NEWS

The latest property stories coming out of the Thames Valley

01/12/2018

Wellness debate part 1: Employers 'fail to grasp the impact of the workplace'

Wellness as a feature of workplace design was debated by a panel of experts at a Thames Tap round table event, hosted by Three Sphere Workplace Design and MAA Architects, in The Boathouse at Teddington. Attending were (clockwise from left): Matthew Battle, managing director UK Property Forums; Victoria Lockhart, director for business development Europe for the International Well Building Institute; Simon Paddison principal designer for Three Sphere Workplace Design, Steve Hutton director of
01/12/2018

Record year for technology sector in Oxfordshire

Record take up in technology and science in Oxfordshire in 2017 has been reported in research by VSL & Partners. Its annual commercial market report highlights that total take-up reached 488,999 sq ft - the highest on record and a 50 per cent increase on the 2016 level and at the same time recorded that 70 per cent (342,000 sq ft) of all office take up was to the technology sector. The report says factors driving the high take up levels are a combination of the environment for
01/12/2018

Industrial market's record year in Reading

A report by Haslams has revealed a record-breaking year for the Reading industrial market in 2017 with growth in the sector expected to continue. Prime industrial rents are now over £11 per sq ft and Haslams expects them to reach £12 this year. Record take up in 2017 of 649, 325 sq ft was 27 per cent above 2016 and 31 per cent above the five-year average. Big deals by Argos, SAS International, DHL and UEC were among the major lettings. New developments for 2018 include Reading Trade City, part
01/12/2018

Urban market will be alcohol-free - and should be open this year

Broad Street Mall’s plans for a shipping container urban market have been approved by councillors and could be operating as early as this summer. Inception Holdings, via asset mangers Moorgarth, had applied last summer, to build the market at South Court, facing onto Hosier Street. The application is for 16 containers stacked two/three high and will be used by small independent retailers and cafes. However, in September, the plans were deferred by Reading Borough Council’s planning
01/11/2018

'Remarkably attractive' development of 765 flats approved

L&Q’s plans for 765 flats in Reading’s Kenavon Drive were passed almost unanimously by councillors with several praising the scheme’s quality. L&Q will start this year on demolishing the Toys R Us and Homebase sites for the development which includes 157 affordable homes, after Reading Borough Council’s planning applications committee approved the plans. Lead member for strategic environment, planning & transport, Cllr Tony Page said: “This is a remarkably attractive development that would
01/11/2018

Will serviced apartments be the next property goldmine?

We spoke to Thames Tap sponsor T A Fisher about one of the most exciting areas of development of recent years - one where its own subsidiary leads the market in the Thames Valley. Few people in development will be unaware of the major investment opportunities to emerge in recent times – but what will be the next? Care homes, student accommodation, hotels, PRS and, of course, residential, are all segments of the property market which have risen in prominence. But one area which has been
01/11/2018

£300m Basingstoke Leisure Park redevelopment moves forward

A £300 million plan to transform Basingstoke Leisure Park has moved a step closer. Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council which owns the 60-acre site, has agreed terms for the plan to be delivered. Negotiations between the council and proposed development partner NewRiver REIT Plc, have been completed and the council says the next stage will be to sign the contract, which could be in Spring. Under the plans, the existing leisure facilities will be replaced with more modern ones, doubling in size
01/10/2018

New plans for 45 homes at Woodcote

Plans have been submitted for a new development of 45 homes on land at Bridle Path, Woodcote. Thames Valley housebuilder T A Fisher has submitted proposals to South Oxfordshire District Council for a varied mix of properties which includes 18 affordable homes and a number of bungalows for the over 55s. The scheme is a revised proposal following the council’s decision to refuse consent for a previous T A Fisher application for 65 homes. T A Fisher head of land and planning, Julian Pacey, said:

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NEWS & VIEWS

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News

Wellness debate part 1: Employers 'fail to grasp the impact of the workplace'

Record year for technology sector in Oxfordshire

Industrial market's record year in Reading

Urban market will be alcohol-free - and should be open this year

'Remarkably attractive' development of 765 flats approved

Will serviced apartments be the next property goldmine?

£300m Basingstoke Leisure Park redevelopment moves forward

New plans for 45 homes at Woodcote