Planning News and Deals
An artists impression of the Martineau Galleries Birmingham Birmingham City Council, advised by CB Richard Ellis, has entered into a development agreement with the Birmingham Alliance to deliver the Martineau Galleries project, a major retail-led mixed use scheme in Birmingham city centre. The CB Richard Ellis public sector consultancy team, working in partnership with CBRE Financial and CBRE Retail & Residential, advised on the evolution of the £750m development project, including financial viability and legal documentation of the scheme. When completed, Martineau Galleries will deliver 185,806 sq m (2 million sq ft) of mixed use space, with 85,000 sq m (915,000 sq ft) of retail, along with significant office, leisure and residential space across the entire 5.5 ha (14 acre) development site. The Birmingham Alliance is a joint venture between Hammerson plc, Land Securities Group plc and pearl Group Ltd. Birmingham Demolition has begun on Edgbaston Shopping Centre to make way for the £110m Edgbaston Galleries scheme which represents the largest regeneration of a principal gateway to Birmingham. The new 424,500 sq ft scheme, being developed by Calthorpe Estates will replace the current 1960s shopping centre at Five Ways, Edgbaston. The development has planning consent for 57,000 sq ft of retail and leisure, a 51,600 sq ft high quality foodstore, 159,300 sq ft of Grade A office space, hotel accommodation and 800 car parking spaces. Colemans has been awarded the £1.4m construction contract, with White Young Green acting as project managers on the scheme. Derby Intercounty Properties have gained consent for a development of 4,000 sq m at Pride Park Derby. Work will commence early in the New Year with completion expected for autumn 2008. The deal was brokered by Serviced Office Sales, part of SOS Worldwide plc.		Birmingham Work is nearing completion on the new £4.5m Premier Inn and Beefeater development on Birmingham’s key gateway, the Hagley Road. Located on the Calthorpe Estate, Edgbaston, the 65 bedroom Premier Inn and 6,000 sq ft Beefeater Grill restaurant that will be called ‘The Duck’ is set to act as the catalyst for further regeneration of the city’s western gateway. Developed by Whitbread, the hotel and restaurant are expected by generate around 70 new jobs. Multibuild are steaming ahead with construction and completion is anticipated for early 2008. Shrewsbury The Shropshire Food Enterprise Park at Battlefield, Shrewsbury, is now being developed by PxP West Midlands, the joint venture between Advantage West Midlands and Langtree Group plc, backed by Bank of Scotland. Working with Shropshire County Council and Shrewsbury & Atcham Borough Council, PxP will offer factory and business space for the food and drink sectors, either for sale or lease. PxP have appointed Shrewsbury based Pooks Commercial and King Sturge of Birmingham, to deal with enquiries on this major eight ha (20 acre) development on the northern side of the town. Derby Plans to create a £12m office building in Derby have been submitted to the City Council. Developers, Chesterfield-based Bolsterstone plc, have put forward a scheme which would see the redevelopment of the site of the former Sixt Kenning Car Hire centre on Cathedral Road in the city. The plans propose a five storey building which would offer 50,000 sq ft of office space, with the flexibility to be able to accommodate a single occupier or a series of smaller individual high-quality suites from 2,500 sq ft upwards. Subject to a positive planning decision, construction could commence next spring with occupation by the early part of 2008. Milton Keynes Work has just started on a development of smaller industrial units at Blakelands Industrial Park in Milton Keynes, and will be offered for freehold sale through agents Douglas Duff. Known as Genesis, this is the first development in Milton Keynes by Westhall Estates, in a joint venture with Sea-Ex one of its four funding partners. Arranged as two terraces with a central access area, Genesis comprises six industrial units, ranging from 130 to 200 sq m (1,400 to 2,158 sq ft) with the possibility of combining premises up to 361 sq m (3,088 sq ft).