www.lofthouseandpartners.co.uk

GREGGS JOSTLE FOR BETTER POSITION ON THE HIGH STREET

Mon, 16 Aug 2010 12:11:14 +0100

Acting on behalf of a Property company we have secured a letting of the former Stead & Simpson unit in Newbottle Street, Houghton-le-Spring. The property occupies a prime position within the Town Centre close to a number of national multiple retailers. We are pleased to report having secured a letting to Greggs The Bakers PLC on behalf of the Landlord. Greggs were already represented within Newbottle Street however required a larger store in a more prime position. Working closely with the Landlord, the Tenant and the Main Contractor throughout, Lofthouse and Partners negotiated terms for a new lease and also agreed a schedule of Landlords alterations which involved increasing the size of the sales area and creating a more open plan layout to meet Greggs high street trading requirements.

COUNTRYWIDE TAKES SPACE IN STOCKTON ON TEES

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 09:30:10 +0100

Acting on behalf of National Estate Agency Chain Whitegates we have now secured an assignment of the Lease of their former Stockton branch. The modern property formed part of a larger retail/office development which is regarded as the main estate agency pitch within the Town Centre Countrywide Estate Agents were the successful applicant after being one of 3 potential tenants in competition to secure the unit.

NEW SUNDERLAND STORE FOR PANDORA

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 12:41:15 +0100

Acting on behalf of Collinson’s Jewellers we have acquired a prime retail unit within the Bridges Shopping Centre, Sunderland. Collinson’s are well respected and long established family retail jewellers who have secured the rights for the first and only Pandora concept store within Sunderland City Centre. The unit occupies a prime position within Phase 2 adjacent to Starbucks and Claire’s Accessories and immediately opposite 02 and Beaverbrooks.

Rachael Mather from Collinson’s Jewellers said “whilst we know Pandora inside out having been retailing their products in our existing store for about 4 years, commercial property is something of a minefield. We had been looking for a suitable location for our Pandora concept store for approximately 2 years. As soon as we found the right location we contacted Lofthouse & Partners to act on our behalf. We have had previous dealings with L&P and their reputation speaks for itself. They advised us from start to finish and negotiated excellent lease terms with the schemes owners Land Securities. The Pandora store opened in March and is trading very successfully. The general feedback from customers and retailers is that this is the kind of store Sunderland has needed for a while now and trade is going from strength-to-strength. The Bridges are thrilled to have secured a fantastic brand in Pandora which is a welcomed addition to the City’s current retail offer. Thanks again to Mario Jaconelli and the team at Lofthouse and Partners for all their help and advice”

Lofthouse and Partners 25th Anniversary

Fri, 07 May 2010 12:09:38 +0100

This year we celebrate our 25th anniversary and are very proud to have reached this important landmark in the company’s history. Established in Sunderland in 1985 Lofthouse & Partners have evolved into a multi disciplinary general surveying practice with a majority market share in Wearside. We specialise in all aspects of Commercial Property including Agency, Acquisition, Landlord and Tenant matters, Valuations, Rating Appeals and Property Management. Whilst we will continue to represent local individuals who have supported us over the past 25 years, our client base now extends to multiple retailers, UK and overseas property companies and high street banks. Our property management portfolio reaches not only across the North East of England but over to the North West and down as far as South West UK.

HLA Success leads to relocation to Boldon Business Park

Fri, 09 Apr 2010 10:30:46 +0100

HLA Services Ltd have appointed us to deal with acquisition of new Head Office premises and have completed on a property at Boldon Business Park, South Tyneside. HLA Services Ltd are a heating ventilation and air conditioning company established in 2003 having grown from 2 to over 60 employees. They have a large number of contracts throughout the UK for both maintenance and new installations for a wide range of customers including many blue chip and leading high street chains. The company also specialise in industrial and commercial pipe work, plumbing and electrical services.

Service and Maintenance Director Neil Henry said “we appointed L&P because of their reputation in the North East and the exceptional service from our initial enquiry. My fellow directors realised that we didn’t have the time or expertise to source and negotiate terms on our new HQ so we decided to leave L&P with a requirement criteria and they did the rest. We managed to secure a lease with an option to purchase which allowed us the flexibility required to grow”

The company hopes to complete their relocation to Boldon Court by January 2010 which will allow them to further expand to meet the markets growing requirements.

RDA relocate Monkton

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 15:29:36 +0000

In our previous edition we advised on our appointment to act behalf of Restaurant Design Associates to seek and acquire premises to replace their existing office on Boldon Business Park. We are pleased to report negotiations have now been concluded to acquire a brand new 4,500 ft² unit at Apollo Court on Monkton Business Park.

