Thames Valley & Gloucestershire

Handston Investments moves to Upton Industrial Estate

Unit 22, Ventura Place on the Upton Industrial Estate has been acquired by Handston Investments Ltd for close to the £170,000 price quoted by Nettleship Sawyer. The semi-detached unit covers 1,740 sq ft and includes a reception/office as well as forecourt loading and allocated car parking. It was sold on behalf of a Dorset based pension fund. Call Handston Investments on 01202 735547.

Financial advisors move to Wimborne

A 1,440 sq ft office suite at 55 Cobham Road, Ferndown Industrial Estate has been sold on a new 999 year ground lease for a sum in excess of £200,000 by Nettleship Sawyer. The property has been acquired by BSO Independent Financial Advisors Ltd. Call BSO Independent Financial Advisors on 01202 855588.

Swindon and Wiltshire

Final stage of Churchward development under way

Work on the final section of the old railway engineering yards at Churchward, Swindon will start later this year. Thomas Homes completed the purchase of the 8 acre site last month and has planning permission for apartments, offices and a hotel – a £50m development including 245 new-build flats on the site.  Two Grade II listed engineering sheds will be converted into flexible office space. The hotel site will be sold to a hotel group. See www.thomashomes.co.uk or call 01488 649820.

Vygon takes space at Lakeside Business Park

Whitmarsh Lockhart has pre-let Drake House, Lakeside Business Park, South Cerney, to medical and hospital equipment company Vygon UK who have taken a new five year lease.  Drake House is a detached 17,000 sq ft warehouse and distribution facility which forms part of the latest phase of development at Lakeside Business Park. This recent letting continues with the success on the Park, following the completion of the sale of Phase 1, a 23,000 sq ft facility to Nexus in June last year. Joint agents were Alder King. Call Vygon on 01285 657051.

Planning permission secured by CityMed

CityMed LLP has secured planning permission to build a state of the art medical centre in Swindon. The new specialist medical facility will be built on a one acre site located at the entrance to Kembrey Park. The building will extend to 18,000 sq ft net over two floors, with dedicated on site car parking. CityMed originally agreed terms to purchase the site in autumn 2007 from Highcross, subject to planning consent for the development. Alder King acted for CityMed in the site acquisition. Call Alder King on 01793 615477.

MP supports brewery investment in Ye Olde Red Lion

Newbury MP Richard Benyon paid tribute to Swindon-based Arkell’s Brewery recently when he opened the brewery’s new accommodation at its pub Ye Olde Red Lion pub at Chieveley, near Newbury. The brewery has invested more than £500,000 in buying and converting the village’s oldest house next to the 200-year old pub, into five up-market bed and breakfast rooms. Contact Arkells on 01793 823026.

Development work starts soon on historic Old Town site

Work is about to start on the former Belmont Brewery site in the heart of Old Town. The Studio nightclub will close in early May to make way for redevelopment of the historic building. The landmark tower will be transformed with a wall of glass as the centrepiece to a new home for upmarket shops and restaurants in the 21,000 sq ft centre. For more information, call Vox PR on  01793 511990.

Demand still strong for South West business parks

GVA Grimley’s bi-annual Business Parks Review: Spring 2008, suggests that in spite of economic uncertainties, the sub market sector of business parks is in good shape. The report details healthy levels of occupational demand across the UK,  however, take-up in the South West region in the six months to December 2007 was 22,900 sq m, was 11 per cent down on the previous six months. The majority of space was let at Gloucester Business Park and Kembrey Park in Swindon. Call GVA Grimley on 0870 900 8990.

CID Transport moves into RO24 at South Marston

Loveday and Loveday has announced the letting of Units 17 & 18 at RO24, South Marston Park to CID Transport. The space provides 3,441 sq ft of accommodation and have been let on a new five year lease, including an option to purchase. King Sturge were joint agents. For further information contact CID Transport on 07828 141279.

Bristol and area

New Bristol base for healthcare business

A national healthcare business that was founded in Bristol is expanding after moving into a new city centre premises. The Healthcare at Home Group, which provides specialist medical treatments to patients in their own homes, has opened the doors to a new Bristol clinic at 1, 3 & 5 Whiteladies Road. The company, which employs 50 staff locally, has more than quadrupled its space in the move, taking on the 10,027 sq ft building on a flexible ten year lease for an annual rent of £150,000. The Bristol Clinic will serve as a base for Healthcare at Home’s South West operations, which cover Somerset, Devon and Cornwall, and South Wales. For more information about Healthcare at Home, contact The Bristol Clinic on 0117 9707800.

