Move Commercial 14

MOVECOMMERCIAL

Sept–Oct 2009LIVERPOOL CITY REGION CHESTER MANCHESTER

The north-west’s guide to property and business Issue 14

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CITY POINTGREAT HOMER STREET, LIVERPOOL L5 3LE

STYLISH GRADE ‘A’ OFFICES TO LET�Less than 1 mile from the city centre�Comfort-cooled suites from 1,466 sqft to 8,943 sqft�Raised-access floors, LG7 lighting and private kitchens/WCs�Secure under-croft parking and visitor spaces

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MOVE COMMERCIAL 3

Issue fourteen Move Commercial

Welcome to Move Commercial

Contents

36

08 07

THIS ISSUE of Move Commercial puts global investors in thenorth-west region under the spotlight.

Lunch with representatives from two of the region’sbiggest developers, Downing and Bruntwood, put inwardinvestment into Liverpool and Manchester on the table aswe discussed the region’s strategy for attracting keycompanies to the region and showcasing what we have tooffer.

Mover and Shaker Lindsey Ashworth at Peel Holdingstalked about transforming the waterfront to compete in aglobal environment, while Dr Tasker from Liverpool SciencePark, our Rising Star, said she’s building relationships with

new businesses and attracting innovators to Liverpool’sKnowledge Quarter.

New ideas are always hot and Simon Nixon, co-founder ofthe ground-breakingly successful internet business MoneySupermarket, shared his plans for new ventures in virtual andreal estate over lunch. A focus piece on retail in the regionexamines how big firms are making money in a challengingmarket and we discussed the leisure industry andregeneration in Southport’s Pontins resort with FoundingFather Ian Smith. To top it off, we assembled a mix bag ofreds and blues to discuss the missed opportunity for ashared stadium – see page 38 for photos of what ensued.

move publishing ltdAdvertising DirectorFiona Barnet Tel 0151 709 3871Account ManagerJo Tait Tel 0151 709 3871Editorial TeamLucy Oliver and Jonathan KearneyEmail [email protected] 0151 709 3871Published by Move Publishing LtdDirectorsDavid O’Brien, Kim O’Brien, Fiona Barnet

Design & ProductionThe Design Foundry36 Henry Street, Liverpool L1 5BS.Tel 0151 709 1633Printed by Precision Colour Printers LtdDistribution Liaison ManagerBarbara TroughtonTel 0151 733 5492 Mobile 077148 14662

Copyright Move Publishing Limited. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced copied or transmitted in any form orby any means or stored in any information storage or retrieval system without the publishers written permission.Although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of material published, Move Publishing can accept no responsibility forthe veracity of the claims made by advertisers.

News06 Global investors move into

World Heritage Site07 Mann Island scheme on track 08 Fresh signings Central Village 09 Leigh Sports Village shoots

for victory 10 Office schemes’ success in

Liverpool and Manchester 11 Planning go-ahead for Hope

Street scheme13 A new signing at City Point 14 £200m retail scheme15 Wirral hotel deal made 16 Supermarket checks in at

Halewood 18 Transport innovations link up

the City Region

Features22 Entrepreneur

Simon Nixon seeks new adventures

26 Mover and ShakerLindsey Ashworth on Peel’s plans for the waterfronts

28 City Region FocusManchester and Liverpool regions in the spotlight

30 Founding Father Ian Smith on revamping Southport Pontin’s

33 Talking PointAttracting global investment

36 Regional Retailers Focus Thriving local giants

38 Five Decide Did Liverpool and Everton miss an opportunity for a shared stadium?

40 Rising Star Dr Tasker on encouraginginnovation

45 Ask the Panel Should public spending be accessible to public viewing?

Key Events20 Tithebarn transformed

City Centre office refurb25 Transport briefing

Creating a regional infrastructure

43 The Big RackDeacon Park in Knowsley attracts occupiers

Careers46 Q and A

Patrick Crean is in the spotlight

Front cover image: City Point, photographed by McCoy Wynne

22

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MOVE COMMERCIAL6

THE £15 MILLIONrefurbishment of the Port ofLiverpool Building has attractedanother leading internationalbrand to the jewel in the crown ofthe city’s World Heritage Site.

Swiss company Kuehne + Nagelhas signed a 10-year lease withdeveloper Downing for 8,000 sqft of space in the Grade II listedbuilding. The newly refurbishedsuite on the ground floor of thewaterfront landmark willwelcome 51 staff from the IndiaBuildings. The signing is the thirdof major logistics groups at thePort of Liverpool since Downingcompleted its revamp in Januarythis year. The firm acquired thebuilding in 2001, and has aportfolio of more than £500million of mixed-use schemesunder development.

Barry Murphy, branch managerof Kuehne + Nagel Ltd, said hewas impressed with the facilitiesoffered at the site: “We aredelighted not only to remainwithin the city, but to be movingto such a prestigious building. Itcan only enhance our reputationas a leader within the industry.”

Senior agency surveyor atDowning, Robin Ellis,commented: “Kuehne + Nagel is a significant internationalbrand with high standards tomatch. We’ve invested heavily in complementing the Port ofLiverpool building’s presence andcharacter with the facilities andspecification that modernbusinesses demand. This lettingis further proof of its enduringcommercial appeal for occupiersof the highest quality.”

News Move Commercial

THE FUTURE of the iconicLittlewoods building inWavertree is still beingdiscussed.

The art deco building, openedin 1938, had previously beenearmarked for discussion as apotential apartment complex,with hotel and retail spaceattached. Now, the site looks setto become part of the Edge LaneInnovation Park scheme and,under plans for Wave 6 of thegovernment’s Building Schoolsfor the Future project (BSF), tosee local school St Hilda’s C of Erelocated to the site. At onestage in earlier discussions, itwas suggested to move StMargaret’s C of E High onto theInnovation Park from its site inAigburth, but current plans arenow considering keeping thatsite on Aigburth Road – makingthe school at Edge Lane a singlesex girls’ school. Assistantdirector of education atLiverpool city council, TimWarren, commented: “Nodecision has yet been made.This is a proposal at this stage.Even if this proposal goes aheadit will result in the school goingco-educational from 2014.” Thelocal education partnershipresponsible for delivering thescheme will be appointed inSeptember 2011.

The iconic Littlewoodsbuilding has, over the years,been the centre of theLittlewoods Pools business, andthe nerve centre of agovernment code-breakingagency MC5 during the SecondWorld War. The building hasbeen empty since 2003, when itpassed into the ownership ofthe North West DevelopmentAgency. The £45million projectis set to boost the regenerationof the area.

Schools ofthought

Robin Ellis

The Port of Liverpool building

Downing attractsanother global brand

Graceful refurb attracts international investors

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MOVE COMMERCIAL 7

Move Commercial News

Mann Island on trackONE OF LIVERPOOL’S keydevelopment schemes is nowunderway to construction.

The 140,000 sq ft commercialoffice element of the £135 millionMann Island scheme by developersCountryside and Neptune began inAugust, following the recent £47million deal with German fundCommerz Real.

Merseytravel has already signed tolease space in the new building inone of the region’s biggest propertydeals to take place this year.

Managing director at Neptune,Steve Parry, commented: “We aredelighted to see a new tower craneon the Liverpool skyline. It’s anindication that the city’sregeneration is continuing toproceed even in this difficulteconomic and commercialenvironment.

“Clearly the success of thescheme owes to its quality andunique location in the heart ofLiverpool’s World Heritage Site.This is a hugely exciting project

and we are delighted that itremains fully on track and will becompleted on schedule.”

He added that three quarters ofthe residential units are nowreserved, and that the final phaseof apartments will soon be releasedonto the market. Neptune is alsoon track with its other projects toredevelop the region. The secondphase of the New Brighton schemewill see the start on site later thisyear.

CGI of the completed development at Mann Island

Work begins on World Heritage site scheme

Eye-openerLIVERPOOL’S Open Eye Gallery is set to move to new premises in 2010.

The space occupied at the MannIsland site, developed by Neptuneand Countryside, will total 400 sqm, more than twice the size of thatin the current Wood Streetpremises. The new gallery, designedby architects RCKa, will include amezzanine level of about 125 sq m

and up to 150 sq m of exhibitionspace. Director at the Open EyeGallery, Patrick Henry, commented:“Our ambition is to create a morevibrant and popular gallery, playinga bigger part in the city’s culturallife, and to build on ourinternational reputation.

The construction and fit-out of thenew space begins early next year intime for a summer/autumn launch.

DEACON PARK on Moorgate Roadhas welcomed a new tenant to itsout of town office site.

Anthony Donald Evans Ltdsigned for a 10,000 sq ft callcentre in a ground floor office atthe popular Highcrossdevelopment. Robert Diggle,partner at Edward Symmons, jointagent on the scheme with CBRE,commented: “This is the largestletting that Knowsley has seen in2009 and, in combination withother lettings that have recentlytaken place within Deacon Park, itclearly demonstrates the strengthof the Knowsley office market.”

Iain Taylor, asset manager atHighcross, stated: “We aredelighted to have secured thissignificant letting whichemphasizes the affordable,quality accommodation at DeaconPark. Smaller self-containedoffices are still available from 800to 30,000 sq ft, for which we arereceiving enquiries on a regularbasis.”

Knowsley isa safe betLargest letting atformer LittlewoodsBet Direct site

Deacon Park

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MOVE COMMERCIAL8


A bold statementCentral village developer makes its markMEREPARK has confirmed a spateof fresh lettings at its redevelopedpremises on 9-25 Bold Street inLiverpool.

The new signings follow £3 millionof investment to refurbish the retailunits before the construction of the£160 million Central Village schemebegins in autumn.

Already, clothing retailer Animaland Brew tea bar have signed 10-

year leases at sites of 4,500 sq ftand 2,700 sq ft respectively. Youthtraining provider ESG has alsosigned a four-year lease for 5,500 sqft of office space at 13-19 BoldStreet. The joint agents acting forthe developer are CB Richard Ellisand Savills. Surveyor at CBRE,Pippa Page, commented: “Theselettings are an extremely positivesign for the retail property sector, as

well as Liverpool itself, to haveattracted these leading brands tothe city.”

Neal Hunter, associate director ofMerepark, commented: “Bold Streethas always been renowned for itsdistinct personality and vibrantretail offer – these lettings certainlyadd to that reputation.

“We have created high qualityretail units that will become an

important gateway to the widerCentral Village development,helping to ensure Bold Streetremains a popular area of the city.”

The Central Village scheme willcomprise two new hotels, an apart-hotel, retail and leisure units, a newmulti-storey car park and officescombined with an attractive publicrealms, timber boardwalk and astepped water race.

The Central Village scheme

£5 million makeover THE FORMER Tithebarn House, owned by ARC property fund, has beentransformed into a state-of-the-art office space over eight floors.

Now rebranded as No1 Tithebarn Street, the joint venture developersKenmore Property Group and Legal & General have transformed the buildingto the tune of £5 million.

The makeover includes a dramatic double-height contemporary entranceonto Tithebarn Street, with an impressive DDA compliant reception, and the115,000 sq ft of office space also now boast aesthetic improvements suchas comfort cooling, new perimeter radiator heating, raised floors for powerand data and full carpeting.

Neil Kirkham, partner at Hitchcock Wright & Partners who are joint agentson the scheme with Keppie Massie, commented: “This is a stunningtransformation of one of the principal office buildings in the city. Thereception, common areas and office suites are unrecognisable in comparisonto how they were and this, coupled with the location, quality, large officefloor plates and competitive letting terms, makes No 1 Tithebarn a premierchoice.” The space also includes three high speed goods lifts, a goods lift anda newly installed lift for disabled access.

Current tenants include Morecrofts Solicitors and Merseyside Police.

Joint venture transforms Tithebarn site

The new office space

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MOVE COMMERCIAL 9


Plans for leisure village attract attention

LEIGH SPORTS VILLAGE onAtherleigh Way is attractinginterest in its combination ofleisure, office and retailaccommodation.

Developers, The GreenbankPartnership, completed the £83million scheme in November 2008,in partnership with Wigan Council.

The sports village is an excitingnew development in the north-west,including a 10,000 seat stadium,used by Leigh Genesis footballteam, Leigh Centurions rugbyleague team and Blackburn Roversreserves. The site also contains a

150 bed hotel, a new leisure centrewith a gym, pool, athletics track andthe stadium used by Leigh Harriers,and Wigan & Leigh Sixth FormCollege. A new supermarket is alsoplanned for the site.

The retail space on offer at thesports village provides two self-contained ground floor units circa2,000 sq ft. On the first and secondfloor, offices are available from 450sq ft to 6,600 sq ft at Grade Aspecification. Car parking and hotdesk facilities are also available atthe site.

John Morgan, agency surveyor at

Mason Owen, commented: “Theaccommodation would suit a rangeof occupiers who can benefit fromthe facilities available within thevillage and within the stadiumitself.” Conference, function andbanqueting facilities are alsoavailable at the stadium, with thevillage located on the A579, just offthe A580 East Lancashire RoadJunction 23 of the M6. John added:“We currently have strong interestand terms out on over 50 per centof the space, and with the plannedarrival of the supermarket demandis expected to increase.”

Scoring victoriesfor £83m project

A bird’s eye view of Leigh Sports Village

Plannersapprove of NewBrightonhotel

CGI of Travelodge on completion

NEPTUNE DEVELOPMENTS has received approval from Wirralcouncil for the final reservedmatters in the second phase of thefirm’s scheme in New Brighton.

The news arrives hot on theheels of Travelodge signing up tooperate a 66-bedroom hotel aspart of the scheme. Constructionof the new Morrison’ssupermarket, digital cinema, bars,restaurants, watersports trainingcentre model boating lake, publiclido and public realm in the£60million development isexpected to start on site at theend of the year.

Director of Neptune, RobMason, commented: “This isgreat news for both New Brightonand Neptune as we are now allsystems go to complete our visionfor this once great seaside resort.”

The completed first phase of thescheme saw the successfulrefurbishment of the 800-seaterFloral pavilion and ConferenceCentre, and more end-users of thescheme are expected in thecoming months..”

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MOVE COMMERCIAL10

The new office space

BRUNTWOOD developers areattracting tenants to thecommercial hearts of Manchesterand Liverpool.

