Henry Brothers Construction has been appointed by the University of Nottingham to help develop its Castle Meadow Campus (CMC) in the city. The company has won a £7m contract to remodel and refurbish two of seven buildings on the 3.75 hectare site – preparing them for future occupation. The university plans to create an enterprise campus on the site which is located on Castle Meadow Road at the foot of Nottingham Castle and was formerly occupied by HMRC. The development has now entered its latest phase, with contractors being appointed to convert the site’s buildings and landscape to kickstart the creation of a new city centre campus for the university. Managing Director of Nottingham-based Henry Brothers Construction, Ian Taylor, said: “This is a hugely exciting project for the University of Nottingham and for the city, and we are proud to be playing a part in it. “Henry Brothers has extensive experience of working with universities across the Midlands to improve their facilities. This is our first contract with the University of Nottingham, and we are really looking forward to getting on site in our home city to deliver some of the building work at Castle Meadow Campus.” Henry Brothers Construction has been appointed to strip out and refurbish buildings D and F on the site. On completion of the work in building D later this year, the facility will be used for long-term leases for the university’s industry partners, including leading global accountancy firm KPMG. The plan is for building F to also house industry partners – but predominantly innovative spin outs, start-ups, and scale ups on flexible licenses. It will include spaces for collaborative working, hot-desking, meeting rooms, and meeting pods. The refurbishment is due to be completed in early 2024. Other members of the team working alongside Henry Brothers on the design and build contract are project manager Aecom, quantity surveyor Gardiner & Theobald, concept architect Hopkins, engineer Arup, architect Bond Bryan, and landscape architect Ares Design.

Prologis UK recently saw the opening of Royal Mail’s largest automated parcel facility at Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal (DIRFT). Spanning 53-acres and totalling 840,000 sq ft of warehousing space, Royal Mail’s Midlands Super Hub is the latest milestone in a significant growth and development programme currently being progressed at DIRFT. Once fully operational, the Super Hub has the capacity to process 235 million parcels a year, with the site benefitting from an integrated rail link to support intermodal deliveries. Royal Mail’s Midland Super Hub joins a total of almost 1.5m sq ft of logistics real estate investment on site, with DC6 and DC7 for Warrens Group now fully operational, and speculatively built DC628 and DC327 recently reaching practical completion. Alongside new distribution centres, Prologis UK has further invested in the creation of a 130-bay lorry park to provide HGV drivers servicing the park with free, safe, and well-maintained facilities. The new development ensures that HGVs no longer need to park on surrounding roads, enhancing driver welfare and reducing traffic build up. Sally Duggleby, head of leasing at Prologis UK, said: “DIRFT is our largest logistics property asset in the UK and second largest outside of the US, so to welcome Royal Mail’s Super Hub to the site’s portfolio is a fantastic addition. With a growing number of customers choosing to increase their operations at the site, DIRFT will continue to go from strength to strength. “As a multi-faceted location, comprising three rail terminals, warehousing, a lorry park, Lilbourne Meadows nature reserve and a logistics training facility, Prologis UK’s sustained investment in the facility’s development is evident.”

