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.
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 £400,000 refurbishment contract was carried out by Bristol-based design and project management consultants the Aurora Partnership, who specialise in the healthcare sector. 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.
Rise in profits at WH Smith
WH Smith has reported an 8 per cent rise in half-year profits despite a fall in sales, as it continues to refocus on selling books rather than DVDs and CDs. Reporting its results for the six months to February, the retailer's pre-tax profit rose to £64m from £59m for the same period a year earlier. Group-wide like-for-like sales, which exclude new store openings, were down 2%, or 3% at its High Street shops. Call WH Smith on 01793 616161.
IPL successfully completes MBO
The management of a leading South-West IT services provider, the IPL Group, has acquired the business through a management buy-out (MBO) for an undisclosed sum. The MBO team of Shaun Davey, John Davey, Jim Thomas and Jon Carter acquired the business supported by finance from Barclays Bank in Bristol. Co-founders Mike Johnson and Clive Jones, who formed the business in 1979, will remain active in the company and take on the role of chairman and non-executive director respectively. The importance of this deal to the local market is demonstrated by the involvement of a number local advisors including, Osborne Clarke, Burges Salmon, Roxburgh Milkins and Bond Pearce. Call IPL on 01225 475000.
Redundancies at ODS Business Services
Around 100 staff at Swindon-based ODS Business Services have been made redundant after the firm announced that in was going into administration. The firm, based at Spectrum in West Swindon specialises in the manufacture and distribution of CDs and DVDs, and it is the manufacturing segment that has been hit with the redundancies. BDO Stoy Hayward have been appointed as joint administrators and will look for a buyer for the distribution arm of ODS. Call ODS on 01793 428777.
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.
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 whohave 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.
Local business wins national award
For the second year running, a local car dealership has been recognised for its outstanding customer service and commitment in helping disabled people. Brunel Ford in Winterstoke Road, Ashton Gate and Muller Road, Horfield, recently won “Dealer Group of the Year” at an awards ceremony held recently by Motability, the national car scheme for disabled motorists. The Motability scheme provides a new car complete with tax, insurance, RAC breakdown cover, and free replacement tyres to disabled people and their families. For more information visit Brunel Ford in Winterstoke Road, Ashton Gate, Bristol or call 0117 908 9999 or visit Brunel Ford, 175 Muller Road, Horfield or call 0117 951 3333.
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.
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.
Queen’s Awards for local companies
A Queen’s award for Innovation has been made to Checkmate UK of Bowerhill, Melksham, for the design and manufacture of pneumatic bracing bags for keeping marine cargoes, on the decks or in the holds of ships, securely in place. The certificated bags, which have rapidly growing sales, are cheaper, safer and more durable than competitive products. Contact Paul Auston on 07785 335472.
Industrial and distribution floorspace availability still on the rise in the South West, says King Sturge
The South West is outperforming the UK average, led by Avonmouth and Severnside, according to local property agents King Sturge. The amount of industrial and distribution floorspace available in the South West is bucking the national trend by continuing to increase. A year ago, the firm’s nationwide industrial floorspace survey recorded a fall of 1.8 per cent in available space, but six months later, that figure had become a 2.4 per cent increase. And the latest figures for the South West, from June to December 2007, show a continued increase, albeit smaller, of 1.4 per cent, with the amount of available flooorspace totalling 1.36 million sq m. There was also a marked increase in the figures for availability in large buildings of over 10,000 sq m. Meanwhile the availability of new floorspace in the region also rose by 56 per cent to 95,000 sq m, following a fall of 35 per cent in the previous survey. Call King Sturge on 0117 9276691.
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.
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.
Tap into the Bristol Property Pot with Home Stagers
Bristol city centre’s continued regeneration and development is set to transform the scope and appeal of the city and Home Stagers, the UK’s leading property staging company, is searching for would-be sales franchisees in the Bristol area to develop their own franchise region and work with the Home Stagers team to take full advantage of the local property market. The Home Stagers sales franchise provides a ready made business opportunity with an investment of £15,000 to £25,000 dependent on territory. Each franchisee will work with a team of fully trained Home Stagers stylists and design consultants leaving them free to focus on the growing their business with no limit on earnings. Contact www.homestagersfranchise.co.uk 0800 5428952.
Business activity ‘improved in March’
The March data from the South West PMI Report has suggested that growth of business activity in the region picked up in March. The seasonally adjusted Business Activity Index posted 54.5, up from 52.6 in February and the highest level of the year so far. Business activity in the South West was stronger than the UK average which fell to a near five-year low. Call the PMI on 020 8751 5626.
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. |
