Property round-up: Brickfield Business Centre; Alliance; Regional Property Solutions; ENGIE; Avison Young
Roberts Vain Wilshaw has secured a letting on 50% of the available space at Brickfield Business Centre, Northwich, on behalf of client Moorland Property Solutions.
Matthews & Goodman and Williams Sillitoe are acting as joint agents on the scheme.
Elpida Sciences Swinton, a specialist clinical trials company, has taken 8,000 sq ft on a 10-year lease with a fifth year break option.
Extending to 16,000 sq ft, Brickfield Business Centre comprises highly specified, refurbished business studios, prominently located on Manchester Road, in close proximity to Northwich town centre, Northwich Retail Park and within four miles of J19 on the M6.
Joseph Wilshaw, principal director of Roberts Vain Wilshaw, said: “We are pleased to have completed this transaction on behalf of our valued client. Despite the global pandemic, interest in the property has been strong and such is the high quality of the space, Elpida Sciences Swinton completed a lease of the property within five weeks of their first viewing.”
He added: “We are left with a further 8,000 sq ft which can be split in studios from 1,000 sq ft upwards. We will soon be launching a new marketing campaign for the remaining space and I am confident it will let quickly.”
Oliver Moorhouse, of Moorland Property Solutions, said: “This letting demonstrates that whatever the market conditions, there is always demand for well located, high quality offices.
“Our company policy is to create space which we are proud to show off. It’s fair to say Elpida Sciences Swinton were blown away by the quality of the space, as is everyone that sees it.”
Dr Susannah Eyre, medical director of Elpida Sciences Swinton, said: “We are delighted with our new business premises at Brickfield Business Centre. It is spacious, has an excellent finish and facilities and meets our business needs perfectly. We are looking forward to welcoming our first clinical trials research patients to the centre very soon.”
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White Lund Industrial Estate
Property Alliance Group is strengthening its industrial portfolio in Morecambe, investing in an extensive refurbishment at Northgate Business Park and securing a new letting.
Acquired by Alliance in 2020, the self-contained site comprises three buildings and is situated on White Lund Industrial Estate adjacent to Lancaster Retail Park.
The development is being refurbished and repositioned to offer Grade A office suites ranging from 2,500-19,000 sq ft, as well as two industrial units offering 7,000 sq ft and 26,500 sq ft.
Attracted by the quality of the business park and its access to transport links, including the A683 link road, Rentokill Initial has agreed a five-year lease across the 7,000 sq ft industrial unit.
Ian Hunter, director at Alliance, said: “We’ve been investing in Morecambe for several years through the acquisition and refurbishment of more than 97,000 sq ft of industrial space on the White Lund Estate. It’s a scheme that continues to attract and retain companies from a variety of sectors thanks to its central and accessible location.”
He added: “The addition of high quality office space at Northgate Business Park helps to set the site apart, providing more choice and flexibility for local businesses, including the opportunity for bespoke refurbishments.”
White Lund Industrial Estate is the district’s principal industrial area extending to more than 247 acres between Lancaster and Morecambe. Other occupiers include Vantage Toyota, Screwfix, Howdens Joinery, and Arnold Clark.
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Waterstones, Scarborough
Starcrester Properties has appointed Altrincham-based, Regional Property Solutions to manage a newly acquired investment in the East Riding of Yorkshire to add to the portfolio already under its management.
The 58,000 sq ft manufacturing facility, at Unit 30, Somerden Road, Kingston International Business Park, Hull, is let on a new 10-year lease to Straight Manufacturing, a manufacturer and distributor of high quality waste and recycling solutions including wheelie bins and water butts.
Skelhurst has also added to its UK property portfolio under RPS management with the recent retail purchase of 97-98 Westborough, Scarborough. The three-storey 5,300 sq ft property in the town’s prime retail location is let to Waterstones.
In Cheshire, a private investor has appointed RPS to manage the premises of an established hairdressers on Ashley Road, Hale. The two-storey building comprises 918 sq ft.
Daniel Lee, managing director, Regional Property Solutions, said: “It is always good news to attract a new client’s business, but particularly satisfying to be appointed to manage more properties within existing client portfolios – a really positive and tangible response to the service we deliver.”
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The newly-constructed Helipad
Energy, services and regeneration specialist, ENGIE, has completed the ‘ground-breaking’ Manchester Helipad project for Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT).
The new Helipad is located on the roof of Grafton Street multi-storey car park and includes a high level link bridge to the Manchester Royal Infirmary.
This link provides access to Manchester Royal Infirmary (MRI) and Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital (RMCH), both co-located on the Oxford Road campus of Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust site in the centre of Manchester.
Funding for the Helipad was raised by the Manchester Foundation Trust’s charity, Time Saves Lives Appeal, which raised an extraordinary £3.9m in just 12 months thanks to the incredible generosity of its supporters. It is estimated the Helipad could allow around 300 patients to be airlifted to the site every year, drastically reducing transfer times and, ultimately, saving lives both locally and regionally.
Alyson Seddon, head of education & public buildings (North West) at ENGIE UK & Ireland, said: “We’re delighted to announce the completion of this project that will provide a real boost to healthcare services in the region. I’m proud of the ENGIE team for their continued hard work and dedication to complete what is such an important piece of infrastructure for the area.”
Alistair Rennie, consultant in emergency medicine and major trauma at the MRI and RMCH, said: “The Helipad will benefit major trauma patients across Greater Manchester and beyond, including people who have suffered serious injuries in road traffic accidents, assaults, sudden illnesses or falls in areas difficult to reach by road ambulances. I am delighted that this development is now a reality at MFT’s Oxford Road Campus, as for many patients our Helipad could represent the difference between life and death.”
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Rutherford House
Avison Young has completed a letting at Rutherford House in Birchwood, Warrington, to MarketBridge Integrated Smart Solutions on behalf of PIN Property Consultancy.
MarketBridge, an innovator of commercial real estate digital transformation solutions and data driven building management, has taken 3,000 sq ft on the ground floor on a five-year lease.
Lee Egerton, asset manager at PIN Property Consultancy, said: “We are delighted to welcome MarketBridge to Rutherford House. We have invested heavily in creating an environment that not only delivers great design-focused office space, but also includes a level of customer service that exceeds expectation.”
Mark Cooke, associate director at Avison Young, said: “Rutherford House offers outstanding refurbished workspace that is the perfect backdrop for businesses from all sectors, as we begin to return to the office.
“The scheme has flexible floorplates that can meet a variety of requirements, and the location is highly accessible to the local motorway networks.
“We are speaking to a number of interested parties at present in relation to the remaining space at the building and hope to make announcements about further lettings in the near future.”
Mark Glynn, COO, from MarketBridge Integrated Smart Solutions, said: “As a prop tech company providing high end technology to global customers, it was vital that we found office space that both represented the vision of the business but also provided a high quality work environment for our engineers. Rutherford House provides this in abundance. MarketBridge Intergrated Smart Solution will be building its global SSC (Smart Service Centre) out of this location.”
Rutherford House is a 58,000 sq ft office scheme located in the heart of Birchwood Park. The building has undergone an extensive refurbishment programme to offer high quality office space and facilities including a full height glass atrium and spacious reception.
