Property round-up
INGERSOLL Rand, the New York Stock Exchange-listed company which has its corporate headquarters in the Republic of Ireland, has taken 13,880 sq ft of space at Sefton House on Orbit Developments’ Middlebrook park at Chorley, near Bolton.
The firm is relocating from existing premises at Hindley Green in Wigan where it recently closed a distribution arm, leading to around 100 job losses.
Simon Clarke-Williams of Orbit Developments said: “We are delighted to welcome Ingersoll-Rand to Sefton House, Middlebrook, which is a high profile development and a popular business destination for local, national and international companies.”
The firm was advised by King Sturge. Senior associate Richard Wharton, who represented Ingersoll Rand, said: “Sefton House fulfilled our client’s locational requirements being located on Junction 6 of the M61 motorway and provides high quality office space to match our client’s image and accommodate their interior fit-out requirements”.
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HERCULES Unit Trust (HUT), a fund advised by British Land and Schroders, has agreed three new lettings at Deepdale Shopping Park in Preston.
Marks & Spencer, WH Smith and Clarks have all taken new units on the out-of-town retail park.
Marks & Spencer has added a 5,000 sq ft ground floor food hall to its existing 24,471 sq ft store and Clarks has moved into a larger 5,000 sq ft store that had previously been occupied by WH Smith, which has itself moved into a new 5,00 sq ft unit.
John Maddison, an asset manager at British Land, said: “These new lettings have created a new and improved experience for shoppers in Preston and offer a good mix of lifestyle brands, especially with the exciting addition of the Marks & Spencer food hall.”
Wilkinson Williams & Harvey Spack Field acted on behalf of HUT across the three deals and CBRE represented Marks & Spencer. Curson Sowerby Partners acted on behalf of Clarks and DTZ represented WH Smith.
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A £2.3m project to refurbish a large office building at Atlantic Park in Bootle, north Liverpool, has just completed.
Caspian House now contains 35,000 sq ft of remodelled Grade A office space and is the second speculative office building to come on stream at Atlantic Park, which has received £3.1m of European REgional Development Funding and £1.6m from The North West Development Agency.
The building as a BREEAM ‘very good’ rating, a new double-height entrance, mexxanine floor and a courtyard area.
Ian Steele from letting agent GVA said: “Caspian House is the only office scheme to have been speculatively developed in the decentralised Merseyside office market during the last 18 months.
“Although this is a remodelled building, Caspian House competes directly with new build space and offers occupiers the unique opportunity of acquiring 35,000sq.ft on a single floorplate.
Industrial Securities served as development manager for the project on beghalf of land owner Royal London Asset Management. Russels Construction was the main contractor.
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BEAN Coffee, an independent coffee shop operator in Liverpool, has taken space at Peel Group’s Princes Dock scheme in Liverpool.
The firm, which already has one outlet at Brunswick Business Park and a mobile unit known as ‘Bean Machine’, has been temporarily occupying the existing coffee shop unit located in Building 12 while the fit-out of its new 2,691 sq ft outlet on the ground floor of building 4 has been completed.
Liza Marco, Peel Group property manager, said: “We are delighted that Bean Coffee has decided to commit to a permanent and larger unit at Princes Dock. The Bean Coffee shop will provide an excellent complimentary amenity for both the existing occupiers and visitors to Princes Dock.”
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HOPE for Justice, the charity aimed at ending human trafficking in the UK, is opening a new office in Manchester city centre.
The charity has taken the third floor of Old Half Moon Chambers in Chapel Walks, covering 1,452 sq ft.
Rupert Barron, a director of Colliers International’s Manchester-based office team, acted for landlord Chancerygate Asset Management.
Old Half Moon Chambers is a four-storey period building – home to Grinch wine bar on the ground floor – on Chapel Walks, which links Cross Street to Marsden Street in Manchester city centre.
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CLAIMS management company Strathern Associates has taken 646 sq ft of office space at Roundhouse Properties’ South Preston Office Village at Bamber Bridge.
Harold Lefton, director of Roundhouse Properties, said: “South Preston Office Village is now at 90 per cent occupancy which is great news but this is based upon the fact we work hand-in-hand with tenants to make sure we have a positive working relationship.
Nick Kos of Bailey Deakin and Hamiltons acted on behalf of Roundhouse Properties on the transaction.
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CENTURION Properties has appointed Michael Jones as a new asset manager responsible for the 200,000 sq ft Lawnhurst Trading Estate at Bird Hall Lane in Stockport.
The estate will be the first asset to be managed by Centurion’s new Manchester team, and it is promising improvements to the estate as well as a renewed marketing campaign. King Sturge and Lambert Smith Hampton are joint agents for the scheme, which has units available ranging in size from 5,000 to 80,000 sq ft.