RDA director Judith Addyman said “my husband and I formed Restaurant Design Associates (RDA), almost 3 years ago and we initially worked from a small office on Boldon Business Park. We specialise in the provision of design consultancy and turnkey installation services to the Hospitality Industry throughout the UK. Due to on-going success and rapid expansion we realised we had outgrown our premises earlier this year. On the advice of our solicitor, Christopher Potts of Patterson Glenton and Stracey, we appointed L&P to source new offices for us in the South Tyneside area to service our regional and national client base. It was apparent from our first meeting that L&P had extensive knowledge, experience and contacts within the commercial property sector. This was invaluable to us as we had no experience ourselves within this field and we could leave L &P to get on with all the negotiations on our behalf until they were able to secure what we thought was an excellent deal for us at Apollo Court on Monkton Business Park. We have now completed the lease and are due to move into our new premises within the next few weeks”

Crazy Clearance expand into Seaham

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 11:08:59 +0000

We have been appointed as Retained Agents to act on behalf of Crazy Clearance, the discount retailer, to assist with their expansion drive. We identified premises in Seaham Town Centre as being suitable and have now concluded negotiations to acquire the former Your More Store in Church Street. The premises had been vacant for a number of years and we were therefore able to negotiate very favourable terms for our client. The 3,500ft² Seaham store is due to open in November 2009 and will see Crazy Clearance increase their number of outlets to 3 adding to their existing stores in Blaydon and Wallsend. Further acquisitions are proposed for 2010.

Armour secure more space

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 11:57:16 +0000

On behalf of retained clients Armour Plastics we have acquired an additional 32,500 ft² of industrial space on Pattinson Industrial Estate, Washington. Armour are manufacturers of acrylic sanitary-ware and also design and manufacture machinery for thermoforming plastics. Armour also has a production facility in Sunderland and this additional space allows them to expand into new markets.

Pandora box clever in Washington

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 16:49:55 +0000

On behalf of Kings Jewellers we have acquired a second unit in Washington Town Centre. Kings currently trade from units in Sunderland, Darlington and Durham City. Representing the tenant, and using our extensive knowledge of the Retail sector, we were able to assist this retained client to negotiate excellent terms and limited repairing liability within The Galleries Shopping Centre.

Tesco Coming Soon

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:48:40 +0000

Work has now started on Oakapple Commercials mixed use retail and residential scheme at Blackhill, Consett in County Durham. The suburban retail parade on Durham Road comprises 3 shop units with 11 residential apartments above and is on the site of the former Pimpernel Print works. We have concluded negotiations with Tesco who will anchor the scheme and 2 further retail units are now available each benefiting from A1, A2, A3 and A5 planning consent. Completion of the development is scheduled for March 2010.

Newcastle Office Acquisition Completes

Wed, 06 May 2009 14:17:33 +0100

We are pleased to report that we have now concluded negotiations on behalf of ContourGlobal to acquire offices within Rotterdam House in the heart of Newcastle’s bustling Quayside. After short listing a number of suitable offices, Rotterdam House was selected because of its prestigious address and close proximity to quality hotels, restaurants and bars and transfer time to Newcastle Airport. The premises extend to 7267 ft² and directly overlook the Baltic Art Gallery and iconic Millennium Bridge. Our clients have now taken up occupation of the premises following a refit and relocated staff from their office in Durham.

Durham City Restaurant Occupier Sought

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 14:13:54 +0100

A proven Restaurant operator is being sought for the iconic former United Reform Church in Durham City. The unique listed building and extends to 6223 ft2 and has planning permission for use as a Restaurant. The premises are located

in the heart of Historic City of Durham which enjoys a thriving student population complimented by high levels of tourism. This area is now accepted as the emerging cultural quarter and has seen extensive redevelopment of Walkergate including the Gala Theatre and Cinema and a 500 space secure car park. Proven occupiers attracted include The Slug and Lettuce, Fat Buddha. Lloyds No1 Bar, Epernay Champaign Bar, Ask, Chiquito, Love Shack and Nandos. Radisson SAS and Premier Inn Hotels have also gained representation within the city and going forward the Claypath area is earmarked for further large-scale redevelopment, information upon which is detailed at http://www.durhamvision.org.uk/.

Full details are available upon request.