At the end of June, insuranceunderwriters Affinity SchemeInsurance expanded its space atOrleans House from 1,150 to1,740, sq ft in Liverpool, and tookup another office in Manchester.The firm now occupies 4,300 sq ftof space in Bruntwood’s PortlandTower in the city centre.

Jim Magee, operations directorat Affinity, commented: “Wechose Bruntwood for ourManchester office partly becauseof their excellent on-site customerservice teams. We were alsoimpressed with the level offlexibility Bruntwood provide dueto the number of office buildingsthey own, the quality of the spaceand the fact you can moveseamlessly throughout theirportfolio, meaning they were the

perfect choice for our Manchesteroffice.”

Bruntwood’s director of sales,Andrew Butterworth said, “We’redelighted we could accommodateAffinity’s office requirements.Last year we helped over 50customers move throughout ouroffices, both expanding andcontracting their space. Thisshows the commitmentBruntwood have for ourcustomers’ long term prosperity.”

ACCLAIMED fashion designer andretailer George Davies hassecured a 2,500 unit at theLiverpool One development. Thestore, on the development’supper level, will house Davies’snew GIVe venture, an “affordableluxury” clothing brand aimed atwomen over 30. Liverpool Onewill be one of several sites tofeature a GIVe store, after Daviessigned a number of othershopping centre deals, includingBluewater in Kent andMeadowhall in Sheffield. TheBluewater store will open on 1 October.

AT THE METQUARTER inLiverpool, two new arrivals arealso set to make their mark onthe city’s retail scene. Jo Malone,purveyor of exclusive skincareand fragrances, has signed for1,055 sq ft at the Whitechapelpremises in the city centre, andis set to open in early October.M.A.C make-up specialists havealso decided to increase theirspace in the exclusive shoppingprecinct to 2,000 sq ft to includea lash bar and group consultationrooms. The deal follows thenews that British fashiondesigner Kirsty Doyle haslaunched her concept flagshipstore in the development,occupying 1,200 sq ft.


Double appeal ofregion’s citiesBruntwood’s prime spaces

Orleans House

Portland Tower

RETAIL ROUND-UP

George Davies

The Metquarter

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MOVE COMMERCIAL 11


More occupants to follow soon

Hope Street hotel approved

AGENT Hitchcock, Wright &Partners has secured three newtenants for the RIBA awardwinning 20 Chapel Street, addingto the growing list of prestigiousclients who occupy the Liverpoolcity centre building. Awardwinning agency Finch, mostrecently famous for creating the08 European Capital of Culturebrand, has relocated from theirformer Covent Garden offices totake 2,600sq ft on the first floor,while accountants and businessadvisors Jackson LLP will occupy3,165 sq ft on the 2nd floor aftertheir move from Orleans House inEdmund Street, Liverpool. ElaineCunningham, of ElaineCunningham Interiors is also toopen a 5,000 sq ft BoConceptstore at street level on 11September. The BoConcept storeis a first for the north-west andwill stock the full range of theirdesigner furniture and lifestyleproducts.

Alastair Newman, commercialmarketing consultant for 20Chapel Street, commented:“Despite the recession we havehad a very positive year so farwhich reflects our policy to tailorlettings to suit individualbusinesses and offer a fast turnaround and fit out. We are innegotiation with a number ofother organisations and will bemaking further lettingannouncements very shortly.”

Maghull Developments granted planning for Hahnemann Building

Plans to house a boutique hotel in Hope Street’s HahnemannBuilding have been approved byLiverpool City Council. MaghullDevelopments, the developer forthe £80m scheme, now hasplanning consent to convert theHahnemann Building at 42 HopeStreet and 58 Hope Street into afour star 50-bedroom boutique with bar, restaurant and day-spa. A previous application to develop a 62-bedroom hotel was withdrawnin 2008 when the period buildingwas granted Grade II listed status.Michael Hanlon, managing director of Maghull Developments,commented: “Our whole vision for Hope Street was borne out ofextensive consultation with the

city council’s planning andconservation officers, EnglishHeritage and various residentgroups and this is the final piece in the jigsaw for our developmentplans.”

A variety of self-contained office suites at the HahnemannBuilding are currently available on short term flexible leases fromone month upwards, before theexpected hotel construction in 2011. Premises, ranging from 120to 10,000 sq ft, were made

available in July followingrefurbishment work by MaghullDevelopments. Michael added: “We are currently letting theHahnemann Building as officespace and this will remain our focus

in the short to medium term. This strategy will give us time forthe city’s hotel industry to level,before we progress with ourredevelopment plans.”

Site agents Mason Owen sayinterest in the building won’t just beconfined to commercial businesses.Partner Andrew Owen commented:“With the studio space available we want to appeal to otherbusinesses such as modellingagencies, galleries and other leisurebased clients. It’s still relativelyearly days yet but the initial interesthas been good.”

For letting enquiries contactAndrew Owen at Mason Owen, on 0151 242 3000, or visitwww.masonowen.com.

Hahnemann Building

Tenants flock toChapel Street

20 Chapel Street

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MOVE COMMERCIAL12

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MOVE COMMERCIAL 13


Oscar successMORE TENANTS have securedoffice space at Oscar Development’sCity Point in Liverpool. Occupancyof the Great Homer Street buildingis now approaching 50 per cent afternational charities, RichmondFellowship and Inclusion Mattersmoved in. Richmond Fellowshiptook two suites extending to 3,000sq ft and Inclusion Matters took a1,500 sq ft office suite to join GreenPlan Energy and Off PlanDevelopments in the 27,500 sq ftcommercial office development.

Andrew Owen, partner at MasonOwen – joint agents for City Pointwith CBRE – commented: “Despitethe current economic climate,demand remains strong foraccommodation at City Point. The

development offers a rareopportunity for occupiers to takesmall suites on the fringe of the citycentre with the benefit of carparking. The building has beendesigned to a Grade A standard, asgood as anything within the citycentre, and we believe that it is thisquality of design together with itsexcellent accessibility that isattracting occupiers to thedevelopment.”

City Point is a five-storey blockmade up of 16 temporary offices,each built to a Grade A standardextending to around 1,500 sq ft. Thedevelopment offers flexible floorplates which enable the units toaccommodate purchasers requiringup to 6,000 sq ft. James Marshall,

commercial director of OscarDevelopments added: “We areabsolutely delighted that bothRichmond Fellowship and Inclusion Matters have chosen City Point as their base withinMerseyside. Interest in the schemeis now gaining momentum and weare confident given the quality of theproduct available that occupancyrates will continue to improve.”

For viewings or furtherinformation on City Point callAndrew Owen at Mason Owen on 0151 242 3000 or [email protected] call Mark Worthington at CBRE on 0151 471 4971 or [email protected].

AWARD-WINNING DEVELOPER UrbanSplash has announced that it hascompleted deals on over 2,000 sq ftof space in Manchester, followingnews of signings for 10,000 sq ft ofspace at developments in Liverpool.

The Smithfield Building inManchester has signed up footwearretailer vans for 836 sq ft, and ShaneHamilton Barbers for 763 sq ft on itsground floor. Architects OllierSmurthwaite have opened an office inthe mixed-use Albert Mill scheme in

Manchester, and Influential Media hassigned up for over 300 sq ft in twounits at the Dulcie Building.

Associate director at Urban Splash,Lynn Haime, commented that it hadbeen a busy summer period: “Withdeals in Manchester and Liverpool nowcomplete we have let or sold morethan 11,000 sq ft of space; a greatachievement and reflective of theencouraging activity beginning toshow in the commercial lettingsmarket in these cities.”

Developer makes a splash

City Point

Garden Festival site grant agreedDEVELOPERS LANGTREE and the Northwest Regional Development Agencyhave come to an agreement on a £2.1m grant to improve the site. Aseparate contribution of £1.6m from the Northwest European RegionalDevelopment Fund is also currently being considered for the scheme,bringing the total package of investment sought to £3.7m. SteveBroomhead, chief executive of the Northwest Regional DevelopmentAgency, commented: “The site has the potential to create a major visitorattraction of international significance and enhance the wider MerseyWaterfront programme to maximise the potential of Merseyside’swaterfront areas.”

The Garden Festival was originally introduced in Liverpool in 1984 in anattempt to revitalise tourism in the city and was later home to the PleasureIsland amusement park. The site passed through the hands of variousdevelopers until its closure in 1996, with Langtree later announcing plansto construct 1,000 new homes around the cleared dome area.

THE NEWS of the letting followsBruntwood’s completion of 1 DaleStreet in Liverpool city centre, a32million development in the city’straditional commercial quarter. Thehigh spec office spaces range from920-23,750 sq ft and takes the firm’sportfolio to 870,000 sq ft.

Mark Worthington from CBRE, aretained agent at the building said “1Dale Street is a prime example ofhow the heritage of Liverpool’sbuildings can be preserved whilststill bringing them up to a highquality standard. 1 Dale Streetprovides some of the most individualoffices in the city centre and becauseof this, we’ve already had somestrong interest in the offices at thebuilding.”

Head of Bruntwood’s Liverpoolsales, Colin Forshaw said“Completing 1 Dale Street meansthat not only are we bringing aunique office product to Liverpool,but we can also provide ourcustomers with more flexibility tomove throughout our portfolio iftheir business needs change. Lastyear we helped over 50 customerscost efficiently up or downsize theiroffice space, within the terms of theirone lease.”

The new entrance and receptionat The Plaza, Bruntwood’s landmarkbuilding in Liverpool, is also set toimpress investors. The updatesinclude floor-to-ceiling glazing, acustomer lounge and a number ofretail units alongside an additionalfive modern meeting rooms.

A warmreceptionRefitting impresses the business district

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MOVE COMMERCIAL14

New plan forEdge Lane£200m retail offer to boost city gatewayDERWENT HOLDINGS are likelyto replicate a rival Liverpool retailsite in securing a new developmentfor Edge Lane. The Isle of Manbased developers are innegotiations with Liverpool CityCouncil to transform the EdgeLane approach, with a planningdecision likely to be made towardsthe end of September. Derwentintend to demolish the existingretail offer at Edge Lane, toconstruct 500,000 sq ft ofshopping space as part of a £200m

scheme. The current retail parkrepresents around 430,000 sq ft.

John Francis, a partner atDerwent’s planning consultantsDPP, commented: “We’re lookingfor something that’s similar to theNew Mersey Retail Park in Speke.Derwent have enough land todeliver that. The quality in thatpark is considerably better than atEdge Lane.” The proposed retailunits have been designed double-fronted and will be accessible fromEdge Lane itself, as well as the

retail car park, offering whatDerwent believes to be a moreattractive thoroughfare into the citycentre. The city council hadpreviously launched a legal battleagainst Derwent for the clean-up ofthe more dilapidated areas of EdgeLane. As part of the deal a numberof “sweeteners” are believed tohave been agreed with Derwent,including the extension to MerseyCare’s Rathbone Hospital, a newpark to replace Rathbone Park, anda “grot-spot”-free zone.


Post Office pull

Smith & Sonsextend office spacefor growing WirralbusinessSMITH & SONS has signed up anew tenant at the Grade IIlisted former Post Officebuilding in the centre ofBirkenhead. The propertyconsultants have leased 1,700sq ft of office space to Wirralbusiness Crowder Consulting.Smith & Sons now has only1,500 sq ft of commercialproperty floor space stillavailable at Post Office House.Peter Bowskill, managingpartner of Smith & Sons,commented: “Seeing such asuccessful business expand inthese difficult times is veryrewarding. This is excellentnews for Wirral in terms ofbusiness growth and future jobcreation.”

Water industry consultantsCrowder have now leased atotal of 7,200 sq ft throughSmith & Sons. George Crowder,managing director of CrowderConsulting said: “The move toextend our premises is apositive one for the companyand will provide us with theflexibility needed to recruit andexpand in line with our five-year strategy.”

Post Office House, on ArgyleStreet, Birkenhead, underwenta full refurbishment andrestoration in 2005. For lettingsenquiries, email Jason Wadesonat Smith & Sons [email protected], ortelephone 0151 647 9272.

Peter Bowskill, managing partner ofSmith & Sons and George Crowder,managing director of CrowderConsulting outside Post OfficeHouse, Birkenhead.

NEW OFFICE and retail space hasbecome available at Church House onLiverpool’s Hanover Street. Site agentMason Owen now offers 7,500 sq ftof Grade A office space on three upperfloors, together with 5,000 sq ft ofcommercial space on the ground floor.The Grade II listed building is stillowned by the Diocese of Liverpooland has received a £500,000refurbishment to bring it to a highspecification. Andrew Owen, a partnerat Mason Owen, commented: “This is asuperb building, in terms of

specification, location and price. Weare already in talks with a number ofbusinesses who are keen to furtherexplore the opportunity here and weare expecting to announce threeconfirmed tenants in the near future,including one of the city’s leading PRagencies.”

The revamp of Church House, whichsits at the apex of the Liverpool Oneshopping developments and the city’sRopewalks district, is a joint venturebetween the Diocese of Liverpool anddevelopers TJ Thomas Estates; with

lettings managed jointly by MasonOwen and Honeybourne Kenny. Theground floor retail space is currentlyhome to the Bistro Franc restaurant,with a second 1,885 sq ft until stillavailable, with planning permission forA1, A2, A3, A4, A5 and B1 use. Thereare six office suites spread over threefloors, ranging from 996 sq ft to1,565 sq ft.

For more details on Church Houseand to arrange a viewing, telephoneAndrew Owen at Mason Owen on0151 242 3120.

ChurchHousealtersuseOffice and retailoffering follows£1/2m refurb’

Church House

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MOVE COMMERCIAL 15


THE EASTER GROUP has sold asecond industrial unit at Easter Park,Widnes. Celluar Systems, whichprovides telecommunicationsequipment and infrastructure, hascompleted the freehold purchase ofUnit 1, a 26,800 sq ft detachedindustrial unit. Director Joe Drinkwatercommented: “We have been looking toexpand our accommodation for sometime and Easter Park provided not onlythe ideal location but also the layoutand specification of the facility thatgives us space for growth.” Unit 1 isone of four detached buildings whichforms part of the first phase of thedevelopment and comprises 22,800 sqft of industrial and warehousing space,with 4,000 sq ft of first floor offices.Currently only Unit 2, from phase oneof the development, which comprisesapproximately 40,000 sq ft remainsavailable, either to let or for sale.

