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LIVERPOOL CITY REGION CHESTER MANCHESTER

May-July 2010

MOVE COMMERCIAL The north-west’s guide to property and business

Issue 18

INDIGO-GO Exclusive with etrepreneur Simon Matthews-Williams CANNES CLOSE-UP All the Liverpool event photos THE DAMNED UNITED Priorities for the hung parliament

www.langtreegroupplc.co.uk Mere Grange – Major new office park

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TO LET / FOR SALE

MERE

50% OF F IN

T FIRST HE YEAR (T &CS A PPLY)

A570 ST HELENS LINKWAY OFF J7 M62, ST HELENS MAJOR NEW OFFICE PARK SELF-CONTAINED OFFICES 2,500 - 10,100 SQ FT DESIGN & BUILD OPPORTUNITIES PLANNING PERMISSION FOR UP TO 300,000 SQ FT

EST R LAT U O R JOIN KELLE R E I P UE OCCU HNIQ C E T O GE

To find out more about Mere Grange visit

www.meregrange.co.uk For enquiries contact:

In partnership with

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Endangered Species For Sale / To Let New High Specification Office Buildings see them before they All Disappear Only a few units remain and with one freehold available

Specification

it could be your last chance to obtain a high quality, self

• Mature landscaped environment.

• Superb motorway (M57/ M62) access contained office building, on one of Merseyside’s Premier and local communications.

Business Parks.

• Generous on site car parking.

• Secure enclosed site.

Each two storey building is open plan. We also • Two storey office buildings from Find us on offer extensive design and build solutions, up to 1,601 to 5,166 sq ft. your sat nav • Ability to retro-fit an air L34 1BD 70,000 sq ft, offering maximum flexibility. conditioning system.

• Full access raised floors.

Kings Business Park enjoys an outstanding location, accessed • Toilets on each floor. directly from Junction 2 of the M57 motorway.

• Suspended ceilings with integral LG7 lighting.

To find out more visit www.marshallcdp.com

WWW.MARSHALLCDP.COM

Kings Business Park Knowsley • Merseyside MOVE COMMERCIAL

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Issue eighteen Move Commercial

Contents News

16

Welcome to Move Commercial In this issue of Move Commercial, retail is on the table for our panel of experts, examining the growth of prime sites in the region and the surprising benefits of online retail for keeping the high street strong in Manchester, Liverpool, and the surrounding areas. In Founding Business Alan Beer confides in Move Commercial about his plans for growth and we’ve compiled a list of the region’s wealthiest business people in Rising Stars, while our architectural update highlights some of the stunning entries for this year’s RIBA awards. The growth of the leisure industry cannot go unnoticed in Liverpool, where planning applications for new hotels are at a record high. Maintaining quality in this sector is a concern, but our Entrepreneur Simon Mathews-Williams isn’t too worried ahead of the

23 LIVERPOOL CITY REGION CHESTER MANCHESTER

44 May-July 2010

MOVE COMMERCIAL The north-west’s guide to property and business

Hotel Indigo launch – and no wonder with Marco PierreWhite onboard. Capitalising on the momentum of significant lettings is a running theme, as Ask’s First Street development launches the first phase of the Manchester scheme with the city council as tenants. Further investment into the regeneration area and southern gateway into the city is anticipated by our Mover & Shaker, Ask director John Hughes, but if critics suspect the scheme of attempting rivalry with the city centre they’ll be wrong the masterplan is cleverer than that. Move Commercial’s photographers captured property professionals at lunch at this year’s Cannes Do, and at the Women in Construction event at BoConcept Liverpool ahead of what should be a busy and prosperous summer for property.

Issue 18

INDIGO-GO Exclusive with etrepreneur Simon Matthews-Williams CANNES CLOSE-UP All the Liverpool event photos THE DAMNED UNITED Priorities for the hung parliament

42

move publishing ltd Advertising Director Fiona Barnet Tel 0151 709 3871 Account Manager Jo Tait Tel 0151 709 3871 Editorial Team Lucy Oliver and Jonathan Kearney Email post@movepublishing.co.uk Tel 0151 709 3871 Picture Researcher Frances Gill. Email frances@movepublishing.co.uk

Designer Rob Whyte. Email rob@movepublishing.co.uk Published by Move Publishing Ltd Directors David O’Brien, Kim O’Brien, Fiona Barnet Printed by Precision Colour Printers Ltd Distribution Liaison Manager Barbara Troughton Tel 0151 733 5492 Mobile 077148 14662

06 07 09 10 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

Plans for Pall Mall Exchange Central Village work to start Wirral’s links across the globe Princes Dock’s waterfront offer Exchange Flags’ foodie appeal Knowsley’s fierce attraction Runcorn points forwards Take-off for retail scheme Retail tops Kirkby survey Retail tenants for Liverpool Ellesmere Port’s international attractions 22 Gateway finds support 23 Media revolution in Manchester

Features 11 Bitesize Thinking Food for thought 24 Mover & Shaker John Hughes on a first for Ask Developments 28 Leisure economy update Hotels in focus 30 Founding Business Alan Beer on the family firm 34 Entrepreneur Simon Matthews -Williams on new ventures in hospitality 37 Debate The retail climate is on the table 42 Architectural update The RIBA shortlist 44 Rising Stars Regional businesses growing their profits 46 Ask the Panel What should the new government do?

Key Events 21 Women in Construction Chapel Street networking 26 Port of Liverpool The lifeblood of business 32 The Cannes Do in Liverpool Annual property lunch

Careers 40 Appointments Property movers and shakers

Credits Focus on Architecture photography credits: Abito © David Barbour. LJMU Art & Design Academy © Richard Chivers. Chavasse Park Pavilion © Roy Roberts. Chips © Christian Richters. The Pier Head and Canal Link © Darren Johnston. Site 1, Liverpool One © Paul McMullin. Engineering Department, University of Liverpool, © Hufton & Crow. Tom Reilly Building, © Ian Lawson.

New Roundhouse, © Daniel Hopkinson. Site 7, Liverpool One © Paul Raftery. Other credit: Peter Kelly/Key Event. www.langtreegroupplc.co.uk Mere Grange – Major new office park

Copyright Move Publishing Limited. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced copied or transmitted in any form or by any means or stored in any information storage or retrieval system without the publishers written permission.

Although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of material published, Move Publishing can accept no responsibility for the veracity of the claims made by advertisers.

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News Move Commercial

Downing toasts new tenant CGI of how the Central Village development will look

Touch of cinnamon for commercial district CINNAMON Café Bar and Lounge has opened in the atrium of The Capital, owned by property group Downing.

The developers have been advancing Liverpool’s largest Grade A-equivalent refurbishment scheme at The Capital since acquiring the building in 2006, and the café is the latest facility to open at the £15million development, delivering new high quality office space alongside business and lifestyle facilities. The new café serves hot and cold drinks, breakfast, lunch, light refreshments and hot snacks and features open plan seating as well as quiet meeting spaces. Jacqueline McKeown, owner of Cinnamon cafe bar and lounge, said: “I have worked in the Commercial District for more than 20 years and I know what workers and residents Artist’s impression of proposed Pall Mall scheme

New Vision for city development Pall Mall Exchange announced LIVERPOOL VISION has announced a major new commercial development for the city. Incumbent chief executive Jim Gill used the platform of the annual property event, MIPIM in Cannes, to announce the Pall Mall Exchange scheme, a four hectare extension to St Paul’s Square in the city’s commercial district. The development will offer up to 450,000 sq ft of mixed-use commercial space. The Northwest 6

MOVE COMMERCIAL

Regional Development Agency currently own the freehold for the site, which is to be developed as Grade A office space, together with public realm, retail, restaurants, residential and parking. Jim Gill commented: “Pall Mall represents a fabulous opportunity to plan and develop an office campus of the highest quality, to leading edge environmental standards at the heart of a city centre with all the

benefits which follow from such a superb location. This site represents a fantastic site for large scale civil service relocations or for major corporations looking to reduce their cost base and enhance their business efficiency.”

The procurement process for the site will begin in the summer, with public sector funding available for funding. King Sturge has been appointed as property consultants for the project.

Cinnamon Cafe

want from a cafe. “We’ve worked hard to meet those needs and think that people will really enjoy what we have to offer, all in the fantastic surroundings of the Capital’s atrium.”

Robin Ellis, senior agency surveyor at Downing, said: “The new cafe is a great addition to the Capital and we’re confident it will offer our tenants, and the wider business community, the perfect meeting place.” In December 2009 the company secured Liverpool’s largest ever commercial letting when the UK Border Agency, one of the city’s biggest employers, took 220,000 sq ft in the building.

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Move Commercial News

£37m deal at Central Village Summer start for Lewis’s renovation CONSTRUCTION WORK to revitalise Liverpool’s historic Lewis’s Building will begin this summer (2010), developer Merepark has announced. Leading European hotel brand Adagio has been named as the anchor tenant in the scheme which will feature leisure, retail and office space at the landmark city centre site. Merepark has successfully concluded a £37.1 million deal to forward fund the works, part of its wider Central Village regeneration scheme, with a Regent Capital syndicate. A ten year senior debt facility has been provided to the syndicate by The Co-operative Bank.

The project will deliver newly refurbished retail and leisure space and see the building’s unused upper floors brought back to life as 80,000 sq ft of offices and a 125-bed apartment–hotel. Adagio, a joint venture between the Accor and Pierre Vacances hospitality groups, has pre-let space in the refurbished building. It will operate a new 125bed Adagio Aparthotel - the first to open in the UK. Ian Jones, director at Merepark, said: “Securing forward funding and attracting a major hotel group represents a compelling vote of confidence in both the future of the Lewis’s Building and Liverpool as

Lewis’s front view

a place to do business. We are looking forward to starting on site and delivering a scheme which will give the building a new lease of life and a place at the heart of the wider Central Village development.”

The newly refurbished contemporary office accommodation will be located across four floors of the existing building and comprise individual 20,000 sq ft grade A floor plates. It will be delivered to a BREEAM very good rating. In addition, a new plaza will be created between Liverpool Central Station

and the Lewis’s Building and 180,000 sq ft of leisure and retail accommodation will be created in the space previously occupied by Vergo Retail. Discussions are ongoing with Vergo Retail, as well as a number of other potential occupiers in relation to this leisure and retail space. The famous ‘Dickie Lewis’ statue will remain firmly in place at the Renshaw and Ranelagh Street entrance.

The refurbishment is scheduled to be available for occupation from the third quarter of 2011. DTZ and CBRE

have been appointed as agents for the offices and Savills advised Merepark on the pre-let to Adagio.

Jim Gill, chief executive of Liverpool Vision, said: “This is very good news.

The scheme will have a really positive impact on this part of the city centre which has not really been able to take advantage of the development boom since 2000. The funding package is evidence of continued confidence in Liverpool city centre and a tribute to the tenacity and innovation of the development partnership.”

August opening for new hotel A MULTI-MILLION POUND hotel development in the centre of Liverpool’s historic RopeWalks district will welcome its first guests in August. The hotel arrives in the city following the success of its flagship venture in London’s Kensington. It will be the second base2stay hotel in the country. The directors say that one of its unique selling points is that, rather than having a bar or dining facilities on site, the hotel encourages guests to explore their surroundings by offering exclusive discounts at restaurants, bars and cultural venues across the city. The base2stay Liverpool will be located 100 meters from the new Liverpool One shopping district in a former print works dating from the 1850s and will have undergone a £14m redevelopment that

will transform it into a 106-room, four star hotel. The owners state that many of the building’s original heritage features have been retained and incorporated into the contemporary interior design, including the original roof timbers with which the building was first constructed and which are believed to have come from 18th century ships. Gary Laird, general manager of base2stay Liverpool, said: “Liverpool has gone through a renaissance recently and is now a more exciting and appealing tourism destination, so we were keen to be a part of that. Overseas and domestic visitor numbers are rising rapidly and we are perfectly placed for people wishing to sample the city’s broad cultural offering and uniquely vibrant nightlife.”

base2stay main entrance

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big

on support

If you are considering relocation for your business, or expanding your company, Wirral offers accessible, user-friendly information that saves you time and enables faster, better informed decision-making.

You will find specialist advice and assistance from finding sites and development partners, through to recruiting and training quality staff and developing new supply chains.

A full package of location advice and business support is available designed to give your company a competitive advantage.

For more information and advice about investing in Wirral

Call 0151 650 6915 Visit www.investwirral.com

417JUN08PJ

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Move Commercial News

Next Generation IT for Wirral Wirral Council invests £12m

Jim Wilkie

WIRRAL COUNCIL has committed to investing £12m in its IT infrastructure to provide super-fast Next Generation Access (NGA) broadband to businesses throughout the Borough. This significant investment in the borough’s IT infrastructure is being made to improve the competitiveness of existing Wirral businesses in the international market, as well as to attract companies wishing to locate to the UK or Europe who are dependent on fast data transmission. By the end of 2010, it’s predicted that super-fast broadband will still only be available to 7.4 per cent of the UK population, making this investment an historic one for Wirral Council. Jim Wilkie, deputy

chief executive for Wirral Council, said: “High speed internet is becoming an essential business element and this investment is crucial to the future success of our economy. Next Generation Access will enable our businesses to successfully compete and give Wirral a real unique selling point as a potential investment location.”

The majority of UK broadband currently lags behind other parts of the world such as Korea, Japan, France, Portugal and Spain because it is supplied through copper cables.

A much higher speed of connectivity can be supplied through fibre optic networks and Wirral is proposing to install a ‘fibre ring’ which will reach its key investment and employment areas

and will use ‘Fibre to the Premises’ (FTTP) technology so that the fastest service is available to business at all times. Wirral’s fibre ring will be ‘open access’ to service providers such as Virgin, Sky and BT so as to ensure that Wirral businesses have access to the fastest broadband at the cheapest price.