Global Client prefers Local Knowledge

Thu, 22 Jan 2009 16:21:57 +0000

We have successfully won instructions to represent worldwide energy company ContourGlobal in acquiring a new head office in the North East of England. The company currently have offices in the USA, South America, Ukraine, Europe, London and Durham and are looking to establish a high profile HQ in the North East to replace their Durham offices which the company have now outgrown. The brief also includes the disposal of their Durham offices. Mario Jaconelli of L&P said “We are pleased to be working with a worldwide organisation on this project having pitched against some national firms. A number of potential locations are currently being considered with Newcastle City Centre topping the shortlist at this stage. Part of our clients brief was for the new offices to be Grade A specification and to be within walking distance of good quality hotels, restaurants and bars whilst being close to the Airport. Newcastle ticks all those boxes"

ContourGlobal develops, acquires and operates electric power around the globe focusing upon high-growth, under-served markets working closely with governments, banks and multinational clients delivering power project development.

First commercial tenant Signs up for Echo24

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 12:38:25 +0000

Echo 24, the landmark 11 storey mixed use development which dominates the city skyline overlooking the Wearmouth Bridge, is set to welcome its first commercial Tenant. Asiana, an oriental fusion restaurant, has taken 5126 sq ft (476 sq m) within the Ground Floor by signing up to a Lease of Unit 2. Asiana have commenced extensive fit out works and are expected to open March/April 2009. Asiana will bring together foods from across the Asian Continent including Chinese, Malay, Thai and Japanese. Lofthouse and Partners (L&P) acted on behalf of Glenrose Developments in concluding negotiations and are now marketing the last remaining unit which extends to 6259 sq ft (581 sq m).

Mario Jaconelli, director of Agency at L&P said "we have worked hard with the developer and occupier over the past 18 months to conclude this high profile letting which will add to the existing leisure facilities currently on offer within the the city centre following the recent opening of Tenpin the national bowling operator"

Tesco first to sign up to new retail scheme

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 13:46:29 +0100

We are pleased to confirm we have secured a pre-let of a large retail unit at Durham Road Blackhill near Consett in County Durham. The neighbourhood retail scheme is due for completion late 2009 and Tesco Stores have signed a pre-let on unit 1 which extends to 4365 ft2. The adjoining units 2 and 3 which are approximately 1000 ft2 each are now available and have the benefit of open A1, A2, A3 and A5 planning consent and would therefore suit uses including Hot Food, Bookmakers etc. The scheme is being undertaken by our clients Oakapple Commercial and fronts Durham Road being part of a larger scheme which includes a new residential development to the rear.

Full details of the scheme are available by contacting Kelly Bell or Mario Jaconelli at Lofthouse and Partners on 0191 5658844.

Hays Travel to Killingworth

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 15:07:11 +0000

Sunderland based travel company Hays have expanded their retail chain even further with the acquisition of their latest retail unit in Killingworth, North Tyneside. The new unit (pictured) will be open for business in March this year and is located within the Killingworth Centre. The acquisition of this latest unit takes Hays to 31 high street stores across the region and they now operate from most major towns and cities across the north including Ashington, Whitley Bay, Newcastle, Sunderland, Durham, Middlesbrough and Sheffield amongst others.

Mario Jaconelli, Director of Agency and Acquisition at Lofthouse and Partners said "We are fully retained by Hays Travel in all property matters including Acquisitions, Rent Reviews, Lease Renewals and Rating Appeal and continue to be active on their behalf throughout the region. We have acted for Hays for many years and it is particularly pleasing to be involved in their expansion plans on an ongoing basis. We acquired premises in Consett last year and we are working closely with Hays to increase store numbers in 2008"

Game On - in record time!

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 11:35:08 +0000

Computer games retailer Grainger Games, who were established in 1997, have signed up for their latest retail unit in South Shields in double quick time. The unit in King Street, South Shields is Grainger's 13th store in Scotland and England with more stores planned for 2008.

Grainger Games director Scott Sibley said "We had been looking to gain representation in South Shields Town Centre for some time but as you can imagine Christmas is the busiest trading period in the computer gaming industry and therefore it was a case of the right unit coming up at the wrong time! Due to its prime location on King Street we could not afford to miss this opportunity and we decided to pull out all the stops and go for it"

Scott added "we have been able to meet this deadline by having a dedicated team of professionals and shop fitters etc around us although this store opening was not a record for us - we actually opened our Metro Centre store within 24 hours of collecting the keys so you could say we like a challenge!"

Mario Jaconelli director of agency at Lofthouse and Partners said "it was genuinely a pleasure dealing with Grainger Games and the speed at which they turned things around was impressive to say the least. We are delighted we have been able to assist this fast growing company with their expansion plans and look forward to working with them in the future"