ABP East London Development Conference

ABP to start "business revolution" in the Royal Docks

By Rob Virtue on June 4, 2014 11:06 AM |

The great and good in the world of regeneration gathered in a tent on a windswept piece of industrial wasteland this week.

It's a site that in a year's time work will have seen the start of construction for an international business hub worth billions of pounds to the UK economy.

Chinese developer ABP is behind the scheme and hosted a forum of key players in Newham's Royal Albert Dock on Tuesday.

Chairman of ABP Xu Weiping said: "East London is fast becoming one of capital's most exciting places to do business.

"We believe the new business district model we are creating at Royal Albert Dock will start a business revolution."

Visitors included Newham Mayor Sir Robin Wales, architect of the masterplan Sir Terry Farrell and Communities Secretary Eric Pickles. The latter described the Government's role in assisting the scheme through enterprise zones.

Mr Pickles said: "It gives business rates relief for five years, promises fast broadband to companies, and offers fast planning permission."

Sir Terry Farrell, Eric Pickles and Xu Weiping - Credit Jesper Mattias He added the Government was working to create stronger links between British and Asian firms as shown by Prime Minister David Cameron's visit to China last year.

"The Prime Minister was wowed by the opportunities he saw," he said.

ABP's plans for the 35-acre site are currently going through planning at Newham Council.

Meanwhile, ABP is working on securing partners from Asia as well as other countries across the globe.

When questioned on a lack of art and culture in the scheme, Mr Xu said he believed visitors would be pleasantly surprised when they returned for the opening of the first phase in 2018.

"The eastern culture is really fashionable, really state of the art," he said. "And in the future east London will have the exhibition hall of the Far East, with art as well as cultural performances.

"British people can learn the mysteries of the east here. ABP will bring the Far East culture to you."

http://www.wharf.co.uk/2014/06/abp-to-start-business-revoluti.html

Summit discusses financial district at Royal Albert Dock

The proposed development of the Royal Albert Dock (pic: HayesDavidson) Sophie Morton, Reporter Tuesday, June 3, 2014 5:16 PM

The emergence of the Royal Albert Dock as a financial district was the focus of a summit of Asian business leaders today.

The proposed development of the Royal Albert Dock (pic: HayesDavidson)

A year on from a £1bn deal to transform the dock, the Asian Business Port (APB) chairman Xu Weiping hosted a conference on the site.

Entitled ‘A real estate revolution and opportunity for Asian businesses’, the summit was attended by 400 business leaders, including more than 150 Chinese delegates.

Mr Xu said: “East London is fast becoming one of capital’s most exciting places to do business and we believe that the new business district model we are creating at Royal Albert Dock will start a business revolution and a new way of working for future companies.

“A year ago we signed the agreement with the Mayor of London and we have come a long way since.

“It is my pleasure to host this summit to open up opportunities in this part of London to Chinese and other Asian businesses.”

As part of the summit, Eric Pickles, the secretary of state for communities and local government, delivered a keynote speech about the Royal Docks Enterprise Zone.

He said: “Enterprise Zones are part of our long term economic plan to secure a better future for people right across the country.

“Chinese businesses have already committed billions to Enterprise Zones in London and Manchester, and today is a chance to show them the potential of Enterprise Zones in other parts of the country.”

Plans for the dock were submitted to Newham Council in April, and it is hoped the development will set a new precedent due to its location away from the city centre.

Subject to planning approval, construction on the 35 acre site could begin as early as next year.

It is estimated up to 20,000 new jobs will be created, with the majority available to local people.

http://www.newhamrecorder.co.uk/news/summit_discusses_financial_district_at_royal_albert_doc k_1_3627188

China push to make Royal Albert Dock ‘rival the City’

Ambitious plans: £1 billion overhaul RUSSELL LYNCH Published: 03 June 2014

The developer behind the planned £1 billion overhaul of the Royal Albert Dock today gathered hundreds of Chinese businessmen and financiers in east London in efforts to create the capital’s “third great business district”.

