Comment: Does Green Park sale indicate business park revival?

Oxford Properties has confirmed a story that it is planning to sell Green Park for £500 million to Mapletree Investments. Property Week reported talks are at an advanced stage with the Singapore-based real estate development, investment and capital management company. Oxford Properties bought the 195-acre park from Prupim in 2011 and has increased occupancy and amenities. Bayer, Huawei, PespsiCo and Thales are among the major new occupiers to sign up in recent years and only this month, a new

Hicks Baker appointed for Broad Street Mall's new era

Thames Valley Property partner Hicks Baker has been instructed as letting agent for Reading’s Broad Street Mall as it enters it’s most exciting phase in 45 years. Asset manager Moorgarth Group bought the mall last year and plans to invest substantially in its future. Now Hicks Baker’s retail team will work alongside London-based surveyors GCW as the new owner draws up a creative and aspirational scheme to further diversify the centre. Plans are likely to involve reconfiguring the existing

Everyman Cinemas and Premier Inn sign up for Elms Field

Two pre-let agreements will bring Everyman Cinemas and Premier Inn to Wokingham in the latest step towards the town’s regeneration. The controversial Elms Field development was agreed at the end of March and now deals are being finalised with occupiers. Bernie Pich, head of town centre regeneration at Wokingham Borough Council, said: “It’s been great seeing such growing interest and confidence in the town since we started to secure planning consent for the different regeneration phases.

Heathrow Hub says runway extension could be £5bn cheaper

Campaigners who want the northern runway at Heathrow Airport extended say their plan is £5 billion cheaper than a third runway. New cost estimates Heathrow Hub has submitted to the Department for Transport suggest the cost of its scheme has reduced to £9.7 billion, a third less than Heathrow Airport Limited’s own estimate for their third runway of £15.6 billion. Jock Lowe, director of Heathrow Hub said: “The simplicity of Heathrow Hub’s plan, which requires far less land and is much less

Village plan for Hartland Park

St Edward Homes has submitted proposals to develop a ‘sustainable village’ which could mean up to 1,500 homes at Hartland Park, in Pyestock, Fleet. M&G; Real Estate and Prologis already have permission for a 1.35m sq ft warehouse development on the 135-acre site, but have been unable to find enough interest. The site was formerly the National Gas Turbine Establishment where jet engines for aircraft were made, but was decommissioned and sold for redevelopment in 2000. Buildings were demolished

Another 3,500 homes planned for Oxford

A report about plans for 3,500 homes on the edge of Oxford has been submitted to councillors - with a planning application expected later this year. Savills has submitted the report on the 513 acres of green belt fields south of Grenoble Road bordering Greater Leys, Blackbird Leys, Littlemore and Sandford-on-Thames, to South Oxfordshire District Council (SODC) on behalf of site owners Magdalen College and Thames Water. It runs close to Oxford United's Kassam Stadium and access will be off the

Churchill Plaza, Basingstoke, to become flats

One of the best known office buildings in Basingstoke is set to be turned into 257 apartments. Churchill Plaza in Churchill Way, is currently used by Barclays but the bank is coming to the end of its lease this year and owner and developer Seven Capital has lodged an application to Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council under Permitted Development (PD) rules to turn it into 216 one-bedroom, 23 two-bedroom and 18 studio flats. Barclays is moving staff to various sites including its Market Street

Greenham development could face opposition

Plans for 157 homes on land between Newbury and Greenham could face opposition for developing one of the last remaining green spaces in the area. Developer Rivar has submitted the plans to West Berkshire Council to build on the land north of Pinchington Lane. The authority last year named the plot in its Development Plan Document as a possible site for housing despite a 125-year covenant imposed in 1992 to protect it. When plans were first revealed last September Greenham parish councillor

Rumours and movers: HSO, Maidenhead and Slough

HSO HSO Enterprise Solutions has taken 3,226 sq ft at 100 Brook Drive in Green Park. The software provider which employs more than 450 people in the UK, Europe, North America and Asia plans to grow fast from its new base. Managing director Adrian McNay said: “HSO has got ambitious plans for the next five years and providing the right environment for our employees and customers at a great location is key to those plans. After an extensive search we are delighted to have found the ideal home for

Brentford Stadium plan moves closer after CPO

One of the last remaining hurdles blocking Brentford FC’s new 20,000-seater stadium has been lifted after a compulsory purchase order was approved. But First Industrial which owns Capital Court, an office block on the Lionel Road South site in Hounslow, is considering further legal steps after it said the offer of £2.5 million was a fraction of its value. In a statement on the club’s website, chairman Cliff Crown said: “Achieving the approval for the Compulsory Purchase Order is another step