Building Briefs: Aspect Court moves forward; Letting at Pannal; Prospect reveals growth plans; and more
REFURBISHMENT work to renovate Sheffield’s Aspect Court, formerly occupied by the Home Office, has been given the go-ahead.
Plans for the major refurbishment of Aspect Court, situated on Pond Hill, have been approved and include transforming the exterior as well as the reception area of the seven storey building.
The plans will update the outside of the building, positioned within a few metres of the new Sheffield Digital Campus and adjacent to both Ponds Forge International Sports Centre and Sheffield Hallam University, with a new-look white exterior and transform the reception with new floors and ceilings.
Tim Bottrill, partner at Knight Frank’s Sheffield office, which is acting as agent for Aspect Court, said: “The opportunity for full refurbishment means that Aspect House will undergo a major facelift and bring it into the 21st century. Being centrally located and the flexibility of office sizes makes this accommodation highly attractive.
Campbell & Co is joint agent on the Aspect Court project.
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INDUSTRIAL property specialist Gent Visick has completed the latest in a series of successful lettings at Pannal Industrial Park near Harrogate.
The Leeds-based company has introduced Caterlyne, a supplier of hygiene products to the catering and healthcare industries, to a 5,620 sq ft unit at the former Dunlopillo site.
Caterlyne has taken a seven year lease at Pannal, in premises which have been fully refurbished, including the addition of first floor offices and recladding to the production area at the rear of the unit.
Nick Prescott, of Gent Visick, said: “We’ve already succeeded in bringing a really diverse tenant mix to Pannal, and the Caterlyne letting is another great addition to the business community at the park.”
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YORKSHIRE-based architect practice The Harris Partnership has provided the masterplan for a £60m 1.5m sq ft development in Darlington which has been granted outline planning consent.
The ambitious scheme, on a site close to Yam Road Industrial Park, is being brought forward by PPG Land in conjunction with Durham Cathedral.
Called Link 66, it will comprise industrial, warehousing and distribution accommodation, as well as hybrid and starter units, a hotel, pub and restaurant.
Oliver Clark, of the Harris Partnership, said: “Flexibility was key to this design at a time when market demands continue to change and evolve. The accommodation needs to appeal to a wide range of businesses and uses, and the masterplanning has been done with this in mind.”
Mark Rudolph, of PPG Land, added: “Our decision to appoint the Harris Partnership centres on the long relationship we have with them. With a significant scheme like this, which will play a major role in the regeneration of Darlington, it is essential that we work with a reliable design partner.”
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SHEFFIELD Hallam University has announced plans to develop a new £25m building that should become a city centre landmark thanks to its innovative design.
The new building on Charles Street will enable the university’s Faculty of Development and Society – currently split between the City and Collegiate campuses – to move to one campus.
Sheffield architects Bond Bryan has been appointed by the university to design the building, which will sit within the city’s Cultural Industries Quarter (CIQ).
Professor Sylvia Johnson, Pro Vice-Chancellor for the Faculty of Development and Society, said: “The Charles Street development is very exciting for the whole university, but especially for the Faculty as many of our students and staff will be based in the new building.”
The building is due to be completed in 2012.
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FACILITIES management company Romec has opened a state of the art Innovation Centre in Leeds that brings its complete range of products and services under one roof for the first time.
Eighteen months of planning, and an investment of £250,000, has now come to fruition with the development of the Innovation Centre.
The centre shows how innovative Romec is while also letting potential customers get a flavour for what it is like to have the company as a partner.
Mike Sparrow, Romec’s managing director, said: “The Innovation Centre provides a dynamic environment to demonstrate our products and services and show what sets us apart from the competition.
“Our new facility has been designed as an attraction and takes people on a journey with the experience starting from entering the car park, with vehicle recognition, so a personal welcome greets you as you walk through the door.”
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PROSPECT Business Centres, one of Yorkshire’s longest established serviced office providers, has announced a multi-million pound acquisition campaign to develop its portfolio with expansion in the Yorkshire region and beyond.
Responding to increased market demand for high specification, flexible work space, Prospect is actively seeking six brand new office buildings across the North and Midlands to treble its existing portfolio.
Close to securing its next building in the North East, the business already has three centres fully operating in Leeds and York, totalling 50,000 sq ft.
Prospect Business Centres is owned by the Monument Investments group of property businesses. The firm plans to secure leases or to acquire at least two more Yorkshire centres in 2010, and is already scouting for suitable new buildings in York, Leeds and Sheffield.
The firm most recently launched a £2m investment at its new 15,000 sq ft Apollo House in York in September 2009, and anticipates signing a deal in the North East within weeks.
Charlie Cudworth, managing director of Prospect Business Centres added: “The appetite for serviced office space has increased significantly in the last few years, thanks in part to a surge in start-up businesses falling out from the recession.
“But we are also seeing established companies becoming increasingly commercially sensitive and open-minded when looking to expand, choosing prestige but flexible facilities over traditional long leases.”