Xu Weiping, the chairman of Advanced Business Parks, is partnering UK developer Stanhope on the masterplan for the scheme to revive the historic dock near London City Airport as a hub for Asian companies known as the Asian Business Port.

The Royal Docks, also including the Royal Victoria Dock and the King George V Dock, was granted enterprise zone status in 2012.

Building work could begin on the first phase of the 3.2 million sq ft scheme as soon as next year, to be completed in 2018. London Mayor Boris Johnson said the area could eventually grow to rival the City and Canary Wharf.

He said: “The Royal Docks have been neglected for generations but this extraordinary investment is set to create the third great business district of the capital and yield 20,000 jobs. It will be of huge benefit to Londoners.”

Xu’s conference, supported by property agent Savills and Newham borough council, will take place at the Royal Albert Dock development site and forms part of the first UK China Business Leaders Summit.

http://www.standard.co.uk/business/business-news/china-push-to-make-royal-albert-dock-rivalthe-city-9477752.html

Chinese developer Xu Weiping has pledged to create London’s third financial district at Royal Albert Docks after bringing more than 100 Chinese business leaders to the site.

Speaking at a the capital’s first Asian business leaders’ summit, hosted at the 35-acre site, Weiping said the £1bn Albert Dock scheme had already attracted considerable interest in the year since ABP was selected as developer.

Weiping, said: “East London is fast becoming one of capital’s most exciting places to do business and we believe that the new business district model we are creating at Royal Albert Dock will start a business revolution and a new way of working for future companies.

“Royal Albert Dock is the ideal place to create a thriving new business district and we are committed to transforming this brownfield site to deliver real benefits to the local area and to London.”

The conference was attended by executives from some of the biggest institutions from China.

Minsheng Bank president Dong Wenbiao said: “ABP will surely create a new CBD area.

China Minsheng will help further the development of this investment and we will be happy to recommend our friends to set their headquarters in ABP. I have confidence and the determination and I would be happy to help the entrepreneurs in the private sector [in China] to go overseas.”

Xiaming Zhou, minister counsellor commercial at the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China, described ABP as a “pioneer” in the London market.

He said: “Being here you can’t help but feel impressed and inspired by the encouragement of ABP to turn the dock into London’s third largest financial district after the City and Canary Wharf.

ABP’s investment in the Albert Dock had stimulated an “avalanche” of investment from Chinese propcos in London, he added.

Zhou said: “All told, China property developers have signed up for projects totalling some £4bn and there are four mega projects each costing £500m or more to develop expecting to break ground in the next 12 months. London has become a major destination for Chinese outbound property development. It is safe to say the city has attracted more investment from China than any other city in the world. The avalanche has caught many by surprise, me included.”

Savills is advising on the scheme and jointly hosted the conference.

Plans for the site from ABP and UK development manager Stanhope were submitted to Newham council in April this year and include more than 4m sq ft of development, 1.6m sq ft of which will be developed in the first phase.

The scheme aims to provide a new location for Chinese companies keen to establish European headquarters.

