News: Speculative Rotherham industrial units proving popular addressing the lack of supply

Rotherham’s latest 40,000 sq ft business park is already attracting occupiers looking for modern warehouse units.

Magna 34 Business Park, which was recently completed having been approved in 2018, offers 13 units ranging from 2,538 to 4,758 sq ft and is proving popular, responding to the continued demand across the region for small industrial and warehouse units.

Grinding and dressing tools manufacturer Tyrolit, welding technology firm K-Tig and Mercedes Benz experts DB Automotive, tool manufacturers Tyrolit and car dealership Trade Centre Yorkshire have already each taken units, with three further units currently under offer, leaving just five units available.

Kitty Hendrick from Knight Frank in Sheffield, which is marketing the development alongside CPP for owners Mileway, said: "Magna 34 Business Park is a brand new industrial development, located off Sheffield Road and Temple Road in Rotherham. The high specification accommodation is in an excellent position, close to Junction 34 M1.

“The speculative units provide modern, industrial space suitable for B8 and B2 use built to a high specification, and we have already had an excellent response in terms of interest with the space suitable for a variety of occupiers addressing the lack of small industrial units available in Sheffield and Rotherham.”

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Features on site include 6m eaves height, fitted office accommodation, three phase electricity, kitchenette and WC facilities and full height, roller shutter loading door access.

Max Pickering from CPP added: “There remains a significant lack of good quality industrial units available which has meant demand for these units has been very high. Occupiers are keen to take space that is modern and suits their needs for the upcoming years. We only have a few units left on the estate showing the success of the development.”

The first phase of works at the £31m Business Park were completed in 2008. Located off Junction 34 of the M1, it was built on the historic site of the former steelworks, and before that, a Roman fort.

Richard Armitage, senior asset manager at Mileway, added: "We've been delighted with the progress we've seen on site at Magna 34 since the scheme practically completed. It really demonstrates the strength of occupier demand for this type of product in the South Yorkshire sub-market and we look forward to completing the final few lettings on site in the coming months."

Mileway website

Images: Knight Frank

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News: Magtec's new high-tech Rotherham facility officially opened

The Mayor of South Yorkshire Dan Jarvis has officially opened Magtec’s new Rotherham facility for the design, manufacture and installation of drive systems for electric and hybrid vehicles.

Rothbiz reported in July that Magtec had announced a privately-funded expansion representing a multi-million pound commitment which is creating highly skilled new jobs for engineers to work on projects at the cutting edge of transportation.

The MP for Barnsley Central and former British Army officer met with directors, engineers, apprentices and ex-services personnel employed by the high-growth company and toured the high-tech production facilities.

Magtec is creating at least 50 new high-skilled engineering and support function jobs to help meet growing demand for its world-leading drive systems. The privately-owned company is targeting sales of £30m next year, more than double the turnover of 2021. It currently employs 145 people at its 65,000 sq ft facility in Rotherham and is recruiting across all engineering and operations disciplines.

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Taking 64,706 sq ft of space at Magna 34 Business Park at Templeborough, Magtec is increasing production for existing and new customers in the commercial vehicle, rail, defence and special project sectors. Orders include drive systems for electric refuse collection vehicles, autonomous and connected electric trucks and the rail industry’s first conversion of diesel multiple units. Magtec is also supporting the British Army TD6 programme to assess the benefits that hybrid military vehicles can bring to the battlefield of the future.

The Mayor of South Yorkshire Dan Jarvis said: “I was very impressed by Magtec’s new facility and it was a real privilege to meet their highly talented team and learn more about the hugely innovative and highly skilled work they are doing to bring forward technical solutions to the challenges we face in delivering decarbonisation.

“Forward-thinking companies such as Magtec are at the absolute cutting-edge of the next industrial revolution, of which our region can be a driving force. I am looking forward to seeing Magtec grow further over the coming years and I am certain that their pioneering technology will help to shape our region’s electrical transport infrastructure, contribute massively towards our net-zero carbon targets and continue to create skilled jobs for South Yorkshire. They are a massive asset for the region.”

Andrew Gilligan, managing director, added: “We were delighted to welcome Mayor Dan Jarvis to our state-of-the-art facility, introduce him to our growing team and share details of our future expansion plans. Magtec is investing in new plant and people to help us scale up and fulfil our potential. Our market-leading technology, which is designed and manufactured by highly skilled engineers here in South Yorkshire, can drive the decarbonisation of the global transportation sector.”