Mr Wilkie added: “The installation of the fast fibre optic network will be phased over the next few years but we anticipate that the first businesses will be benefiting from it within 18 months when they will have a real edge over their competitors.” Wirral plans to boost its improved connectivity even more by linking up with data centres throughout the world, enabling truly global coverage.

Wirral goes green Green technologies training for Bromborough PLANS are being unveiled today for a national training centre dedicated to green energy microgeneration technologies in time for an opening in July. Construction work began in April on the new Green Energy Training Centre (GETC) on Wirral International Business Park in Bromborough, with funding for the £280,000 project being drawn from both the public and private sector. The GETC is a partnership between the Skills Funding Agency (SFA) and two Wirral based private businesses Stiebel Eltron, the German owned renewable energy product manufacturer, and Scientiam the Birkenhead based training provider. In total Stiebel Eltron will invest £57,372, Scientiam £100,050 and SFA £122,275, through the Regional Skills Capital Development Fund. The GETC will be built at Stiebel Eltron’s premises. Stiebel Eltron’s UK managing director Mark McManus said he wanted to hear from engineers, electrical contractors, plumbing contractors and heating and ventilation specialists as well as other tradesmen looking to transfer and improve skills. He said: “We know the GETC can play a vital role in filling the green energy skills gap.

We further know emphatically that green energy is the future, with £100bn being

Mandi O’Shea and Mark McManus

invested in the industry creating an estimated 160,000 jobs by 2020 according to government targets.

However, if we are to meet the UK’s target of 15 per cent of UK energy coming from renewable sources by 2020, there is a desperate need to improve the quantity and calibre of training available specifically in microgeneration technologies. This is precisely what the GETC will focus on.” He continued: “Microgeneration is defined as

green technologies found within homes and commercial properties which produce heating, hot water, ventilation, lighting and electricity. This includes equipment such as ground and air source heat pumps, solar panels and solar photovoltaic. These technologies have a vital role to play as today renewables account for less than two per cent of energy production and by 2016 all new homes built must be carbon neutral.” Mr McManus said the GETC will

provide the highest standards of training on the latest equipment helping installers from across the UK become accredited for the Government’s Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS). This accreditation is critical as without it property owners using installers not recognised by the MCS cannot apply for government grants, which can pay up to half the costs of buying and installing green energy equipment.

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News Move Commercial

Location fit for a prince Business opportunity at UNESCO site GRADE A office accommodation at Princes Dock on Liverpool’s UNESCO waterfront is available for businesses looking to relocate, with space available from 2,316 – 14,000 sq ft. Princes Dock is a hub of business activity set in 14.5 hectares, situated next to the proposed £5.5 billion redevelopment scheme of Liverpool waterfront; Liverpool Waters, and next to the iconic Liver Building.

The scheme developed by Peel Land & Property is, according to a Peel spokesperson, already being earmarked by prospective tenants for its enviable location combining a tranquil waterfront setting with

just a few minutes’ walk from the centre of the city’s bustling business district. Tenants at the premises include Coutts Bank, PricewaterhouseCoopers, KMPG and The Royal Bank of Scotland, and all occupiers benefit from onsite car parking, 24 hour security services, a dedicated on-site maintenance facilities and cleaning team, an on site member health and leisure club, and a cafe, bars and restaurants. The development is also notable for its adjacent cruise liner facility, and the new Leeds - Liverpool canal link extension passes through the development. The site is key to the

city’s leisure offer, and approximately 220,000 people visited the waterfront to see cruise liner and naval vessels in 2009. In addition to three Grade A office buildings there are two high quality hotels – the Crowne Plaza and Malmaison, three luxury apartment towers and a 760 space multi storey car park. Further land is also available for design and build offices of up to 200,000 sq ft. For office enquiries please contact CBRE 0151 224 7666 or DTZ 0161 236 9595. For retail/leisure enquiries please contact GVA Grimley 08449 02 03 04 or Keppie Massie 0151 255 0755.

Princes Dock

10 MOVE COMMERCIAL

John Sutcliffe

Relaunch for Chamber Lunch Event exclusive to construction and planning sector SECTOR specific networking and introduction of industry specific seminars have contributed to the successful relaunch of Liverpool Chamber's Construction and Development Lunch. John Sutcliffe, MD of Sutcliffe Projects and chair of the Chamber's Construction and Development Committee explained: “We represent the views of Chamber members in the construction, property and professional sectors, by identifying and promoting members' issues, and give the construction sector a voice on planning and construction issues. The lunch events provide additional timely and specific information to these quarterly, sector specific networking events.” The second lunch of 2010 takes place at the Atlantic by Thistle on 2 June 2010. The event commences at 11am, with three workshop sessions specifically tailored for the construction sector followed by a sector only networking lunch. The workshops begin with ‘The Trouble with Trees’ with Alistair McLeod, MD of Pinnacle Tree and Landscape Solutions. This is followed by an overview of the City Centre Movement Strategy from Phil McGeal of Liverpool City Council Highways Project Team and a legal update from John Holmes, head of planning at Hill Dickinson, entitled ‘Planning and the Election - what next?’ After lunch a representative from the Royal Liverpool Hospital will talk about the planned development of the new hospital and the issues around the redevelopment of the site. This event is open to companies in the construction and property development sectors only. The member fee is £30/£40 non-members.

Book at www.liverpoolchamber.org.uk.

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Move Commercial Bitesize thinking

&

Home Away

FAVOURITE BUILDINGS Adam Hall

George Downing, chairman of Downing

Museum of contemporary art Barcelona

ADAM HALL, architect and managing director at Falconer Chester Hall took on board the covetable task of sharing his favourite architectural inspirations with Move Commercial readers.

“Locally I think the new Liverpool Museum just nearing completion on the waterfront is fantastic. I feel its form of two interlocking rectangles sits very well in this highly sensitive historic setting next to Liverpool's three graces.

It uses a stone that complements the existing buildings in a modern yet contextual way, and I expect the view from the large picture frame window

onto the Mersey will be amazing.

Abroad - I most admire the work of American architect Richard Mier and I believe his best building is the Museum of Contemporary Art in Barcelona. Mier's work is characterised by very sculptural forms often using white concrete and render as the main facing material. The building in Barcelona sits in the gothic quarter surrounded by some fine historic, yet slightly dilapidated buildings - the contrast is amazing. In fact I proposed to my wife in front of the building so it holds more that just an architectural memory for me.”

Liverpool National Museum

Buzzword ‘TRAILBLAZER’ THE ORIGINS of the word trailblazer are in describing an adventurer who, on carving a path into the unknown, takes the precaution of leaving a trail behind him. Of course, our modern day understanding of the term carries more specific connotations, with the idea of leaving a path for others to follow etched most strongly in

the general consensus. The term is often used now to describe any number of business people whose entrepreneurial talents have led others onto great things. This is usually with the added impression, achieved through the Germanic construct, of immediacy – a ‘blazing’ path carved in lights and flames – of power, and fame.

George Downing

If only I'd known… ...not to listen to those who advised me against making my first investments in student property. I did it anyway, but with the benefit of hindsight I would have bought more stock. In the early nineties student accommodation was not considered an asset-class in its own right by financial institutions and investors. I was advised that there wouldn’t be demand for the kind of quality accommodation I wanted to create. All that has changed, student villages are well established, and the sector has experienced a very robust rental growth in the past five years.

Also, if I’d known for certain that England were going to qualify for the World Cup, I wouldn’t be getting so much grief for the last minute change of my holiday plans.

Vital statistics

In my crystal ball…

The student housing market will become an increasingly attractive prospect for investors. Student numbers have consistently risen over the past ten years and demand far outstrips supply in many areas of the country. We have invested heavily in the quality and sustainability of our student accommodation and are looking to expand this part of our portfolio. It’s also a fact that more students enter education, rather than the workforce, during uncertain economic times. If I did have a crystal ball I’d like to know how the next government will handle rising university tuition fees. It’s important that fees stay steady and affordable.

760,000

The number of passengers travelling to and from Greater Manchester, who use John Lennon Airport for their flights.

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To Let/May Sell Unit 5 4,551 sq ft

To Let / May Sell Industrial units from 3,800 - 18,500 sq ft

Lumina

ÂŁ4 p sf you in 1st r yea (sub r ject to T

ÂŁ2 psf in your 1st ye&aCrs) (subject to

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Wirral International Business Park, Bromborough

Wirral International Business Park, Bromborough

For more information on these sites please contact us on 01925 273000 or visit our website www.langtreegroupplc.co.uk

12 MOVE COMMERCIAL

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Move Commercial News

Bruntwood building’s fit-out a success Halliwells completes Liverpool office move

Alex McCann, Tricia Cottrell, Nicola Herbert, Fiona Parry and Michael Murphy try out the new meeting room for size New distribution centre

LAW FIRM HALLIWELLS has completed its move to state-of-theart offices on the eighth floor of The Plaza, Liverpool. The firm has entered into a lease until 2031, with the innovative fit out of the new floor giving the Liverpool team 23,000 sq ft office space, 2,000 sq ft more than on the old office on the seventh floor. Features of the new

space include a brand new carbon neutral air conditioning system which will have a significant impact on the carbon footprint of both the firm and the building as a whole.

Meeting rooms have been equipped with the latest AV and video conferencing technology, improving the facilities for clients and staff alike. Clients will also have access to

improved meeting room facilities and the latest media. Meanwhile, the firm says it’s ensuring that the old office furniture doesn’t go to waste by offering it to charities and schools. Some of the charities to benefit from desks, chairs, and other items were 2nd Allerton Scout Group, Women's Aid Centre in South Liverpool, Kelton Nursery

and Carleton House School. Sue Russell, partner and head of Halliwells’ Liverpool office said:“The whole office has worked together to make this move a success. The new space on the eighth floor will offer a better working environment for both our clients and our own people whilst vastly improving our impact on the environment.”

Flagging up food offer for the square 15-year lease for £0.5m venue

Sakura Restaurant

A JAPANESE RESTAURANT has secured 6,200 sq ft of leisure space at Liverpool’s Exchange Square. UKLP Developments, a joint venture between UK Land & Property and Pochin, has agreed a 15-year lease with restaurant operator Sakura. The Japanese Teppanyaki is currently undergoing a £500,000 fit out and is due to open in the summer. Newsagent Exchange News has also signed up to 500 sq ft of retail accommodation on a 10 year lease. Ian Sherry, development director at UK Land & Property, commented: "We wanted to find an operator that shared our vision and delivered the quality to match the existing offer at the Flags. As Sakura is an independent restaurant, the offer will not only be of a high quality, but also unique to the area.

Exchange News will also take

advantage of the high footfall at the Flags and compliment existing operators Coffee Republic and Philpotts." David McDermott, owner of Sakura added: "Exchange Flags is an impressive backdrop for our restaurant.

Our aim is to create a European feel to the Flags by setting up external decking area with windbreakers and state of the art heaters and umbrellas, so diners can sit outside all year round comfortably whatever the weather. Our bar and stage area will be hosting some of the best singers and musicians from around the region and we will be bringing in 15 master chefs handpicked from around the world to produce food of the highest standard.” Exchange Flags is currently home to Brabners Chaffe Street, the Ministry of Defence, Deloittes and Knight Frank.

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News Move Commercial

Tiger Court’s appeal no lottery Knowsley’s fierce attraction Tiger Court Unit 12

COMMERCIAL AGENTS Keppie Massie and Knight Frank have earned their stripes with a letting of a 5018 sq ft commercial unit at Tiger Court. National Lottery operator Camelot has secured the unit at King’s Business Park, on the development by Marshall CDP. Camelot has agreed to take Unit 12 on a 10-year lease at the development (close to the borough’s Safari Park), which is

already home to Duncan Gibbons Solicitors and charity Richmond Fellowship. Other companies on the business park include Vertex, CSC, Balfour Beatty and Knowsley Housing Trust. Camelot plans to use the unit as administrative office space, and will occupy both floors of the Unit. The Fit out has been completed and is now fully operational. Nick O’Byrne, Camelot’s head of property and

building services, said: “We are delighted to be taking space at Tiger Court. The development is in a very convenient location and it offers great facilities for our staff.”

Three units remain at Tiger Court, on lease or purchase, at the site, situated at Junction 2 of the M57 Motorway. Andrew Byrne of Keppie Massie said: “This is an excellent location for a company wanting to reach the length and

breadth of the North West with easy access to Manchester, Liverpool and further into Lancashire”.

Simon Marshall of Marshall CDP said: “Camelot will be in good company. Kings Business Park and Tiger Court have attracted top names from a range of industries showing that if you provide excellent space to do business you attract the very best”.

Historic site a creative hub Six new lettings in Liverpool’s cultural quarter MAGHULL DEVELOPMENTS has secured six new lettings at its historic Hahnemann Building, marking it out as a hub for creative businesses in the city. Antonia Garcia’ Architects, Lawn Creative, Hope Street Holistic Clinic, Wade Smith Fashion Design, Gee Squared Architects and Blackstone Property Ltd have collectively taken 6,000 sq ft of office space. Andrew Owen from Mason Owen, the joint agents acting for the building said: “The Hahnemann Building at 42 Hope Street is an impressive business base which offers good value, lease flexibility and a great location. At the heart of the city’s art and culture quarter and close to the universities, accommodation within The Hahnemann is available on an all inclusive easy in, easy out basis, 14 MOVE COMMERCIAL

which makes it a particularly attractive proposition for start-ups and creative businesses.” The all inclusive rents include service charge, rates and bills.

Available on flexible short-term lettings for periods of one to 18 months, suites are still available from 400 to 2,500 sq ft. The building, acquired by Maghull Developments in 2007, is fully serviced and includes basement storage and managed work space and studios.

