A multi-let industrial estate in Rearsby, Leicestershire, once home to the famous Auster Aircraft, is to be openly marketed for the first time. CBRE, the global real estate advisory firm, has been instructed to sell Rearsby Business Park on behalf of its private owner, for offers above £10.25 million. Set on a 12.95-acre site, the estate comprises 15 fully let industrial units, totaling 155,985 sq ft and ranging in sizes from 791 sq ft to 50,047 sq ft. Tenants include East Coast Fittings, T.E.K Seating, GT Plumbing & Heating Engineers, Lewis & Hill Ltd, Metric Services (Leicester) Ltd, and K & D E Barnett & Sons Ltd. The estate also has planning permission for a 56,400 sq ft industrial unit or alternative uses subject to planning. The site has a rich manufacturing history. It was first home to Taylorcraft Aeroplanes (England) Ltd’s factory, where the world-famous single propeller ‘Auster’ light aircraft was designed and manufactured. More recently it was occupied by Rearsby Automotive Ltd from 1966 to 1996. Over the years it has been extensively modernised, extended and redeveloped, with the latest unit being added in 2020. Oli Forster, senior director in CBRE’s investment properties team, said: “This is the first time the site has come to market, having been under its current ownership since the 1970s. As such, it’s a great opportunity to acquire a well-established, fully let industrial estate with strong rental income. Given the shortage of industrial land in the East Midlands, the consented site presents further opportunities to add value. “The estate is in the heart of the East Midlands’ industrial market, which is continuing to attract high levels of investment and take-up from occupiers, with the region accounting for 29.5% of the total national logistics take-up during the first quarter of 2024 and maintaining headline rents of £9.75psf following a period of sustained growth, which CBRE forecast will continue to rise. “Prime industrial rents in the East Midlands have remained stable, following a sustained period of growth, which CBRE forecast will continue to rise.”

Following the £7 million redevelopment of EastWest on Maid Marian Way in Nottingham, a further hattrick of tenants have leased more than 16,500 sq ft of office space. An international domain registry and web hosting company has taken 5,500 sq ft of bespoke designed workspace within EastWest, signing a five-year lease. Two further deals have been agreed with audit, tax and consulting firm RSM UK taking 7,500 sq ft and Roythornes Ltd taking 3,291 sq ft on 10-year leases. Ann Barrasso, operations director for Roythornes Limited, said: “As a firm we had been in Nottingham for several years but were ready, due to our ambitious expansion programme, to move to an office which reflected the law firm we are now, rather than the one we were some years ago. “In addition, of course, we were keen to improve the working environment for our talented team – it’s so important that we look after our people and that staff look forward to coming in to work. “We’re delighted to say that EastWest ticked all the boxes – it gives us a brilliant base for the firm and our staff love the building, the environment and the facilities. We’re looking forward to continuing to build our business from our new home.” Sheetal Sanghvi, managing partner in the East Midlands at RSM UK, said: “As part of our commitment to the East Midlands region, we’re thrilled to have extended our lease at the newly refurbished EastWest offices for the next decade. “We look forward to welcoming our team, clients and contacts to our new home very soon, where we will continue to support fantastic businesses in the city and across the region.” Alex Goode, investment manager at CEG, added: “We’re delighted to welcome three further businesses with strong covenants to EastWest. The building has fast become a thriving business community following its comprehensive modern refurbishment.” Mark Tomlinson, Director at FHP which is the agent on the scheme, said: “EastWest represents the ‘best in class’ office offering in Nottingham following its substantial refurbishment. “In particular, the building offers the high-quality finishes and lifestyle aspects which are sought after by occupiers with the onsite café restaurant and a particular emphasis on the occupier experience.”

On behalf of private clients, FHP Property Consultants have let a 37,302ft² former distribution depot situated on Melbourne Road, Lount, Leicestershire. The premises have been let to Summit Platforms Ltd on a new 10 year lease. The site is strategically located just 2 miles from Junction 13 of the A42 with Junction 23a of the M1 only 9 miles away to the north east. The property itself sits on a self-contained site extending to approximately 3.2 acres and comprises a single storey warehouse, a separate workshop facility and a two storey office building. Darran Severn of FHP Property Consultants says: “I am pleased this letting has completed in what has been an excellent result for all parties. This was not a straight-forward letting and there were a number of difficulties which arose during the due diligence. Pleasingly all parties took a pragmatic approach which enabled everything to be resolved to suit both landlord and tenant. “Given the nature of the site, there are a number of businesses who we are speaking to that have missed out on this opportunity, therefore I would be delighted to speak with any landlords who have any similar properties becoming available soon.”