Magtec website

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News: Work starts on site to expand Magna Business Park

A new speculative development of industrial units designed for small to medium sized businesses (SMEs) is starting at Magna 34 Business Park in Rotherham.

Plans for the Templeborough were initially approved back in 2018 and a stand-alone 35,000 sq ft warehouse will be delivered alongside a further 40,000 sq ft, which will comprise 13 smaller units ranging from 2,000 to 4,500 sq ft. The latter is thought to be the only small multi-let industrial scheme underway in the area.

Once complete, the development has the ability to accommodate a workforce of 150 – 200 people.

NSM manages the popular development on behalf of InfraRed Capital Partners and will oversee the nine month build programme, as well as providing agency services to market the site to prospective tenants.

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Helen Gordon, associate director at NSM, said: "There is a well-known shortage of industrial space, particularly with the recent surge in online retail. Most new and refurbished developments are focused on the larger distribution requirements and Magna 34 will be one of the only developments which delivers new, high quality space for smaller and growing businesses.

"We are already receiving enquiries and I expect this well-located site, next to the M1, will prove incredibly popular."

Magna 34 is an established business park with a high profile location close to Sheffield and Rotherham, with easy access to the M1. NSM already manages the existing 47,000 sq ft of space at this site which comprises two industrial units. The popular business park is already home to occupiers including Parcelforce, UK Mail and Element Materials Technology Sheffield Ltd.

NSM website

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News: Expansion at Magna 34

NSM has been appointed by InfraRed Capital Partners to property and asset manage its expanding Magna 34 Business Park in Rotherham.

An industrial scheme at templeborough, NSM will also provide agency services, helping to secure new tenants for the next stage of its multi-million pound development.

Magna 34 Business Park comprises of a mixture of units totalling in excess of 120,000 sq ft, which includes two existing units that are already occupied comprising 47,000 sq ft. A stand-alone 35,000 sq ft new build and a further 40,000 sq ft will be developed as a smaller multi-let industrial scheme, providing units ranging in size from 2,000 to 4,500 sq ft

This is thought to be one of the only small to medium sized speculative industrial developments in the local area to come forwards in 2020, as the only other scheme underway provides in excess of 5,000 sq ft units.

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Helen Gordon, associate director at NSM, said: "Magna 34 is an established business park with a high profile location close to Sheffield and Rotherham, with easy access to the M1. There is a shortage of industrial land and with most developers focusing on larger units, there is significant demand for businesses seeking well-located space for small and medium sized enterprises. As a result, I expect this new development at Magna 34 will be very popular."

Planning has already been secured for the 35,000 sq ft unit and, subject to planning permission being secured for the smaller units, construction work will commence within the next three to six months. It is expected to be a nine month build programme.

Magna 34 is a well-established business park on Sheffield Road close to Junction 34, M1. It is already home to occupiers including Parcelforce, UK Mail and Element Materials Technology Sheffield Ltd.

At Magna 34, LondonMetric recently completed the £13.3m disposal of a large warehouse at a net initial yield of 5.0%. The 152,000 sq ft regional distribution warehouse has been sold to a global investor. The warehouse was acquired in 2014 for £10.3m and is let to the Royal Mail Group (Parcelforce) for a further eight years at a rent of £4.70 psf.

NSM website

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News: Magna 34 development approved

Plans have been approved for a large scale speculative development at Templeborough, a year after initial plans were refused by Rotherham Council.

A planning application was resubmitted last year to enable new commercial units to come forward on remaining plots at the popular Magna 34 site.

The first phase of works at the £31m Business Park were completed in 2008 where Sheffield-based joint venture partners, Loxley Land and Property and Jaguar Estates, predicted it would eventually create around 600 jobs for the region.

The 19 acre park located off Junction 34 of the M1 is on the historic site of the former steelworks, and before that, a Roman fort.

10,000 sq ft of office and industrial space is currently home to the likes of HS Atec, Grayson Fixings and Sortec Software Development. The massive 152,421 sq ft distribution unit, empty since completion in 2008 was taken by Parcelforce in 2014.

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The latest plans, drawn up by Self Architects for Jaguar Estates, are for three terraced business units and two single units, totalling 38,000 sq ft.

The development plots at Magna 34 are allocated within the Sheffield Enterprise Zone which offers business rates relief worth up to £275,000 to a business over a five-year period.

2016 plans for the site were refused by the planning board in February 2017. The planners consider the site to be on a key gateway into the town and the decision for refusal showed that planners were unhappy with the their design and siting facing Sheffield Road, stating that it would "represent a poor form of development that fails to take the opportunities available for improving the character and quality of the area."

