A detailed planning application has been submitted for a £25m scheme to transform a former Yorkshire hospital site into renewable energy business park. Proposed as a joint venture between Stoneferry Estates and Hull City Council, the campus-style Kingston Parklands business centre would be built opposite the entrance to the city's... Read More
A Stratford hotel has channelled over £500,000 worth of investment into upgrading its conference facilities to extend its reach in the meetings and events market. The Macdonald Alveston Manor Hotel began its extensive renovation programme in early 2014, and as work has now been completed can begin to advertise the improved space to... Read More
Gibraltar Limited Partnership — a fifty-fifty joint venture between the Crown Estate and Hercules Unit Trust — has sold Leamington Shopping Park for £72m. The Warwickshire centre, which boasts a near 100 per cent occupancy rate after an extensive 2009 refurbishment, has been acquired by Ignis UK Property Fund. “We have... Read More
Four years after a landmark legal ruling the Court of Appeal has stepped in to close an administration loophole that could have cost property owners millions of pounds in lost rent. The judgement has been described by one leading commercial agent as a “real game changer for landlords”. In 2010 the High Court ruled that if a... Read More
The fast food sector has become one of the most competitive areas of British retailing, with the convenience angle and low cost appealing to modern consumers. However, the growing issue of the obesity crisis in Europe and the United States has led many to cut back on fatty foods and instead seek out a healthier option – something which... Read More
The Government has confirmed it is giving more than £7m “nuts and bolts” funding to help transform a former Midland’s research base into a world class high-tech business hub. Formerly a government-funded research centre, MIRA Technology Park in Hinkley was granted enterprise zone status in August, 2011. Since then it has evolved... Read More
Six month after it announced it was selling London’s Corn Exchange office building, Credit Suisse Group AG (CSGN) has confirmed it is liquidating commercial property funds worth more than €700m (£568m). All 20 properties in the sell-off package are held by Credit Suisse’s CS Euroreal fund and are thought to include the German... Read More
The Charity Commission has opened an inquiry into a housing trust’s use of commercial premises which may be liable for business rates. The Augustine Housing Trust — which describes itself as a “storage charity” — is already under investigation by the commission for allegedly not submitting statutory financial information... Read More
For many retail developments throughout the UK, the end of the recession has brought an increase in prosperity as consumers regain confidence and begin to spend in earnest one more. Yet for some, high competition in the surrounding area has brought the need to adapt to new trends into sharp focus. This has been the case for the... Read More
A new record headline rent has been set in Manchester as a combination of rising demand and limited supply pushes up prices in the city. Recruitment consultancy Robert Walters has signed an 11-year lease for 5,000 sq ft at 3 Hardman Street in the Spinningfields district. At £32 per sq ft, the deal surpasses pre-recession levels and... Read More
Four landmark Dublin pubs are being put up for sale in what is being described as "the most significant city centre sale of licensed premises for years." The portfolio includes Howl at the Moon on Lower Mount Street, The George and The Dragon on South Great George’s Street, and Café en-Seine on Dawson Street. The four properties... Read More
John Lewis among new terminal’s retail tenants Amidst the ongoing question of how Britain will increase its airport capacity, Heathrow has pushed on with expansion plans to improve its service for international customers. This has seen the country’s largest airport open the doors of the new Terminal 2 building this week, with the first... Read More
Supermarket giant pins hopes on turnaround plan Although the end of the recession has had a positive impact upon the revenues of most retailers in the UK, the supermarket sector remains something of an anomaly. With competition from discounters high and pressure mounting to drop prices, the traditional “Big Four” have seen their... Read More
Although the resolution of the Eurozone Crisis has eased the financial pressure upon continental consumers, the situation prevalent in the UK retail industry – whereby consumers are wary of excess spending – remains true overseas. This has taken a huge toll upon the annual profits of fashion chain New Look, which has this week revealed a... Read More
As consumer confidence continues to grow, improvements on the high street have seen retailers benefit from a boost in spending and an encouraging fall in the number of unoccupied properties. However, according to the Future High Streets Forum, it is not just the economic recovery which has ushered in this new era of prosperity for high street... Read More
The architect of the landmark Lloyds’s Building has denied reports that the insurance institution is planning to quit the address in favour of a nearby development. The story that Lloyds was in talks with Henderson about a move to its upcoming Leadenhall Street scheme dubbed Gotham City, initially emerged in the Sunday Times. It... Read More
The ever dwindling supply of office space within London’s M25 could push up rents by as much as 15 per cent, a leading property consultancy has warned. There were 57 commercial deals worth £500m in the M25 catchment area during the first three months of this year, making it the busiest single quarter for transactions since 2007. And... Read More
Since the end of the recession and particularly in the past twelve months, business growth has flourished and gone a long way in strengthening the UK’s still fragile economy. However, experts are now concerned that a large part of this growth has been built upon a foundation of credit as opposed to solid financial backing – one of the... Read More
For some time, London was the capital of small business growth within the country, with a high concentration of entrepreneurial and start-up hubs giving many the opportunity to start their firm within the city. However, as commercial property prices have risen steeply since the end of the recession and regional cities such as Manchester,... Read More
Work has started on Dandara’s 40-acre City South office development near Aberdeen, with the award-winning developer hoping to have the speculative scheme fully serviced and its first tenants installed by Christmas. The first phase of the international business park — adjacent to the A90 trunk road— consists of 35,000sq ft of... Read More
The establishment of a major new diplomatic quarter now looks almost certain with the Dutch government’s announcement it is moving its London embassy south of the river to Nine Elms. The US embassy is in the process of relocating from Grosvenor Square and the Chinese have started negotiations on a site near Vauxhall. The Royal... Read More
Thousands of tied pub tenants will be protected from unfair rents under a statutory code of practice announced by the government today. The new rules, which include the right to request a rent review after five years, will be enforced by an independent adjudicator with the power to carry out investigations and impose sanctions on... Read More