Fairham Business Park’s developers are celebrating another practical completion as Unit A is handed over to the occupier. Works begun at Plot A4, Fairham Business Park in October 2023. Nine months later the 100,000 sq ft unit has been built by lead contractor, TanRo and handed over to the occupier. The unit is located next to the stand-alone units totalling 260,000 sq ft purchased by international property investment and asset management company Hines and a 100,600 sq ft bespoke building for a local company who will be moving into their premises next year. The brand-new purpose-built premises comprises of a 95,379 sq ft warehouse with 12,292 sq ft office and welfare space over three storeys, situated at the front of the building. There are 84 car parking spaces at the front of property with ten electric vehicle (EV) charging bays. There will also be a large service yard to the rear with ten dock levellers and four level access to meet the needs of the occupier. Clowes Developments will be providing a fully photovoltaic (PV) ready frame. James Richards, director at Clowes Developments, said: “Nine months after works began on site and we’re now handing over to our client, who will be formally identified in the next few weeks. It’s testament to our professional delivery team who can perform to such a high standard and according to a tight schedule. It is fantastic to see the ongoing development of Fairham Business Park, as one completes, another ramps up on plot A2.” As the occupiers of A2 sign the deal for a bespoke 100,600 sq ft unit, ground works have already been concluded and steel frames are due to be erected in the coming weeks. In total, this will mean over 600,000 sq ft of industrial, warehouse, distribution and manufacturing space has been snapped up at Fairham Business Park, with further announcements expected in due course. Tim Gilbertson, director at FHP Property Consultants, added: “High demand for commercial units at Fairham says something about the transport links of Fairham Business Park and it’s positioning outside of Nottingham’s workplace parking levy. We are excited to market phase two of the business park, where potential occupiers can make use of more varied commercial opportunities such as office, trade counter or retail schemes.”

ConSpare, has published its second industry white paper, addressing how operators in the concrete production industry can boost employee wellbeing through improvements made to the batch plant. The white paper, titled “The right mix: Addressing the “S” of ESG for concrete batch plants – putting people at the centre of investment decision-making”, uses qualitative data from plant supervisors and managers to demonstrate the importance of eliminating hazards and reducing the amount of repetitive, unpleasant and unproductive tasks around the plant, and the benefits that this can bring to the industry as a whole. With commentary from sustainability expert Dr Miles Watkins and ConSpare’s CEO James Bullock, the report illustrates the impact that a people-first approach can have on both the physical and mental health of workers, in terms of improving work-life balance, job satisfaction and overall happiness. James Bullock said: “The concrete industry has made significant progress over the past decade in ensuring its approach to environmental, social and governance is robust, but as well as tackling sustainability challenges such as carbon reduction, it’s important that we address the people at the heart of the concrete plants themselves. “Developing an understanding of the positive impact that batch plant performance can have on colleagues’ motivation, productivity and loyalty is important for any concrete business, particularly as site teams come into contact with hazards and undertake non-value adding tasks on a daily basis. So, it’s crucial we do everything we can to combat this issue. “Our white paper outlines the steps that can be taken by the industry to improve the daily lives of site staff, and while these may seem like simple measures, they can have a huge impact. We’ve heard from plant supervisors and managers how much of an impact the long hours, challenging conditions and repetitive tasks often involved in concrete production can have on their wellbeing, and it’s up to us to do something about it as one collective industry.” Dr Miles Watkins said: “In business, and indeed elsewhere, people are as fundamental to the sustainability journey as the environment and economics. “Through demonstrated best practice, the concrete industry is well within its capabilities to put its teams at the centre of decision-making, ensuring their professional lives are enriching in every sense. “ConSpare is making real progress in helping both its customers and the industry more broadly, and we hope that this report will build on James’ work to help to raise awareness and encourage investment decisions that will improve the safety, wellbeing and happiness of workers across the industry.” ConSpare’s latest white paper comes after the launch of its first sustainability report last year, titled “Why Sustainability is a Concrete Matter: Reducing Carbon and Cost from Concrete Batching Plant Operations”.