The updated plans went to planning board last week and members voted unanimously to approve the application.

Nigel Hancock, assistant planning manager at Rotherham Council, explained: "We had no issue with the principle of the development but we were concerned that the buildings that were being proposed were not suitable for what we consider to be a gateway site into the town. It didn't reflect the quality of the buildings that have been erected in the immediate vicinity over the last few years.

"We were concerned that the last proposal would have been a backward step in the regeneration of the area, despite the jobs it would create, and we were seeking to get better quality development on what we consider to be a prominent site."

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The design of the buildings facing Sheffield Road have been updated. Before, they were just designed as industrial sheds with no architectural merit. The new design is still for industrial sheds but it does now include an element of brickwork, different types of cladding materials and glazing panels to the side.

In 2004, Euro Dismantling Services and developer Jaguar Estates were appointed by Corus (now Tata Steel) as joint developers for the former Mayer Parry and Rolling Mills sites on Sheffield Road.

Jaguar Estates website

Images: Jaguar Estates / Self Architects

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News: Gelder Group opens new office

Gelder Group has acquired a new office in Rotherham, having outgrown its previous Sheffield premises in only 12 months.

Gelder Group, which delivers projects across a range of sectors including education, health, retail, insurance, leisure, heritage and residential, has acquired the 700 sq ft space on Magna 34 Business Park, Templeborough.

The business, which has its HQ in Lincolnshire, first opened a Sheffield office in January 2016 in Chapeltown, but quickly outgrew the space and within three months moved into a 260 sq ft office within the same building. The team has now relocated to a third office, which is almost triple the size of the previous one.

The new office, which can seat 30 will see the Sheffield-based Gelder Group team grow from ten to 14 over the next year.

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James Flintham, commercial manager at Gelder Group, said: "We've been steadily increasing our market share within the Yorkshire Region and made the decision to open a Sheffield office two years ago as we saw a gap in the market and wanted to be close to our clients in the area. We have grown faster than expected and are now making our third move to keep up with that growth and our ambitious plans for the future.

"This is an exciting time for Gelder Group and Yorkshire is a great place to do business. We are looking forward to working on more schemes in the area and being an active member of the business community. Our new office provides us with plenty of space to grow and it's fantastic to be recruiting in the city.

"I'd like to thank our passionate team here at Sheffield and our clients for their continued support."

Gelder Group, which has started recruiting for two quantity surveyors, has worked on a number of significant projects across the city region, including the Lidl stores in Darnall and Southey Green, and the apartment complex Mandale House in Sheffield city centre.

Following a resturcture in 2015, the holding group of the companies posted a turnover of close to £30m for 2016.

Gelder Group website

Images: Gelder

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News: Plans back in for speculative development

Plans have been resubmitted for large scale speculative development at Templeborough, after initial plans were refused by Rotherham Council.

The first phase of works at the £31m Magna 34 Business Park were completed in 2008 where Sheffield-based joint venture partners, Loxley Land and Property and Jaguar Estates, predicted it would eventually create around 600 jobs for the region.

The 19 acre park located off Junction 34 of the M1 is on the historic site of the former steelworks and before that, a Roman fort.

10,000 sq ft of office and industrial space is home to the likes of HS Atec, Grayson Fixings and Sortec Software Development. The massive 152,421 sq ft distribution unit, empty since completion in 2008 was taken by Parcelforce in 2014 and later bought by LondonMetric Property Plc in a £10.3m deal.

Now a planning application has been resubmitted to enable new commercial units to come forward on remaining plots at the site.

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Having gained planning approval in 2007, the site benefits from further consent for 40,000 sq ft of industrial use and 10,000 sq ft of office use. The latest plans, drawn up by Self Architects for Jaguar Estates, are for three terraced business units and two single units.

Totalling 38,000 sq ft, the plans have been submitted with no end user in mind. Instead, the units can be subdivided with use classes including B1 (c) - Light industrial, B2 - General industrial and B8 - Storage or distribution.

The development plots at Magna 34 are allocated within the Sheffield Enterprise Zone, which offers business rates relief worth up to £275,000 to a business over a five-year period.

2016 plans for the site were refused by the planning board in February. The decision for refusal showed that planners were unhappy with the their design and siting facing Sheffield Road, stating that it would "represent a poor form of development that fails to take the opportunities available for improving the character and quality of the area."