Easter Park is set on a 15-acre siteat one of the entrances to the WidnesWaterfront regeneration zone. Phasetwo comprises seven acres of land andhas planning consent for acombination of industrial and officefacilities totalling 135,000 sq ft.

Phil Morley, from Jones Lang La Salle,who advised Easter Group on the sale,commented: “Easter Park is one of afew well-located industrialdevelopment sites to providespeculatively built buildings and alsohave planning in place for phase twoof the scheme. Enquiries for bespokeaccommodation have increased inrecent months and the potentialdevelopment of a second road bridgelinking Widnes to Runcorn should also prove attractive to potentialoccupiers.”

Secondcomingto Easter

Travelodge set for WirralSmith & Sons helps secure long-term lease

COMMERCIAL PROPERTYconsultants Smith & Sons hasacquired a long-term lease on behalfof Parklodge Developments.Nationwide budget hotel chainTravelodge has agreed a tenancy forthe Pool Lane site in Bromborough onthe Wirral. A contractor has beenappointed to begin constructionworks on the 60-bedroom facility,which is set for completion in January2010. Initial consultations betweenSmith & Sons and Parklodge began in

autumn 2008 when research revealeda growing need for further hotel andaccommodation facilities offeringcentral access to Liverpool, Chester,Wirral and the nearby WirralInternational Business Park. Under acontract exceeding £2m, Travelodgehas signed a 25-year lease agreementwith Parklodge for the new hotel,which is expected to create up to 18new jobs when open.

Peter Bowskill, managing partner ofSmith & Sons, commented: “The

opening of a new hotel in Wirral is awelcome arrival for the localcommunity as well as business andleisure visitors. Our involvement inthis scheme began at the very earlystages when we were instructed byParklodge to identify a suitable site fordevelopment. We acquired the landon behalf of our client, carried outnecessary research to identify theright market and concluded successfulnegotiations with Travelodge onbehalf of Parklodge.”

Ian Raffe of Parklodge Developments and Peter Bowskill of Smith & Sons

Telecoms firm confirmsfreehold purchase

Easter Park, Widnes

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MOVE COMMERCIAL16


Neptune headsHalewood schemeAldi centrepiece of new developmentNEPTUNE DEVELOPMENTS willspearhead the regeneration ofHalewood’s new district centre. AnAldi supermarket will be at the heartof a new shopping centre at theRaven Court site, after Neptune waschosen to develop the site ahead ofrivals Renova. Neptune’s plans willdeliver 44,950 sq ft of new shops,which will include Knowsley’s firstAldi store, and a number of smallerunits aimed at other high streetretailers.

Cllr Graham Morgan, Knowsley’scabinet member for regeneration,economy and skills, commented:“Residents have needed newshopping facilities and a revitaliseddistrict centre for a long time. I amsure they will be happy that this isprogressing. Local people have beenvery supportive of an Aldi store inHalewood and I am pleased that thecouncil has been able to respond andchoose the best development schemefor Halewood.”

The retail development willcomplete the £16million regenerationof Halewood’s Raven Court site. Thebus station on the site will berepositioned and remodelled, whilethere is also potential for a new pub.Nick Kavanagh, executive director forregeneration, economy and skills,commented: “This is an importantmilestone in the regeneration ofHalewood, especially when otherdevelopments across the country arestruggling and failing to stack up.”

Aldi selected as the anchor tenant for Halewood regeneration scheme

BUSINESS SERVICES provider CELhas moved its head office fromGlossop to Olympic Park in Birchwood,Warrington. CEL has taken an 8,000sq ft self-contained office at OlympicPark on a twelve-year lease at£15.50 sq ft. The company hasrelocated its finance, IT, HR, sales andmarketing functions to Olympic Park,Birchwood, along with itsprocurement and transact Divisions.Half of its 100-strong workforce willbe based at Olympic Park. DTZ actedas commercial property agents for the deal.

Paul Kennedy, CEL chief executive,commented: “Warrington was alwaysgoing to be the location for CEL’s newhead office. Our move to OlympicPark will help us continue thetransformation of the business whichstarted following the management

buyout in December 2008. Wewanted a location which was readilyaccessible for all the transportnetworks and was close enough toour Glossop office to make it viablefor existing staff to commute every day. Olympic Park ticked all the boxes.”

CEL procures £100m worth ofgoods for social housing andhealthcare organisations andgenerates 70 per cent of its incomefrom long term public sectorcontracts, providing purchasing,payment, knowledge, technology andtraining services to the private andpublic sectors. The new Olympic Parkdevelopment, which is owned byWest Yorkshire-based CommercialDevelopment Projects, is made up ofsixteen office buildings, surroundedby ten acres of grounds.

Warrington welcomesCEL

Capital’srefreshingwelcomeNew retailers ringthe changes

DOWNING’S landmark propertyon Old Hall Street, The Capital,has signed up a rack of tenants.

Tesco has signed for a new4,000 sq ft Tesco Express at thesite after signing a lease at theend of 2008. In the atrium, anindependent 86 seat café hasbeen designed with open-planseating and quiet meeting spacesto suit the business communityusing the Grade A office premises.Woodwards Café is owned by ex-Everton footballer Alan Stubbsand his wife Mandy, the third in achain of Woodwards cafés, and itsquality reflects the building’swider £10 million refurbishment.Managing director of Woodwards,Paul Garton, commented: “Wewanted the café to be attractive,both to tenants of the building,and those working in and visitingthe commercial district.” As aresult of the new lettings, the firmhas seen another successfulquarter for its Merseysideportfolio of commercialproperties. Robin Ellis, senioragency surveyor for Downing,commented: “The range and sizeof The Capital’s facilities are whatsets it apart from othercommercial properties.” Of thenew café, he added: “Woodwardsis a great addition, providingadded value for our tenants andanother valuable social andmeeting space for the businessdistrict. We’ve been heavilyinvolved in the seating design andlayout. Space is a luxury we wantcustomers to enjoy, and thestandard of design and comfort isunmatched in Liverpool.”

Olympic Park

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Leigh Sports Village is an £83m project including a

10,000 seat stadium, sixth form college building,

sports facilities, 150 bed hotel, offices, leisure and

specialist retail facilities including a health & fitness

centre, together with a planned supermarket.

Leigh Sports Village is located off Atherleigh Way in

Leigh, within one mile of the A580 East Lancashire

Road, which provides access to Junction 23 of the

M6 and the M60/M62.

TO LET – RETAIL & OFFICES

LEIGH SPORTS VILLAGEATHERLEIGH WAY, LEIGH

• RETAIL AND OFFICE ACCOMMODATION

• EXCELLENT ACCESSIBILITY THROUGHOUT THE REGION

• AMPLE ON SITE CAR PARKING LOCATION

p01-17:p03-12 4/9/09 19:50 Page 17

MOVE COMMERCIAL1818


THE LENGTH of train journeysbetween Liverpool and London willbe dramatically reduced if plans fora high-speed rail link are approvedin a proposed £34billion scheme.Network Rail has proposed a high-speed line between London andScotland, that would reduce theLiverpool journey time down from2hrs 8mins to 1hr 23mins. Undernew plans the journey timebetween London and Manchesterwould also be reduced from 2hrs7mins to 1hr 6mins, with similartimes proposed for Warrington. Ifapproval is granted Network Railplan to complete the first sectionof the line between London andBirmingham by 2020, and trains onthe route could travel at speeds upto 200mph. The new line wouldrequire more than 1,500 miles ofrail, sleepers and ballast, 138bridges over roads and currentrailway lines. The route wouldreplace the existing West CoastMain Line.

High-speedlinkproposed

LIVERPOOL has been lined up tohost the Labour Party conferencein 2011. North-west minister PhilWoolas claimed the eventsignalled the progress Liverpoolhas made as a conferencedestination, commenting: “Thecity has now got world-classconference facilities, great hotelsand, as everyone knows,Liverpudlians always make visitorsvery welcome.” The Septemberconference will be held at theLiverpool Arena and BTConvention Centre and is expectedto generate around £20million inrevenue for the city.

The four-day event will attractup to 20,000 delegates, journalistsand lobbyists, making it thelargest conference the city hashosted. It follows the success ofthe Liberal Democrat springconference in 2008, and thehosting of a cabinet meeting inJanuary this year. The LiberalDemocrats have also announcedthey will host their September2010 at the same venue.

Lorraine Rogers, chief executiveof The Mersey Partnership,commented: “Winning events ofthis magnitude confirms ourposition as one of the UK’s andEurope’s leading conferencedestinations. This event will createhuge opportunities for Liverpoolcity region’s leisure, tourism andretail sectors.”

THE DURES PARTNERSHIP in Liverpoolhas appointed a new partner to head up the firm’s property department. SarahLa Rocca previously spent two yearswith Brabners in the commercialproperty department and has acted for a diverse range of major clients. Herexpertise covers the full spectrum ofcommercial property legal work, includingsales and purchases, development,granting and taking of leases, securedlending, investment transactions andgeneral property management. Sarah’sappointment reflects the firm’scontinuing expansion, achieved with a15 per cent growth in a recession year,coupled with the opening of a newbranch office at Queens Drive, Liverpool.Sarah commented: “I am really excitedabout the prospects of joining TheDures Partnership and I look forward tocontributing to their reputation as beingboth client-focused and results driven.”

Simon Pick has also recently joinedThe Dures Partnership as a commerciallitigation solicitor specialising in theresolution of disputes arising in thecorporate sector. He commented: “It’s a very exciting time to join

the partnership. Their forward thinkingand progressive approach to the needsof the client has resulted in continuinggrowth despite the economicslowdown.”

AN ASSOCIATE at a Liverpoolproperty and asset managementfirm has warned Liverpoolbusinesses not to count on businessrates falling next year. On 30September, draft assessments forthe 2010 business rates are to bepublished by the government.Following the publication of a recentdocument indicating the likelyregional changes, it’s predicted that the total cost of business rateswill drop by around one or two per cent in the north-west.

David King, an associate atEdward Symmons Liverpool officein St Paul’s Square, commented: “A key consideration is thatLiverpool has undergone a series of considerable changes over recent months, from the opening ofLiverpool One, which dramaticallychanged the pattern of retailing,pedestrian flows and therefore rentsin the city centre, to our year asEuropean Capital of Culture. Thesefactors will undoubtedly beconsidered by the Valuation Office

when assessing rateable values for business, but the extent to which they are reflected remains to be seen.”

The rating assessments werebased on property values in April 2008, before the worst of the financial downturn. Business owners have been givenuntil 23 September to comment on these proposals and are ableto lodge appeals once the new

Rating List is published in April 2010.

Liverpool awaits business rates

David King

A high-speed link is proposed

Labour heads forLiverpool

New faces at DuresPartner and litigator to meet firm’s expansion

Sarah La Rocca

Simon Pick

p18-33:p03-12 4/9/09 19:39 Page 18

At The Dures Partnership we provide specialist advice to a wide range ofcommercial property developers and investors.

Through recognising and understanding the unique requirements of each individualclient, our service will be tailored to your own particular needs.

� We can advise on all aspects of commercial property including:� Property sale, purchase and remortgage� Business sale, purchase and remortgage� Leases� Residential and commercial developments� Buy-to-let transactions� All E.P.C. requirements provided� Full litigation & dispute resolution service

Our approach is very much client driven and we are always happy to talk throughyour plans, whatever stage they may be at.

Please contact Fred Dures on:T: 0151 229 1012 | E: [email protected]

The Dures Partnership SolicitorsTrident House, 31-33 Dale Street, Liverpool L2 2HFT: 0151 229 1006 | F: 0151 229 1007 | W: www.tdpsolicitors.co.uk

Why pay upfront for your E.P.C?Instruct The Dures Partnership and payat conclusion

TDP Commercial SolutionsYour Best Move

MOVE COMMERCIAL 1919

p18-33:p03-12 4/9/09 19:39 Page 19

For further information please contact Chris on

0151 282 [email protected]

JST Lawyers, Colonial Chambers, Temple Street, L2 5RH

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CHRIS HARMER

Chris Harmer specialises inadvising commercial landlords

and tenants in relation toproperty and contract disputes

Q. I am a landlord of a tenant who hasindicated that he is about to go in toliquidation. Where do I stand?

A. This would depend on the terms of your leasewhich would need to be reviewed in full. However,in the majority of leases it is a standard conditionthat should your tenant become insolvent then thiswould automatically be a breach of the leaseentitling you to take further action.

This could include forfeiture of the lease - whichmay be of interest particularly if there are rentarrears. However, this would depend on what typeof insolvency action is being taken. For example, ifthe company is about to go in to administration,there is a moratorium for 6 months which preventsany legal proceedings being taken against thetenant without consent of either the administratorsor permission of the court. If the company goes in toliquidation there is no such moratorium.

You would need to speak to the company and to thepotential liquidator/administrator. It may beintended for the company to continue trading for ashort period of time and a condition of this may bethe payment of any rent arrears along with anyfuture rent. In addition, a liquidator may not wantto continue with the lease and they’d be happy togive back possession which would prevent costs andtime being incurred for possession proceedings to betaken by yourself.

Should a tenant indicate to you that they maypotentially be insolvent, you should seek immediateindependent legal advice.

MOVE COMMERCIAL2020

Tithebarn is No. 1 Key events

Tithebarn transformed

1. Neil Kirkham, Hitchcock Wright, Rob Brook, Kenmore, Brian Ricketts,Hitchcock Wright, Stuart Keppie, Keppie Massie, Mark Robinson, Kenmore,Mark Chadwick, Professional Liverpool, Chris Pearse, Legal & General, andAndrew Byrne, Keppie Massie.

