- Judges’ Lodgings: the property will be transferred on a long leasehold basis, with potential use as a hotel or private residence, maintaining its character as a dwelling.
- Centre Block and Former Constabulary Block: the Council will seek to transfer this on a long leasehold basis for restoration and conversion, probably to flats, to maximize the property’s potential, ensure its preservation, and allow people to enjoy its historic features.
- Sessions House and Front Block: whilst elements may be leased for commercial food and drink operations, the Council will continue to investigate alternative uses which retain public use of these historic spaces and enhance the regeneration of the town centre seeking to attract and increase future footfall. Separately, work will be pursued on options for greater public access to experience the history of justice in Northampton.
Cabinet approves future plans for Northampton County Hall buildings
Plans to lease out parts of the former County Hall buildings in Northampton aim to ensure a positive future for these important heritage buildings.
County Hall, along with other historic buildings like the Guildhall, holds significant importance in the town and county’s history and forms an integral part of West Northamptonshire Council’s (WNC’s) collection of heritage assets.
However, after a thorough review of WNC office space and assets, it became clear that there is a surplus of office and administrative meeting rooms within these historic sites, which could be better utilised whilst reducing costs on the public purse.
In a move aimed at ensuring these buildings have a productive future and have the best chance of retaining their character and historic significance, the Council’s Cabinet has approved the following:
Planning application submitted for further 100,600 sq ft unit at Fairham Business Park
IMA Architects have submitted a detailed planning application to Rushcliffe Borough Council for Plot A2, a 100,600 sq ft purpose-built facility at Fairham Business Park on behalf of Clowes Developments.
The unit will be located between Plot A4, a 100,000 sq ft unit which is currently under construction, and the recently completed stand-alone facility for SLS Medical who are now on site and fully operational.
The brand-new purpose-built manufacturing premises will be comprised of a 76,520 sq ft single story warehouse with 24,000 sq ft office and welfare space over 2 storeys. At the front of the building, there will be 152 car parking spaces with 16 electric vehicle (EV) charging bays.
There will also be a large service yard to the rear with 2 dock levellers and 3 level access to meet the needs of the occupier. Clowes will be providing a fully photovoltaic (PV) ready frame. The unit is expected to be ready for occupation by end of 2024.
Ben Hall, director, IMA Architects, said: “IMA are delighted to submit another planning application to Rushcliffe Borough Council for Fairham Business Park. The level of interest and quality of potential occupiers is very encouraging for the brand-new neighbourhood.
“Offering excellent tailored facilities for businesses looking to make Fairham Business Park their home is providing further investment, local jobs and bringing economic opportunity to the area. Our latest application will further bolster this trend.”
James Richards, director at Clowes Developments, added: “Since its inception, we have seen a lot of interest in Fairham Business Park. This is no doubt down to its excellent location, first rate transport links, incredible setting and overall quality and speed of delivery of the development.
“In total, over half of Fairham Business Park, totalling 500,000 sq ft, is now sold, rented or under offer. In the last few months, we have evolved the site from a construction site to a thriving business park with two occupiers fully operational.
“The success of Fairham Business Park to date comes down to the hard work and dedication from our agents, construction contractors, professional advisors and our in-house team.”
Thai restaurant chain chooses Leicester for nationwide development and distribution site
A nationwide chain of Thai restaurants, Giggling Squid, has chosen Leicester as the location for its main distribution network throughout the UK.
A trading name of Chokdee Limited, which itself is a wholly owned subsidiary of Giggling Restaurants Limited; the group has recently taken occupation of a warehouse unit at Elland Road Leicester for use as a menu development facility and new product development kitchen, as well as a training and national distribution centre.
Andrew + Ashwell, Leicester-based commercial property specialist, has secured the deal for the lease of the building. This comprises almost 45,000 sq ft of prime modern warehouse accommodation on the well-established Braunstone Frith Industrial Estate, three miles west of the city centre.
Located close to Leicester’s Outer Ring Road, as well as M1 motorway Junctions 21 and 21A, the unit includes single-storey warehousing and open-plan two-storey offices, together with ample parking, on a prominent corner site on the west side of the estate.
