NEWS

The latest property stories coming out of the Thames Valley

07/25/2017

Oxford city centre rents hit £30 per sq ft

Agents say they have achieved a new high in office rents in Oxford city centre. Ground floor space at King Charles House, Park End Street, owned by Green Templeton College, has been leased at £30 per sq ft in a deal with an international occupier arranged by VSL & Partners. Previously the highest rents were at 58 – 60 St Aldates where refurbished space reached rents between £27.50 per sq ft and £29 per sq ft in four separate lettings. Tom Barton, director at VSL & Partners, said: “Record
07/25/2017

Three lettings at Waterside Court

Three new occupiers have agreed to take space at newly refurbished Waterside Court in Langley. AEW UK, advised by De Souza, has agreed deals with Northrop Grumman, Ickenham Travel Plc (trading as Business Travel Direct) and Kinnarps (UK) Ltd. The development is made up of four self-contained office buildings at Langley Business Park, totalling 21,000 sq ft. The park is just yards from Langley station, which will be on the Crossrail route when it opens in 2019. Global security specialist
07/25/2017

Mixed use scheme may replace former Grovelands Baptist Church

A church building in Reading’s Oxford Road looks set to make way for flats and a community centre – and help fund a new church in the Meadway. The former Grovelands Baptist Church, later known as Reading Community Free Church and now known as The Gate was in line for demolition in 2013 when planning permission was given for a three-storey mixed use scheme of worship rooms, offices, café, retail units and three flats. Now, after a review of its buildings, The Gate has brought forward a new
07/24/2017

View from the riverbank: Bracknell must get the magic right

Is Bracknell losing its magic? As aficionados of Harry Potter well know, Martins Heron was used in JK Rowlings’ film adaptation of her first book, the Philosopher's Stone. However, if all 12 of the proposed office conversions in Bracknell convert into flats/homes as allowed under Permitted Development (PD) rights, the magic spell which has been the bedrock of the town’s office market (think Panansonic, Fujitsu, HP, Honeywell, Honda, Waitrose and Dell) could be under serious threat. The stats
07/24/2017

Oxfordshire 'needs £9bn in infrastructure to cope with growth'

A new report has said Oxfordshire needs £9bn in major infrastructure schemes to cope with the county’s growth. The report by AECOM, commissioned by all six councils which make up the Oxfordshire Growth Board (OGB), sets out the investment needed in transport, schools, hospitals and other infrastructure to support the predicted growth in population, jobs and homes up to 2040 and beyond. Major investment projects include: *Improvements to the A34 * Rapid bus routes linking key locations *
07/24/2017

Bracknell halts surge in Permitted Development

A surge of Permitted Development (PD) schemes in Bracknell has prompted the council to agree to seek an Article 4 Direction to slow down the rush. Approvals for 812 flats at 12 office locations in the town have been granted since July 2016 and the demand has led some employers to complain that PD rights, which allow offices to be converted to residential, bypassing the normal planning route, will undermine the quality of their environments. The Article 4 Direction, which still has to be
07/21/2017

Seven shops and 64 flats planned at Bristol & West arcade

Plans for seven retail units including a pub, with 64 flats above Reading's former Bristol & West arcade went on display on Friday, July 21. Developer Sonic Star Properties, using architect Rodic Davidson and planners from Savills, is proposing a scheme to replace the abortive Brook Henderson development which gained planning permission for a health club and 14 flats, 10 years ago. The new scheme's pre-application public consultation took place at the Novotel on Friday. The Brook Henderson
07/21/2017

New leisure centre for Sunningdale moves closer

An agreement has been signed to provide a new leisure centre in Sunningdale. The Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead has signed a memorandum of understanding with Charters School and the Charters School Community Recreational Trust to agree to progress the project to the next stage. The new centre, which would be open to the public including during school hours, would include a six-lane 25m swimming pool, sports hall, health suite, gym and dance studio, as well as changing areas. The

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Independent Property
NEWS & VIEWS

Reporting daily from the Thames Valley tvproperty.co.uk

News

Oxford city centre rents hit £30 per sq ft

Three lettings at Waterside Court

Mixed use scheme may replace former Grovelands Baptist Church

View from the riverbank: Bracknell must get the magic right

Oxfordshire 'needs £9bn in infrastructure to cope with growth'

Bracknell halts surge in Permitted Development

Seven shops and 64 flats planned at Bristol & West arcade

New leisure centre for Sunningdale moves closer