Property round-up: Stockport seeks Portas pilot players; DJD to revamp church for Hallé; and more

STOCKPORT’s Town Centre Business and Retail Forum is calling for nominations for people to be part of its official Portas Pilot ‘Town Team’.

The Town Team will be responsible for shaping and running the town centre. It was one of the recommendations by consultant Mary Portas in her review of UK high streets to government and a key part of Stockport’s bid in landing £100,000 of Portas Pilot funding.

The Town Team board will be made up of town centre representatives, Stockport Central MP Ann Coffey and Stockport Council’s executive member responsible for regeneration, Cllr Iain Roberts.

It will have responsibility for planning the town centre’s future, delivering key projects and communicating with partners and the public.

Nominations are now being sought for town centre representatives to sit on the board, including a resident, a market trader, a member of the commercial sector, an independent trader, major retailer, food and drink provider and someone from the voluntary sector.

Cllr Roberts said: “The Town Team is a vital part of putting Stockport’s successful Portas Pilot bid into practise. The team will have real decision-making powers and real money, as well as bringing together the people we need to transform the town centre.”

Ben Poland, chair of Stockport’s business & retail forum, added: “There is already a huge amount of interest and enthusiasm in the town centre – we now need to harness that and put it into action.”

The deadline for nominations to the board is July 15. For more information, visit www.stockport.gov.uk/portaspilot.

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DRIVERS Jonas Deloitte has been appointed to project manage the renovation of St Peter’s church, Ancoats, by new owners the Hallé Orchestra and Choir.

Work will begin on the Grade II-listed building at the beginning of August to transform the former church into a suitable a rehearsal space, recording studio and performance venue. St Peter’s will be the first permanent rehearsal space for the Halle since its inception in 1858.

The church was built in 1859 but fell into disrepair after it was closed in the 1960s. It has recently undergone extensive restoration to bring it back to its former glory. In order to preserve its listed status, the new design incorporates original features such as a large stained glass window and an ornate, high-vaulted ceiling.

Matt Cawley, assistant director at Drivers Jonas Deloitte said: “We have worked with acoustic design specialists to adapt the open space, ensuring that it will be perfect for sound production.

“With the combination of sound sails hung from the ceiling and acoustic panels fitted to the exposed brickwork, we will make sure that the sounds of the instruments and voices don’t get lost or reverberated in the 500m sq hall.”

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MARCOL has agreed three new lettings at the Westpoint office building on Chester Road.

The firm has agreed a new 5-year lease on 3,332 sq ft of office space to the Central Manchester University Foundation Trust, which forms part of the NHS. It has taken a new five-year lease on 3,332 sq ft of space, while The Rating Agency has taken 1,219 sq ft and The Rose Partnership has taken 1,616 sq ft on three- and five-year leases respectively.

Quoting rents at the building are £7.50 per sq ft. Letting agents are Edwards & Co and Savills.

Richard Lowe, associate at Savills, said: “Westpoint’s highly accessible location within close proximity to Trafford Bar Metro Station, coupled with its excellent parking provision makes it a very popular choice, whilst its recent refurbishment to include a new cafe and gym has also generated considerable interest.”

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URBAN Splash has signed up six new tenants to its Ducie House building in Manchester, taking a combined 2,000 sq ft of space.

The new arrivals include business consultancy We Are Prospect, which has taken two two suites totalling more than 1,000 sq ft, and online letting agency Make Ur Move. Advertising agency Destination Space, theatre company Digital Stage, software firm BPR Projects and mobile tech specialist Turned On Digital have also taken space on the Ducie St building.

Urban Splash commercial manager Paul Jones said: “The legacy of Ducie House is that it continues to be a great place for creative and start-up businesses to grow their businesses.

“The community at the building is superb and we’re delighted to welcome our new tenants into that mix.

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CHRISTIE + Co’s Manchester Office has been appointed as agents to sell the Village Store on Knutsford Road in Wilmslow, Cheshire.

The shop has been owned by its current owners for around 10 years and they have kept it as a village store servicing the local community. It has, however, seen a gradual increase in its turnover year-on-year.

Wilmslow is an affluent residential area and the store provides a service to commuters, business people and tradesmen working in the local area.

There is no competition within a mile and there is potential to expand the business’s off-licence sales, deli and take-out food.

There is also two-storey living accommodation above the store, a garden and off-road parking, which has recently been refurbished.

Martin Thompson of Christie + Co’s Manchester Office said: “The current owners have introduced numerous additional services such as the lottery, top-up cards and a cash machine. This business offers any potential buyer a nice, modern village store, which can be easily run by its owners.”

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GVA has secured a letting of the largest unit at Heron Business Park in Widnes on behalf of Widnes Generation.

Unit 17, which measures 9,507 sq ft, has been let to Wolseley. It follows on from earlier deals at the park with National Door 2 Door Company and Fuller Fuel.

The first phase of development is now fully let and this latest letting means there are only four units remaining on the second phase.