Midlands contractor, G F Tomlinson, has finished delivering the first stage of works as part of a masterplan to reinvigorate the historic Tower Gardens in Skegness. On behalf of Skegness Town Council, who are developing the site with Heritage Lincolnshire through SCAPE’s Regional Construction Framework, G F Tomlinson worked alongside Influence Planning and Design and Gleeds to complete the £590k initial phase. The completion of the project was marked with a ‘ribbon cutting’ ceremony earlier this month, with Deputy Town Mayor, Councillor Jimmy Brookes, Town Clerk, Steve Larner and G F Tomlinson’s Framework Manager for SCAPE, Craig Stopper, in attendance, along with local councillors and representatives from Heritage Lincolnshire, Influence and Gleeds. The first stage of the Tower Gardens Masterplan formed part of the Towns Fund Grant Scheme and was safely delivered whilst the park remained open to the public, ensuring availability for continued use of the amenities with minimal disruption. Landmark works included the refurbishment of the pond and its perimeter railings as well as the reinstatement of the pond pump, together with enhancements to overall accessibility through the re-levelling of the land and re-routing of footpaths. A specialised sensory area was created around the bandstand of the historic site for the local community to enjoy, where planting by the project team and members of the local community was undertaken as part of a community planting day held in March. The enhancement works will ensure that Tower Gardens continues to provide a valuable and accessible central space for Skegness residents to enjoy, bringing people together for community events and outdoor activities. In support of the local community, G F Tomlinson sourced 58% of its labour for the scheme from within a 40-mile radius of the site, providing local job opportunities for the region. Alongside this over 99% of construction waste for the project was diverted from landfill, reducing the environmental impact on the community. G F Tomlinson has a long-standing relationship with Skegness Town Council having previously delivered the Tower Gardens Pavilion back in 2020. Adrian Grocock, Managing Director at G F Tomlinson, said: “It has been a pleasure to be working alongside our long-term client, Skegness Town Council, once again to bring the first phase of the vision for the Tower Gardens landscape renovations to life, reinvigorating a historical central landmark so that residents can continue to enjoy it for years to come. “The scheme fully compliments our earlier project on the Tower Gardens Pavilion. The team and all suppliers have worked exceptionally well together to overcome operational and design challenges in a fully collaborative environment, delivering enhancement works that will benefit the town for many years to come.” Mark Robinson, group chief executive at SCAPE, said: “The Tower Gardens in Skegness is an excellent example of how utilising green spaces can enrich communities, bringing together local residents who enjoy the outdoor and natural environments. We are immensely proud to be working in close partnership with G F Tomlinson on such a positive project which is providing a place residents can be proud of, whilst leaving a lasting historical legacy.” Steve Larner, Town Clerk of Skegness Town Council, said: “It is wonderful to see everyone enjoying Tower Gardens now that the first phase of works are complete. This scheme has delivered improvements around the bandstand and central area of Tower Gardens. “The pond has been restored to its former glory and the sensory play has been a big hit.   We have received many positive comments from both residents and visitors alike. A big thank you goes out to everyone involved in the first phase of this project.” Shona Hatton, director at Influence Landscape Planning & Design, said: “The conservation and enhancement of this Grade II Registered Park and garden helps reestablish Tower Gardens as one of Skegness’ primary green spaces. “Influence is proud to have sensitively conserved and restored the park’s main features and introduced new elements of design that enable all the community to have a sense of pride and ownership. The work reinforces the park as a quality destination in its own right as well as a pleasant onward approach and gateway to the Grand Parade and sea front. “The physical improvements create a safe and accessible park for all, with the central features of the cascade and pond creating a vibrance and energy that had been lost, right at its heart. The gardens now have a sense of its original charm and enable people to hark back to an era when Pleasure Gardens were places for socialising and enjoyment.”