2. Sarah Roberts, Rees RobertsSolicitors, Paul Unger, Place NorthWest, Phil Rees Roberts, ReesRoberts Solicitors, HeatherSummers, JST Lawyers, and ChrisConnor, Mason Owen

1

3 4

3. Mark Robinson, Kenmore, Stuart Keppie, Keppie Massie, and Norman Jones,Mace & Jones 4. Kayleigh Walton, Adam Hall and Stephen Fieldsend, FalconerChester Hall

5. Julie Johnson, Crawford Davidson, Brian Lawlor and June Chiocchi-Smith,Morecrofts Solicitors. 6. Mark Chadwick, Professional Liverpool, with David WadeSmith, LiveSmart, and Mark Robinson, Kenmore Property Group

5 6

Property and business professionalsfrom Liverpool and the north-westregion gathered at the formal unveilingof No. 1 Tithebarn Street in Liverpoolcity centre. Formerly known asTithebarn House, the building hasreceived a £5million refurbishment in a joint venture between Kenmore

Property Group and Legal & General. It now provides a new contemporaryentrance onto Tithebarn Street, andoffers 115,000 sq ft of office spaceover eight floors. Joint agents HitchcockWright & partners and Keppie Massiewelcomed interested parties to awelcoming lunch to view the availablespace, in the premises already occupiedby Morecrofts Solicitors, MerseysidePolice, CSAV Group Agencies and SDV.

By Lucy [email protected]

2

p18-33:p03-12 4/9/09 19:40 Page 20

Refurbished offices to let from 996sqft (92.5sqm)New lift to all floors, comfort-cooling, LG7 lighting, perimeter trunking and private kitchens/WCs

Adjacent to the John Lewis ‘Gateway’ to Grosvenor’s Liverpool One

CHURCH HOUSE1 HANOVER STREET LIVERPOOL L1 3DW

0151 6 5 0 0600

p18-33:p03-12 4/9/09 19:40 Page 21

MOVE COMMERCIAL22

Entrepreneur Simon Nixon is well-known in the media for starting upthe hugely successful MoneySupermarket.com internetbusiness, which floated on thestock market in 2007 for£850million – the largest internetfloat ever made in Europe. TheChester city centre offices are nowteeming with staff working on newventures. Nixon’s authority inproviding a marketplace pricecomparison for a full range offinancial products, has foundanother platform. Set to transformhow the travel industry views itscustomers, Simon Seeks offers anonline guide to popular holidaydestinations as a comparison sitewith filters to search according todestination, budget andexpectations of the trip. Therevenue generated by advertising,in turn boosted by evidence of agrowing readership, will fund thebusiness and pay the writers whowill work as partners in theinitiative. Said Simon: “It’s not easyto find high quality, relevant traveladvice and of those sites thatalready exist, often the websitemakes money out of thecommunity which writes for it. Ithink that that’s funfair.” Hisapproach is instead to make thewriters financial partners, givingthem the incentive to make theirguides and, effectively the site, thebest on the marketplace. Honesty iskey to the guides’ success, andNixon has already fallen foul of thenational press for his brutallyhonest ‘tweets’, such as one wherehe said Marbella was not ideal for aromantic break. At our meeting, he

has just returned from Ile de Re offthe coast of La Rochelle, and hisreview of it, as a family andcouples’ destination, is glowing.“With a project like this it’s allabout the power of the communityand so anyone can write for us.Unlike a newspaper, which has atravel section, we’re not restrainedby budgets and pagination. Wedon’t have just five new piecespublished per week in asupplement – we’ve been seeing 40diaries uploaded to the site daily.”

Publishing is a field where Simonproved himself in his earlytwenties. After quitting universityto become a financial advisor, helaunched Mortgage 2000 as a guideto the marketplace for mortgagebrokers. “At the time, mortgagebrokers didn’t really usecomputers, so I published amagazine with all the best productswithin it. I think though, thatcertain things do work betteronline.” It was from here that theseeds were planted for MoneySupermarket Simon continued:“Mortgage 2000 grew and evolvedinto a computer package, where thebroker could key in client detailsand work out the current availabledeals for them in a matter ofminutes. Then, when internetaccess became free, I thought, let’stake it online and make itconsumer friendly. That was thestart, and then the business grewinto Money Supermarket, andstarted to cover savings and creditcards – now we focus on 50different areas.”

It’s clear that Simon measures hissuccess not merely by the growth of

his business, but by how it has re-engineered the marketplace andaltered the way that banks see theircustomers and increasedcompetition to offer better deals.“Ten years ago, there was notransparency in the financialservices marketplace. If you wanteda loan or a credit card, you went tothe bank and you had to almost begthem for it. I thought, let’s makethis more transparent – let’s letcustomers see all the products inthe marketplace and find the bestdeal. What we’ve done isrevolutionised the way people buyand research financial products.

We’ve made consumers more savvyand banks have had to sharpentheir products to becomecompetitive.”

The new venture takes inspirationfor the same source; adissatisfaction with the currentoffering rather than a desire to runthe shop: “I didn’t set out wantingto run my own business. I get abuzz from coming up with an ideathat is really destructive to themarketplace, something that’s asolution to make the market more

perfect.” He continued: “At MoneySupermarket we got to a positionwhere it is a mature business, andwe have brilliant people on boardwho can run it better than me, day-to-day. It doesn’t need anentrepreneur running it any more.As a corporate, you’re restricted byconsidering the shareholders. I’mfree to do what I want, as my newventures are 100 per cent fundedby me, and I will take risks andcalculations. At Simon Seeks wecan just say, ‘I think we could trythis,’ and there are no guarantees,but we can just give it a go.”

To monitor the success of a start-

up, Simon will be asking a cross-section of readers to attendfeedback sessions, and the sitecarries an exit survey. “About onein every hundred people fills it in,but it’s a useful guide for us. Inaddition, we’re asking our writersand our readers for their feedbackand I expect the site to lookcompletely different in twelvemonths’ time; it’s always a mistaketo develop something that’s justyour view, or to try and predictwhat people want. You have to put

Simon Nixon co-founder of Money Supermarket is leaving thebusiness in capable hands to pursue greener pastures near and far. Hetold Move Commercial about the challenges of a new start-up, and histop tips for success.

Seeking pastures new

“If we were just a start-up without MoneySupermarket behind us you wouldn’t betalking to me now, but the work that I put intothat and the success it became has meantthat any new business I launch has to betaken seriously.

”

p18-33:p03-12 4/9/09 19:40 Page 22

MOVE COMMERCIAL 23

yourself in the shoes of youraudience. As we’re trying to appealto all types of travellers, for luxurytrips and budget breaks, we need itto have a universal appeal.”

The idea behind Simon Seeksdeveloped from Simon’s passion fortravel, and the lack of good adviceonline. “It was born to a largeextent out of my own, and otherpeople’s, frustration with the traveladvice market. There really wasn’ta lot out there to help you plan atrip. When starting up a business,you have to ask yourself some keyquestions and, ‘is this a really goodconcept?’ is the first. There’s nopoint in starting up a ‘me too’business, because you’re notoffering anything different, even ifyou can do it really well. Mymeasure of success is how manypeople’s lives you affect with yourproposition or offering, or howmany people’s lives you improve.The second thing is to get the rightpeople on board, who are betterthan you at what they do.” Simon’sbelief in his staff made historywhen, with Money Supermarketthose who had put their time andeffort into building up the brandwere rewarded with shares of the£850m generated in the 1997 stockmarket flotation. “I’ve got some ofthe best writers in the industry onboard to work with me, and they’vegiven up good salaries and stablejobs to take a risk on a start-up,because they believe in the site andthe rewards. We’re hoping thatover the course of the next fewmonths, we’ll be able to have morepermanent ‘Simon Seekers’ writingjust for the site, but it’s more likelythat people will use it tosupplement their day jobs andgenerate enough income to pay fortheir holiday.”

For the new venture, building thebrand is now a priority. An onlineexpert, Nixon understands theimportance of coming up first inthe search engines and how tobuild corporate partnerships withother sites to drive traffic to hisown – he has done it all before withMoney Supermarket: “The strategyfor Simon Seeks start is to have lotsof PR. Anyone can go out andspend £10million on television, butthe clever thing is to make it pay. Ifwe were just a start-up withoutMoney Supermarket behind us youwouldn’t be talking to me now, butthe work that I put into that andthe success it became has meantthat any new business I launch hasto be taken seriously. We want to

be perceived as the place to comefor travel inspiration and traveladvice. That’s our goal. My rolenow is primarily to spearhead thePR, recruit and motivate the team,and to keep developing theproduct. I work with our editorialdirector on the tone of the guides,seeing which ones do really well,and feeding that information backto our writers. We’re still findingour way through that.”

In terms of his investments,Simon has a passion for property

(not just virtual) and has boughtprominent sites in the Cotswolds,Abersoch and Cornwall, which willbe developed into self-containedboutique hotels to be rented out byguests through another newventure, Simon Escapes. It’s clearthat travel is an enduring passion,shared with his readership, but inresponse to those who ask himwhether now is the best climate inwhich to launch a new product it’sclear that his approach isbusinesslike, as usual: “In some

ways the current climate has itsadvantages as fewer people havethe resources to compete with you.The next step for me will be tolaunch Simon Seeks in the US, andthen to go global.” With this, it’stime for this confident andcapable, self-styled risk-taker,leaving me with the impression ofa man who has found a carefullymanaged balance betweenunlimited, virtual space to explore, and ‘real’ property andsuccess to enjoy.

Nixon’s Three Challenges1. For Simon Seeks to be a top 10 within a year

2. To launch Simon Seeks in the US

3. To make Simon Escapes a success

Catch a biteSimon and Lucy enjoyed lunch inThe Brasserie, where the 21stbirthday menu offers three courseswith coffee and sweetmeats for£29.50 per person, and £14.95 forjuniors. A sample menu would offergoat’s cheese open ravioli, confit ofGressingham duck or smoked fishpressing to start, followed bybraised beef and oxtails, Yorkshirefree range chicken, or roast cod,finished off with a selection ofaffogato – Amaretti cake, white rumbaba or bitter chocolate marquise.Telephone to make a booking at LaBrasserie telephone 01244 895618.

Photograph: On location at theMichelin starred Chester Grosvenorand Spa Restaurant in Eastgate,Chester city centre. The historic andprestigious five star venue datesback to 1865, and is owned by andnamed after The Duke ofWestminster.

Simon Nixon Entrepreneur

Nixon File

Born: 1967

School: St Richard Gwyn, Flint.

Education: Quit his accountancyand finance degree atNottingham University to pursuehis own goals.

Yardstick: “My measure ofsuccess is how many people’slives you affect with yourproposition or offering, or howmany people’s lives you improve.”

p18-33:p03-12 4/9/09 19:40 Page 23

This magnificent town square is surrounded by neo-Greek Georgian terracesand is the single largest collection of Grade 1 listed buildings outside London.

It is located only minutes from Liverpool’s shopping and nightlife and Birkenhead’s own market

and town centre. Easily accessible from the motorway network with good local rail links to the

West Coast Main Line. This is an unrivalled location for a 30 bedroomed boutique hotel with

a 120 cover restaurant and conference suite.

BOUTIQUE HOTELDEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY

FOR ALL ENQUIRIES CONTACT DYLAN JONES ON 0151 708 0406

36 HENRY ST / LIVERPOOL / L1 5BS

p18-33:p03-12 4/9/09 19:40 Page 24

MOVE COMMERCIAL 25

Transport briefing Key events

THE JURYS INN on Keel Wharf hosteddelegates from across the LiverpoolCity Region for a Merseyside TransportPartnership breakfast briefing todiscuss climate change. Speakers at the ‘Sustainable Cities’ event includedMerseyside Transport Partnershipchairman Neil Scales, Jim Gill, chiefexecutive of Liverpool Vision, EdwardHobson, head of research and futuresat CABE, the Commission forArchitecture and the Built Environment,and Dr Robin Hickman, a research fellowat Oxford University and an associatedirector at Halcrow. Neil Scalesintroduced proceedings, before Jim Gillemphasised the importance ofmaintaining public transport networksin Liverpool city centre.

Following an open forum discussion,Edward Hobson offered acomprehensive insight into the topic of climate change, and what cities suchas Liverpool can do to tackle it. Dr RobinHickman also addressed the gathering,following his recent CABE report ontransport issues.

Debates with the panel of four thentook place, with discussions on howpolicy can be influenced in the region,before the ‘Sustainable Cities’ eventwas rounded off. Merseyside is one ofnine regions eligible to bid for a share of £29m government funding, to beinvested over the next three years to create England’s first “sustainabletravel city”.

“Merseyside is one ofnine regions eligible tobid for a share of £29mgovernment funding, tobe invested over thenext three years tocreate England’s first“sustainable travel city”

”

By Jon [email protected]

1. Speakers Edward Hobson, CABE, with Dr Robert Hickman, Oxford University, Jim Gill, chief executive of Liverpool Vision, and Neil Scales, Chairman of Merseyside Transport Partnership

1

5. Anne-Marie Clegg, Sefton Council Environmental Services, with Jill Rothwell, Jobcentre Plus, and Colin Angus, Colin’s Photography6. Mark Loughran, Liverpool City Council Development Control, with John Stonard, Design Liverpool, and Dr. Peter Brown, Universityof Liverpool 7. Nicola Daly and Joan Brookman from Liverpool Primary Care Trust and Dr Ruth Hussey OBE, NHS North West

5 6 7

2 3 4

8. Carl Woods, John Lewis, and Grant Luscombe MBE, Landlife 9. Cllr Denis Knowles, Merseyside ITA and Wirral Council, with KerryStewart, Merseyside Sports Partnership 10. Simon Peters, St Helens Council Planning, and Colin Irlam, Wirral Council SustainableTransport 11. Rob Smith, St Helens Council Transport Planning and Kush Thakar, Liverpool Chamber of Commerce and Industry

8 9 10 11

Sustainable Cities

2. David Blainey, Merseytravel Bus Services, with David Hunter, AA Projects 3. Cllr Mark Dowd OBE, chairman of Merseyside ITA,and Jim Barclay, Merseytravel 4. Peter Griffiths and Phil Halewood from Arup

p18-33:p03-12 4/9/09 19:40 Page 25

MOVE COMMERCIAL26

In August this year Wirral Councilapproved a £200million schemethat will create around 1,000 jobswithin the East Float atBirkenhead Docks. For PeelHoldings, the go-ahead to link theconverted Grain Warehouses onDock Road to the HydraulicTower on Tower Road is merelyone step towards the largestprivate sector investmentanywhere in the UK. TheNorthbank East plan makes upone element of Peel’s £50billion‘Ocean Gateway’ project, a plan totransform the economic prospectsof the major water arteries in thenorth-west. This includes the£10billion Liverpool and WirralWaters scheme, a proposedredevelopment of docklandformerly owned by the MerseyDocks and Harbour Company oneither side of the Mersey. With anunparalleled level of ambition,Peel intend to develop 3.6millionsq m of land for a mixture ofcommercial, retail, cultural andleisure use. The development,which will take place over anumber of decades, will also seethe creation of 40,000 new homesand the creation of 50,000directly linked full time jobs.

