Property briefs: Architects merge, Bruntwood, and more

AFL Architects, which has a Manchester office and has worked on a number of schemes in the region, has merged with S&P.

The business will be named AFLS+P and employ more than 100 staff.

In a statement the companies said the deal would allow them to extend their reach nationally and internationally.

AFL worked on the Salford head office of recruitment group Morsons and the Salford City Stadium. S&P has offices in London, Nottingham, Glasgow and Dublin. Outside Manchester, AFL had a presence in London.

Keith Ashton, former director of S&P and now one of the six principals of AFLS+P, said: “S&P is a well-established, 22-year old business with an extensive track record in sports and leisure. This merger with AFL Architects adds to our skill base and allows us to offer more services to our existing clients internationally. All staff at both practices will remain in their current positions and will have the opportunity to work on new and varied projects.”

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COMMERCIAL property group Bruntwood has struck a deal to have its buildings hooked up to Metronet’s high-speed internet network.

Bruntwood’s 110 buildings in Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds and Birmingham will have access to speeds of one gigabyte a second and up to 10 gigabytes in some cases.

James McCall, managing director of Manchester-based Metronet (UK), said: “Bruntwood and Metronet (UK) already share lots of existing customers and our businesses are both underpinned by a strong customer service ethic.

“Internet connectivity is a mission-critical service to many companies as is flexibility, rapid installation and first-rate

customer support. This partnership will allow every Bruntwood customer to benefit from these services, regardless of which office they choose.”

“More than half of all Bruntwood office locations are already connected and in the next few months more than 95% of offices in Manchester, Cheshire, Liverpool Leeds and Birmingham will be online.”

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BOLTON construction firm Artez has won two new projects.

It has been hired by glass recycling company Reuse Glass to carry out reinforced concrete substructure works at its Knottingley depot in Yorkshire.

In Nottingham it has been appointed by The Everlast Group where it will carry out re-roofing and brickwork restoration works at Nottingham Railway Station.

Artez founder Mike Banton, a former director at developer Urban Splash, said: “In Artez we have developed a business that is bringing something new to the construction sector. My primary aim is to professionalise the industry, offering clients more than standard building practices allow. Because of this commitment we are finding more and more great projects to work on.”

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PROSPECTS for the regional office market improved in the first quarter, with greater interest from developers and investors according to data from GVA.
 
Q1 take-up activity performed 19% above average with stronger activity in the out-of-town markets
 
Out-of-town take-up was 820,684 sq ft, 37% above the quarterly average. Activity was particularly strong in Manchester and Newcastle and above average in Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Leeds.
 
City centre take-up totalled 1,096,826 sq ft in Q1, 9% above the quarterly average. Activity was led by Bristol, Leeds and Manchester, with the largest deal of the quarter being a 73,000 sq ft letting to Jet2 at The Mint in Leeds, while activity in Edinburgh and Newcastle also recorded above average results.
 
Christopher Cheap, director and head of offices at GVA in the North West said: “Manchester continues to outperform other regional centres in terms of the sheer quantum of transactions. The ever diminishing supply of larger floor-plated prime accommodation continues to drive the refurbished sector and has underpinned headline rents for better quality, well specified and well located space.”