Earlier this year five other creative businesses moved into The Hahnemann Building, including Gabrielle Walker Interior Design and Best English Language Tuition. For more lettings information please contact Andrew Owen of Mason Owen on 0151 242 3000 or Chris Hennessy of Edmund Kirby on 0151 236 4552.

The Hahnemann Building

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Move Commercial News

Boost for Knowsley Industrial Park

To the Point US medical firm arrives in Runcorn

Review of innovative funding initiatives A REVIEW is to be carried out to boost the role of one of the region’s biggest commercial areas at Knowsley Industrial Park, near Kirkby, which covers around 1000 acres and houses over 600 businesses.

It began life in the 1940s as a munitions factory but recent investments have extended and improved facilities, attracting companies such as QVC, Sonae, and AC Delco. Knowsley Council owns the freehold to most of the park and in partnership with the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) has appointed DTZ to carry out a comprehensive review of how the site could be enhanced. DTZ will lead the review in partnership with Arup and Taylor Young.

Cllr Graham Morgan, Knowsley’s cabinet member for regeneration, economy and skills, commented: “We want Knowsley Industrial Park to continue to be a major business hub for the Liverpool City Region. We want to ensure that Knowsley Industrial Park is a key employment gateway site for Knowsley and the City Region.”

Tim Claxton, development director at DTZ said of the commission: “There are clear opportunities for the local authority to influence the future direction of the industrial park.

We will be looking at innovative funding initiatives.”

Paul Lakin, director of land and property at the NWDA, said: “As the largest industrial area in the Merseyside sub-region, Knowsley Industrial Park offers significant potential as an employment location and it is vital that it realises its potential as a prime business destination. This review will play an important part in guiding its future development and helping to ensure that it plays its full part in growing the area’s economy.”

Manor Point

CB RICHARD ELLIS has announced the largest letting of new space to take place in the north-west this year. Acting with Davies Harrison on behalf of developer Cantt Pak, the agents have let 128,000 sq ft of industrial space at Runcorn’s Manor Park to medical supplies manufacturer Medline. The US-based company has entered into a 17-year lease at a headline rental of £5.25 per sq ft and will use the space for their UK distribution centre.

Manor Park has previously attracted blue chip companies such as Fresinius Kabi, Eddie Stobart and Matthew Clark and the latest move follows a spate of major northwest warehouse deals over the last 12 months. Howard George, senior director of Industrial Agency at CBRE North West, commented: “This is superb news in what has been a particularly difficult period for take up in the north-west. This facility is built to the highest specification and Medline were keen to acquire a striking building which matched their image as a progressive company expanding into the European market.”

Taking stock Multi-million pound project for village centre NEW IMAGES of a major regeneration project set to transform Stockbridge Village have been released. The multi-million pound plans include the creation of a new swimming pool, state of the art gym and leisure facilities, a learning resource centre, primary school, children’s centre and family centre, outdoor play facilities, a multi-use games area (MUGA) and a supermarket. In addition, there are plans for enhanced bus facilities and work is already underway to extend the health centre. An exhibition event, organised by Knowsley Council, was well attended by the

local community. The exhibition included a scale model, plan and moving imagery of the new village centre. In addition, artists’ impressions were on display to give people an idea of how the new buildings and public space will look.

Those attending were able to meet with the people involved in making this project happen, including the architects and representatives from the council and partner organisations including the Police, Knowsley Works and Villages Housing. They were also given the opportunity to provide any additional feedback or comments

they may have on the plans. Nick Kavanagh, executive director for regeneration, economy and skills, is leading the project. He commented: “The feedback from residents has been great and there is real enthusiasm and excitement in the area to see these plans come to life.

The support from the community from day one has been fantastic and local people have played such an important role in shaping these plans.” Work has already begun to create the new Play Pathfinder facilities, clear the former Heatwaves site and extend the health centre in Stockbridge Village.

View across new school playground to primary school building

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£12million scheme ready for take-off Liverpool John Lennon’s revamp A NEW DEVELOPMENT is underway at Liverpool John Lennon Airport including a 20,000 sq ft expansion of retail space. The development aims to bring about a number of improvements for passengers including an expansion of the Airport’s departure lounge, additional retail space and a new passenger security search area. McLaren Construction has been appointed as the main contractor for the scheme.

Work commenced in December 2009 and will be completed in phases with the overall development due to be finished in autumn this year, with architects Leach Rhodes Walker having worked on the designs of the development which will add an extra 32 per cent of retail space. The expanded retail offer, with several new shop units, is set to create a larger departure lounge by moving the Airport's landside/airside boundary.

Most of the retail development is taking place in the expanded departure lounge and the new retail space will include a large walk-

Artist's Impression of the new development interior at John Lennon Airport

through duty free area and a new catering offer. A sweeping staircase will link what is to become the upper floor of the expanded departure lounge to the existing departures area on the floor below, which will also see new retail areas created. The plans will see the relocation of the existing passenger security search area on a new upper floor, becoming three times the size of the existing facility, with

new and additional latest generation passenger screening equipment, aimed at reducing queuing times during peak periods. Additional retail areas are also being developed around the landside arrivals area of the terminal building. Airport spokesman Robin Tudor said the plans for this latest development had involved input from many retailers who wanted to be ‘airside’, explaining that security

measures in place at all airports mean that restrictions on the amounts of liquids permitted in hand luggage remain in place. The development is expected to improve the overall passenger experience with a speedier and more relaxed passenger security screening process, and an expanded departure lounge with a number of new high street brands coming to the airport for the first time.

Cultural connections Liverpool’s EXPO at Shanghai

CGI of Liverpool Pavillion at Shanghai

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FROM 1 MAY until 31 October, Liverpool will showcase the city to Chinese investors at Shanghai. A week before the opening, 25 million tickets had been sold and it’s expected that around 70 million visitors will be attracted to the Liverpool Pavilion which is housed in the Urban Best Practice Area of the 5.3 sq km site overlooking the Huangpu River. Designed

by BDP architects and design agency Uniform, a total of 40 Liverpool City Council staff, 20 Liverpool Vision staff and six NWDA and UKTI staff will be working at the Expo, ensuring that the stand is staffed for visitors over the six month period. River Media has designed the digital media content including a 10 minute 3D experience for visitors, and a total of over 80 films will be broadcast in Mandarin with some English subtitles to attract the interest of visitors and potential investors. Peel Holdings is the lead sponsor for the event which is

costing £100,000, with just under 70 sponsors signed up in total. In an interview with Move Commercial, Mike Taylor from Liverpool Vision, stated that the Stott Wilson Groups report (commissioned through the North West Regional Development Agency) found that the Expo would be worth £50m of GVA growth over the next 10 years. He commented: “We know from our stakeholders and partners who already do business in China that it’s a long process of building a relationship. Once you’ve demonstrated that you are a genuine friend then they encourage their firms to do business with us. As Liverpool will be the only UK city in Shanghai there’s a real opportunity to get Liverpool’s brand across and present the north-west as something distinct from the south-east, and position ourselves in a very favourable position for investment.”

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Move Commercial News

Retail is top priority for Kirkby Tesco encouraged by survey Alex McCann

THE RESULT of a consultation among householders in Kirkby has found that retail remains a top priority. In March every household and business in Kirkby received a consultation document asking people for their views on the future development of the town centre.

More than 1,600 responses were submitted to Knowsley Council by post, online and through public buildings. The detailed findings report is currently being compiled but the council has confirmed that new retail facilities and a food

Nick Kavanagh

superstore are clearly emerging as the top priority for residents. Nick Kavanagh, executive director of regeneration, economy and skills at Knowsley Council is leading the project. He said: “Approximately seven out of ten people who responded to the consultation have ranked new retail facilities or food superstore as number one in their list of priorities for the town centre. These initial findings give us a very clear steer on what the community wants us to focus on delivering and we will be sharing

this feedback with our partners, including Tesco.” Michael Kissman from Tesco said: “We are pleased that the council has had such a good response from the people in Kirkby and encouraged to find that so many people have listed retail as being the top priority for them.

We remain committed to investing further in Kirkby town centre and to delivering the improvements to retail provision that the community say they want. We will use this feedback to now develop some exciting plans for the town.”

Law firm’s property team sees its ship come in Dry dock site extended PROPERTY LAWYERS based in the Liverpool office of national law firm Halliwells LLP have kept the city’s marine traditions alive with their latest work for Cammell Laird Shiprepairers and Shipbuilders Limited. The team, led by partner in the real estate department, Alex McCann, has just secured two 25year leases of approximately 50 acres within Cammell Laird Shipyard in Birkenhead including the modular construction hall. Alex said of the deal: “Cammell Laird Shipyard is an historic and impressive site that includes one of the largest dry docks of its kind in the world. It is of high strategic importance to the UK’s shipbuilding and shiprepair industries.

We are thrilled to be involved in a transaction of this type which secures the trading position of the famous Cammell Laird Shipyard for many years to come.” The deal continues the good work of Halliwells’ Liverpool real estate team, following on from the team’s success in completing the biggest office leasing deal in Liverpool’s history towards the end of 2009; an agreement to let out 220,000 sq ft in The Capital building for client Downing Property Group. Alex added said: “Our ongoing work for Cammell Laird is yet another demonstration of how Liverpool has played to its strengths and is now looking forward to the next 25 years.”

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Property professionals reach out Lunch event raises £5k for Mencap Liverpool Mark Chadwick and Sara Jones

THE ANNUAL Cannes Do event saw property professionals dig deep to raise £5,000 for Mencap Liverpool – a charity which works hard to help those with learning difficulties and their families to

lead happy, fulfilled lives. Mark Chadwick of Professional Liverpool, who organised the event, presented the cheque to chief executive officer of Mencap Liverpool, Sara Jones, from

Barclays on Chapel Street. Sara commented: “We were overwhelmed by the size – literally – of the cheque and I’m extremely grateful to Professional Liverpool and the professional property

community for supporting us at a difficult time for many businesses.

These funds will help us to extend our support services and reach so that we are available 24/7 to the people that need us most.”

New arrivals at Cavern Walks NEW TENANTS at Liverpool’s Cavern Walks have boosted the shopping centre’s reputation as a boutique

Cavern Walks

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fashion offer. Warner Estate Holdings, the owner of the city centre site, has secured a number of lettings over the

last few months to join high-fashion tenants such as Vivienne Westwood and Cricket. Suzanne Walker, senior

asset manager for Warner Estate, commented: “At Cavern Walks we continually review the tenant mix to ensure the centre's offer is really special for our shoppers. In recent months this has led to us securing lettings to businesses such as Cello Boutique and Lola Loves, which are up-and-coming young designers with a loyal celebrity following. More recently a new brand ‘Oh My Love’ has taken the last but one unit at Cavern Walks and existing tenants have been expanding. Boudoir Boutique is now trading as Boudette on the lower floor of their existing store and Kids Cavern has taken a second unit of 1,250 sq ft to run the only dedicated children's footwear retailer in Liverpool.”

Suzanne added: “While Liverpool One offers the big chain brand experience for the city, our emphasis has been very firmly on developing a unique boutique shopping experience, fostering emerging talents and ensuring Cavern Walks affirms its very own place on the Liverpool retail map, a strategy that is working.”

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Move Commercial News

DBH pioneer new tenants International firms navigate to Ellesmere Port Max Steinberg

Steinberg in Vision New chief exec announced MAX STEINBERG has been announced as Liverpool Vision’s new chief executive. The 58-year-old will replace Jim Gill, who announced his decision to retire earlier this year. Mr Steinberg began his career at Liverpool City Council in 1975, before embarking on a 25 year role with the Housing Corporation. He is currently chief executive of Regenerate Pennine Lancashire and is expected to take up his new role in July this year. He commented: “I welcome the many and varied challenges that this new role will bring in helping take forward the remarkable progress that the city has achieved in recent years.”

Chairman of Liverpool Vision Mike Parker commented: “Our search for a new chief executive attracted great interest nationwide and we were able to assemble a very strong shortlist of candidates. We are delighted that Max Steinberg has accepted the opportunity to become chief executive of Liverpool Vision. He has an impressive track record of innovation and achievement and impressed with his understanding of the issues facing Liverpool Vision and the City of Liverpool. The next few years will provide Liverpool with both a huge challenge through the squeeze on public expenditure, but also significant opportunities to build on the city’s worldwide brand and improved image.”

A TRIO of international businesses have moved to Ellesmere Port’s Pioneer House. Palm Recycling, a subsidiary of the German Palm Group, has secured 2,100 sq ft at the DBH managed development, bringing 24 staff to the three storey facility. The Boston-based Cabot Corporation, a world leader in performance materials, signed to a 2,000 sq ft unit in January and will increase its Ellesmere Port

workforce to 19 in May this year.

The latest arrival, Montreal firm Abitibi Consolidated, has taken an 850 sq ft office suite. The newsprint and commercial printing company has moved its 10-strong UK sales team into the building, which has been in operation since late 2008. Piers Goodall, managing director of DBH, commented: “We are delighted to become the new home

to such established organisations and are very pleased with how quickly each company has settled in. For DBH it’s great news that companies recognise the benefits of using our serviced office accommodation.” Pioneer House, which is housed on the 87-acre Pioneer Business Park, boasts meeting and conference facilities and high-spec office suites of up to 8,532 sq ft.

Units at Pioneer Business Park

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By Lucy Oliver lucy@movepublishing.co.uk

Designing urban communities Key events

Women in Construction The Plus Dane Group’s Hayley Hulme and Louise Davies were the guest speakers at the recent Women in Construction event in Liverpool’s commercial district. The well-attended event was hosted by JST Lawyers at Liverpool’s BoConcept urban design store on Chapel Street. The guest speakers provided an insight into the housing association’s work as a neighbourhood investor, focusing on homes, neighbourhoods and enterprise.