Key to the smooth running ofthis mammoth project is Peel’sdevelopment director, LindseyAshworth. From the expansivePeel Dome in The TraffordCentre, Lindsey’s third office base

during his 20 years at Peel, he isoverseeing what surely amountsto the largest project he has beeninvolved with and his greatestchallenge to date. “The likes ofLiverpool and Wirral Waters areunprecedented in the UK,” saidLindsey. “It’s very unusual to getone scheme as large as each asone of those. To get two together,there’s nothing in the UK thatcomes close. So it’s a challenge,not just for me, but for the localauthorities.”

The Ocean Gateway proposals as

a whole encompass sites along theRiver Mersey and the adjoiningManchester Ship Canal, withmajor new developments inEllesmere Port, Warrington,Salford and Manchester. One suchdevelopment, MediaCityUK, willhouse the BBC’s Northernoperations, 50,000 sq m of officespace, 21,000 sq m of furtherbroadcast facilities, a hotel,residential apartments andshopping. Though whollyimpressive, it is an element of thescheme which is dwarfed by

Liverpool and Wirral Waters,which, when fully underwaywould transform the respectivewaterfronts and, as Peel hope,supercharge the economicprospects of the region and placethem in competition with otherwaterfront powerhouses such asNew York, Shanghai, Vancouverand Sydney. It is little wonderthen that Peel’s developmentdirector is so keen for the projectto progress through the planningstage. “The planning has got socomplicated that with even the

simplest of schemes you feel likeyou’re going to be taking foreverto get planning permission. I’vebeen to Shanghai a couple oftimes and the scale at which thatplace moves on is unbelievable.From somebody saying there’s apiece of land to develop, you goback two years later and thebuilding is up and done. InEngland you’re talking 15 yearsfrom an idea to something gettingcompleted and we have just losttouch with the rest of the world.We have got such an intense set of

consultants now all workingtogether to move things forward. Ifind those changes exciting intheir own way. It doesn’t matterhow much experience you’ve got,it’s changing all the time. Theexperience you’ve got is probablyonly as good as the last five years.Every year different things comeforward that are obstacles wehave to overcome. I find thataspect of the job quite rewarding.”

Such is the size of Liverpool andWirral Waters, Lindsey has facedthe unusual obstacle ofnegotiating the planning processin two local authorities, one ofwhich was consumed in recenttimes with the Capital of Culturepreparations and celebrations.With a significant part of the jobset aside for informing people asto the nature of the scheme,Lindsey is satisfied with the levelof support garnered, but acceptsthe size of the project means itlikely to be “called-in” by theGovernment before it is all giventhe green light. “The schemes areso large they would go toGovernment office for finaldetermination. Not only have theygot one scheme to look at in thenorth-west, they’ve got twoschemes that’ll be coming at thesame time. They’ve got to look atthe regional impact of theseschemes. It’ll be a difficult call forthem to decide whether it’s beencalled in or not. Part of it all is theunknown and I think half of myjob now is about lobbying forsupport or informing people whatwe’re doing, rather than justtrying to unravel planningcomplications. If people don’treally know what you’re doing andwhy you’re doing it and whatyou’ve created then they’re notgoing to get behind you. Everymonth I’m out somewhere givinga presentation or an update ofwhat we’re doing. At Wirral weactually took a stand onBirkenhead market and we gothundreds and hundreds of formsfilled in. A similar thing will behappening in Liverpool. We putourselves in a public place and getthe views of the public becauseyou need to get the public behindyou to see what you’re doing.”

Sea changePeel Holdings has embarked on an unprecedentedproject to transform the waterfronts of Liverpool andthe Wirral and, in turn, boost the region’s economy as awhole. Peel’s development director Lindsey Ashworthis spearheading the plan that will be decades in themaking.

“The experience you’ve got is probablyonly as good as the last five years. Everyyear different things come forward that areobstacles we have to overcome.

”

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Lindsey Ashworth Movers & Shakers

There is no doubt that thescheme is on a grand scale, in-keeping with a growing trend topromote the prospects of city-regions, rather than those ofindividual authorities. It is aphilosophy that Lindsey believesthe region must adopt if it is tocompete in a global market. “It’sabout time we all acted as aregion because when you’re goingto act on the world market youcan’t act as Salford or Manchesteror Liverpool or Wirral on its own,you’ve got to work together. Thescale of the north-west isimportant to get together, but wespend a lot of time all objecting toeach other. The north-westworking as one body will work alot better for itself as working asindividuals.”

Lindsey added: “The OceanGateway started off by me being abit brassed-off with looking at allthe planning rules in front of usand that we’re trying to do ascheme which has tens ofthousands of jobs attached to it.You look at the planning rules andyou think it’s never going tohappen because the planningsystem doesn’t envisagesomething so complicated comingforward. It was to show 50 ofPeel’s biggest projects. Originallyit was to show Wirral waters andLiverpool waters, and then weexpanded it to take in the wholeregion. If you put all thattogether, the scale and investmentthat’s proposed for the north-westis absolutely huge yet they’re allgetting stuck in the planningsystem. When you’re in arecession it’s just not goodenough. The private sector ispushing against what seems likeclosed doors.”

With the development plannedfor a World Heritage site, delaysin the planning process wereinevitable. Now, with ten per centof the scheme approved on theWirral, and the Liverpoolapplication to be submitted laterthis year, there are signs thismajor project could soon begin totake shape. For Lindsey, thatequates to raising Wirral’s statuswithin the region and onto theinternational stage. In Liverpool it

would also facilitate the improvedlinks between its docks andairport hub, in conjunction withthe continued expansion andimprovement of the Peel operatedLiverpool John Lennon Airport.“There’s a regional imbalancebetween Manchester andLiverpool that ought to beaddressed. There ought to bemore business at the western end

of the north-west to make it allwork together. There shouldn’t bethis emphasis on consideringManchester to be the centrebecause it isn’t. The LiverpoolCity Region has got all thenatural assets that Manchesterhasn’t got so why isn’t it doing sowell? We want the LiverpoolAirport to be the best in theregion. The whole idea is to try

and make Liverpool work as ajoined up city, with the airport,port, development on thewaterfront and the city centreworking as one. We’re not doingsomething in isolation here that’sfor its own benefit. We need toshow the world it’s got greatprospects. In 50 years timepeople will want to replicateLiverpool’s success.”

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The major conurbations of the north hope to advance by pooling therespective resources of neighbouring authorities. We look at how theLiverpool and Manchester City Regions are shaping up.

Two of eight city regionsdefined in 2004 by“Moving Forward: TheNorthern Way” Acollaboration betweenthree regionaldevelopment agencies:One NorthEast, YorkshireForward and the NorthWest DevelopmentAgency.

Part of the Government’s£22billion “SustainableCommunities Plan”.

Key DriverManchester Enterprises

Responsible for leading on economic development,employment and skills.

Key PeopleChairman: Mike Blackburn

Chief executive: MikeEmmerich

Goal DateBy 2025: “A world class

city-region at the heart of

a thriving north”.

Area CoveredCities of Manchester and Salford

Boroughs of Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Bolton, Bury,Oldham, Rochdale, Wigan, High Peak and Warrington.

Former boroughs of Congleton, Macclesfield and ValeRoyal.

Primary ObjectivesContinuing the expansionof Manchester Airport

Developing the financialand professional services

Promoting the growth oflife sciences,manufacturing, ICT andthe media.

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The city regions Focus

Economic ObjectivesTo attract a greatervolume and variety ofcompanies to the regionand significantly plug the£29billion output gapbetween the North ofEngland and the UKaverage.

ObstaclesHow to respond to theeconomic downturn. Therecession is likely toaffect the short-to-medium term actions ofthe city regions.

Key DriverThe Mersey Partnership

Responsible for attracting new investment anddeveloping tourism for the region.

Key PeopleChairman: Rod Holmes

Chief Executive: LorraineRogers

Primary ObjectivesTo establish the region asthe “premier destinationcentre”

Utilising the coastalassets

Developing the sea, airand rail gateways

Developing the skill baseand increasingproductivity

Improving communitiesand neighbourhoods

Goal DateBy 2025: “Regain ourstatus as a premierEuropean city region”.

Area CoveredThe core area includes Liverpool, Halton, Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton and Wirral.

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The revival of the UK coastline asa leisure destination has been along sought for goal within theindustry, and one that’s beenhighlighted by the media inresponse to the combined effect ofan uncertain financial climate andconcerns for climate change. Therevival of Pontin’s holiday camps,however, is no mere by-product ofa changing mood. Ian Smith’sapproach as chief executive of theOcean Parcs group, the investmentvehicle which acquired Pontin’s in2008, has been a hands on, target-led strategy to increaseprofitability. With recordbookings, up by 25 per cent thisyear, he is also ensuring the firmmaintains the ‘value for money’criteria so strongly expoundedsince the days of Fred Pontinhimself.

Self-proclaimed ‘local lad’ IanSmith, took over Pontins after the2008 buyout by investment andmanagement firm Ocean Parcssaw the camp’s former chiefexecutive set the wheels in motionto revitalize the leisure brand andcapitalise on a growing market forvalue and environmentally-conscious led products in the UK’sleisure market. The £46m dealsaw Ian, formerly group financedirector of Matalan, andresponsible for the retailer’s highlysuccessful stock flotation of 1998,come into Ocean Parcs as chiefexecutive and lead from the firm’snew head office, based at theSouthport Pontin’s site.

Since Fred Pontin establishedthe first family holiday camp atBrean Sands in 1946, Pontin’s hasgrown to now encompass six sites,most of which are owned or leasedon a long-lease, and one of whichis currently up for discussion witha view to extending the leaseagreement. Profitability is alreadyup. By Ian’s account, the figuresare already looking more thanhealthy and money is coming in:“We’ve more than doubled theprofits the previous owners madein their last year, and we’ll morethan triple them this next yearwhich is very pleasing. We are

focused on taking the businessforwards and that’s from keepingin tune with our customers.”

The physical plans for expansioninclude extending the Pakefieldsite at Lowestoft from 40 to 60acres, and planning permission isbeing sought to put in place asmall golf course. The move marksa departure from the core familymarket at Pontin’s, but is certainlyin keeping with the newmanagement’s vision to take theleisure industry forwards and torun it like a business. While theBritish holiday, complete with

chalet accommodation andentertainment – the famousBluecoats - will always retain anair of nostalgia, the Pontin’spackage has been modernised tooffer families a break in keepingwith modern schedules andlifestyles. Ian is adamant that theBritish vacation is here to stay:“That’s true, without a shadow of adoubt. People do like a week ortwo abroad to relax, but they’vealso become more used to taking afew other breaks in the year. I forone have taken to visiting parts ofthe UK I’ve not seen before – wehave a fantastic island here with

some amazing places to visit.We’ve got a few of them at ourPontin’s resorts, with fantasticbeach locations, and we offershorter breaks such as longweekends or mid-week stayswhich have proven to be verypopular.”

While some resorts will continueto focus on the family market, thedevelopment at Lowistoft isexpected to appeal to the moremature market. Recent news thatthe group is looking to acquirenew sites and business is sure tocause excitement up and down the

coast. Ian’s approach for the newventures is to focus the market: “Idon’t believe in diversity in abusiness as it just increases theproblems. We’ll be looking forbusinesses which are similar towhat we already do, and we’ll beinvesting more than £50m intothis.”

In terms of developing thecurrent stock, Ian is aware that thecurrent profit returns will only beexceeded with further investmentin the holiday camps themselves.As the sites are generallyexpansive in size and offer jobsand facilities in the localcommunity, it’s unsurprising thatthe local authority has voicedsupport for the redevelopment andregeneration. Indeed, a 10-yearplan for Southport’s has seen agovernment grant enable thebuilding of a cultural centrethrough CABE’s Sea Changeprogramme. The regenerationscheme will also seeimprovements to Lord Street’sGrade II listed arts centre, libraryand gallery to revitalize the leisureand recreational appeal of thewhole town, complementing thework underway at the Pontin’sresort. Ian commented: “This siteand our site at Camber Sands areboth in need of considerableredevelopment and we’re currentlyin discussion with the localauthorities, planners and our ownarchitects as to how we mightreconfigure the site to make it abit more commercial. The idea isthat not just guests but localpeople, from Southport andAinsdale, will visit us for therestaurants and bars.”

The commercial appeal of theimproved site will also take amodern aesthetic, as Iancontinued: “One things for sure;we’re not going to build a big fencearound it. It will be much moreopen and friendly. In terms of thedevelopments themselves, theaccommodation is most likely tobe what they refer to as NewEngland-style; more modern. Itwon’t be the stark reality of theclassic 50s and 60s camp that wehave at the moment, and that’s avision shared by everyone we’veasked. I don’t think there’s anyonewho would say they don’t thinkthe look of the place needs a lift.

“In terms of encouraging othersto invest, I don’t think we can ever

Shore plansfor success Ocean Parcs chief executive Ian Smith is the localman helping to drive the revival of Pontin's holidaycamps and Southport's leisure industry.

“We’ve more than doubled the profitsthe previous owners made in their last year,and we’ll more than triple them this nextyear

”

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Ian Smith, Ocean Parcs Founding Father

do enough and we all need to worktogether across Merseyside andthe north-west region to ensurethat we become, again, athrobbing hub of industry, leisureand commerce.”

