its retail and residential scheme at Hale Barns in Trafford.
The company will redevelop The Square shopping centre in Hale Barns, which it bought in March 2010. The scheme will contain a 30,000 sq ft Booths store, an extra 12,000 sq ft of retail and 24 residential apartments.
Construction on the £25m project is due to start this year for completion in early 2013.
Matthew Weiner, executive director of Development Securities, said: “We are very pleased to have secured planning permission.
“I am sure the new scheme will bring great benefits to the local community in terms of an enhanced shopping experience. This regeneration project is very much in line with the aspect of our strategy that focuses on mixed use developments outside London.”
The redevelopment of The Square has been in the offing for several years. Under a previous owner the original plan was for a Waitrose store anchoring the project, but residents fought to halt it on the grounds that the scale of the redevelopment was out of keeping with the size of Hale Barns.
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AVILA Automotive has just bought a 6,120 sq ft at Hawarden Business Park in north Wales.
The deal leaves just one unit of 5,900 sq ft remaining at the park, which is being developed through a partnership between UK Land & Property, Poch
in and the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG).
The park is six miles west of Chester city centre and within two miles of the A55. It is considered by the Welsh Assembly to be one of the most important strategic sites in North Wales.
Tenants include Airbus, Aerotech Design Consultants, Wrexham & Flintshire Council, Alcontrol, and most recently, Gardner Aerospace.
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KNIGHT Frank has appointed to market the Manchester International Office Centre (MIOC) near Manchester Airport.
The firm’s appointment follows the recent £13.5m purchase of the 100,000 sq ft building by Manchester-based Infinity Asset Management.
The 6.6 acre site contains 42 office suites ranging in size from 450 sq ft to 8,000 sq ft and provides parking, conference and meeting room facilities, as well as an on-site cafe bar.
It has recently undergone an internal upgrade, which included a refurb of the the reception and common areas. Occupiers include Franke, Federal Mugul, and Belden.
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POCHIN Special Projects, has been awarded a contract worth around £188,000 to build new training and staff facilities for The Guardian Care Centre at Trentham, near Stoke-On-Trent.
Guardian Care operates a group of care centres that provide general nursing, psychiatric, learning disabilities and complex needs care management.
Pochin’s contract will see a new 1,782 sq ft training and general facility being built for the centre’s staff.
The new facility will replace the existing portable cabins, Two timber-framed, single-storey buildings with a centralised covered area will be built. Five extra car parking spaces will also be added.
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FIBREGLASS manufacturer C-KAB Mouldings has taken a lease on Unit B8E at Heywood Distribution Park. The 2,271 sq ft unit has been let to the start-up company, on a three-year Enterprise lease.
C-KAB Mouldings is a supplier to the glass fibre moulding industry and machine manufacturer for both the glass reinforced plastics (GRP) and glass reinforced cement (GRC) industries.
Andy Bytheway, director of C-KAB Mouldings, said: “We are very happy with our decision to take the new unit at Heywood Distribution Park. As a former occupier at the Park with another company, I knew it would be the ideal location.”
Savills and King Sturge are joint agents for SEGRO at Heywood Distribution Park.
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THE Manchester Office of business agents Christie + Co has been appointed to market the St George’s Convenience Store on Bramhall Lane in Stockport for sale.
St George’s Convenience Store is on a prominent main road position on the A5102, at the junction of Bramhall Lane and Gardener’s Lane in Davenport, Stockport.
Andrew Dodd, who is handling the sale, said: “Our client has owned the business since December 2007 and, during this time, he has built up a profitable business with a loyal customer base. 
“Due to the size of the property, our client feels that the business still offers further growth potential to an enthusiastic new owner/operator.
“The property has the added benefit of additional rent from the first floor apartment, which brings in an income of £930 per calendar month, and a one-bedroom studio apartment, which is currently rented at £375 per calendar month.
Christie + Co is seeking £385,000 for the freehold interest in the building or a leasehold option for the shop only at £100,000.