In 2004, Euro Dismantling Services and developer Jaguar Estates were appointed by Corus (now Tata Steel) as joint developers for the former Mayer Parry and Rolling Mills sites on Sheffield Road.

Jaguar Estates website

Images: Jaguar Estates

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News: QS Recruitment opens new office in Rotherham

Quality Service Recruitment has announced the opening of its latest branch in South Yorkshire - at the Magna 34 Business Park in Rotherham.

The new location at Templeborough illustrates the ambition it declared at the time of the Management Buy Out in 2015, to develop and grow the business, not just within the East Midlands but also across Yorkshire.

Established in 1993, QS Recruitment delivers a bespoke high quality recruitment service. The business started as a specialist supplier of HGV drivers in Nottingham and has expanded its offering to provide warehousing, manufacturing and office staff. It also has a separate Healthcare business (QS Care), which provides staffing and recruitment solutions to Care and Nursing homes. QS Recruitment has offices in Nottingham, Burton on Trent, Lincoln, Derby, Worksop and Leicester.

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Peter Gillespie, managing director of QS Recruitment, said: "We plan to double the size of the business by 2021 and the latest branch opening follows on from the successful opening of our Leicester branch in August of last year. We view Sheffield and Rotherham as an excellent market and a key strategical location from which to further grow our branch network throughout Yorkshire.

Clients in the Sheffield and Rotherham area were already being supported from the branch in Worksop and the new location is set to provide existing customers with increased levels of support, whilst providing QS with the opportunity to establish relationships within the area with businesses that require a customer focussed supplier.

Anthony Ellis, South Yorkshire branch manager at QS Recruitment (pictured, right), said: "The area has huge potential for the main core of our business in Logistics, Manufacturing and Health Care. Our research shows significant demand for our services and a large pool of qualified drivers, skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled labour to meet that demand. We are confident that the new office will flourish and both businesses and workers in the area will benefit from our presence."

QS Recruitment website

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News: Signs of speculative development at Magna 34

Plans for further commercial units in Rotherham have been submitted, signalling a return of speculative development at Templeborough.

The first phase of works at the £31m Magna 34 Business Park were completed in 2008 where Sheffield-based joint venture partners, Loxley Land and Property and Jaguar Estates, predicted it would eventually create around 600 jobs for the region.

The 19 acre park located off Junction 34 of the M1 is on the historic site of the former steelworks and before that, a Roman fort. 10,000 sq ft of office and industrial space is home to the likes of HS Atec, Grayson Fixings and Sortec Software Development. The massive 152,421 sq ft distribution unit, empty since completion in 2008 was taken by Parcelforce in 2014 and later bought by LondonMetric Property Plc in a £10.3m deal.

Now a planning application has been submitted to enable new commercial units to come forward on remaining plots at the site.

Having gained planning approval in 2007, the site benefits from further consent for 40,000 sq ft of industrial use and 10,000 sq ft of office use. However, the current proposals are to replace previously proposed uses on the northern part of the site, with around 26,000 sq ft of industrial use.

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The speculative development will be eligible for B1(c) light industrial, B2 general industrial & B8 storage or distribution and at this stage it is not known who the end users of the different units will be or indeed how many staff will be employed.

The plans, drawn up by Self Architects, show an indicative layout of two buildings which could be subdivided into four units immediately to the west of the first phase, with three buildings to the north between the first phase and RiDO's Fusion business centre, which have the potential to be split into nine units.

The development plots at Magna 34 are allocated within the Sheffield Enterprise Zone, which offers business rates relief worth up to £275,000 to a business over a five-year period.

With GVA and Knight Frank as agents, units have been available on a pre-let or pre-sale basis with consideration given to land sales.

At nearby Tinsley, Rotherham-based developer, E V Waddington Ltd, specialist in brownfield development, continues to successfully bring speculative developments to the market at the completed Vantage Park.

In 2004, Euro Dismantling Services and developer Jaguar Estates were appointed by Corus (now Tata Steel) as joint developers for the former Mayer Parry and Rolling Mills sites on Sheffield Road in Templeborough, Rotherham.

EDS undertook large scale decontamination, groundworks break out and land remediation to create development plots on the sites and following remediation, EDS established Loxley Land and Property to take the schemes forward.

EDS encountered financial problems in 2013 and the decontamination, access & insulation and nuclear trading divisions were acquired by OCS in 2014.

Jaguar Estates website
Loxley Land and Property website

Images: Loxley Land and Property

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News: Efficiency North starts new era in Rotherham

The consortium that leads on procurement for millions of pounds worth of construction services in the region has taken space in Rotherham as it evolves into a new company format.