Giggling Squid specialises in creating original Thai dishes using the diverse ingredients found across Thailand. The first Giggling Squid restaurant opened in 2002 and the brand continues to expand, with almost 50 restaurants nationwide, including Leicester, employing more than 1,500 directly contracted, rather than agency, staff.
The supply chain includes sellers of direct ingredients and wholesalers from the UK and worldwide, as well as suppliers of business necessities, including office supplies and technical support.
Refurbishment of the new building is currently underway, with the completed hub set to be up and running by the end of March. The group also aims to recruit 20 new employees from the Leicester community.
On behalf of the group as a whole, Vikas Agarwal, Chief Commercial Officer, said: “The Elland Road unit is part of an exciting phase in the growth of our business. From menu development, to training our teams, as well as distributing our fantastic Thai ingredients to our restaurants, it is ideally located to become the hub for our operations.”
Mike Allwood, A+A partner, added: “Leicester is an ideal location for an expanding organisation, as it is strategically sited for easy nationwide distribution and conveniently located as a central link for the company’s restaurants across the UK. Giggling Squid has chosen well and we wish the group every success in this important venture that should boost their business even further.”
Mather Jamie appoints new farming consultant
Loughborough-based specialist land development and property consultancy Mather Jamie has announced the appointment of Ken Grimsdell as a farming consultant.
Ken has enjoyed an impressive 45-year career working in Farm management for both corporate and private landowners, across East Anglia and the East Midlands.
He has previously worked for Bidwells land agents in Cambridge managing clients farming interests throughout Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire, before joining a large farming business in Norfolk as a director where he was responsible for an arable and vegetable growing business in excess of 24,000 acres.
Ken has held several directorships for marketing crop and fresh produce, and was involved in setting up supply contracts for milk and producer organisations. He has a particular interest in designing and building irrigation systems for fresh produce and root crops, and also crop storage complexes.
More recently Ken has been running a local family farming business in Leicestershire and has grown a consultancy business working with other farmers in the County.
In his new role, Ken will provide consultancy advice related to productivity, resource management and change strategies to Mather Jamie’s existing and new farming clients.
Commenting on joining Mather Jamie, Ken said: “I have always admired Mather Jamie and knew that it is an excellent company to work for. I really enjoy helping farmers and I am looking forward to sharing my wealth of knowledge to help ensure they get a return on their investment.”
Mather Jamie Managing Director Robert Cole said: “With a career spanning over 45 years Ken’s experience will undoubtedly strengthen our farm advisory team and help us deliver much needed advice to the farmer sector on how to maximise their assets to build wealth and profitability.”
Freehold of business centre in West Bridgford sold
FHP, acting on behalf of Bridgford Business Centre, have completed the sale of 29 Bridgford Road, West Bridgford, which sits next door to Escabeche, just off Central Avenue.
The two storey building, which totals 5,525 sq ft gross (4,028 sq ft net) and benefits from eight parking spaces, was sold Freehold.
David Hargreaves who acted for the vendor, Kevin Mansworth, said: “When I reported to Kevin I suggested that the property would be of interest to not only office occupiers but developers looking at extending and converting the building to apartments or 1 or 2 additional bar and restaurant units bearing in mind the strength of that sector.
“We therefore targeted the office, residential, leisure and developer sectors with our marketing and interest was immediate with 12 viewings in the first week alone.
“As such we were able to seek ‘Best Bids’ only 4 weeks after the launch, securing 5 final offers all in excess of the guide price of £975,000.”
Hargreaves added: “We quoted a relatively low asking price to generate interest as the market back in October last year was still rather uncertain due to the significant increases in Base Rate and the general lack of confidence in the economy.
“The strategy worked and we achieved a price in excess of £1,100,000 for the building which breaks back to £280/sq ft net which we are delighted with.”
Kevin Mansworth said: “The strategy and advice from David Hargreaves was absolutely spot on.
“He also introduced me to Lisa Poole of Gunner Cooke who was excellent on the legals, with Landsmiths on the other side we managed to get the sale completed within 10 weeks of starting marketing which included the Xmas and New Year break. I am really thrilled with the speed of the sale and price they achieved for me.”