P3 Logistic Parks has expanded into the UK through the acquisition of two logistics assets from Segro, totalling 81,000 sq m of space. One asset is located in Crick and comprises around 36,000 sq m lettable area. The second asset with more than 45,000 sq m is located in Kettering. Frank Pörschke, CEO of the Czech firm, said: “The acquisition of these two logistics assets in the UK marks a significant milestone for P3, as it expands our operations into a key market known for its robust logistics industry. “The country has always been a vital hub for international trade and commerce, and we are excited to offer our expertise and resources to meet the evolving needs of businesses operating in this region.” All units were developed from 2010 onwards to a modern Grade A institutional specification including BREEAM rating ‘Very Good’ and are fully leased out to three tenants. P3 is partnering with Roebuck, an institutional Pan-European investment manager specializing in the European logistics sector. Roebuck is assisting P3’s entry into the UK and will manage both assets in the initial stage of P3’s expansion into the UK. Otis Spencer, CIO of P3 Logistic Parks, said: “P3’s entry into the UK market reflects our long-term vision and strategic growth plans. We have carefully selected these logistics assets as they align with our commitment to delivering excellent service quality, operational efficiency, and sustainability to our customers.” David Proctor, Managing Director of Group Investment at SEGRO, said: “This disposal has enabled us to divest a number of relatively small holdings, all of which were ear-marked for disposal in the near to medium-term, allowing us to recycle capital into our successful development programme. “It also demonstrates the continuing investment appeal of high-quality logistics assets after the significant valuation correction that occurred over the last year.” P3 was advised by Colliers on the transaction. DTRE and ACRE acted on behalf of SEGRO. Ed Plumley, director, EMEA Capital Markets, Colliers, said: “These acquisitions are the good news the market needs. It is a clear demonstration that investor appetite remains for assets in core locations with long-term growth and ESG performance opportunities. Colliers were delighted to bring this off-market opportunity to P3 and provide focused advice as they expanded into a new jurisdiction.” The terms of the transaction have not been disclosed.

Derbyshire-based, privately-owned property company, Clowes Developments, together with contractor, Roe Developments, have completed the development of 47 luxury one- and two-bedroom apartments in Matlock. Marc Freeman, director, Clowes Developments, said: “We are incredibly proud of the quality and design principles we have applied to Riber View Apartments. This is truly a unique residential development at the heart of the iconic Derbyshire town of Matlock. “I would like to personally thank Mark Weston, the project manager at Roe Developments, Peak Architects, our legal team at Gateley’s and especially our in-house team at Clowes for delivering this scheme to such a high standard. We would also like to take the time to thank Matlock Town FC for their support and patience during construction.” The residential scheme benefits from secure key fob access, which leads directly into a reception and postal area. There is also off road parking with an undercover car park, bicycle storage, and electric vehicle charging points. A management company is providing a fully serviced building and landscaped grounds. Clowes also opted to install solar panels to the roof – providing sustainable energy for the common areas of the buildings. The apartments, ranging in size from 450 to 765 square foot, were designed by Peak Architects to transform the former run-down site into a residential development that retains and enhances the vitality of Matlock town centre. Peak Architects’ focus has been to create a scheme that acknowledges and refers to the town’s architecture and local context using locally sourced stone on the Causeway Lane elevation. Sally Botham Estates have been handling “a high volume” of off plan enquiries for the apartments located on Causeway Lane since construction began in 2022, and the first few residents have moved into their new homes. Meanwhile, Clowes Developments have brought the commercial element of the development to the market. The commercial ground floor space, available via agents, Brasier Freeth, consists of a 3,000 sq ft high-street unit suitable for retail, cafe/coffee, or lifestyle operators. The space has the potential to be divided into two units to suit occupier requirements.

Specialist business property adviser, Christie & Co, has sold Hazeldene House residential and dementia care home in Chesterfield. Hazeldene House is a two-storey, 21-bedroom, residential care home with a profitable trading history and a ‘Good’ CQC rating. It sits in the Clay Cross area of the East Midlands market town of Chesterfield. The home has been owned by Pavanveer Singh Grewal for five years and was brought to market to allow him to pursue other business interests. Following a confidential sales process with Rosie Turner at Christie & Co, it has been sold to an expanding West Yorkshire care group. Rosie Turner, business agent – care at Christie & Co, says: “We were delighted to be able to assist the owners in the sale of Hazeldene House. We ran a confidential marketing process which received a strong level of interest due to the home’s ‘Good’ CQC rating and its registered manager in place and, when reviewing the offers with Pavanveer, the buyer stood out due to its business structure and operational knowledge. “This is another great example of the demand that exists for a range of homes in the East Midlands. While there are new challenges within deals, such as the interest rate rises and wider economic factors, signs still point towards a positive outcome for going concerns within the sector in the region. I wish the vendors all the success in their future projects and look forward to watching the buyer expand its West Yorkshire offering.” Hazeldene House was sold for an undisclosed price.