Social housing providers joined together in 2006 to work collaboratively to generate long term sustainable efficiency savings in the construction and maintenance supply chain. Since then, Efficiency North has delivered over £100m of efficiencies for its members whilst maintaining a strong focus on its other core themes of employment and skills, economic regeneration, environment and sustainability.

The organisation has now been incorporated as a private company in public sector ownership, limited by guarantee, with no share capital. After eight years being located in Sheffield City Council, Efficiency North Limited will be moving to its own premises at Magna 34 Business Park, Templeborough.

The move is expected to enable the business to be more efficient in its operations and respond more quickly to membership demands and opportunities for service enhancement.

Lee Parkinson will continue to lead Efficiency North Limited as its chief executive officer and statutory processes are already underway to transfer existing staff into the new company. The Board of the company will continue to be chaired by Mick Werritt of St Leger Homes of Doncaster Limited with a shadow board consisting of legacy board members, however additional new board members will be recruited from the consortia's membership towards the end of the year.

Mick Werritt, director of property services at St Leger Homes, said: "Moving from a management committee model to a limited company is a significant step for the consortium and one that all of the board believe will bring about significant operating and service improvements to our membership.

"On behalf of the Board I would like to thank Sheffield City Council for their support over the years as the host for the consortium and we very much look forward to continuing the strong development curve that the management team of the consortium have achieved in recent years."

Lee Parkinson, CEO of Efficiency North Limited, added: "Making the transition from a management committee to a company has taken a significant amount of effort and has required the trust and support of the Board and the existing staff. I personally would like to thank all of them for their commitment to the consortium and its members and I very much look forward to leading the consortium into the next chapter of its history and developing our service offer for the benefit of our members and their communities further."

Representing over two thirds of social housing located within Yorkshire and the Humber with innovative and intelligent procurement frameworks, an engaging programme of best practice and knowledge sharing events and funding for community projects continues to take place.

Briefing workshops for the new multi-million pound installers framework is taking place this week. Contractors have the opportunity to tender for work on the framework by region and by lot size, depending on business resource and capability.

A variety of housing provider needs will be serviced by the framework. These include kitchen and bathroom installation, heating and ventilation, electrical installation, brickwork and masonry, renewable heating and ventilation, roofing, general building works, painting, estates improvements, external works, adaptations, solar photovoltaic installations, fire precaution works, and whole house improvement works.

The nearest event takes place at The Source at Meadowhall on August 19.

Efficiency North website

Images: YORhub / Efficiency North

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News: LondonMetric wrap up deal for Rotherham Parcelforce depot

Property investors, LondonMetric Property Plc, has snapped up the massive new Parcelforce distribution centre in Rotherham in a £10.3m deal.

The UK real estate investment trust (REIT) is listed on the London Stock Exchange and invests across the UK in retail and distribution properties as well as Greater London real estate opportunities.

Royal Mail Group's express parcels business, Parcelforce Worldwide, opened its new depot in Rotherham at the end of 2013. The UK and International parcel delivery service took over the 152,421 sq ft distribution unit at the Magna 34 development at Templeborough that had been empty since it was completed by JF Finnegan in 2008.

The new depot is part of a UK-wide £75m expansion programme which is expected to create up to around 115 jobs in Rotherham over the next three years. The Rotherham operation currently employs around 110 people but this is expected to increase to up to around 225 people over the next three years as the number of parcels the company handles increases.

The massive unit now includes a jet wash facility, new ramps and fencing and new access doors and has the capacity to hold up to 141 vehicles and handle up to thirty thousand parcels a day. It is about seven times the floor space of the previous site on Parkgate Business Park.

The property is the largest parcel distribution centre in the country outside of Parcelforce's main Coventry hub. Around 12,000 parcel movements are made per day on average, peaking at 25,000 per day in busy periods. Currently, Parcelforce only utilise 80% of the warehouse which will be fully occupied within two to three years to keep pace with the rapidly expanding home delivery market.

Parcelforce has taken a 15-year lease and paying around £650,000 per annum with fixed rental uplifts of 1.75% per annum compound in 2018 and 2023.

Sheffield agents, Commercial Property Partners (CPP), had been advertising the investment opportunity with a guide price of in excess of £9.8m and LondonMetic said that the £10.3m deal represents a net initial yield of 6.0%.

