Property round-up: Fleurets; 54 St James Street; Bolton at Home; One Portland Street; Hassett Homes; CBRE
A Rochdale restaurant business is on the market, following substantial refurbishment work, with a guide price of £1.1m, plus VAT.
Fairview Inn, comprises a 250-cover restaurant, beer patio, outside seating area for 100 covers, 90-space car park, play area and private owner’s accommodation, on 2.540 acres of land.
It was acquired by Lee Martin in December 2018, who carried out comprehensive restoration work.
Mr Martin said the business had run at a loss, but he managed to reverse its fortunes, turning over more than £100,000 every month, and rising.
The site was forced to close during the COVID lockdown, and re-opened for only 30 days while heavy restrictions were in place.
Mr Lee said: “Unfortunately, I had to close the business during the COVID lockdown. After being closed for so long during the lockdown, and with so many restrictions for those who wished to re-open in 2021, I didn’t have the same enthusiasm and decided not to re-open at all.”
Fleurets is marketing the freehold of the Fairview Inn.
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54 St James Street
Start-up businesses and fledgling enterprises have an opportunity to take space at one of Liverpool’s most successful incubators, 54 St James Street.
The site is home to the award-winning social enterprise, The Women’s organisation. In 2011 it created an “inspiring and collaborative environment” designed to support early-stage businesses. Organisations operating from the building have the added advantage of the support and mentoring expertise that The Women’s Organisation has accrued over more than 25 years.
Creative agency Matchstick Creative established a presence at 54 St James Street in 2018. Its rapid growth since then means the business has now left to seek a new home for its expanding team. This has opened up an ideal space for entrepreneurs looking to make that next step.
Matchstick occupied one large, and one small office. It said the site’s service offer – such as separate working spaces and meeting rooms – was perfect for inviting clients in for pitches as well as hosting workshops and presentations.
Also on the move at 54, although relocating internally, are two other tenants. Greyside Planning has been resident in 54 since 2020 but needs to expand to a bigger office. And The Psychological Therapies Unit has consolidated its business from four to three offices in the building, leaving one of its units available.
Head of facilities at 54, Sandra Sipaviciute, said: “It’s an exciting time for us at 54. The building is bouncy and buzzing again, which is super to see after all the uncertainty the pandemic presented.
“There’s a real feeling of cohesion here, too, tenants old and new are getting to know one another again and this is something we’d like to encourage with planned socials and events at the building – 54 St James Street is a really special place to work and I’m looking forward to welcoming new people and businesses to the fold.”
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New homes at Breightmet
Bolton at Home’s work to ease the shortage of quality affordable homes in the region will result in 178 new homes ready by October.
The housing provider’s development programme has seen 62 new builds handed over to residents within the past month, and another 116 properties are nearing completion. They will be home to individuals and families needing suitable places to live and in areas where they have local connections, including Breightmet, Farnworth, Kearsley, and Radcliffe in Bury.
Bolton at Home and its development partners are directly building 138 of the total number, with 40 acquired from private housebuilders under Section 106 agreements.
Most of the new homes will be made available for affordable rent, with some properties provided for shared ownership. Affordable rent is defined as up to a maximum of 80% of the market rental value in a local area.
Jon Lord, group chief executive of Bolton at Home, said: “We’re providing new homes in places where we know that demand for affordable properties outstrips supply. Therefore, these new affordable homes are vital to help prevent people and families from living in overcrowded homes and to lessen the risk of people becoming homeless.”
The sites where new homes are completing in the coming weeks include Withins Drive in Breightmet, and Campbell Street and Barton Road in Farnworth. New homes at the former Kearsley social club site in Manchester Road, Kearsley will complete in October.
In addition to the new homes completing this summer, Bolton at Home started work earlier this year on other new build developments that will deliver 168 new homes including the Lever Gardens extra care scheme in Little Lever and sites at Singleton Avenue and Rivington Chase in Horwich.
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One Portland Street
M&G Real Estate, part of M&G plc’s £71bn private and alternative assets business, has secured a new office letting at Manchester’s One Portland Street to business mobile, landline and broadband solutions firm Ice Comms. M&G was represented jointly by Savills and Knight Frank.
Ice Comms has agreed a new five-year lease for 2,400 sq ft of space on part of the building’s third floor. Suites from 900 sq ft to 8,955 sq ft remain available.
Situated at the corner of Piccadilly and Portland Street, One Portland Street offers recently refurbished contemporary workspace in one of Manchester’s premier business destinations. The property is ideally located on the doorstep of Manchester Piccadilly station close to a range of cafes, bars and restaurants.
Daniel Barnes, office agency director at Savills Manchester, said: “One Portland Street provides attractive office space in an excellent location and is the perfect fit for businesses looking for affordable, flexible workspace. Ice Comms’ relocation from their office in Wilmslow to the city centre reinforces occupiers’ drive on recruitment, retention and reconnection and to adapt to new ways of working.”
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Jamie Blennerhassett
Liverpool-based housebuilder Hassett Homes has entered its busiest ever period, coinciding with moving into a new headquarters.
The company recently moved into a new head office at Columbus Quay, in Liverpool’s south docks, to accommodate its growth.
Managing director, Jamie Blennerhassett, said: “You need the best people to build the best houses and to attract them we must have a convenient, comfortable and efficient base from which to work.
The new base occupies the top floor of its building and provides 2,000 sq ft of offices, meeting space and staff comfort areas. The company’s headcount is now 13, with its new base designed to accommodate its continued expansion. A further five staff will be recruited by the year-end.
The company said work is about to conclude at its Chancery Gate scheme in Eccleston Park, with all homes sold and buyers moving in. Construction has begun at its Wheatstone Road development in Formby, with pilers now on site. A third of homes at its Orchard development in Aughton have been reserved after just a week, and four new sites are in the process of being acquired.
Mr Blennerhassett said: “Buyers remain keen on the advantages of well designed homes suited to modern lifestyles and we’re seeing no let up in registrations or buyer interest.”
He added: “Key for us is site acquisition and we’re seeing conditions ease a little here, which is helpful. We have four sites under negotiation and, through our funding partner, Tower Grange Finance, have the resources to secure more.
“We have recruited four new staff in the last six months and I don’t see that process slowing any.”
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Freetrade Exchange
CBRE’s office agency team in Manchester, together with joint agent JLL, have been instructed to market 36,266 sq ft of space at Freetrade Exchange, the award winning Grade II-listed landmark office building on Peter Street in Manchester.
The agents are acting on behalf of Clearbell UK Strategic Limited Partnership.
Freetrade Exchange is a seven-storey, contemporary building offering high quality, character office space following a comprehensive full circle refurbishment programme through to the building’s shell and core.
A fusion of restoration and new build works, providing unparalleled modern design and high quality finishes, while keeping ESG at the centre of the building’s refurbishment, it is seen as one of Manchester’s most exclusive office buildings.
The building benefits from floorplates of 4,000 sq ft to 5,000 sq ft and will become a best-in-class accommodation, offering new VRF air conditioning, an on-site gym and shower facilities, state-of-the-art bike stores and storage, and a concierge reception.
Freetrade Exchange sits in a prime location on Peter Street in the heart of Manchester city centre and benefits from a high profile site on the principle thoroughfare linking the new Spinningfields development and St Peter’s Square.
Jonathan Cook, director at CBRE Manchester, said: “Freetrade Exchange will be comprehensively refurbished to provide occupiers with best-in-class accommodation boasting a number of modern amenities, set within a beautifully restored building. It offers an unrivalled city experience at a time when health and wellbeing is key to ensuring the future success of city-based offices.”