Industrial unit hits market in Avonmouth

A major refurbishment of a large industrial/warehouse unit in Avonmouth has just been completed and is now ready for occupation. The unit – 52,000 square feet of light industrial/warehouse space – cost £400,000 to modernise and is available through leading Bristol commercial property agents Colliers CRE and DTZ. The unit – known as The Second Way Centre, Avonmouth – is sited within its own secure yard area with direct loading access from all sides along with ancillary office space. The property is on the market via Colliers CRE, based at Broad Quay House, Bristol, and commercial property advisor DTZ of Redcliff Street, Bristol. Call Colliers CRE on 0117 917 2000 or DTZ on 0117 9106640.

Five new tenants move into Bristol landmark building

Five new tenants have moved into Bristol’s landmark office, Froomsgate House within the last six months. The tenants will occupy over 13,500 sq ft of accommodation and will be paying over £185,000 per annum. The recent lettings include the letting of a 4,910 sq ft suite to web designers, Hyperlaunch New Media Ltd; Ents 24 Limited 1,840 sq ft who have moved from Whiteladies Road; Priority Selection and ATA Selection Ltd both also taking 1,840 sq ft each. The final letting is of the 11th floor to leading south west accountants, Robson Taylor. This will be the company’s second move within the building since first occupying a 1,913 sq ft suite on the 7th floor in 2006. Hartnell Taylor Cook LLP and Colliers CRE advised the landlords on the lettings within Froomsgate House. DTZ advised ingoing tenants, Hyperlaunch and the remaining were unrepresented. Call Robson Taylor on 0117 9290039.

Halsall Construction relocates to Bath Business Park

Burston Cook acting jointly with DTZ on behalf of Cubex Land are delighted to announce the recent sale of building No.1 within The Office Village at Bath Business Park. Halsall Construction has purchased the unit which comprises 6,424 sq ft with the benefit of 23 car parking spaces. Call Halsall Construction on 01761 433744.

Bristol city centre office expansion

Burston Cook, acting on behalf of Origin Publishing Ltd and Bristol Magazines Ltd, has negotiated an expansion into additional offices at Tower House, Fairfax Street, Bristol. The office accommodation acquired was situated over fourth, fifth, eighth, ninth and fourteenth floors and totalling approximately 20,375 sq ft with 15 on-site car spaces included in the rent. The lease is for a term of five years and the total rental amounts to £275,000 per annum, exclusive. The landlords, Cheshire County Council, were represented by Urbina. Call Origin Publishing on 0117 9279009.

Freehold investment sale – Clifton, Bristol

Burston Cook, acting on behalf of private investor clients, have negotiated the investment transaction of 37/39 Princess Victoria Street, Clifton, Bristol. The property, comprising two kiosk retail units producing approximately £14,750 per annum, exclusive plus a two/three bedroomed flat, was sold at a purchase price of £326,000. For further information please contact Julian Cook at Burston Cook on 0117 934 9977.

Bristol – freehold sale of day nursery/offices

Burston Cook, acting on behalf of private clients, have sold the freehold interest of 118 – 120 Hampton Road, Redland, Bristol. The property, comprising a former day nursery with ancillary offices totalled a net internal area in the order of 2,650 sq ft, was sold at a freehold price of £520,000. The purchasers, a private investor/occupier, was represented by Williams Gunter Hardwick. Call Williams Gunter Hardwick on 0117 922 1222.

South Wales

New tenant for Waterside Business Park

Lambert Smith Hampton (LSH) has completed the disposal of Unit 10 Waterside Business Park, Lamby Way in Cardiff to Haydn and Beverly Meredith. Acting for Propco Developments Ltd, LSH has secured the sale of the 1,858 sq ft unit on a 999-year leasehold basis. The unit will house The Trike Shop and Custom Heaven. Unit 10 is one of 18 units constructed in five blocks of accommodation by Propco Developments Ltd. The site comprises contemporary styled units with high quality clad and glazed elevations, ample parking and delivery access. Call The Trike Shop on 029 20369420, Or Custom Heaven on 02920 191461.

Cardiff

The Inexus Group has acquired approximately 5,500 sq ft of the ground and first floors at 13 Ocean Way on the established Ocean Park business estate. Inexus has entered into a 10-year fri lease at a rent of £14.00 psf pa. Knight Frank and DTZ acted as joint agents for Chanwood; Inexus Group were unrepresented. Call Inexus on 029 20908550.

Merthyr Tydfil