In managing the sites, headoffice staff visit the various campsto share ideas and oversee policyimplementation. Ian’s recipe forsuccess values consistency acrossall sites and keeping themanagement in touch with theday-to-day staff and customers atthe camps. His background inautomotives, telecommunicationsand retail has seen himsuccessfully transfer his costaccountant training into a numberof industries and learn theimportance of profitability. A stintfor a housing organisationconvinced him further thatindustry was where his passionlay. He bought the long-established upmarket menswearstore, Man to Man, number 509on Lord Street in the town eightyears ago and is passionate aboutimproving parking in the towncentre to help retail as a whole.Indeed, his commitment to thetown and to the region’s success,matched with his superb trackrecord, is sure to inspire his teamand other regional stakeholders.He continues:

“My own role now is aboutmotivating staff and coming upwith profit-generating ideas, andnew channels to reach our ownmarket and satisfy the customer.The current economic situationposes a challenge as it bringsuncertainty, which means thatsome of our regulars are leaving ita little later to book. I’m currentlylooking at sites to expand ourportfolio, which is very exciting,and the improvements to theinfrastructure at our current siteswill raise capacity significantly.

“Another challenge locally hasbeen to work with the area’s statusas a Site of Special ScientificInterest. As a local lad the sitemeans a lot to me in terms of itsheritage, and we don’t want toupset the flora and fauna. We justwant to see it developed intosomething of which we can all beproud.” Visionary, but straight-talking and to the point, Ian’splans for the future of Pontin’slook very bright for campers andthe region as a whole.

Smith FileBorn: 1952, Southport

Education: Linacre Street and HolyTrinity primary schools, and ChristChurch secondary modern. Trainedas a cost accountant at Mullardelectronics firm in Southport andthen studied HND in business atPreston Polytechnic. Qualified asACMA in 1978.

Career highlights: The highlysuccessful handling of the flotationof Matalan in 1998, before theretailer won Retailer of the Year(Retail Week) in 1999. “I thoroughlyenjoyed that. People told me I’d doit once and never want to again,but I have no fear of doing it again.I set the ground rules out well withthe city advisors and got on well inthe city; it was a massive personalachievement.”

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MOVE COMMERCIAL 33

Are global investors interested inour region?SO’B: There is a naivety in peopleI’ve found when I’ve been showingaround some big companies whoare thinking about moving up here.They perceive Liverpool as nothaving the right quality housing fortheir staff. People know thatManchester has some good areaswith beautiful properties and goodschools, but that’s not theperception of Liverpool. They don’t

know about the lovely areas in thesuburbs and the schools withexcellent grade A results – but theyknow that Manchester can givethem that.CR: That’s a perception ofManchester that’s been built upover the past ten years and it tooka lot of proactive work to do that.Manchester International Festival,which we’ve just held over thesummer, is a month longcelebration of the arts and culture

and it brings thousands of peopleinto the city and they can then seewhat else it has to offer, and thischanges their perceptions.SO’B: I think another big differencebetween the cities is what you findwhen you’re dealing with people.You need the people at the top toget right on the ground with you. CR: I think Manchester City Councilis the envy of all regional councilsand it’s down to leadership.SO’B: We need to be proactive and

ask each other, ‘what can we dotogether?’KL: It seems to be some people’sperception that Liverpool CityCouncil does a better job ofscuppering things than succeeding– I’m sure that’s not fair but that’show it’s presented in the localmedia, and in the national press.There’s this idea that everyone isat each other’s throats rather thangetting the job done.SO’B: For Warren Bradley going to

Inward Investment Lunch Debate

Sally O’Brien joint chief executive, Downing

Chris Robertssales director, Bruntwood

Kevin Lee partner, Halliwells

Attracting inward investment into the north-west region is the hot topic for public bodies and the private sector, with significantbenefits for the local economies. Yet, to fill interested parties withconfidence in investing in the north-west is a challenge which stillneeds to be met.

We assembled Sally O’Brien from Downing, Chris Roberts fromBruntwood, and Kevin Lee from Halliwells at The Racquet Club inLiverpool for a lunchtime discussion.

Going global

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MIPIM for instance, he’s damned ifhe does and damned if he doesn’t –they’ll either say that the city isn’tkeeping up if he stays here, and ifhe goes it’s all ‘he’s on his jollies’.Plenty of good does go on, but itdoesn’t get reported. Saying that, if someone says something aboutyou and it’s correct, then youshould take it on the chin – andoften the press is correct.KL: Unfortunately that’sperpetuated by the media outsideLiverpool as well, but the citydoesn’t have a problem with itsinternational reputation. Peoplemay not have heard of Manchesterfor example. It’s the nationalperception of Liverpool that’s theproblem. I’m not from Liverpool, but I do think the city gets anunfair treatment in the nationalmedia. I know that some people do have an eggshell mentality, but then I’m not from here so Ihaven’t had to live with that.What do we need to do to appealto big companies?CR: Liverpool needs to decide whatit wants to be – a city in the north-west region, or at the centre ofsomething much smaller. If it doeswant to be part of the north-westregion then it needs to acceptManchester’s size and position andthe two cities need to collaborateto be successful. Liverpool peopleoften work in Manchester and viceversa, so the ties between the two are inextricable. SO’B: I don’t think people can bereally aware of all that goes on inthe city – they say ‘the docks aren’twhat they used to be’ but theturnover there is greater than it’s ever been. CR: We already have some hugeassets, such as ManchesterInternational Airport and then John Lennon Airport.SO’B: But I think that people canbe unsure of what to do when theycome here and where to go if theydo want to invest. When a bid isput out it gets confusing – who do you go to? There are too manyquangos.CR: That’s true for Liverpool but in Manchester it’s fairlystraightforward.SO’B: I also wonder whether the

NWDA pushes all the schemesfairly and equally to potentialinvestors - as if they do lose out to another region, the loss would be to everyone’s detriment.CR: I suppose on a wider scaletheir role is to make sure the widernorth-west region sees investment.SO’B: But if they’re not open about what’s available across allthe schemes then we could end uplosing out.KL: There are so many of thesebodies and they all have their ownagenda. Over the past five yearsthe biggest regeneration we haveseen in Liverpool has been buildingflats in the city centre – but doesthe city really want to be known asthe buy-to-let capital of the north? SO’B: The same thing hashappened in Manchester, but ifdevelopers want to take the riskthen they should take it. Therearen’t as many empty as peoplethink. People need accommodation– it’s the first thing companiesthink of when they considercoming up here. They ask, ‘do wehave a workforce, what is thehousing stock like?’ As the citygrows, those issues workthemselves out.CR: A varied housing stock is keyto an area’s success but you canhave too many one or two bedroomapartments. You need a full supplyand range, and you also needancillary services or you end upwith a missed opportunity andareas aren’t socially inclusive anddiverse.In terms of transport facilities,does our region offer whatinvestors need?KL: In the suburbs of Liverpool it’s all much better than it used tobe, especially the train service. The links to London have improvedbut it’s a shame that there’s nodirect flight now from Liverpoolairport – I suppose that came downto a lack of numbers.CR: Manchester airport is only 35 minutes’ drive from Liverpool’scentre so it’s very well served. SO’B: But parking is veryexpensive at Manchester airport.The trains to London are also very expensive.KL: Yes, I’ve seen the prices.

SO’B: You could take four peopleaway for a week to Marbella forthe price of two train tickets toLondon.How do we compare with otherregions?KL: Compared to Wales orNewcastle we’re in an idealsituation for accessing the capital.SO’B: We don’t suffer fromcongestion in the city centre hereas you do in some places.CR: The approach to Manchesterfrom the south and west can getvery congested, but for Leeds it’smore from the north and the eastwhere it gets very busy. Do we have the right skill basefor investors?SO’B: Some say we do and somesay we don’t. The universities havea good graduate retention rate inthe city, but I think we need bettertraining in the schools.KL: I think we have an oversupplyof lawyers, surveyors, accountants,and they are all jobs with asaturation rate. We also havepeople from here who go away foruniversity and then come back toLiverpool for the quality of life, andso in some sectors we’re secondonly to London. Unfortunately,primary and secondary leveleducation suffers and you can seeit in the league tables. Someschool leavers aren’t able to reador write.Which industries should weinvest more in?CR: Private companies need towork together to invest in the citycentres, to improve and keep thepublic realm looking good toinvestors and lift the feel of theplace – as that’s what people seewhen they first visit.KL: Big firms insist on their staffbeing well-trained and an economybased on call centres is a badthing; we need proper jobs andtraining.CR: The BBC had to sell Salford toits staff when it announced themove up here for Media City. Theytook staff around the nice areas,restaurants, parks, showed themthe theatres and the shoppingdistricts, and sold it to them.Ultimately, all the regions outsideof London need to do this.

“The north-west is the strongestregion I’ve seen.We have apresenceinternationally,strong trade andtransport links,and a diverserange ofindustries – andLiverpool andManchester canwork together.

”Chris Roberts

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Inward Investment Lunch Debate

SO’B: Change always has to besold, even when it’s for progress.CR: We’re lucky that the recentdownturn perhaps hasn’t affectedus as much up here because wehave a diversity of industries andwe’re not reliant on any one sector. KL: We do need to raise the bar inprimary level education though,and forge better links within theindustries.CR: Some of our people go intoschools to share their experienceand offer careers advice and lifecoaching.SO’B: There’s been too muchemphasis placed on going touniversity in recent years, and thetrades and apprenticeships havebeen neglected. University isn’t foreveryone; some people do betterby working and studying alongsidetheir job. CR: There are also people startinguniversity not knowing what theywant to do so after they finish,they have to do anotherqualification or a vocational courseanyway.KL: With the law, university is keyto a career, but many prospectivejob applicants are rejected at thefirst hurdle because they don’thave a 2.1, and the emphasis ongrades means that candidatesdon’t even get through the door –even if they may have been abetter choice for the role in thelong-term. And as our sector isstruggling at the moment, therejust aren’t enough jobs forgraduate lawyers and there won’tbe for the next few years.SO’B: Even at successfulindependent schools the pupils allaspire to be doctors or lawyers, butthey don’t know much about theproperty industry and jobs there,for example. I don’t think thatyoung people are given enoughopportunity to explore differentavenues and careers which are justas rewarding and fulfilling. Do we have the office space toattract investors?SO’B: Yes we do, we have somevery good vacant space in oldbuildings and new, and some ofthe older refurbs are actually moresuitable as they have largerfloorplates and facilities.

CR: Spinningfields in Manchester is doing well as it’s surrounded byspace, but often the new builds arerestricted by size and location. SO’B: If you look at The Capital, youcouldn’t afford to build that today.CR: The worry for me in attractinginvestors is gap funding making itan uneven playing field. There’sthen no appeal to developers tobuild and take risks. Newdevelopment should be seen asleading the way, pushingboundaries and bringing the rest ofthe market with it.How can we improve on what wehave?CR: The north-west is the strongestregion I’ve seen. We have a presenceinternationally, strong trade andtransport links, and a diverse rangeof industries – and Liverpool andManchester can work together. SO’B: Liverpool needs Manchesterand Manchester needs Liverpool.CR: The BBC chose Salford, butthat’s still good for the region – weneed to stop being so insular. Thespinoff benefits help us all. KL: It’s annoying when work forLiverpool goes down the road. Weneed to work together and not justget the job done by the cheapestfirm, in another city. ManchesterCity Council wouldn’t send a joboutside of their city, and rightly so.The council should say, ‘we areprepared to pay x’ and then see if there is a local firm who can dothe job. That’s the only way to build up local expertise. We havesuch a diverse range of employersin this region, look at Widnes, andSpeke for instance.Whose role needs to step up?KL: The local management needs to up its game and the city council;it needs to convince the localpeople and show some strongleadership.SO’B: The problem is the disunitybetween the quangos, which needto work together more.CR: I think that if we can get thecity centres right, and that’s whatvisitors and investors will see first,then that’s key –without neglectinganother area. Street lighting,signage and the public realm arevitally important, and liftperceptions of the whole city.

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The changing economic climate hasn’t brought all badnews. Certain elements of the retail sector are enjoying arenaissance with rebranding, refitting and reinvention indelivery. In the north-west, some of the sector’s strongestplayers are reaping the benefits and redeveloping thelandscape and the marketplace.

Distribution facilities are also key toexpansion plans for retailers. T.J.Morris, the retailer behind HomeBargains, announced in May 2008 its plans to redevelop a 333,000 sq ftwarehouse facility at Gillmoss inLiverpool as part of a £35mprogramme of investment. Theextension has increased the site to600,000 sq ft over the past 12months, fitting in with the retailer’splans for growth. By 2016, theretailer is expected to operate in over350 outlets. Over the last half of2009 alone plans are afoot to open30 new stores with much of theexpansion owed to the take-over of anumber of former Woolworths storesnationwide. For a business whichbegan in 1979 with a high street storein Liverpool’s Old Swan, there aremajor plans to make inroads intonew regions of the UK. With anexisting stronghold in the north-westand the midlands, the firm expects tocontinue its expansion into Scotlandand the north-east, and gain newground in the south of England.

Following the announcement of£383m turnover in 2008, the firm’sgoal is to be a £1bn going concern by 2015. Joe Morris, director of T.J.Morris, commented: “We’recurrently growing at about 25 percent per annum and we expect thatto continue. We’re a discount retailerso the recession has helped us morethan other retailers. Customers haveto be more careful with the moneythey spend at this time and we offerthe lowest prices for the products wesell. We are also benefitting from theproperty side of the downturnbecause as other businesses go undermore retail space becomes available.We’ve probably acquired about 20former Woolworths stores. We wantto keep the growth going.”

The Co-operative Group

AGAINST A BACKGROUND ofcorrupt banks and politicians, ethicalbusinesses have won a new-foundfavour in the marketplace. Theprofile of the north-west based TheCo-operative Group, which offers avast range of food and non-food(travel, pharmacy and financialproducts) retailing has been risingfast this year. The consumer-ownedbusiness, which can trace its originsto the first Co-operative Societyestablished in Rochdale in 1844, isrun by its three million members,who also decide how profits aredistributed. Originally organised by28 weavers in a northern town, it isnow a national retail force to bereckoned with. A £1.5 billion rebrandin 2009 has seen 60 per cent of thefirms 4,300 outlets refitted and,

coupled with a television campaignfeaturing Bob Dylan’s ‘Blowin’ in theWind’ and print advertising, themarketing spend totals £70 million.The financial services arm’s mergerwith Britannia in August this yearcreated a business with more than£70 million of assets and ninemillion customers in over 300branches. The merger is expected tocreate a super-mutual bank, offeringa trusted and ethical alternative toshareholder-owned banksthroughout the UK. The acquisitionof Somerfield, costing £1.565 billion,brings the group up to fifth place inthe competitive UK grocery market.The 3,000 stores are generating inexcess of £7 billion a year. Thenational brand is particularly strong in the south-west region,

complementing the Co-operative’sother outlets.

