Property briefs: Award for Leigh scheme; 9 Portland St & more

A NEW housing development in Leigh has received a CEEQUAL award for its pioneering sustainable design.

Leigh MP Andy Burnham, Wigan Council members and the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) joined builders Taylor Wimpey and new residents at a presentation in one of the new homes on the site at Pennington Wharf.

The development will created 471 sustainable two, three and four-bedroom homes over the next eight years, as well as community buildings, a marina, café, community centre, office with plans for a family pub and shop also in the offing.

The Pennington Wharf site is built on land formerly occupied by Bickershaw colliery, which closed in 1992.

The HCA has spent £18m carrying out large-scale remediation and infrastructure works, which created a platform for developers.

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WHR Property Consultancy has secured its first occupier at 9 Portland Street in Manchester city centre following its million pound refurbishment.

SF Group – part of Dragon’s Den star, James Caan’s Hamilton Bradshaw Group – has taken the whole of the sixth floor totalling 4,377 sq ft on a  five- year lease.

Quoting rental levels for the building, which is owned by a private discretionary fund managed by London & Scottish Investments, are at £15.00 per sq ft.

Since purchasing the property in November 2013, London & Scottish has spent more than £1m refurbishing the building to provide 55,000 sq ft of high quality office accommodation over six floors.

WHR Property Consultants’ Anthony Howcroft said: “The fund recognised the potential that this city centre building has to offer and by refurbishing it throughout, it has enabled it to finally fulfil its true potential as prime office destination.”

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OWNERS of MediaCity, The Peel Group, has appointed Manchester-based retail and leisure letting specialists Cheetham & Mortimer to help rent out space.

Currently national brands and independents including the likes of Wagamama, Prezzo, Costa Coffe, Pokusevskis, Dockyard and Damson predominantly front the piazza on the ground and first floor levels.

There is also a presence for a Booths supermarket, Dental, Once Upon a Time florist and WH Smith.

Planning permission has recently been secured for a new 100,000 sq ft 10 storey building fronting Broadway, which will incorporate a 112-bed Premier Inn hotel and 50,000 sq ft of office space.

Retail and leisure accommodation will be available within a ground floor media hub. Work on site is anticipated to commence in April with completion in summer 2016.

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BRUNTWOOD has begun its redevelopment of York House at the heart of Manchester city centre.

Letting agents GVA and Colliers International have been appointed to bring the newly modernised office space to the market.

It is due to be complete at the end of January after the 32,000sq ft building has undergone a comprehensive refurbishment of its entrance, reception, communal areas and office suites.

Prominently located at the junction of York Street and Fountain Street, York House is home to White Young Green and Big Lotter Fund and provides a range of suite sizes – from 1,000 sq ft to 3,500 sq ft.

Associate at GVA, David Thwaites, said : “The redevelopment of York House will deliver some much-needed high quality office space to the prime core of Manchester.

Head of city centre sales at Bruntwood, Brad Topps, said: “We have already secured two new full floor occupiers with Arm Holdings and Tokio Marine and expect to have thebuilding fully let soon after completion of the works.”