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1. Zoe Shields (retail director, BoConcept), with Lesley Martin-Wright (head of marketing, JST Lawyers) and Elaine Cunningham (BoConcept Liverpool). 2. Colette Malton (property consultant) with Antonia Martin-Wright (Bruntwood). 3. Michelle Carberry (branch manager, HSBC Bank Lord St) and Jeanette McNabb (business specialist, HSBC Bank). 4. Louise Davies (Plus Dane Group) and Sarah Duncan (JST Lawyers) with Hayley Hulme (Plus Dane Group). 5. Laura Sherlika and Michelle Riles (both of Austin Smith Lord), Julia Ford (JST Lawyers) and Sarah Delucia (Gilling Dod Architects). 6. Jenny Buckley and Danika Wilkinson (Nationwide Assessors). 7. Elaine Cunningham presents the raffle prize to Christine Fallon (Affordable Homes Consultancy). 8. Suzanne Wilson (Bidability) and Adrienne Taylor (Taylor Neighbourhood Renewal Ltd). 9. Christine Fallon with her raffle prize. 10. Sue Patterson (Sutcliffe) and Liz Richards (Office Angels Recruitment).

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News Move Commercial

Lord Adonis

Lord Adonis backs Mersey Gateway Support for toll bridge IN A LETTER to Labour MP for Halton Derek Twigg, The Secretary of State for Transport (at the time of going to press) said that he was “committed to taking forward the Mersey Gateway Bridge, which offers considerable benefits for Merseyside and Cheshire”. Tony McDermott, leader of Halton Borough Council and chairman of the Mersey Gateway Executive Board, commented: “One of the key strengths of the project has been the regional and cross-party support it has had over its development and we will be working hard to press the case for a quick decision with whoever forms the next government.” Steve Nicholson, Mersey Gateway project director, added: “We are looking forward to the project being approved in time for the procurement process to commence later in the year. In the meantime, the project team is undertaking crucial preparation work so that construction can start within two years of the project receiving approval.” The project proposes a new toll bridge over the Mersey between Runcorn and Widnes.

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Liverpool firm advises on biomass venture LAW FIRM HALLIWELLS has advised Stobart Group on its new venture with Biomass supply and distribution market leader A.W. Jenkinson Forest Products. In addition Stobart Group expects to benefit from £30m per annum of transport revenues from the new venture within three years. At the same time, Eddie Stobart has secured a ten-year transport contract with A.W. Jenkinson which is expected to deliver pre tax profit of £19.25m over five years.

The Halliwells team was led

by Liverpool-based corporate partners Jonathan Brown (who is also the firm's managing partner) and Craig Scott. A.W. Jenkinson was advised by Dundas & Wilson.

Stobart Group Limited, the UK's leading provider of multimodal transport and logistics solutions, has taken a controlling interest in newly formed Stobart Biomass Products Limited together with market leader A.W. Jenkinson

Forest Products, the largest supplier of wood related biomass in the UK. Based on current identifiable projects, the Board estimates that the market could potentially increase ten-fold in the next three to four years to 15 million tonnes annually. Andrew Tinkler, CEO Stobart Group, said: "This investment and transport contract together are a strategic building block for the Stobart Group on many levels. Firstly it is expected to be earnings enhancing from day one with an expected £19m net profit for the core business in the next five years and an additional benefit of £30m revenue per annum for the new company within three years. It also offers potential to further leverage our multimodal offering through Stobart Ports and Stobart Rail going forward. He added: "Secondly, it gives us access to, and income from, the higher margin renewable energy market,

which has the potential to grow ten-fold in the next five years, driven by governmental and societal pressures for the green agenda. Thirdly, SBPL will become a strategic asset and platform for the development and growth of the Stobart business. In short this new partnership will drive strong returns, benefits and synergies for the Stobart Group going forward."

Jonathan Brown

Considered approach brings reward School development praised A NORTH-WEST construction company has been recognised for its considerate approach. Prestonbased Conlon Construction secured a National Site Award by assessors from the Considerate Constructors Scheme. Conlon was praised for its approach to areas such as health and safety, cleanliness and the local community for its work on the new St Michaels and All Angels Primary School in Kirkby. The company began work on the £4.2m project in October 2008 and completed the new school in June 2009.

Headteacher Ann Coffey, who attended the award ceremony at Manchester’s Lowry Hotel, commented: “We were able to have an input into the designs for the school, which I particularly valued as I knew what we wanted and needed from the space. We were made to feel like a partner in the build, as well as the client, and we

were able to have someone from the school on site every day.”

Construction director Michael Conlon commented: “We always strive to go above and beyond the minimum requirements for our

sites but we never rest on our laurels and will continue to listen to the views and feedback of our clients to continually improve the service we provide.”

St Michael and All Angels prior to completion

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Move Commercial News

Grants support Manchester’s media revolution A DIGITAL media hub in east Manchester has been granted a combined £6.3m by regional development agencies. The Northwest Regional Development Agency and the European Regional Development Fund made the contribution to The Sharp Project.

The former Sharp European Distribution Centre on Thorp Road will be refurbished into a £16.5million digital content

production complex which will provide a range of sound stages, office, production space and infrastructure for digital companies.

Urban regeneration company New East Manchester is currently converting the warehouse in Newton Heath. The funding of £3.3m from the NWDA and £3m from the ERDF will complete the overhaul and equip the building for its new use. The funding is expected

to create 13,000 sq m of digital business space, assist 85 digital businesses and create 550 jobs in the digital sector. The project will also support a recruitment programme which provides training and job opportunities for local people. Steven Broomhead, chief executive of the NWDA, commented: "Manchester has long been regarded as the UK’s emerging media city and has developed a

global reputation as a creative powerhouse. Retention of this is critical for the future growth of the creative production sector – and the Sharp Project is Manchester's response. The Sharp Project will build a critical mass of skills, supply and demand which will strengthen the city's role as the home of creative industries. Completion of works is expected during autumn 2010.

Artist’s impression of the Sharp Project

Back to School

Show business

Bardsley secures Mersey contracts

Liverpool’s professional community takes centre stage

BARDSLEY CONSTRUCTION has secured £10.4m worth of contracts on Merseyside. The work includes a £3.75m contract to construct a new 2,370 sq m sports facility for Merchant Taylors’ School in Crosby.

The £70m turnover business, based in Tameside, Manchester, will also construct a new single storey primary school and nursery for St Austin’s Primary School in St Helens, and 40 apartments for Eldonians and Liverpool Housing Trust, off Vauxhall Road in Liverpool. Wayne Bardsley,

chairman of Bardsley Construction, commented: “We’re delighted to be working with such blue chip clients on projects that enhance our reputation and presence on Merseyside and indeed throughout the north-west. Bardsley continues to benefit from its growing reputation for work for the public sector with an emphasis on partnerships with clients including local authorities, education bodies, housing associations and health authorities.”

BUSINESS network Professional Liverpool is urging budding performers to step up to the microphone in aid of learning disability charity Mencap. The Y Factor, previously known as Professional Liverpool Idol, will take place on 1 July at the Pan American Club in the Albert Dock. Professionals will be hoping to emulate last year’s winner John McCaffery of Grant Thornton and impress judges including Dean Sullivan, Billy

Butler and Steve Coleman. Mark Chadwick, chief executive of Professional Liverpool, commented: “We are encouraging members of Liverpool’s professional community who fancy themselves as the next Joe McElderry or Leona Lewis to contact Mencap for their chance to perform live at this year’s event.” For further information telephone Mencap on 0161 968 9269 or email yfactor@mencap.org.uk.

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A first in regeneration John Hughes, a director at Ask Developments’ team in Manchester, joined to lend his opportunistic vision and entrepreneurial skills to the firm best known for their regenerative work in urban areas. Fast forward eight years, and the business has both capitalised on the need for urban housing, and got back into the urban renaissance business with a landmark scheme at Manchester’ southern gateway.

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through the St Peter’s Field scheme in Ashton-under-Lyme in partnership with Thameside Council, English Partnerships, and NWDA and I had a role at Central Park – in relation to No1 there. That was a joint venture between Manchester College, or MANCA, and the universities – spanning all levels of educational training in one building. We felt that was important as that’s how we’ve regenerated the industrial heartland of Manchester - it’s obviously gone through massive changes over a 40 or 50 year period. That was the big regeneration business scheme for that part of Manchester, in collaboration with New East Manchester and was our first live project at Ask.” The work in the surrounding regions has been diverse, taking advantage of the need for retail regeneration with housing attached, as well as commercial opportunities for office and industrial space. He added: “I also had the opportunity to do other one-off new development opportunities that were

“

we wanted to be walking the walk as well as talking the talk of regeneration

“

JOHN HUGHES meets us for his interview on site at No1 First Street, the first phase of Ask Development’s landmark mixed-use site. The new address, which is part of a masterplan to encompass an adjacent hotel, a substantial leisure offering, and a new public realm over the next few years, has just become occupied by the city council. The customer services team moved into the grade A premises in April this year on a three year lease, over 140,000 sq ft. This signing is a boost to the progress of the rest of the scheme. John explained: “No1 First Street, was completed in March 2009 at a difficult time, in the midst of a big change in the economy, but with the council coming for three and a half years helps us both out. By then, when we’re back on the market, there will be a very limited amount of good quality, BREAM excellent, sustainable floor space.” The firm is hoping that the high quality development and the buzz about the site due to the newly signed public sector occupier will pull in another tenant to the top floor, where another large floor plate is available of 24,000 sq ft. Going forwards, the scheme will see Ask and the council, together with European funding, extend the public realm by 400m long and 18 wide, in a £3million investment for trees and public art to put First Street on the map. Says John: “We hope this will get people really excited and talking about First Street. We want to make the most of the momentum from the council moving in to capitalise on lettings.”

John joined Ask in 2002, after working as a graduate for Henry Boot, and then as regional manager of the developer’s office – being promoted to this position just two years out of university. He said: “I joined principally to look after our partnership project, the Greengate scheme, with Network Rail and Salford Council. I also helped bring

commercially driven, such as Park 66 in Bury with facilities for L’Oreal and some work for the Ministry of Defence, purpose built, quasicommercial industrial facilities, but that’s not the sort of thing people readily relate to Ask. We’re seen very much as office, regeneration, brownfield sites, but we can turn our hand to more commercially focused projects such as retail. We did Gorton district centre on the Hyde Road, as you head south-east out of

Manchester. Manchester Council held a development competition and they were looking for ways to regenerate the area. It had fallen into disrepair, the Co-op had closed the foodstore, and so the council bought that building from them, and there was an old community indoor market. Our angle was, rather than build a new market, we joined up with Tesco to refurbish the old Co-op and make a new indoor market attracting the existing market stall holders and new ones to move in. We were really pleased with the delivery of that scheme.”

That, and other projects, saw Ask venture into more varied and wider territory. John continues: “That scheme gave us the appetite to venture into more retail-led developments and our next big key step was four years ago when we were successful in bidding for and winning the Urmston centre redevelopment project in partnership with Trafford Council. Trafford had bought an old MEPC shopping centre which was very tired – a concrete, classic 1950s, inward looking scheme - and it was losing huge amounts of trade to the Trafford Centre, and the Asda there. The brief was to bring a new foodstore anchor, for a new mixed-use retail-led scheme that would have national chains and more regional independent operators. It took a long time but we got there and we delivered a new Sainsbury’s, a new multi-storey car park and the first phase of about 15 units for shops. We’ve got local hairdressers, franchises, card shops, Greggs, Thornton’s, Boots and a residential product which, even through the very difficult 18 months which we’ve had nationally, has seen sales of those units continue to go forward.”

Ask took 10 years to acquire the First Street site, and the No1 First Street building – formerly occupied

by British Telecom over 140,000 sq ft – was scaled right back and built up

as though new. One interesting point I notice in the central atrium, near the coffee shop, is the tall tree in the courtyard – a Vietnamese specimen imported from Holland. The cosmopolitan feel to the development is unmistakable. John continues: “It’s effectively a brand new building with two new floors on top to 180,000 sq ft with very large floor plates of 25,000 sq ft. The city council are occupying 140,000 sq ft of that from April this year until 2013, when the ground floor will be their customer services centre while they refurbish their Town Hall premises – which will see a substantial investment in Manchester city centre as well.”

Reflecting on his career – from his dreams to become a professional cricketer, when he played alongside Michael Vaughan and Phil and Gary Neville, before the latter pursued their football careers, to his catching the property bug working for a family member’s surveying firm – John recalls that it was during his wellspent time at Henry Boot that he saw the market move towards urban renaissance, regeneration and mixeduse schemes. He says: “I knew I wanted to be in this market. It’s great fun and it’s very challenging.” Of course, it’s a very different animal to the commercial schemes in which he gained his experience: “With office development you have competition constantly around you. With retail and commercial led industrial development it is very clear that there is often just one opportunity in one town to get the site assembled and usually you will then get the planning permission and the retailers will come. There is still demand out there from retailers and office occupies but the volume of development that comes forward is going to be more limited – just due to the massive restrictions on debt availability. There will be massive changes over the next six or seven years due to this, and the speculative development that has

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John Hughes, Ask Developments Mover & Shaker been fantastic for Manchester, and helped to develop it way ahead of its peers in the region, won’t happen in the same way on that scale.”

John’s take on the regional development agencies is very much that they’re right to support the physical regeneration so that employers will be attracted and real progress can be made: “As you get more exposure to regeneration bodies, you see the benefits and it’s not just about property, and the buildings, it’s about the functions they serve, the people, and the facilities available around the building. It’s so important to people’s lives.