With the expanding portfolio, the firm is also investing in newheadquarters in Manchester.Approximately 320,000 sq ft of openplan office space over 16 storeys willbe built on Miller Street in the citycentre, opposite the Co-operativeInsurance tower. A planningapplication has been submitted and,if granted, work will start on thebuilding at the start of 2010, withoccupation scheduled for 2012.Director of marketing at the Co-operative Group, Patrick Allen,commented: “We are currentlywitnessing a renaissance of The Co-operative. Our food business hasenjoyed 13 successive quarters oflike-for-like sales growth. Weacquired Somerfield earlier this yearand our financial services businessrecently merged with Britannia.

“The winning combination of highquality shops and products, coupledwith the increasing relevance of ourethical way of doing business, andthe ability to benefit directly fromtrading with us, are the compellingreasons why thousands of newmembers are joining us everymonth.”

Ringing the changes

CGI of new head office for The Co-operative Group

Patrick Allen

T.J. Morris

Joe Morris

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Regional spotlight Retail Feature

Matalan is another retailer to havebenefited from the demise ofdiscount rival Woolworths. Since itsfounding in Preston in 1985,Matalan has gone on to secureannual revenue of over £1bn a year,with an emphasis on spacious out-of-town facilities. From the

headquarters in Skelmersdale,Merseyside, Matalan recentlyannounced that like-for-like sales for the week ending 6 June 2009were up 8.2 per cent on the previousyear – a figure that the firm says was achieved with improvedmargins. Out of town stores are

out-performing high streetcompetitors and the retailer hasgained a market share in menswearand women and children’s clothing.Much of the success since February2008 was owed to an extensive store improvement programme, with the refurbishment of 57 storespart of a £16m spend to strengthenthe store portfolio. Another raft ofstores will receive a revamp thisyear. Cost effective marketingcampaigns continue to be pursued,with the “High Street Fashion,Matalan Prices” promotion helpingto secure a card holder databasewith transactional details of over 11million cardholders. Theintroduction of the ‘M Party’ partyrange, which had been trialled theprevious year, also proved profitableafter it was rolled out into 70 stores.This year the company is hoping tofurther utilise the commercialpotential of the website and openthree new stores. More constructionis planned for 2010, as part of anaccelerated programme ofexpansion. Matalan chief executiveAlistair McGeorge commented: “Weare pleased with our performancelast year given the challenging

market conditions and in particularour ability to outperform themarket. Whilst profitability hascontinued to improve we have alsogenerated strong cash flows whichhas allowed the group to pay down£45m of debt in the year. Given theposition of the UK economy, wefully expect the coming 12 monthsto be challenging. However,customers continue to respond wellto our strategy of offering qualityproducts at fantastic value and webelieve Matalan is well placed tomeet these challenges as customerscontinue to embrace the relevanceof Matalan’s brand and offer.”

The Shop Direct Group was formedout of a merger between Littlewoodsand Shop Direct companies and hasestablished itself as the UK’s leadingonline retailer. The transition to e-commerce has not been withoutcasualties in employment however,with thousands of jobs cut fromShop Direct operations across theregion as a result of streamlining thebusiness. Land occupied by the

previous Littlewoods facilities hasbeen sold on and since 2005, many of the former Littlewoods retailbranches have been converted intoPrimark stores. Littlewoods, aniconic firm formerly occupyinglandmark city centre premises, isexploring new territory online andout of town. Shop Direct, which wasborn out of Liverpool retailerLittlewoods, still retains its local

roots and the company nowoperates out of its £31m SkywaysHouse former aircraft hangarheadquarters in Speke under theleadership of owners David andFrederick Barclay. In February this year the company acquiredWoolworths from administratorsDeloitte, to preserve the name andthe Ladybird clothing brand as anonline business. Recently ShopDirect, which has annual sales ofaround £1.6bn, made the onlineexpansion into Europe offering 250high street brands throughLittlewoodseurope.com. Thecompany, which currently employsaround 10,600 people, is forecastingan even greater percentage of onlinesales in the next two years. MarkNewton-Jones, chief executive ofShop Direct Group, said: “As anonline retailer we are not shackled by overheads such as rent and utilitycosts which can become a burden in a downturn. This allows us to staynimble in the recession and to adaptour proposition via our websites. Weare the UK's largest online and

home shopping retailer with a broadrange of products includingover 400 high street brands and ourgreat own label product. Whencustomers shop online with us theycan find this all in one place. Ourbroad offer has helped us to stayrelevant to customers at a timewhen the focus is on trusted brandsand value for money.”

Matalan

Littlewoods & Shop Direct

Matalan’s large retail offer

Mark Newton-Jones

Littlewoods head office, Speke

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Everton and Liverpool both intend to boost capacities and corporate potentialby leaving their famous old stadiums and moving to modern football arenas.Everton’s controversial plans to relocate to Kirkby are currently in the hands ofthe Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whileLiverpool’s ambitious plans to build a stadium in Stanley Park have been stalledby financial uncertainty. We ask whether the clubs would be better servedsharing a stadium in the city.

Five prominent local footballsupporters discussed the sharedstadium issue over lunch atBlakes Restaurant in the HardDays Night Hotel. Liam Fogarty,chairman of the campaign for amayor for Liverpool, independentconsultant Colette Malton, TheDesign Foundry director David Al-Hadithi, Norman Jones, partnerat Mace & Jones Solicitors andStuart Keppie, partner at KeppieMassie Commercial indulged in the venue’s “Summer of Love” menu.

Considering the financial climate,is a shared stadium the mostlogical option for the two clubs?LF: Is there any other city in theworld that would be frankly daftenough, in the teeth of a long termdownturn in borrowing, in creditand in property - in one of thepoorest areas in Western Europe,to build two separate stadiums fortheir two football clubs? The idealfor any Evertonian would be re-building Goodison Park in someform with much better facilities. Inthe current climate Everton can’tgenerate that sort of revenue,short of a sugar daddy arriving.Liverpool can.CM: Well we’re £650million in debtat the moment!

DA: Financially it probably makessense. My view is that it does workin some countries but for verydifferent reasons. Obviouslyfinancially it does stack up, but I’ma no.NJ: My pedigree is an Evertonianbut above all I’m a fan of the city ofLiverpool. I do now think it is timefor both clubs to put their headstogether and seriously consider acombined stadium. With tourismsuch a major source of revenue weneed a world class stadium.Fundability is a problem but thathas to be met by the public sector. Icould envisage a situation whereeach club would own a stand, withthe balance owned by the NorthWest Development Agency and thecity council. That would ease thefinancial requirements of each club.I do think that it’s very feasible. Would the public sector be onboard?LF: There’s going to be no publicsector investment from here on infor about 8 or 10 years in anythingthat’s not deemed to be absolutelyessential to the public good. If wedon’t get our heads togetherthere’s going to be no publicsupport. NJ: I think in order for it to beremotely fundable the public sectorpartners will own say a third, and

the other two clubs would own athird apiece.CM: I think the public fundingwould be there if it was toregenerate the outlying areas ofthe stadium. I don’t see any publicfunding going to a football stadiumthough. We’re in a recession hereand a lot of people don’t likefootball and have lost their jobs.LF: There was a window, 12 or 18months ago for the shared stadiumbut that window has shut.NJ: I’m not so pessimistic. I thinkthere’s a window of another 3 to 6months but it depends on a) Kirkbybeing knocked back and b) Gilletteand Hicks continuing to be infinancial difficulties. I still think itmay achieve some public sectorfunding.Does the city need a new stadiumto secure host status for apotential World Cup in 2018?LF: The current stadiums just don’tmeet the FIFA specifications.There’s a very real possibility thatthe self styled capital of footballwon’t be involved.SK: Surely the city needs a decentstadium that can cater for theWorld Cup. DA: There’s also a case for having abigger and better stadium i.e. FIFAand UEFA qualification for majorfinals. We don’t want those games

“I do now think it istime for both clubsto put their headstogether.

”

Would a shared stadium be the bestoption for Everton and Liverpool?

Norman Jones

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going down the East Lancs.Could a shared stadium have adetrimental effect on the clubs –diluting their identity?SK: It doesn’t bother me that noother clubs in the Premier Leaguehave a joint stadium. They havedone it in Munich and Milan. Havethose clubs suffered?DA: The Milan stadium is owned bytheir council. It’s not owned byeither of those clubs. That’s theonly model that works with amassive fan base. There’s also a lotof dilapidation of stadiums in Italywhich brings up the question ofwho has the responsibility for theirupkeep. What about the stadiumsharing model that’s beenemployed in America even longer?There’s a desire there now not toshare, and they have done for along long time.LF: Look at the crowds that turnedout for Liverpool in South EastAsia. It’s amazing and it’s a vastasset base. LFC has got thepotential to build a brand newstadium and pay for it. CM: I think the majority ofLiverpool fans would be against ashared stadium.Can the council allow aninstitution such as Everton toleave the city?SK: As an Evertonian that’s the lastthing I want. I would not want tosurrender the confines of the city.Financially, in the short to mediumterm it would maybe be OK but Icould see the fan base dwindlingdramatically.NJ: I think you’re being optimistic.Why would a business want to upsticks from its customer base andrun the risk of losing even 25 percent of its customers from day one?SK: Equally if Liverpool were todevelop Stanley Park and westayed at Goodison I couldn’t belooking over there at this biggleaming stadium and think what

we’ve got.NJ: The club has refused toexamine any other options in detailother than Kirkby. Myunderstanding is that the Secretaryof State will approve theapplication.LF: The current signals being sentout are that the inspectors willapprove, possibly with a diminishedcapacity to address some of thetransportation issues. So we’d beleft with a 40,000 stadium butwe’ve already got one of those. It’sa good news story for a depressedpart of the world because of thethousands of jobs and millions ofpounds worth of infrastructureimprovement.What kind of impact would ithave on L4?LF: It’s imperative for L4 because itdoes invest that region with a lifeand an income stream. SK: The closer the stadium is tothe city centre there’s far morespin off. You look at Cardiff andNewcastle and they’re buzzing ona match day. Where would a shared stadiumbe sited?LF: Which private sector entity onMerseyside has the land, the clout,the capital and the time to do this?Peel. Anybody who thinks thatcentral docks will one day befestooned with Shanghai styleskyscrapers is living a fantasy.That period globally is over. They’regoing to need to do something ontheir property portfolio. Look atwhat you could do on the back of awaterside stadium in the centraland north docks. There’s goodexisting infrastructure, plenty ofcapacity to access.NJ: And it would kick start theregeneration of that area.LF: It’s the only game in town. SK: I agree on the central docks.It’s close to the city centre, has theadvantage of economies of scale,

transport and car parking.LF: And a new ferry terminal. At themoment you’ve got this tumbleweed past Old Hall Street. A stadiumwould add massive value to theland.DA: Not that I’m for a sharedstadium but if it were to be shared itshould be at Stanley Park because ifboth clubs left the whole economyof that area would be ripped topieces. It’s already in a really poorarea. There’s something aboutwalking down those terrace streets.Yes there’s a problem infrastructurewise but it’s part of the experience.You’re not just shipped to the gamein a hermetically sealed capsule. Was the Kings Dock site a missedopportunity for both clubs?SK: It could have worked. It wasn’tthe ideal site because of thetransport connections. I know thatpeople have varied views on that,with proposals for park and ride andso on.LF: But nobody envisaged LiverpoolOne taking shape either.SK: When Everton were looking atthe Kings Dock there was anembargo on Liverpool talking aboutanywhere in the city centre from thecity council. They wouldn’t entertainany application from Liverpool. Italmost blocked the option of themmoving to the city centre.NJ: Paul Gregg of Houston Securitiesdreamt that idea up. He could see hecould align it to his other businessinterests. He and Kenwright couldn’traise the £30m capital.Will it happen?DA: Both clubs, at least front ofhouse, are against this.NJ: Is it now that Mr Parry has leftthat the position may change? Hewas very much against it. MessrsHicks and Gillette at the outset werequite receptive to the idea. DA: He said he’d resign if it was ever tabled.LF: The only way I can see Liverpool

going for a shared stadium is ifthere’s a sufficient heft of publicmoney to offset the infrastructurecosts. CM: If we had a city council behindus saying “come on, we need this tomove forward”. We need to build onthe city of culture with the footballbut they’re not doing it. NJ: Unfortunately Liverpool andEverton are controlled by individualswho couldn’t see further than theirown train set.DA: How long has this idea beenrumbling on? Twenty or thirty years?It’s probably never going to happen.

Five Decide Talking Point

Liam FogartyChairman of the campaignfor a mayor for Liverpool

Colette MaltonIndependent Consultant

David Al-HadithiDirector, The Design Foundry

Norman JonesPartner, Mace & JonesSolicitors

Stuart KeppiePartner, Keppie Massie

The panel enjoyed“uncomplicated British classics”from Blakes’ Summer of Lovemenu, with two courses availablefor just £9.75 until 13September. The menu boasts agreat variety of locally sourcedorganic produce, seasonaldelights and a fine selection ofwines. Three courses and abottle of wine from the set menuare available for just £21.95.Blakes Restaurant is openTuesday to Saturday forbreakfast, lunch and dinner.

To book a table, telephone 0151 243 2121, or [email protected].

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MOVE COMMERCIAL40

“Graduateslove the city andnow they havesomewhere togo.

”

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Dr Tasker entered academiarelatively late, which perhapsmakes her rise to prominence inher chosen field all the moreremarkable. A housewife andmother-of-two in her 30s, sheeventually found herself studyingfor a PhD in History andPhilosophy at Cambridge, beforeestablishing the consultancy firmCam-Sci, developing science parksaround the UK. Commuting fromCambridge three times a week shehas overseen the impressivegrowth of the Liverpool SciencePark and maintains relationshipswith the park’s partners.