Vik Moothia of Landsmiths acted for the buyer, David Hargreaves of FHP and Lisa Poole of Gunner Cooke for the seller.
Flipping great effort from Derby businesses in pancake challenge
Derby businesses went head-to-head in an annual Shrove Tuesday pancake race to raise money to support the health and wellbeing of residents at YMCA Derbyshire.
Public relations agency Penguin PR lifted the trophy for the second year running beating teams from sportswear giant HUUB, digital marketeers Alphageek and WDS Printers.
The annual event was organised by staff at carbon composite company Pentaxia, in Alfreton Road, and every firm taking part made a donation to YMCA Derbyshire’s campus.
Penguin PR director Sarah Newton said: “We are big supporters of the YMCA and the outstanding work it carries out in the city.
“We usually take part in its annual Sleep Easy and have also cooked the community meal which is run alongside Head High. But of the three events, the pancake race is definitely the easiest way to raise money for them.
“I think the secret to our success is probably that we’re all parents and used to flipping countless pancakes – we certainly weren’t the fastest runners on the day. But the event is really good fun and we’re already looking forward to making it three wins in a row next year.”
It is the fifth time the annual race has taken place and other businesses taking part included Natwest, two teams from Pentaxia and a team from YMCA Derbyshire.
The 25m relay was held over three heats, with each team member required to flip the pancake at the start, the middle and the end.
The winners received a carbon trophy and mini cups, while every competitor received a pot of honey made by Pentaxia’s own bees, who live in five hives at the Alfreton Road site.
Ellie Jackson, from YMCA Derbyshire, said: “We are really grateful to all the businesses who supported the event on Shrove Tuesday – it’s great fun but also raises money for our health and wellbeing programme which funds youth workers, 1-2-1 therapeutic counselling and diversionary activities to improve our residents’ mental health.
“Huge thanks to Pentaxia for staging the event and providing breakfast for all the competitors. It was a chilly morning and the cooked breakfast was gratefully received.”
Details revealed on new 383-space student accommodation scheme at The Island Quarter
The Island Quarter could eventually be home to more than 1,000 students following the submission of proposals for a second phase of purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) on site.
Plans submitted to Nottingham City Council today (16 February) will see a further 383-space student block built on the Manvers Road side of the 36-acre site.
Combined with the 693 beds at the adjacent Winfield Court – which will open to students for the 2024/25 academic year – The Island Quarter will boast a significant student population once both phases are complete.
The proposals – designed by DAY Architectural – cover a range of accommodation types including cluster accommodation, studios and premium options, along with student community amenity facilities such as a gym, laundry room, various lounges and informal breakout areas.
Following a similar material palette to Winfield Court, the designs include a combination of grey, buff and red bricks on the building’s facade alongside ribbed metal cladding.
Christopher Ware, property director at Conygar, said: “The demand for student housing has never been greater, and PBSA plays a vital role in ensuring that students have access to high-quality accommodation without the need to restrict housing supply that is better suited for Nottingham residents.”
The new student block is the latest planning submission by developer The Conygar Investment Company, following last May’s approval for a new 250,000 sq ft biosciences campus on the northern side of the site.
Ware said: “Intergenerational living has been a core principle for our plans for The Island Quarter, and a healthy population of students is a crucial part of this mix. In a competitive marketplace, these well-designed plans put student experience at their heart, and we’re looking forward to seeing this phase move forward.
“This latest proposal is one of a series of planning submissions that are currently in the pipeline, building on the success of the first phases of the development at 1 The Island Quarter and Winfield Court.”
The scheme has been designed by DAY Architectural with planning, transport and environmental advice being provided by Axis.
David Jones, technical director at Axis, said: “As part of the evolving masterplan for The Island Quarter, this next phase of accommodation has been designed so that the proposed build can complement Winfield Court in design and function while diversifying the student living environments on offer.”
Hucknall Peacocks store sold
FHP, acting on behalf of a private family property company, have completed the sale of the Peacocks store at 38-40 High Street, Hucknall, Nottinghamshire.
