Property round-up: Handmade Burger Co to open in Manchester; and more

HANDMADE Burger Co has become the latest operator to sign up to Henry Boot’s Courthouse scheme on Manchester’s Deansgate.

The burger chain has taken a 15-year lease on a 2,000 sq ft unit in the Grade II-listed building, which is set to reopen next summer.

Once complete, the building will contain 14,000 sq ft of retail and leisure space and 13,500 sq ft of Grade A office space. It will join independent restaurateur Steve Pilling, founder of the Chop House chain who is opening a new Roast Restaurant and Oyster Bar in the building.

Adam Brady, head of Henry Boot Developments’ Manchester office, said: “We are pleased to confirm that handmade burger Co has chosen the Courthouse for the location of its first Manchester restaurant.

“We are extremely proud of the Courthouse – it’s an impressive building in a fantastic location, so it really stands out in the market.”

He added that only 6,800 sq ft of the leisure space remained in the building.
“Given the unique space and calibre of the property, we expect to see strong interest.”

Chris Sargeant, owner of the handmade burger Co. said: “We are delighted to be opening in Manchester and we can’t wait to find out what visitors to the Courthouse think of our new restaurant.”

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MAG Developments, the commercial property arm of Manchester Airports Group, has completed 8,000 sq ft of new lettings at its Voyager and 4M office buildings at Manchester Airport.

National Grid and ScottishPower Transmisson have let 5,974 sq ft of Grade A space at Voyager. The office will accommodate staff working on a £1bn joint venture energy project, which will see a subsea cable link installed to bring renewable energy from Scotland south to England and Wales.

The 420km link will help meet the Government’s 2020 renewable targets and runs from Hunterston in Ayrshire to a landing point on the Wirral peninsula.

The airport location was chosen as transport links place it within easy reach of the cable route areas; and for the convenience of overseas workers representing main contractors Siemens and Prysmian.

Meanwhile, a further 1,885 sq ft of office space at Voyager has been let to ground handling services provider, Swissport UK, and a 316 sq ft office has been let to Aircraft Repair and Maintenance Engineering in the neighbouring 82,500 sq ft 4M office building.

Nick Nelson, surveyor at CBRE North West, said: “As these lettings demonstrate, occupiers are attracted by Manchester Airport’s on-site public transport offer which is as good as, if not better than, many major towns and cities, with over 300 trains and 600 bus services daily.”

Anthony Howcroft, Associate Partner, WHR Property Consultants, added: “The Airport has very much established itself as independent location and continues to see a healthy level of activity in the market.”

CBRE and WHR are the retained letting agents on Voyager, while 4M is jointly marketed by CBRE and DTZ.

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LEND Lease has begun selling the next wave of properties at its Green Quarter development no the northern fringe of Manchester city centre.

The company began selling 215 one- and two-bed apartments at Cypress Place in the Green Quarter, which is due to complete during autumn, over the weekend. Prices have started at £87,500  for a studio, £112,500 for a one-bed and £140,000 for a two-bed apartment.

Green Quarter contains eight seperate apartment buildings and sits at the Manchester end of Cheetham Hill Road, next to the Park Inn Hotel and the Peninsula office building. It is also close to the MEN Arena, NOMA and Victoria station.

Mark Dickinson, Managing director of Lend Lease’s European development arm, said: “Lend Lease has drawn on the company’s experience of building sustainable homes and communities to create something special at Green Quarter, a place where work/life balance can be a reality, not an aspiration, and a place where residents will truly love where they live.”

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HOW Planning has gained an extension of the time limit required for the redevelopment of Prestwich Town Centre.

Plans which were drawn up several years ago by Hollins Murray Group to replace the Longfield Shopping centre with a new foodstore-led regeneration scheme were due to expire.

However, a five-year extension to its proposals for the 2.8-hectare site fronting Bury New Road was granted by Bury Council last week.

Carol Clarke, associate at HOW Planning, said: “The plans for the new scheme are hugely important as they will create a higher quality shopping experience.

“The extension to time limit provides our client with more time to bring the scheme forward for development and allow a comprehensive masterplan to be worked up which will result in a modern and attractive town centre facility.”

Last year, Hollins Murray signed a joint venture with Terrace Hill Group to help bring the scheme to fruition.  Plans include the demolition of the existing Longfield Shopping Centre and library to make way for a highly-sustainable mixed-use development. The library will be rebuilt and a new seven-deck multi-storey car park added. 

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WORK has started on site on the redevelopment of Burnley’s Manchester Road station ahead of the reinstatement of the Todmorden Curve – a short stretch of track that will provide a direct connection between the town and Manchester city centre – virtually halving journey times from Burnley.

The £1.8m station refurbishment includes new waiting areas, extra car parking spaces and improved pedestrian access, helping to bring it up to scratch before the route is reopened in 2014.

Helen Gopsill, HR Director at aerospace business Safran Aircelle, which is Burnley’s largest private sector employer, said: “We’re excited about the work starting on the new station.

“It’s part of a process that will see Burnley and Manchester reconnected. For us, that means we can draw people from an even wider pool of talent. And for Mancunians, Burnley is now a plausible option if they want to live in affordable homes in wonderful countryside, whilst still working in the city.”