“Our offices are nothing as grade A as this – we have an old Victorian schoolhouse in Ancoats which we’ve refurbished. We used to be based in Castlefield, but we’d outgrown the site, and we felt that – working in regeneration – we wanted to be walking the walk as well as talking the talk of regeneration. We moved there about two years ago – it’s a real mixed bag and a dynamic environment and it makes you think about the work that you’re doing.”

The firm’s next big challenges are to capitalise on the momentum of No1’s new tenants: “We’re aware that delivering more main projects on and around First Street over the next two or three years is absolutely key so that when the council do move out we have hotels, shops, restaurants, bars and an excellent public realm. This building could accommodate up to 2000 staff, and that number of people need feeding and watering, and exciting things to go on.

“We have come to terms with a hotel and are in advanced talks to secure funding for that building. We now need to make sure we have the funding to build it, and we expect to put a planning application in later this year and then to start on site in 2011, for a 15-month build. By the end of 2012 we should have the next phase of development up and operating at First Street – followed by multiple phases over the next two and three years.” Looking out over the city from the top floor at No1 First Street, the plans for the area coming alive are an exciting prospect for the city and the region: “This is the southern gateway to Manchester - it’s key, from an international perspective, and we need it to fit in with the city centre, but is different from the city centre.

We’re not here to compete with the city centre or with the CBD, but we can provide something different – and we have the space here to create something quite special.”

Hughes File DOB: 07/02/1975 Blackburn Education: Sheffield Hallam; BSc Urban Land Economics Top tip: There’s always a way – never give up.

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THE PORT OF LIVERPOOL BUILDING

AN INVITATION FROM DOWNING Quality and integrity have never mattered more. In a difficult market occupiers always demand the best space and the best financial package.

But too many will overlook their long term relationship with their landlord.

And that’s where quality and integrity really matters. Downing has invested millions of pounds in restoring and future-proofing The Port of Liverpool Building. It’s not just the quality of space we offer that sets us apart. Our dedicated in-house management team ensure that your occupation will be trouble free – now and in years to come.

WE INVITE YOU TO TALK TO US ABOUT YOUR ASPIRATIONS FOR YOUR NEW BUSINESS SPACE.

Suites from 500 to 10,000sqft CALL US DIRECT

ROBIN ELLIS – TEL: 0151 707 2666 robinellis@downing.com | www.downing.com 26 MOVE COMMERCIAL

LETTING AGENTS

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Lifeblood in property Key events

By Lucy Oliver lucy@movepublishing.co.uk

Campaign launch at Port of Liverpool Leading figures from Liverpool’s business community joined host George Downing at the Port of Liverpool Building, to mark the launch of the National Blood Service’s ‘Blood for Business’ campaign.

The campaign aims to educate businesses on how easily employees can give blood during the working day and to encourage city workers to visit the service’s Moorfields Donor Centre on Dale Street. Guests enjoyed wine and canapés and the stunning interior of the recently refurbished Grade ll* listed building on Liverpool’s World Heritage waterfront. Downing chairman, George Downing, spoke of the importance of blood donation at the event alongside Clare Mills from Marriott Hotels.

He said: “As business leaders, we have a duty to inform our staff about the great need for blood donors and we have the ability to make it easier for them to make time to donate during the day. He added: “There are some 25,000 people working in Liverpool’s Commercial District - if just 10 per cent of these gave blood twice a year, it would generate an additional 5,000 units of life-giving blood.”

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1. George Downing speaking at the event. 2. John Shields (JST Law), Anne Martin (Edge Hill University), Paula Keaveney (Edge Hill University) and Fergal O'Cleirigh (Bermans).

3. George Downing, Bob Newton (Pavis), John Powell (Barclays Corporate). 4. Pam Prescott (National Blood Service), Mark Hughes (Unilever) and Barbara Blanche (National Blood Service). 5. Rod Holmes (The Mersey Partnership), Cllr Gary Millar (Liverpool City Council) and Mark Basnett (The Mersey Partnership). 6. Clare Mills, Marriott Hotels.

7. John Clegg (Downing) with Paul Chavasse (Rathbones) and Hannah Collins (Downing).

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At your service Liverpool’s hotel industry has seen remarkable growth in recent years, capitalising on Capital of Culture and millions of pounds in good publicity and the city’s rising profile as a business and leisure tourism destination.

Now the hospitality industry’s growth is accelerating to match the offer at Liverpool One, and the way that the rest of the city is upping the ante to keep business strong.

FIGURES RELEASED by the North West Regional Development Agency (NWDA) in January estimate that the Liverpool City Region’s visitor economy is on target to be a £2billion a year sector by 2020. The Mersey Partnership, which has made it its business to track growth in this area, has reported that the value of tourism to Liverpool’s economy rose by an impressive 25 per cent during 2008, generating a total spend of £617m, up from £493m in 2007. The total number of visits to the destination rose from 63 million to 75 million, with day visitors rising by 20 per cent and the number of visitors staying in hotels up by 6 per cent. TMP chief executive, Lorraine Rogers, said: “These new figures not only illustrate the massive success of tourism in Liverpool in 2008 but also the importance of the industry to our local economy. “ For the developer, the recession’s impact on lending and the lack of finance available for speculative office and apartment schemes has caused many to look to the hospitality industry.

In Liverpool, this has been in many cases to the mutual benefit of the developer and the city. Pam Wilsher, head of tourism development at The Mersey Partnership (TMP), commented: “Hotel development is still going on in most provincial cities, including Newcastle, Leeds and Manchester, so Liverpool isn’t unusual in that sense – but until recently we’ve been playing catch-up with the number of rooms we have available.” This shortfall has presented an opportunity for hotel operators and developers keen to invest in the city since 2008’s Capital of Culture year. According to the TMP’s figures, at the end of 2007 the city 28 MOVE COMMERCIAL

centre offered 2,800 hotel rooms. This had grown to 3,443 by 2008 and at the end of 2009 the figure stood at 4,000 – with an additional 3,700 spread across the city region. The growth is continuing, and Pam says that from now until the end of 2012, we can expect to see 16 new hotels open across the city region, nine of them city centre based. These figures do not include every scheme which has received planning, but they do count those hotels with an operator signed up and an imminent on-site start date.

Pam added that towards the end of April this year, she spoke to three companies hoping to invest in the city.

At the Lewis’s Building, the new scheme developed by Merepark and entitled Central Village will see construction work begin this summer, now that a European hotel operator has been secured as the anchor tenant.

Adagio Aparthotel will operate a 125 bed hotel at the site, its first in the UK, enabling the £37.1million project to move forwards. Furthermore, the city and region’s public bodies have Adam Hall

identified the need to support the hospitality industry in the city, noting that it supports a total of 22,640 jobs across the City Region. Nick BrooksSykes, director of tourism at the NWDA, said: “These figures underline the significance of tourism to the Northwest’s economy; this is one of our most important industries, worth more than £14 billion across the region, and it is vital that we continue to support it. Liverpool has transformed itself into one of the UK’s top visitor destinations, but there is no room for complacency. We must now maintain the momentum and continue to improve our offer if the city is to compete at an international level.”

JA Lewis Consulting, a firm also behind the residential development Portside House on Duke Street in Liverpool city centre, is acting for Grosvenor on bringing a 180 bed Premier Inn hotel to the city. This project will be a flagship hotel for Premier Inn, occupying the site next to the Hanover Street Tesco, and offering standard three star budget accommodation in the heart of the city centre. Alex Lewis, MD at JA Lewis commented: “Premier Inn is thriving in this market, and we’re currently developing another in Preston at the moment. The market place has been difficult for hotels in the last couple of years and it’s clear that business budgets and the public have had to tighten their belts on what they spend. Premier Inn is doing well because it offers the four star quality without the price tag, and it works well for corporate business because the brand delivers the same expectations in every city. It’s attractive to lenders because it’s a bankable and fundable project and offers a 20 to 25 year lease at a market rent.” Indeed the past

two years for the Whitbread group, which owns Premier Inn, have seen considerable success and the group has taken the opportunity to buy land at a reduced price at key sites with a mind to future development. At the end of April, the group announced a 6.6 per cent rise in its pre-tax profits for year to March; an increase from £224m to £239m across its hospitality ventures, which include Beefeater, Premier Inn, Brewers Fayre and Costa Coffee. Indeed, at time of going to print, another 101 room Premier Inn hotel has been announced for a £5.5m development at Speke.

Architects in the city have also found themselves well-placed to take advantage of these opportunities.

Adam Hall, managing director of Falconer Chester Hall, commented that in the last three years the firm’s hotel and leisure sector work has increased significantly. He said: “This area has always been a special issue for us, having worked on the Crowne Plaza, Queen Square and Crowne Plaza Speke Airport, but, we have noticed a significant and improved increase in the recent years. We are currently instructed on in excess of 25 hotels at the present time which equates to over 3,000 bedrooms. The projects are at varying stages with some at feasibility ability level, and a significant number now on site. It is also exciting that our hotel portfolio extends nationally with locations as far a field as Exeter to Glasgow to Belfast.” He added: “I am delighted that Falconer Chester Hall has actually expanded its team over the last 18 months. When the general trade in architectural practices has been to cut back, here we have seen the reverse. We have structured our team internally so we

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Hotels and leisure Developments update

have specific architects that specialise in the various brands that we deal with. We have dedicated teams, for instance, working particularly on and for Intercontinental Hotels, Hilton

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Liverpool has transformed itself into one of the UK’s top visitor destinations

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Hotels, Wyndham Hotels, and so on.” In reference to his work at hotels across the city, with hotels being built on James Street and Oldam Street, he added: “Liverpool is well placed to buck the regional trend as it has always lagged behind other regional cities in the quality and variety of its leisure offer and happily this is not now becoming the case.”

Indeed, for the ongoing success of the hospitality industry, developers producing mixed-use schemes are key – creating new hotel accommodation in a lively environment populated by other users. One new scheme which has been granted planning consent for the university district in the city centre, is being developed by Northern Irelandbased Tara House to encompass two hotels and run by an as yet unspecified major international hotel operator along with post-graduate accommodation. Liverpool-based architects Falconer Chester Hall have designed one 140 bedroom three star and one 130 bedroom budget hotel, 113 post-graduate studio units and a basement car park with 247 spaces.

Managing director at Tara House, Simon Murray Twin, commented: “We are very excited about our scheme which should help to promote further regeneration in this important and strategic city centre location. The mixed uses will bring vibrancy and life to the Oldham Street area, whilst creating jobs and giving a boost to the local economy.”

However, occupancy levels at hotels across the city are remaining high with the average at the Crowne Plaza

reported at 77 per cent - an excellent statistic in a market where bed stock has increased considerably over the past few years. With the uptake at the hotels remaining consistently high, competition is increasing in price; the rates achieved are said to have decreased slightly across the board – some quarters reporting that rates are now up to 20 per cent less than two years. For general manager, Stephen Roberts, at the Crowne Plaza, it is the rates achieved which indicates the barometer of health in the sector. In order to maintain rates and occupancy levels, for example, the brand is launching a Sleep Advantage package to upgrade the bedrooms and use fine Egyptian cotton. After location and brand strength, customer service is paramount, and it will be this which ensures the better operators succeed.

The added attraction of a celebrity name is another pull to the leisure industry in the city, with Jamie Oliver’s new Italian restaurant at Liverpool One and Marco-Pierre White’s involvement at Hotel Indigo. These new tenants, coinciding over the recent 12 months, are an unprecedented vote of confidence in the city from London-based restaurateurs. This expanded leisure

offer, working to the benefit of both the residents of the city and visitors, is set to raise Liverpool’s profile even further.

As the development of the city’s hospitality industry continues apace, Pam Wilsher from The Mersey Partnership is keeping a watchful eye on the industry’s growth and attention to the number of rooms sold. The heights of 2008, which saw 915,000 rooms sold, were followed by only a two per cent drop in 2009 when the recession took hold. In the period from January to March this year, 227,000 rooms have been sold compared with 193,000 on 2009 – proof that the demand is high, even while competition is fierce.

REGIONAL COMPARISON Number of visitors to the city 2008 2007 75m Liverpool 63m Manchester 100.5m 102.3m Number of rooms sold in Liverpool 2007 2,800

2008 3,443

2009 4,000

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Built to last A family firm with a strong heritage in the city’s past and its regeneration, the Beers Group of companies is certain to be part of its future for a long time to come.

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We would have needed to rebuild there or move, and we could see the city was expanding and moving out.

We knew we weren’t the right use there – that site now occupies an important strategic location between the Arena, Liverpool One and China town, and it’s perfect for a large, mixed-use development. We still own the land and are currently working with the city council and Liverpool Vision in developing a masterplan for the site.” The Beer brothers have established a separate development company M&A Beer to handle this and their other developments in Warrington and elsewhere.

Since the move to a new purpose depot in Boundary Street, the business has succeeded in raising its profile. Alan maintains that the decision to stay in the city, rather than to move to Speke or Skelmersdale, where land is easier to come by, was the right one – and made for reasons which complement the firm’s continuing history in the city: “Our trade is very local and customers – who are mostly builders – won’t travel more than a few miles to get their materials. It was a big enough move for us to travel across the city centre.

We’ve managed to retain and expand our customer base though.

What’s been great about moving here is that our profile has increased we are actually more visible now than we were.”

The new depot is spread across two floors, including 30,000 sq ft of office and warehouse space on a two acre site, and was built by the Beers Group in 2007. Alan adds: “This is our head office and our main centre, and we want to open another depot in Old Swan in Liverpool ready for 2011. We have another site in Chester and we want to develop ourselves from the existing four depots in Liverpool and Wirral to open another two or

three in the next five years.”