David Hargreaves said: “This has been a long and drawn out project following the administration of Peacocks during Covid. The new Peacocks Phoenix company wished to retain this store as it was one of the more profitable stores and so we began negotiations with the administrators and Peacocks to agree terms for a new lease.
“Once the new 5 year lease was in place at a rent of £43,000, we brought the investment to the market with an asking price of £450,000.
“As a result of the monthly increases in Base Rates throughout 2023 we had to reprice the investment in September resulting in a sale at a price of £420,000.
“This is a great buy for the private investors giving them a large store of circa 6,000 sq ft with rear parking and a yield of 10.00% for at least a further 4 years. Longer term there is an option to split the store to create 3 shops and 2 upper floor flats if Peacocks don’t renew the lease in 2028.”
FHP acted for the vendors, a private family company that had owned the store for 30+ years. The purchasers represented themselves.
Panther secures multi-million pound Silentnight deal
Two-person delivery specialist, Panther Logistics, which is part of AIT Worldwide Logistics, has been awarded a new four-year contract with Silentnight.
The new deal will see Northampton-based Panther continuing to support Silentnight’s contract with the Premier Inn hotel chain, delivering beds and mattresses to hotels across England, Scotland and Wales, for which it has delivered over 60,000 beds over the past 12 months.
Silentnight has been a Panther customer for the past nine years for its retail operation and has worked with Panther’s recently formed Specialist Operations Division since 2022.
Panther’s Specialist Operations Division delivers bespoke support solutions for large scale delivery clients such as Silentnight. These new commercial opportunities allow Panther to diversify from its two-person deliveries into a much larger scale operation, offering support across the country to clients who require higher volume deliveries that necessitate a more tailored individual solution.
The new multi-million-pound contract with Silentnight will see Panther delivering new beds and mattresses over the next four years, as well as removing the current mattresses and beds for recycling.
“Since its launch, our Specialist Operations Division has been a great success and is yet another milestone for Panther and further demonstrates our ability to consistently push the boundaries,” says Andy Dale, Panther’s Finance and Commercial Director.
“The specialist install and delivery solution by Panther for Silentnight demonstrates the strength of the partnership and we are delighted that we will be continuing to develop our offering with them.”
To support the operation, Panther has invested substantially in the sourcing and training of select teams of specialist installers, exclusively assigned to the Silentnight contract.
“We are very excited about this growing partnership between Silentnight and Panther, it marks another significant stride in our hospitality business, made possible by Panther’s invaluable support,” says David Lawrenson, Sales Director for Hospitality at Silentnight.
“Our hospitality contracts expect and thrive on seamless, large-scale logistics, demanding an expert partner for success. Panther’s unwavering commitment and impeccable service since our collaboration in 2014 have not only impressed us but played a pivotal role in fuelling Silentnight’s remarkable growth.
“They are a key driving force behind our continued success and the obvious choice of delivery provider to support us on our ongoing expansion.”
First-time buyers swoop for Nottinghamshire pharmacy as owner retires
Specialist business property adviser, Christie & Co, has sold Manns Pharmacy in Nottinghamshire.
Manns Pharmacy is a standard hours community pharmacy that dispenses an average of 5,000 items per month. It is located in the residential area of Mapperley, a suburb three miles north-east of Nottingham city centre.
The business has been owned by Gurinder Singh Mann for over 20 years and was brought to market to allow him to retire.
Following a confidential sales process with Carl Steer at Christie & Co, and with funding sourced through David Ward at Christie Finance, it has been purchased by first-time buyers, Mitan Maisuria and Rahul Patel. They will both work in the pharmacy going forward and will aim to increase its service offering.
Carl Steer, Director – Pharmacy at Christie & Co, says: “The sale proved popular, with eight offers from five parties. I have no doubt the pharmacy will benefit from being operated hands-on by Mitan and Rahul, and I wish them all the best with their first pharmacy business.”
David Ward, Senior Director at Christie Finance, says: “I am delighted to have arranged the funding for Mitan and Rahul for the purchase of Manns Pharmacy in what is currently a tougher lending market than this time last year. I am sure that they will take the pharmacy business to new levels.”
Manns Pharmacy was sold leasehold via asset sale for an undisclosed price.