東倫敦召開亞洲商界峰會望吸引外國投資 更新時間 2014 年 6 月 4 日, 星期三 - 格林尼治標準時間 08:18

BBC 英倫網 子川

英國社區大臣皮克爾希望擴大與中國貿易關係（攝影：子川）

東倫敦企業開發區周二（6 月 3 日）在皇家阿爾伯特碼頭召開首屆亞洲商界領袖峰 會，英國社區大臣皮克爾斯表示希望吸引更多外國投資。 一年前，中國企業總部基地（ABP，Asia Business Port）與倫敦市長鮑里斯·約翰遜（Boris Johonson）簽署價值 10 億英鎊的協議，計劃將東倫皇家阿爾伯特碼頭建成亞洲商業區。 位於東倫敦碼頭區的皇家阿爾伯特碼頭是英國企業開發區（enterprise zone）的一部分，毗鄰倫敦 城市機場（London City Airport），面積為 35 英畝。 總部基地及其英國發展商今年 4 月向其所屬的紐漢區（Newham）政府遞交了對這一地區的具體計 劃。該計劃由著名建築師泰里·法雷爾爵士（Sir Terry Farrell）主持設計，最快將於 2015 年開始投 入建設。 商業革新 周二（6 月 3 日）在皇家阿爾伯特碼頭召開首屆亞洲商界領袖峰會吸引數百位英中各界人士的參 與。 總部基地主席許為平在亞洲商界領袖峰會上表示，皇家阿爾伯特碼頭在上個世紀一直是重要的港 口碼頭，二戰期間曾經遭到德軍飛機轟炸。隨著英國信息革命的發展，工業革命、產業經濟發展 之後，這個碼頭面臨很大的挑戰，甚至在上個世紀下半葉，不得不關閉。

倫敦市長約翰遜通過視頻短片表示：「皇家阿爾伯特碼頭幾代時間以來被忽略，但這一非凡的投 資項目將創造倫敦第三大商業區和兩萬個工作機會，為倫敦人帶來巨大的好處」。 許為平說：「東倫敦正在快速成為在首都發展商業的最令人興奮的地區，我們確信，在皇家阿爾 伯特碼頭創建的全新商業模式將引發一場商業革新以及未來公司的全新工作方式」。 企業開發區 英國社區及地方政府大臣皮克爾斯（Eric Pickles）在峰會上發表講話時說：「英國經濟目前正以 比任何其它主要發達國家更都更快的速度增長；由於我們對商業的強力支持，英國也是整個歐洲 外來投資的首選目的地， 皮克爾斯介紹，英國是七國集團中公司稅最低的國家，2010 年以來，英國誕生超過 50 萬家新公 司，私營部門提供了 1700 萬個新工作機會。 「與中國的長期合作對英國和中國經濟都有利—英國有高技術勞動力，無敵的全球貿易聯繫，受 尊敬的研究環境，以及對創新的激勵」，他說。 皮克爾斯表示：「現在是英國了解應該對中國經濟提供多少進一步支持的時候，卡梅倫首相和財 相奧斯本帶領主要商業代表團去中國，他們被所看到機會折服，很多大公司與中國企業簽署合作 協議」。 他強調，皇家阿爾伯特碼頭展示了英國企業開發區的潛力，而這種區域遍布全英各地，「企業開 發區是我們開放新商機的核心部分，在短短兩年的時間裏蓬勃發展，吸引 300 多家企業總值 12 億 英鎊私人投資。 皮克爾斯說，英國的企業開發區特別支持新企業和擴張中的大型公司，在稅收、技術、基建等各 個領域都有優惠政策。他希望開發區能夠吸引更多外國投資。 加強了解 儘管如此，外國投資者對倫敦各個區域的了解夠不夠？如何才能更好地宣傳倫敦的企業開發區？ 峰會論壇嘉賓之一、倫敦發展促進署（London & Partners）亞太區總監曹傑介紹，外國投資者對 倫敦一些區域的優勢有一定程度的了解。 曹傑舉例說，很多華人人和日本人選擇到北倫敦的芬奇利區（Finchley）置業，因為那裏有很好的 學校。 「中國公司看中倫敦作為英國乃至整個歐洲的大門（gateway），是他們設置歐洲總部的首選」， 他強調。「但是，外國投資者對倫敦各區域了解夠不夠，這一點對英國商界人士來說特別重 要」。 曹傑表示，多數跨國企業會想要與倫敦聯繫起來，有些公司的總部在倫敦之外的郡，卻對外宣稱 自己在倫敦。 「我認為宣傳倫敦各個區域的最好方式是與律師事務所、會計師事務所等合作伙伴通力合作，並 與有遠見的投資者合作—特別對亞洲投資者來說，東倫敦目前有一個可以填補的空白」，他說。 http://www.bbc.co.uk/ukchina/trad/uk_life/2014/06/140604_life_east_london_summit.shtml