The firm’s ambitions to grow are sure and steady, and it’s clear that Beers is not run by a management team of risk-takers. “Traditionally we have been a prudent business, and some might say, you could have expanded more and done so more quickly, but with the downturn it was clear that we’d made the right decisions. By the same token, if something isn’t working we’ll shrink it down rather than close until we’re ready to build it up again.”

The family firm ethos has kept staff turnover very low over the years.

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Liverpool’s advantages over Manchester are to do with quality of life and we need to use this to draw in the right quality of employer

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Beers Timber & Building Supplies has a long history in Liverpool.

Started in 1916 by the greatgrandfather of the firm’s directors, Michael and Alan Beer as an independent timber importer, and originally based in the Dukes Dock warehouses, the firm relocated three years ago to a new two acre, purpose built site on Boundary Street in Liverpool. Originally specialising in hardwoods for the coffin, furniture and tool trades, the company has expanded and adapted to meet changing markets.

Alan Beer joined in 1989, working with his father and brothers, after spending a year working for an accountancy firm in London. His father had moved the business to the Herculaneum Dock and established the timber milling and machining business, which is still an important part of the company activities. Says Alan: “When the South Docks area was being improved by the MDC in the 80s we chose to not renew our lease. My father took the opportunity to buy our own premises, which previously we had always rented. We relocated to Kings Dock Street. This was closer to the city and proved to be a much better location. Initially we owned only two acres of the site, but expanded over time until we eventually occupied the entire six acre site. The move from there to the Boundary Street site at the other side of the city centre makes another good story. Alan continues: “We purchased this site in about a 24 hour period. It was an English Partnership site, and it had a sale agreed with another party which fell through. We were told about it, and my brother and I made a quick decision as, at the time - back in 2007 - the property market was going ballistic.

“The problem with the Kings Dock Street site was that the premises had reached the end of their life.

Says Alan: “There’s a two way responsibility – there are advantages to having the business in the family, and then there’s the responsibility you feel towards the business. It’s not the easiest sometimes, but you do end up with many long-serving staff and turnover is lower than in other types of businesses.

Diversifying the business has kept trade strong, with EcoWarm opening five or six years ago to manufacture timber-frame buildings and roof trusses – a growing demand in the building industry. The firm has just supplied the frames to a new 50

bedroom student development on Myrtle Street in the city centre – evidence that local trade is picking up. The newly acquired MBS, a specialist in power tools, workwear, and plumbing, has added to the group’s offer, and in total the Beers Group is predicting a turnover this year of £18million. While the recession brought difficult times for some customers, with banks refusing to lend and overdrafts cut, the company felt it was important to as far as possible stick with their trade customers. “In the city, we saw that at the end 2007, virtually everything stopped. As a result, quite a few builder’s merchants have closed, some of the national chains that were in Liverpool pulled out of the city, and I think we have stayed strong because we look after the customer. You have to know the customer, and being local to them helps. You have sometimes got those people who can’t pay straight away but they’ve been loyal to us so we’ve been loyal to them – and that’s part of the customer service, to be flexible and understanding.” The firm’s main competitors are all independents like ourselves: “National firms tend to come in and then close down or pull out in a downturn. They don’t develop the long term relationships with the customers.”

On the topic of the future of the city, Alan believes that Liverpool could be doing more. “The city massively under-exploits its location and its quality of life, its people and over the next decade I’d hope to see it continue growing. The next stage for Liverpool is to grow our employment base and develop large new locally based employers, whether that be government departments relocated or head offices coming in. The city needs to make itself into a business centre. If that happens it will drive a lot more residential development in the city centre.” On a regional basis, he is

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Alan Beer, Beers Group Founding Business

Beer File DOB: 14/04/66 in Birkenhead Education: Calday Grammar and Manchester University; BSc Management

clear about where Liverpool and Manchester differ: “I think Manchester’s advantage has been that it has a critical mass, which Liverpool still lacks, of large numbers of young skilled people.

Paradoxically, people are often saying there are too many apartments here – but Manchester has even more apartments, creating perhaps even more vibrant life, and this forms a virtuous circle.

Liverpool’s advantages over Manchester are to do with quality of life factors - a great location and a very rich culture - and we need to use this to draw in the right quality of employer.” The Expo at Shanghai could be an aid to achieve this: “I think the Liverpool brand needs to be developed. Manchester clearly is the kingpin amongst its local authorities and I think Liverpool still hasn’t quite integrated enough with Wirral, and Sefton and Knowsley.

We need to work much more hand in hand – you can see it already with the Liverpool and Wirral Waters – is it a game being played as to who will win? It shouldn’t matter – we as a city should get behind either scheme as long as it happens, and make one happen quickly. I think the cities don’t recognise businesses as much as they should do, or listen to them.”

He added: “Liverpool is fascinated by the glamour and pays attention to the same businesses time and again.

They are at risk of missing some large scale employers who aren’t on their list of people to be consulted.

They sometimes need to pay attention to where the money is, rather than the noise.” As the business draws near its 100th anniversary, Alan’s ambitions are simple and easy to envisage. “My next ambition is for our centenary year in 2016; it sounds boring but the business has been around for a long time and I want to make sure that it carries on being around and carries on growing and being a success. We’re not focused on being the largest or in doubling the size of the company every two or three years, but we are very keen to grow the profitability and turnover so that we know it stands us well for the next generation, if the next generation wants to work in it.”

With the number of customers up by 20 per cent over the last two years, and the £3million investment in the new plant to single out as significant achievements, this aim is one with which many will emphasise, seeing the value in it for the city as well as the business.

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By Lucy Oliver lucy@movepublishing.co.uk

We Cannes do it Liverpool’s largest ever property lunch The Cannes Do, an annual event for property professionals run by Professional Liverpool, saw its numbers swell to a record 400 people this year at No 1 Tithebarn, part of the Legal & General and Kenmore Property Group portfolio. The lunch saw an entertaining round up of the past year in property delivered by Chris Connor, of Mason Owen, as guests relaxed in the high specification premises enjoying beers, curry and a comedian. With support from several sponsors including Grant Thornton, Hill Dickinson, HSBC, Liverpool Vision The Purple Wine Company, Alphabet Design and Move Commercial, the charitable event raised £5,000 for Mencap Liverpool.

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1. Claire Robinson, Robin Ellis, Downing and Katy Roper, Bellway. 2. Mark Chadwick, Professional Liverpool with Mark Robinson, Kenmore. 3. Phil Haslam, senior development manager at Priority Sites, with Nick Harrop from Hitchcock Wright & Partners. 4. Daryl Kelly, Regeneration Consultant and Adam Hall, Falconer Chester Hall. 5. Jim Spencer, Spencer Holdings with a fellow Cannes Do attendee. 6. Elizabeth Clark (Hill Dickinson) with Nicola Farnell (Co-Operative Investments).

7. David Baybut (Stephensons LLP), Rob Woods (CBRE) and Will Ainscough (Himor Group). 8. Laura Brown from The Design Foundry, with Janice Weatherly and Roland Hutchins from Mace & Jones Solicitors. 9. Roger Aitchison from Lloyds Banking Group, with James Heyes from Mason Owen and Phil Pugh from Royal Bank of Scotland.

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Celebrating commercial property Key events

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10. Tony Reed, Keppie Massie with Chris Connor, Mason Owen. 11. Stuart Gray (Bellway Homes) with Karen Beddow (DWF Solicitors) and John Webster (Bellway Homes). 12. Andy Martin from Bellway Homes with Emily D’Ambrosio, Ashtenne Regional Manager. 13. Lynn Haime, associate director of Urban Splash Manchester, with Neil Kirkham from Hitchcock Wright & Partners. 14. Claire Robinson from Ashtenne, with Andy Nichol from DWF Solicitors, Katy Roper from Bellway Homes and Karen Beddow from DWF Solicitors. 15. Elaine Cunningham, Elaine Cunningham Interiors with John Tusom from Kirwans Solicitors. 16. David Legat (Mason Owen) and Claire Cosgrove (Hill Dickinson). 17. A view of the room. 18. Kevin Manley and Ian Hardman from Brabners Chaffe Street Solicitors, with John Williams from Lloyds Banking Group. 19. Guests gather.

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With three north-west hotel venues scheduled to open in the summer of 2011 and further developments in the offing, the ensuing 12 months promise to be a busy time for Sanguine Hospitality. Move Commercial discussed the multi million pound hospitality management business with chairman and co-founder Simon Matthews-Williams.

A Sanguine outlook

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confidence in the city’s potential to fill an increasing number of hotel rooms, and the strength of the Sanguine business as a whole.

Speaking about the future of the city’s hotel industry, Simon commented: “There will be some casualties along the way, but it tends to be the more tired stock that will be hit. There’s always going to be a demand for a quality product and the ones that don’t invest and don’t have the right location will suffer, and that’s not a bad thing.

The three key constants of a successful venture are the need for a good location, the right product and good management.” Having started out in the hotel business as an 18year-old “tea boy”, the 50-year-old has justifiable confidence in his knowledge of the industry. With the assistance of backers such as Downing Corporate Finance, Sanguine Hospitality now has investments in over £120m of assets across the UK. Simon’s management and development of a growing portfolio of hotels has led him to the conclusion that working with brands such as Days Inn or Hotel Indigo significantly offsets the risk element in times of economic

uncertainty. “To be brutally honest, going forward now I don’t think we’ll do any more hotels unless they’re branded, purely because in these uncertain times it gives you comfort that you’re not stand-alone.

It helps from a banking perspective

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the ones that don’t invest and don’t have the right location will suffer, and that’s not a bad thing

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DESPITE only being formed in December 2006 with the development of Bristol’s Cadbury House, Sanguine Hospitality currently boasts a significant portolio, with properties predominantly in the north-west.

The venture north began in February 2007 with the £6.35m acquisition of Hoole Hall near Chester and the hotel, now branded Doubletree by Hilton, is where I meet Simon. Our first encounter had been earlier in the year at the launch of Marco Pierre White’s The Swann Inn, Aughton, and Marco’s image looms over us once more in the chef’s steakhouse restaurant at the impressive Doubletree venue, an 18th century manor house set in five acres of landscaped gardens.

White’s partnership with Sanguine properties will continue in the £15m Hotel Indigo development in Liverpool’s commercial district.

Work on the 151-room boutique property began in March this year, with the facility scheduled to open on Chapel Street in May 2011.

Coupled with the opening of the 154-room Days Inn Hotel above Liverpool’s James Street station, the development indicates a show of

and also people identify with the brand. The Indigo brand is part of the Intercontinetal family, who we are very familiar with. They drive terrific business through their central reservation system and

there’s a great track record of delivering bookings. They’re good brands to be with. If you look at other boutiques in the city they’re unknown outside of a certain network. If you’re in the Intercontinental in Hong Kong you can pick up a brochure and see Liverpool Indigo. You’re not going to get that with an independent hotel. We think we have the edge with the brand.” Simon’s faith in Liverpool’s continued economic renaissance is as unwavering as his economic principles. “I think the great thing you have about Liverpool is the only reason we’re coming back in: the two major investments that have already taken place – the Arena and Convention Centre and Liverpool One. I don’t think in today’s climate they could get those developed. The city got in at the right time and got those away. That’s nearly £2bn worth of investment. Where do you get 40 acres of prime retail estate right in the middle of a city where you can create a shopping mall? The only thing is we didn’t get a Harvey Nic’s or a Selfridges but maybe they will come. Liverpool is number three or four for shopping outside of

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Simon Matthews-Williams Entrepreneur

Three hopes for the year ahead • Stability in the economy • Liverpool to “push on” with developments • Keep developing quality hotels London. Previously we were number 16. That’s a massive shoot up the ladder. For years we made do with a tent and now we can attract top conferences and concerts.” Sanguine’s most recent activity in the region has been to secure planning permission for the redevelopment of the King's Cap Court Hotel in Hoylake, which is to open as a £5.5m Holiday Inn

Express next summer. The 56-room facility will launch ahead of the 2014 Open golf championship at Royal Liverpool and feature a Frankie’s Restaurant, a joint venture between jockey Frankie Dettori and Sanguine’s trusted partner Marco Pierre White.

Sanguine recently exchanged contracts to convert an old office building into a Hotel Indigo in

Newcastle and planning permission has also been granted to extend the hotel facilities at The Swann Inn. With another development on the horizon, details of which Simon was unable to disclose at the time, it is evident he has no intention of slowing the expansion of the business over the next couple of years. “We like the north-west and we’re also looking further afield. We

never discount places like London if they’re the right opportunities, but I think really over the next 18 months there is a great opportunity to acquire good properties at a reasonable price, purely because bank funding is very difficult to come by. If you get the liquidity you can get some great deals at the moment. I think in 18 months time those opportunities will be closed.”

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Retail climate Round Table Panelists David Morgan, a partner at Halliwells solicitors, Heidi Rankin, store manager at TM Lewin’s Liverpool Metquarter store, and Tom Cannon, professor of strategic development at the University of Liverpool Management School, met at Harvey Nichols’ Second Floor restaurant in Manchester’s Exchange Square to discuss the state of the high street and the north-west’s retail climate.

Tom Cannon Professor, University of Liverpool Management School

Heidi Rankin Store manager, TM Lewin

David Morgan Partner, Halliwells solicitors

High street hopes How has the economic climate affected the region’s retailers over the last couple of years?

Heidi Rankin: It has actually been quite a growth time for my business.

I think Liverpool has gone through some tough times but we’re attracting more people and more retailers to the city centre. It’s been a good time for us as a company. When you look at the sort of retailers that have come in to Liverpool city centre I think it’s booming.

Tom Cannon: Generally retailing is quite strong at the moment in the north-west. You’re getting quite a big shift so there’s more clustering happening. For example Exchange Square and the Trafford Centre in Manchester and Liverpool One. Where they are suffering tends to be the non-central areas such as St Helens. Chester is doing well and Southport is in some kind of recovery, but Wigan, St Helens and Halton are suffering partly because

of Liverpool One and also because there are very strong brands now in every one of the north’s major cities.