Dr Tasker has been involved withthe Liverpool Science Park since itsinception and as chief executive,has steered its course to becomethe fastest growing science park inthe UK. She joined the MountPleasant operation on secondmentfrom Cam-Sci and since theconsultants were selected to leadthe Liverpool Science Parkfollowing an international search,she has administered the openingof the 36,000 sq ft ic1 office facilityin January 2006 and more recentlythe landmark 38,750 sq ft ic2building.

Making up part of Liverpool’s‘Knowledge Quarter’ in sitesaround the MetropolitanCathedral, the science park issomething of a unique project in

the city. A joint venture betweenthe University of Liverpool, JohnMoores University and the citycouncil, it is hoped the park willdevelop Liverpool’s knowledgeeconomy and support 7,000 localjobs within 10 years. Twenty-twocompanies from the region andbeyond signed up to the ambitiousproject within the first year ofoperations and in a promisingshow of durability, tenants havecontinued to flow in ever since.

“The first anchor tenants for iC2are lined up and we’re havingserious negotiations with others”said Dr Tasker. In partnership withLiverpool Vision, a soft landingcentre has also been created forcompanies who wish to try out thefacilities before they commit. Athird of the facility is currentlyunder option, with a majorsoftware development companyconsidering a 10,000 sq ft space atthe Liverpool facility, while anexisting iC1 company is to upgradeby more than four times theircurrent capacity, to a 4,000 sq ft

space at iC2. “The office space is soflexible. The interior walls can goup and down. Each floor plate canbe sub-divided in any format. Thesquare footage could be over twofloors, depending on thecompany’s preference. It’s a highquality offering.”

The £9.9m iC2 building wasdesigned by Liverpool architectsFalconer Chester Hall anddelivered by NeptuneDevelopments, who in partnership

with the Liverpool Archdiocese,have now completed the£35million Cathedral Precinctproject.

Businesses have been attractedto the flexibility of the highlyspecified office space,complemented by the laboratorycompatibility of the facilities, theICT infrastructure and high-speedinternet connectivity.Aesthetically, high qualitymaterials have been used to reflectthe prominent setting of thebuilding. “We want it to be anidentifiable part of the Liverpool

offer to match the stunningarchitecture that already exists inthe city. There’s still some work tobe done in terms of landscapingthe park land around the buildingsbut with that the whole thingshould be completed by nextsummer.”

Dr Tasker will be hoping thefledgling facility can replicate thesuccess of ic1. The establisheddevelopment is currently at nearfull capacity, with what Dr Taskerdescribed as a “quite fluid”movement of tenants. Amongthem have been a number ofsuccess stories: “Two people whohad been made redundant set up asmall software developmentcompany over two storeys. Theyhave been so successful thatthey’ve been selling products backto their old company. Anotherfirm, a gains developmentcompany, has grown from a staffof two to 50. They’re looking togrow further still and we’rehelping them achieve that.”

Although pleased with theevident success of the science parkto date, Dr Tasker has recognisedwork needs to be done to firmlyestablish it beyond the city region.Earlier this year she released areport claiming Liverpool wasn’tcredible as a place to locateknowledge businesses: “Peoplethink about the culture, sport andmusic but not business andknowledge. First and foremost wehad to focus on starting up andestablishing the science park inLiverpool, which we’ve done verysuccessfully. Within the regionwe’re doing well but we need tolook further.”

Dr Tasker believes the viabilityof the science park is essential tothe city if it is to retain more of themany promising graduates itproduces. “Graduates love the cityand now they have somewhere togo. The science park stimulatesinvestment but it also stimulatesinnovation. It’s possible forinnovation to go hand in handwith making money.”

As highlighted by the courting ofcompanies in Finland and China,retaining home-grown talent willmerely be the icing on the cake forthe ever-ambitious Dr Tasker: “Wewant to maintain and grow ourcurrent client base and we’recautiously optimistic of doing so.The next stage is tointernationalise the brand.”

Dr Sarah Tasker Rising Stars

As someone who helped secure victory in the 2001boat race, Liverpool Science Park chief executive Dr Sarah Tasker is no stranger to success. TheCambridge graduate now aims to negotiate the choppywaters of the recession and build on the promise shownin the formative years of her current charge.

“The office space is so flexible. It’s ahigh quality offering.

”

Task force

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LIVERPOOL CITY CENTRE A range of offices suitable for 2 people to 1300 people andwith rents starting from just £3.20 per sq ft.NEW 12 Temple Street 2,763 sq ftCotton Exchange, Old Hall Street from 200 sq ft upwardsCorn Exchange, Fenwick Street 500 sq ft – 9,000 sq ftRumford Court, Rumford Place 600 sq ft – 2,400 sq ftNo. 1 Old Hall Street 600 sq ft – 4,600 sq ftNew Zealand House, Water St from 750 sq ftCentury Buildings, Nth John St from 1,100 sq ft 1 Union Court 1,100 sq ft – 4,350 sq ft42 Castle Street 1,100 sq ft – 2,600 sq ftRodney St/Hope St area 1,200 sq ft – 6,500 sq ftStanley Hall, Edmund Street 1,900 sq ft – 3,200 sq ftThe Foundry, RopeWalks 2,000 sq ft – 11,000 sq ftNo.1 Tithebarn 2,000 sq ft – 20,000 sq ft Exchange Flags 2,200 sq ft – 120,000 sq ftLiverpool One Offices, L1 2,200 sq ft – 10,000 sq ft2 Moorfields 2,300 sq ft – 9,000 sq ftRumford Court, Rumford Place 2,600 sq ft – 4,600 sq ftVictoria House, James Street 3,000 sq ft – 6,000 sq ft5 Temple Square from 4,750 sq ft

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NORTH WEST RETAIL/LEISURENEW Princes Dock, L3 1,200 sq ft - 14,000 sq ft NEW Chancery House, L1 2,500 sq ft – 8,500 sq ftNEW Liverpool Rd, Crosby Under offerNEW Allerton Rd, Liverpool Under offerBank Street, Rawtenstall 2,003 sq ftBooth Street, Ashton 2,600 sq ftYorkshire Street, Oldham 2,134 sq ftChurch Street, Eccles 3,190 sq ft

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Deacon Park’s official launch Key events

Racking up admirers

The Big Rack at Deacon Park on KnowsleyIndustrial Estate was officially launched at theend of June, with spaces available from 50,000to 456,350 sq ft for immediate occupation.Developer Highcross treated guests, including

agents from Liverpool and the surroundingregion, to breakfast. A free car wash was alsooffered to the first 20 who arrived at theMoorgate Road site, adjoining the intersectionof the East Lancs Road and the M57. For moreinformation about occupying the space,contact the joint leasing agents Jones LangLaSalle, DTZ and CB Richard Ellis.1. John Langton of Hurlston Brook with host

Iain Taylor of Highcross

2. Chris Hennesey, Edmund Kirby, Phil Morley, Jones Lang LaSalle and Brendan O’Herlihy, BNP Paribas Real Estate, Atisreal

3. Networkers enjoy coffee and snacks

2 3

4. Networkers chat 5. Simon Hamson, WHR Property Consultants, Patrick O’Herlihy, PD O’Herlihy Ltd and Janine Wood, P3 Property Consultants

4 5

6. Hosts Richard Pellatt and Iain Taylor of Highcross 7 & 8. The staff at Auto Wash were hard at work on guests’ cars

By Lucy [email protected]

1

6 7 8

p34-48:p03-12 4/9/09 19:08 Page 43

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Go online to see our fantastic rental deals on industrial, trade counter and office propertiesacross the M62. We even have land available for storage and parking. Get in touch on01484 715 635 or visit www.towngate.plc.uk to find out more.

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p34-48:p03-12 4/9/09 19:09 Page 44

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Expert views Ask the panel

Public consumptionWith losses across a number of industries in the recession, budgets in the private sectorare tighter than ever. As public funding is allocated to various bodies before it is distributed within the region,should public bodies’ expenditure be accessible to public viewing?

"Whether its source isinternational, national or local,transparency of informationshould be a sine qua non of everypenny of public expenditure inrespect of its usage and amount.Public expenditure is derivedultimately from the purses oftaxpayers, who are entitled tofull knowledge about the use oftheir money for public purposes -just as they know typically forwhich purposes they use theirown money in privateconsumption. The need forcomplete openness ofinformation is especiallycompelling in the currentrecession when firms are incompetition with each other forsupport from scarce public funds.The recent debacle of MPs'expenses illustrated graphicallyhow opaqueness in publicexpenditure leads inevitably toconfusion, misunderstandings,and abuse."

Peter Stoney, honorary seniorfellow, Liverpool UniversitySchool of Management

“In our experience, public bodies arealready under a great deal ofscrutiny in terms of the initialjustification for any project fundingand then the audit requirementswhich follow. In addition, mostpublic bodies already publish keyfunding details in some form oranother, and those who take agenuine interest can find thisinformation. It is therefore bestthat public bodies are allowed tocarry out their duties withoutfurther obligations being imposedon them, which could be counterproductive in the long run and leadto a waste of public funds. Everypenny spent on dealing withunnecessary attention is a pennythat cannot be spent on projectsthat need funding. It all adds up!”

Stephen Osuhor, director,Neptune Developments

“As public funding is essentiallyfunded by the taxpayer, I feel thatall expenditure should beaccessible to public viewing. If thepublic can access the accounts ofprivate companies, then it is notunreasonable to be able to viewthe same for public bodies.”

John D. Morgan, valuationsurveyor, Mason Owen

“The regional public bodies suchas the Northwest RegionalDevelopment Agency do issuedetails of their proposedexpenditure in their CorporatePlan 2008-2011. This documentincludes an income andexpenditure summary. A lot ofinformation is readily availablethrough the various web sitesand publications compiled by thevarious public bodies. Likewiselocal authorities have to statehow a project is being fundedwhen seeking approval toexpenditure through councilcommittee process.”

‘Owing to their very nature as‘public bodies’, we all have a vestedinterest in the expenditure ofpublic authorities. As shareholdersin the private sector, suchexpenditure should be transparentto its members.”

Neil Kirkham, office andindustrial agent, HitchcockWright & Partners

Stuart Keppie, partner,Keppie Massie Commercial

“we all have a vested interest in the expenditure of public authorities

”

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Patrick Crean Managing director

How would your colleaguesdescribe you?I think they’d probably say I’m really laidback most of the time, although I’m adevil for detail and a perfectionist attimes!

responsible for different areas of thebusiness, but I do have a largeinvolvement in the financial side. I workin the office for the main part as itmakes my job easier to have a presencethere, although I do spend some timegoing out to present to some of thelarger organisations and for meetings,or to advise clients when it’s needed.What are your plans for the north-west?Mersey Energy Inspections isexpanding its database across theregion in terms of sales and we’re alsolooking to diversify on the energy side.We have some ideas we’re working onat the moment, looking at how themarket develops, as new legislationmay open up some different avenues. What excites you most about yourrole?The most exciting part for me ispresenting the company to otherorganisations, both big and small andpromoting ourselves and what we do. Ibelieve we do an excellent job andprovide a good service, so it’s nice to beable to go out and present our

strengths and to get some positivefeedback – I find that the mostenjoyable aspect, certainly.What are the best and worst partsof the job?The best part is bringing in new clients.There’s certainly some satisfaction insecuring a contract. The worst side hasto be the accounts side of running abusiness. It can get you a bit boggeddown sometimes. What’s your ambition?My aim for the next 6 to 12 months isto continue to be as successful as atpresent, and to aim for a certainamount of growth through the difficultmarket conditions. After that, as themarket improves, I expect us to groweven more. How do you like to unwind?I really enjoy a game of golf andmanage to play once or twice a week.We have a bit of in house competitionand it’s great to get all the staff outonto the local golf course with theincentive that the loser has to buy around of drinks! It’s also a really goodteambuilding event.

In thespotlightWidnes-born Patrick Crean is the managingdirector of Mersey Energy Inspections, whichconducts energy assessments for residential andcommercial properties across the north-westregion and North Wales. The company was setup in 2007 to meet demand, due to changes inlegislation, affecting agents, developers andoccupiers in both residential and commercialspace. PSG Liverpool, part of the Property SearchGroup, the property search and HIP provider, isalso under Patrick’s management and direction,and has now been running for 10 years.

FACT FILEBORN1964, WidnesEDUCATIONWade Deacon High School, WidnesFIRST JOB“When I was 16 I went into my ownfamily’s business, a plumbers’merchants, which I enjoyed. It was areally valuable experience forrunning my own business later inlife.”TOP TIP“Trust your own instincts. I had agut feeling about setting up on myown and my belief in being able tomake it a success, coupled withenjoying what I do, has been key.”

What led you to set up your ownbusinesses?My previous career was in a number ofvery different industries on a salesbasis. I first worked in my family’s firmbefore I moved across to work in wastemanagement, but after doing that in asenior role for a number of years I feltthe urge to be running my owncompany. Although I had been workingfor prestigious corporate organisations,I felt restricted and needed to dosomething more entrepreneurial. Icame across PSG 10 years ago and gotinto the property sector running thefranchise. As that business developedand became established, theopportunity arose to set up MerseyEnergy Inspections in response todemand from clients who requiredenergy assessments of theirproperties before they could bemarketed. What does your daily routineinvolve?Mine is mainly an advisory andoverseeing role, so it can vary quite alot. I have managers in house who are

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no limitsin affordable luxury

new storein town.don’t miss ourgrand opening offers.visit the store for more details

BoConcept Liverpool · 22 - 24 Chapel Street · Liverpool L3 9AG · tel. 0845 612 6600 / 0151 236 9280

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MAJOR NEW OFFICE PARK

SELFCONTAINED OFFICES 3,400 10,100 SQ FT

DESIGN & BUILD OPPORTUNITIES

PLANNING PERMISSION FOR UP TO 300,000 SQ FT

To fi nd out more about Mere Grange visit

www.meregrange.co.uk

MERE

For enquiries contact:

In partnership with

A570 ST HELENS LINKWAYOFF J7 M62, ST HELENS

FOR SALE /TO LET

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