West Berkshire Property Forum hosted by Evans Jones

Evans Jones Chartered Surveyors and Planning Consultants hosted their bi-annual West Berkshire Property Forum at The Vineyard Hotel & Spa in Newbury. The breakfast event attended by senior property professionals heard from guest speakers on ‘A New Vision for Newbury’ with thought-provoking discussion on the Newbury vision. Chaired by David Jones, Managing Director of Evans Jones Planning & Property Consultancy, guest speakers included, Nick Carter is CEO of West Berkshire Council and lead for the 2036 Newbury Vision/Project, Russell Downing is Founder Member and Director of the Newbury West Berkshire Economic Development Company Stakeholder Group, Richard Stacey is Managing Director of Evoke Transport Planning and sits on the Property and Infrastructure Committee of Newbury West Berkshire and Ian Blake is Director of Morse Webb Architects and has led many town centre projects, including the Parkway Centre development.

PHOTOGRAPHY: PAUL STALLARD, CANDID PICTURES

Would you like to feature your business event, launch or party in our business events section?

And Construction

First phase completes at St. Modwen Park, Gloucester

Developer St. Modwen has completed its first phase of speculative development at St. Modwen Park Gloucester, delivering more than 174,000 sq ft of space in three new units – with unit 2 of 56,262 sq ft already let to a leading heating specialist.

Expected to create around 230 jobs once occupied, the units provide flexible space, ideal for medium-sized industrial and logistics businesses.

The 58-acre site is close to the M5 at junction 12. Build to suit opportunities are also available to meet specific requirements on the site up to 400,000 sq ft.

Peter Davies, Development Director at St. Modwen Industrial & Logistics, said: “St. Modwen Park Gloucester is an important strategic site for our continued delivery of high-quality industrial and logistics space. The market demand for schemes of this nature within the Gloucestershire area is high.”

Willmott Dixon Appointed To Deliver Fourth Scheme At University Of Warwick

Willmott Dixon has been appointed to deliver the last phase of a £33 million investment in Warwick Arts Centre to create the region’s leading cultural centre when complete in early 2021. The centre will be a key venue in Coventry’s year as UK City of Culture 2021. It follows the company’s selection in September to build the Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research Building (IBRB).

The centre has been designed by Ellis Williams Architects with Bond Bryan as delivery architect and project managed by Turner & Townsend. It involves a complete upgrade to the original building as well as adding a new-build that houses three HD digital auditoria, a large ground floor gallery to exhibit contemporary art, sculpture and photography, plus a spacious newlook foyer.

Purewal Commercial gets cracking on new-build after fire damage

Plans to build a new commercial unit on the site of a former fire-damaged industrial building in Coventry have been given the green light.

Work is set to begin on a new warehouse/ trade counter property in Herald Way, Binley, after planning permission was granted. It will be carried out by Coventry-based McCarthys.

The unit will be built on the site of a building which was hit by fire last July and

The new 8,600 sq ft building should be complete this summer.

Jonathan Moore, director of Holt

The arts centre continues Willmott Dixon’s presence on the university’s campus transformation that has seen the company deliver the awardwinning Oculus Building in 2016 and the Sports and Wellness Hub earlier this year, before being appointed for the IBRB scheme in September.

When completed, the development will sustain more than 30 full-time and potentially 20 part-time jobs, while also offering five apprenticeship roles. It will also assist up to 35 small businesses through engagement and commercial relationships with the centre. Willmott Dixon has committed to investing in local social projects including work experience placements and school engagement to the equivalent of £2.1 million.

Commercial which is also marketing the site, said: “There is huge demand for this type of industrial property.”

Jat Purewal, from Purewal Commercial Estates Ltd, added: “We hope to attract a tenant which will create new employment opportunities for the local area.”