David Morgan: I think retailers want top quality space so they migrate to Liverpool One. The difference between a prime shopping district like Liverpool One and a secondary space is getting wider and there’s going to be a bigger and bigger gap.

If you say retail is strong that doesn’t translate through into the property market. Tenants are, in one sense, having their best time ever because rents aren’t increasing on renewals now. The major players are demanding rent free periods.

Do you think enough has been done to help retailers in the region?

HR: I think so. I do hear a lot about renegotiation of rents and I think it’s important that landlords look at that because they don’t want an empty unit. It’s far better to have someone in there than to have an empty unit.

DM: From the landlords’ point of view

I think it’s important to maintain the payment structure. It’s better to have someone in there, even if you have to give them 12 months’ rent free, because if you take them out it could take them longer than that to get someone else in anyway.

TC: I think a lot of landlords were very slow to respond to the recession.

Many landlords were bringing in the bailiffs because they thought the recession wasn’t going to last.

They’ve got a lot of vacant possessions because they believed the bounce would be faster or the recession wouldn’t last as long. A lot of landlords acted that way, particularly the bigger ones in London.

DM: Some retailers have taken matters into their own hands. They wrote to the landlord and said, “we’ve got a portfolio of 1,000 shops, we’re going to pay you monthly rent and what are you going to do for us?”

TC: On a policy side it’s fair to say you don’t get the level of attention

from the RDA and the local authorities that retailing as a source of employment and as a source of economic development for the region merits. It is still probably one of the biggest single employers in the region. It also has an incredibly diverse portfolio now and certainly as far as regional development agencies and manufacturers are concerned it’s still not given the weight that it merits in terms of its economic value, certainly to the big cities of the region.

How do you think the recent recession has differed from those in recent years?

TC: I think it’s different in the northwest because of Liverpool One. That’s the biggest single factor.

Manchester’s momentum has continued in the city centre. The dynamic of Liverpool has changed. In fact they carried on that investment right into the recession. We know that the figures have been good MOVE COMMERCIAL 37

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even during the recession and that’s had a massive effect. I do think people are being a lot more discriminating though. There has certainly been a move to quality and I think we’ve seen that right through the recession. Basically, the people who do have money during this recession have got a lot more disposable income.

HR: What I seem to find is that it’s a longer lasting recession than the last one so a lot of retailers have got to make themselves a little leaner and look at what the customer wants in terms of quality, product and service.

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there is much more debt in this one.

There’s a huge amount of debt outstanding. Even on the main shopping centres. That’s coming off in most books in 2012 and certainly one of the major banks is forecasting a double dip in 2013 simply because their investment is coming up for renewal. They don’t see the value meeting what they’ve lent out.

What has been the impact of the online shopper on the high street over the last couple of years?

DM: In 2007 online shopping accounted for something like £8.7bn. That was a 33 per cent

Tenants are, in one sense, having their best time ever David Morgan

They’re looking at that more than ever before.

TC: Also retailing has changed.

Retailing is now part of the tourist economy. The truth is Manchester is a tourist destination, partly because of the quality of retail. You look at Chester and retail and tourism are intertwined. They’re trying to do the same thing in Southport and we can see that happening in Lancaster. It’s becoming part of the visitor economy as well as retailing.

DM: I think the other thing about the difference between the two is that 38 MOVE COMMERCIAL

increase on previous years. That’s a huge difference.

HR: Online is a big business of ours.

It’s grown over the last few years to such a level that we’re now global with it. We actually cater to people as far away as Russia and Australia.

DM: Stuart Rose said recently that Marks & Spencer’s online business is worth £500m. He said it ought to be a billion.

HR: It’s a big business but what it’s helped us do is create more awareness for our brand, so what we’ve found is we actually get

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Liverpool has gone through some tough times but we’re attracting more people and more retailers to the city centre Heidi Rankin

visitors now to Liverpool or Manchester who first started shopping online but they want to see a store. We actually served someone the other day from Australia who would usually only be able to see the stock online. Everything is a benefit to the company because it makes people more aware of the brand, particularly a company that’s growing, and if they’re aware of the brand then they seek you out in the major cities that you’re in.

TC: It’s instant globalisation if you do it right. Online retailing is growing by 15 per cent year on year. The sector is quite strong on the high street but then you look at what’s happening online and people are spending more and they’re buying a much greater range of things. It’s interesting the way some of the retailers are having to adjust to that. I think it’s interesting how John Lewis have had to adapt to that. They’re offering the same prices online as in the store. That’s quite a big change for them.

DM: People will keep coming

in to their stores if they’re quality stores. They can go in and check the products out and buy them online.

TC: I think you’ve put your finger on a really big thing in that the demands for service are actually going up because if you don’t get good service you buy it online. One of the strengths of stores like TM Lewin is that they focus on the retail experience. If it’s not a good retail experience then why would you go in the shop?

HR: We have customers that do both because they do like that shopping experience and that personal one-toone that they can’t always get online, and so it does help drive customers into our stores.

Do you think online shopping could eventually have a negative impact on the high street?

TC: I think it will eventually lead to a greater concentration on the high street. I don’t believe quality retailers who can produce a quality experience have anything to fear from the internet. I think people who are into piling high and selling cheap

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Retail climate Round Table

are the ones who will suffer. Unless you can do that really well, like Cheshire Oaks for example. I’m surprised there haven’t been more discount malls in the north-west.

HR: People come from all over the country to go to Cheshire Oaks.

DM: It’s a mixed-use offer now.

HR: That’s what they’ve done with Liverpool One. They’ve not just made it a day out shopping but a more vibrant city that people want to come in to. Liverpool was lucky because it already had a very good nightlife but it just adds to that experience. It’s exactly what they did in Manchester.

TC: If you take Liverpool and Manchester they both are able to attract people in. I think every other place, with the possible exception of Lancaster which has the advantage of distance, is struggling. I think Chester does the retail/tourist destination really well.

HR: I know several retailers who are looking to move into Chester quite soon.

TC: If you want a diversified retail experience with a quality environment then you go there. It’s the way Southport used to be.

Southport used to be the quality retail space for most of the north-west.

Lord Street was where the ladies who lunched did their shopping.

DM: It’s a challenge for Southport.

You’re going to need someone with a degree of vision to go in there and sort it out.

What do you think the next government could do to help retailers in the north-west?

HR: To enable smaller retailers to grow. We are a retailer that was quite small and I would like to see other retailers in the position to grow, just to bring more to the shopping experience. You want healthy competition and people to be given that chance to deliver that service.

TC: I think there are a few things.

Certainly it seems to me the gap in the market is support for new retailers and specialist retailers. I know they’re not prioritising that at the moment.There are an awful lot of new business opportunities in retailing, particularly when retailers use local suppliers. I think that’s an area where an incoming government could see new businesses generated and growing. If they really want to make a difference to the outer town sites the truth is public transport is hopeless. Public transport beyond the city centres is terrible. The infrastructure is not good. You can see the importance of the Metro in Manchester.

DM: Manchester has a good free bus system around the city as well. You come up on the train from London and you’re outside the office in about five or six minutes.

TC: I can’t understand why Liverpool hasn’t done it.

Is enough being done to attract global brands to the region?

DM: I think going back two years there probably weren’t enough. I think it has certainly moved in the right direction. You wouldn’t be able to attract those brands without the quality offer. You need that mixeduse opportunity so people are coming in to do their shopping, to eat and perhaps go to the theatre, so it’s moving in the right direction.

TC: I think Manchester has been clever in terms of developing its position as, in a sense, the capital of the region. As a result it does get the premium brands.

DM: I think Liverpool One and Capital of Culture have closed that gap.

HR: It was the Metquarter that brought the global brands like Hugo Boss.

DM: It was marketed as a young and trendy shopping centre and it

helps having fashion shows and things like that.

Do you think the high street is quite buoyant at the moment?

HR: It seems it when you look at the amount of shoppers that go out in the day. Whether that’s a true reflection of what’s being spent in the shops is difficult to say really.

DM: Most retail figures are encouraging. Some of the stores that have come in recently like JD Sports are showing quite good growth. Even Debenhams is showing growth. I think there is some encouragement out there.

TC: I think the thing that’s surprised me the most is not the premium firms, it’s the fact the supermarkets are doing so well. That’s what has surprised me, the fact that they can report such great figures, not just in terms of significant growth, but also their profitability.

DM: Look at their diversity. If you look at Tesco they recorded something like £1bn in clothing sales this financial year. I think they’re also one of the biggest sellers of televisions in the country.

Is it important to have a busy high street?

DM: I think so. I think quality high

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Retail is still not given the weight that it merits in terms of its economic value Tom Cannon

streets offer something.

TC: Quality matters but the other thing is the retail experience. People enjoy shopping whereas it used to be a chore. I suspect that people are quite happy nowadays to spend a day in the city centre.

DM: And in Liverpool you have outstanding museums in easy walking distance.

HR: When I come in to work on a Sunday there are people who are obviously set for a day out in Liverpool. They’re there before the shops open and they’ll probably be there for the full day.

Do you envisage a bright future for high street retailers?

HR: We do. There’s some smaller towns possibly struggling but I think for the major regional cities the future is bright. I think Liverpool is very lucky to have shopping centres like the Metquarter and Liverpool One because without that there wouldn’t be the growth that there is.

Manchester’s regeneration is well established. I think the future is bright for places like Chester because people love to go shopping there.

They don’t just want to do their shopping online. As long as the service is there and the product is there then yes there will be.

TC: I think you need a proposition now. I think Manchester has a proposition, Liverpool now has a proposition. If there isn’t a proposition then you’re going to struggle. Simply having the shop isn’t enough to get people to go.

DM: I think the high street with its reconfigured mixed-use environment will go from strength to strength. I think there are problems from a financing point of view but people have to work round those and find a way to move forward.

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Appointments Senior property consultants appointed WIRRAL-BASED property consultants Smith & Sons have made two senior additions to the team. John Crowley and Ian Raffe will work alongside former Smith & Sons managing partner Peter Bowskill to support the commercial team. Ian’s background in construction and property, will be used to support clients in the planning, costing and implementation of development schemes. Chartered building surveyor John Crowley is experienced in portfolio maintenance management and professional consultancy for commercial, industrial and retail business.

A former director at Atisreal, he will advise the firm on a range of larger schemes across the region. Sean Seery, partner at Smith & Sons, commented: “Working with both consultants will enhance our current service range to new and existing customers and help us fulfil our longterm aim to provide a complete property consultancy service from under one roof, through our own multi-skilled professional workforce.”

Q&A With Mark Fergusson Associate Solicitor, Corporate and Commercial Department My company markets its services on its website. Are there are any rules and regulations which I need to comply with?

Q

It is true that information technology and business are inextricably interwoven and it is difficult to talk meaningfully about one these days without talking about the other.

A

Mark Fergusson, Associate solicitor at Morecrofts, and the firm’s newest recruit to its ever expanding corporate and commercial department, advises his broad client base on the full spectrum of their commercial legal requirements including e-commerce and intellectual property.

Mark advises that the regulation of e-commerce and the rules governing the internet, websites, on-line contracting, distance selling and data protection (to name but a few) is currently one of the most legislated areas of the law.

Most clients who are in business will have a website, whether this is used as a marketing tool, a sales tool, or simply to have a presence on the internet where prospective customers may find out a little more about you.

However, many clients will not be aware of the many rules and regulations which address:

John Crowley and Ian Raffe

Central Village dream team THE LEWIS’S SITE in Liverpool has seen some key appointments made for its delivery. Merepark has announced the appointment of a director-level construction manager to work on the scheme.

Formerly senior contracts manager at Mowlem and Carillion, Alex Moore, has joined the north west-based team to oversee the delivery of future projects including Central Village. His previous projects include the Quadrangle in Manchester, the Warrington Collegiate campus and Oldham LIFT. In addition, Louise Ilhan has also joined the team as company solicitor. Previously with law firm Cobbetts LLP, Louise will be responsible for handling smaller scale legal transactions whilst overseeing the legal aspects of the company’s growing property investment and development management portfolio.

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• domain names and trade mark/passing off issues (or “cybersquatting”) • linking to third party websites • disability discrimination considerations which apply to websites • the regulation of trading on-line • the information all commercial websites must by law include • contracts concluded on line or by e-mail (distance selling regulations) • data protection issues • privacy and electronic communication rules which deal with marketing by e-mail and other means (such as SMS or MMS) • the general contractual and consumer aspects of e-commerce In summary there are potentially a number of matters which will require consideration by any business which has an on-line presence, whether they actually trade on-line or not. If you wish to discuss any of the above or want to arrange for one of our specialist solicitors to undertake a website or e-commerce compliance test then please do not hesitate to contact Morecrofts.

Mark Fergusson is based in The Liverpool City Centre office.

Liverpool City Centre Office.

No.1 Tithebarn, 1-5 Tithebarn Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, L2 2NZ Tel: 0151 236 8871 Website: www.morecroft.co.uk

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Built-environment update Focus on architecture

The north-west shortlist A total of 32 projects in the north-west were nominated and 11 have been shortlisted by the Royal Institute of British Architects for the national awards to celebrate ‘buildings considered to be of high architectural merit’ – with a huge number of these from the region. Ahead of the ceremony in Liverpool on 19 May when the winners will be announced, we’ve researched the merits of each shortlisted scheme in our region, with our verdict.

A MEMBER organisation formed in 1834 by a number of prominent architects to foster the highest standards in architecture and design, RIBA (once known as the Institute of British Architects in London) perhaps best known for calling for a minimum space in the design of British houses. When considering the shortlist for the

RIBA awards, the panel of judges will take into consideration the budget, size, complexity of the brief, detail used in the design, invention and or originality, the contract type, client satisfaction, sustainability, social factors and the capacity of the scheme to engage and delight its occupants and visitors.

LJMU Art & Design Academy, Liverpool, Rick Mather Architects A £27million investment, across 11,000 sq m, has created a signature building said to capture the way in which the university envisages a new way of bringing students, academic staff, business, industry and the general public together. Marking the first phase of LJMU’s long-term campus development strategy, the serpentine curve was designed to link it to the new public space opposite the Metropolitan Cathedral sympathetically, yet dramatically, and the lower ground and ground floor facilities with a café and bookshop and design to use and incorporate outdoor space echo this. A dramatic staircase linking the floors draws together the academic departments and public facilities forms the heart of this building and is an aesthetic and practical focus.

Abito, Salford, designed by BDP This design comes with the tagline ‘Not bigger. Just smarter. That’s abito.’

These residential apartments are ‘dedicated to the elimination of dead space.’ The one bedroom city apartments are held to stand out from the rest of Salford’s city centre

living because the greatest use is made of the space to provide attractive, quality accommodation at prices 20 per cent below other contemporary apartments. The expected result, to attract young professionals and first time buyers to

the apartments, saw two schemes completed by Ask developments – known for their work in regeneration and urban areas, including the First Street scheme (see our interview with John Hughes on page 24).

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Chavasse Park Pavilion, Liverpool One, designed by Studio Three Architects The Pavilion was shortlisted last year for the coveted Stirling Prize, and the striking building stands out even from the rest of Grosvenor’s £1billion regeneration scheme. The landmark site, overlooking the waterfront, is also key to why this project excited much attention during its conception.

Completed in 2009, with a value of £1.2million, the Pavilion was one of the last buildings to be commissioned within the wider Liverpool One scheme and the brief asked for a simple and modest sized building with a ‘light and playful’ feel.

CHIPS, New Islington, Manchester by Alsop Architects

Pier Head and Canal Link, Liverpool, AECOM Design and Planning A project to masterplan the Pier Head area was commissioned to reflect the award to the city of World Heritage Site status and the 2008 European Capital of Culture celebrations. With the Three Graces as a backdrop, the 16,000 sq m public realm facing the River Mersey posed a challenge to create an exciting space that

The Urban Splash scheme, which saw one of the company’s directors, Nick Johnson, move in with his family last year at the PR campaign’s launch sits overlooking the canal on a previously empty site. Regeneration in its truest sense, the derelict land needed soil decontamination and an imaginative vision to bring this building to the

remained sensitive to the historic surrounds. Incorporating vibrant sunken basins as part of a new canal link and a revitalised open-air performance area in the context of a masterplan for the new Museum of Liverpool, a mixed-use site and a remodelled ferry terminal, this was no easy brief.

canal site and conceive 142 one, two, and three bedroom flats. Plans to see the area become a kind of high street with a restaurant and bar offer to attract young professionals, are yet to come to fruition in a difficult market, but the design and scope of the building stands up well on its own.

Site One at Liverpool One, Dixon Jones, Brock Carmichael and Haworth Tompkins This site at the east side of Peter’s Lane between School Lane and College Lane sees a building that sets the scale and character of the lane, with a public space at either end, and

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was developed to complement the Bluecoat Chambers – therefore not built too high. Its retail uses have seen new brands attracted to the city.

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Built-environment update Focus on architecture Engineering Department, University of Liverpool, Sheppard Robson This £32million project, completed in 2008, covers two large open spaces – one on top of the other – with a total floor space of almost 1,000 sq m. The flexibility of the space, and the size, means that it can accommodate a total of 250 students simultaneously, which is said to be unprecedented in almost every other university engineering department. The flexibility of the design means that one week the laboratory may act as a design studio complete with computer workstations, the next as a manufacturing facility with workbenches and machine tools, and the next as an open space in which students can run the robots or cars they conceived, designed and built themselves. With funding from the North West Development Agency (NWDA), a lighting scheme illuminating the city skyline saw the building lit with hundreds of LEDs and electronic solar tracking equipment to create a fantastic display with hugely reduced energy running costs.

Tom Reilly Building, Liverpool John Moores, designed by AustinSmith:Lord This £20million project is the first phase of a 10-year masterplan for the LJMU campus, and is the fourth commission delivered by AustinSmith:Lord. An earlier project, the Aldham Roberts building, was a RIBA winner, and this new building includes an Olympic-standard 60 metre running track and specialist teaching and research laboratories to reflect the university’s status as a leading UK sports science school. With an exciting mix of uses at the site and a quick deliver in just two years, this scheme ranks highly.

New Roundhouse, Manchester, designed by Walker Simpson Architects This building, valued at £1.6million, is innovative in its shared uses as a social action centre. Home to a registered charity, a housing association, and a sixth form college its interiors include both cellular spaces and large open areas. The atrium’s solar thermal chimney also acts as a visual link between all the building’s users.

Site Seven at Liverpool One, Dixon Jones, Brock Carmichael and Haworth Tompkins This city block between Paradise Street, College Lane, Peter’s Lane and School Lane is a four storey building with the roof of the retail elements forming a terrace garden for residents’ use. Facing onto both Paradise Street and Peter’s Lane, the façade had to take into consideration the characteristics of the two contexts.

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The region’s wealth The region’s wealthiest players in property and business have seen (as in previous years) the north-west make the pages of the annual Sunday Times Rich List for 2010. Some major losses, which can be sensibly attributed to changes in the market value of land of property, have made room for some stand-out successes taking opportunity of an altered market. We’ve scoured the lists to compile the vital statistics on prominent players in the region, in the order they appear. £330m to over £1billion after refinancing the chain, placing him number 51 nationally. From selling seconds on a market stall after leaving school aged 14, Hargreaves’ empire saw him found Matalan in 1985 with US warehouse stores as his model. When the business struggled during the recession, his refinancing deal added to his own personal wealth by £250m. While he now resides in Monaco, he made a generous donation to NSPCC of £7m and established the Hargreaves Centre in Liverpool.

THE DUKE OF WESTMINSTER Grosvenor First in the north-west and at number three on the national list, The Duke of Westminster, best known regionally as developer of Liverpool One and chairman of trustees for the Grosvenor estate, saw his personal wealth increase to £6.75billion. This position places him much higher than retail giants and newspaper fodder Sir Philip and Lady Green. The success of Liverpool One’s retail and leisure industry, attracting high profile tenants like Jamie Oliver’s new restaurant, soon to arrive, and a gamut of high street bands, is bringing in business for the city and for Grosvenor – an example of regeneration at its best. The Duke also tops the list of richest hoteliers, with the Chester Grosvenor and Spa.

PETER JONES Emerson Property Group Emerson Property Group, owned by the elusive Peter Jones and family, is listed as fifth on the north-west list with £673m. The property development empire, begun in south Manchester, now takes Peter’s interests to Portugal and Florida, but Emerson Group and PE Jones (Properties) are based in Alderley Edge.

LORD GRANCHESTER Liverpool-based football pools Ranked as the second wealthiest in the region, Cheshire-based Lord Granchester and the Moores family, founders of the Liverpool-based football pools business stand at £1.2billion.

JOHN WHITTAKER Peel Holdings In third place John Whittaker, the founder of Peel Holdings – the company behind the landmark scheme for Liverpool and Wirral waterfronts, saw a drop in his fortunes which can be attributed to the recession’s impact on property prices. He still owns £58m in UK Coal, last year 44 MOVE COMMERCIAL

FRED AND PETER DONE BetFred took a stake in Land Securities worth £287m, and has a £660m share in Peel Holdings and Peel Holdings Land & Property. His interests in the Marriott, Worsley, list him as 10th richest hotelier.

JOHN HARGREAVES Matalan In fourth place John Hargreaves, the founder of discount clothing and homeware Matalan, saw the Liverpudlian’s wealth increase from

The BetFred empire, run by brothers Fred and Peter Done, is a substantial north-west based business and a major employer.

With 800 BetFred outlets and a legal advice group, Peninsula Business Services, worth £120m in itself, the Salford-born brothers have seen a £150m rise in their fortunes over the last year, placing them sixth on the north-west list and 92nd nationally. Their combined wealth stands at £660m.

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The Rich List Rising Stars

JONATHAN WARBURTON Warburtons

Business School, has kept it strong during the recession.

market. This puts him at 354th, and 17th in the north-west.

Ninth on the list is the Warburton family’s £495m fortune. Now run by the fifth generation of family bakers, under chairman Jonathan Warburton, the business continues to be based in Bolton, and employs approximately 5,000 people.

LORD ALLIANCE N Brown Group

WILLIAM AINSCOUGH Langtree Group

Lord Alliance and family are ranked in 13th place in the northwest with £265m made from the mail order business and 251 natioanlly.

William Ainscough of the Langtree Group in Newton-leWillows is ranked as 596th nationally with £110m.

TOM MORRIS Home Bargains

BRIAN KENNEDY Sale Sharks

MELVYN AND DELIA GRODNER Atmore

In 10th place and number 166 on the national list, the founder of Home Bargains, Tom Morris, is

Brian Kennedy’s Sale Sharks puts him in 14th place with £250m, and 260 nationally.

Melvyn and Delia Grodner of Atmore, a property firm based at Queens Square in Liverpool, have a fortune of £80m, putting them at 808 nationally.

DAVID RUSSELL Property Alliance Group David Russell, of Property Alliance Group in Manchester - which recently developed AXIS - comes in 875th with a fortune of £75m.

ANDREW TINKLER AND WILLIAM STOBART Stobart Group

believed to have £411m, seeing £222m made in the last year alone.

The firm’s concentration on budget prices across a wide range of goods has seen the chain grow nationally.

STEVE MORGAN Redrow Following in 11th place is housebuilder, Steve Morgan, who has returned to Redrow as chairman. He’s currently overseeing the property business’s refocusing on traditional style two storey homes, and has repositioned the north-west firm in the league of national housebuilders.

His fortune stands at £350m.

MICHAEL OGLESBY Bruntwood In 12th place and 214 nationally Michael Oglesby and family, owners of Bruntwood developers, increased their wealth over the last year by £25m taking it to £320m. The property group’s interest in sites across Liverpool and Manchester, and its work on Manchester

MARTIN AINSCOUGH Ainscough Crane Hire Martin Ainscough and family are ranked 309th nationally with £200m after selling Ainscough Crane Hire for £255m in 2007.

With £69m, the owners of the Stobart Group Andrew Tinkler and William Stobart, increased their wealth this year by £17m to come in at 953.

ALBERT GUBAY Derwent Holdings

On the list of those whose recent donations to charitable causes have put them on the ‘Giving List’, the developer behind the Edge Lane masterplan in Liverpool, and founder of Kwik Save and Total Fitness, is placed second. Having famously made a pact with God in his youth, the entrepreneur and multi-millionaire now runs Derwent Holdings development company with all the profits directed to good causes.

Albert Gubay’s wealth is estimated at £480m, and recent donations total £470m – evidence too that big business can have a big heart.

DAVE WHELAN DW Sports Fitness Dave Whelan, of DW Sports Fitness, is placed joint 16th with a £190m fortune and 336 on the national list. The owner of Wigan Athletic has seen the club struggle of late but his career saw him overcome adversity. His broken leg in 1960 ended his professional footballing career but he then built his fortune in JJB Sports, which he later sold.

STUART WALL Opal Property Group Stuart Wall, who founded Opal Property Group in Manchester in 1982, has wealth totalling £180m. Opal remains the UK’s largest private provider of student accommodation – a growing MOVE COMMERCIAL 45

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Expert views Ask the panel

What should be the first thing the new government does?

How should it take stock of the global response to the hung parliament and its effect on the pound’s diminishing value?

“The first thing that needs to be done by the new government, is to stabilise the financial market.

They need to provide some positive initiatives to encourage lending, particularly to SMEs, and also to address the existing wastage in public spending. The concern is that a hung parliament will not properly address these matters which are essential to the improvement of the economy. I do think the Scottish vote is a problem and would want to see electoral reform to temper the influence - given that they do have their own Parliament. As such, I think there should be a `weighting' to reflect the level of independent responsibility.”

Stuart Keppie, partner, Keppie Massie

“The first thing a new government should do is to encourage the banks to increase liquidity in an attempt to kick start the market again.

Specifically for our industry, I’d like to see them reconsider their position on empty rates which only serves to penalise those landlords already suffering and discourage further development.”

Andrew Owen, partner, Mason Owen

"To coin a phrase, the new government must "Keep Calm & Carry On." Opportunistic moves or unreasonable demands may spook the markets and remind voters of the old politics so many of us want to leave behind. Given the result of the election, whoever gets the key to Number Ten will need to show a bit of humility."

Liam Fogarty, chair, amayorforliverpool.org

"A hung parliament may turn out to be a blessing in disguise because compromises will need to be made in respect of each party's policies, leading to a better balance in decision outcomes. Agreement on dealing with the UK budget deficit will be a priority, with longer-term issues on the back-burner for the time being, except perhaps for electoral reform."

Peter Stoney, honorary senior fellow, Liverpool University Management School

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“Clearly our national interest would be best served if the Conservative leader were declared Prime Minister as head of the largest party in parliament. His immediate and main priority must be to strike a deal with the Lib Dems and establish an effective working government capable of taking the government forward. If this is achieved quickly then stability will return to the markets and the pound will recover. The diversity between the results in Scotland and the rest of the UK is unhelpful in terms of national cohesion but only time will tell how this develops.”

Paul Sutton, managing director, Sutton Kersh

“ ”

Opportunistic moves or unreasonable demands may spook the markets and remind voters of the old politics so many of us want to leave behind.

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