JF Finnegan was represented by Commercial Property Partners as agent and DLA Piper as lawyer, with CBRE acting as agent for LondonMetric.

Andrew Jones, chief executive of LondonMetric, said: "[We are] extremely pleased to have secured our second Royal Mail distribution centre. This will further strengthen our relationship with them as well as delivering a long, strong and growing income."

Roger Haworth, partner at Commercial Property Partners, added: "This deal is a great result in the current market where there is strong demand for prime, long-let distribution assets with fixed uplifts, let to good covenants. The high profile nature of Royal Mail, which was listed on the London Stock Exchange in October 2013, coupled with the quality of build, proved key in attracting investor interest."

The Templeborough property fits into the portfolio of the trust in that they operate an occupier-led approach with an asset focus on properties with enduring occupier appeal providing opportunities to improve both rental values and the security and longevity of income; and limited risk redevelopments with the aim of enhancing shareholder returns.

Created in a merger between London & Stamford Property plc and Metric Property Investments plc, the trust reported a profit of £125.3m for the year ending March 31 2014.

Andrew Jones, added: "The last six months has seen a dramatic change in the UK property market particularly for assets outside the south-east. We have seen liquidity return to the vast majority of the UK market for the first time since 2007 and strong secondary assets outperforming prime real estate, a trend we expect to continue.

"As yields on prime real estate head towards record lows there is an increasing acceptance that yield compression is a button that can't be pushed forever. Conversely strong secondary assets continue to offer higher sustainable income returns and with an improving economic outlook and little new development, will also begin to deliver real income growth.

"Our focus on out-of-town retail and distribution has not only simplified the business but created a portfolio of good quality real estate with strong occupier appeal and desirable income characteristics, as well as laying the foundations for income growth."

LondonMetric website

Images: CPP

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News: OCS acquires business and assets of EDS

OCS, the UK-based total facilities management provider with global revenues of £840m, has acquired certain business and assets of Euro Dismantling Services, EDS Plant Solutions and EDS Group Holdings from Joint Administrators at BDO.

The acquired business units are subsidiaries of Silverdell plc and comprise the Decontamination, Access & Insulation and Nuclear trading divisions operated by EDS. It is unclear what will happen to the construction and property development divisions which have played a significant part in the regeneration of the site of the former Templeborough Rolling Mills in Rotherham.

Silverdell encountered financial problems when a subsidiary went into administration in summer 2013. Shares were suspended from AIM in July and cancelled on 2 January 2014. When the shares were suspended in July, Silverdell Plc was valued at over £40m.

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In December, turnaround investor Rcapital acquired the company's £16m debt and OCS said that it was made aware of the opportunity on 23 December and worked over Christmas to undertake due diligence and close the deal. Financial terms were not disclosed.

In 2004, Euro Dismantling Services and developer Jaguar Estates were appointed by Corus (now Tata Steel) as joint developers for the former Mayer Parry and Rolling Mills sites on Sheffield Road in Templeborough, Rotherham.

EDS undertook large scale decontamination, groundworks break out and land remediation to create development plots on the sites. It resulted in the successful Magna 34 development that is now home to Royal Mail, HS Atec and Grayson Fixings.

Following remediation, EDS established Loxley Land and Property to take the schemes forward.

Silverdell acquired Sheffield-based EDS in 2012 for £18m. Its founder, Andrew McGee has since established the WRD Group which took over the waste processing site at Templeborough last year after previous operators, Sterecycle went in administration.

Silverdell website

Images: EDS Group

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News: Parcelforce’s planned expansion could deliver 170 jobs to Rotherham

Rotherham looks set to benefit from a £75m, four year investment programme by the Royal Mail Group for its UK express parcels business, Parcelforce.

Although a deal is yet to be announced, the UK and International parcel delivery service is planning to take over the massive distribution unit at the Magna 34 development at Templeborough that has been empty since it was completed by JF Finnegan in 2008.

A planning application has been approved for a number of alterations to the 152,421 sq ft unit including a jet wash facility, new ramps and fencing and new access doors.

The application states that: "As part of an expansion programme, Royal Mail Group proposes to develop a new Parcelforce local depot at Magna 34.

"The local depot will handle, sort and distribute parcels in the local area. To meet with growing market demands and planned expansion, the new local depot needs to be delivered and operational by September 2013.

"The use is anticipated to create 170 new jobs."

Parcelforce currently operates a distribution unit at Parkgate and the investment programme involves nine existing depots either expanding or moving to larger sites over the next four years. 

Moya Greene, chief executive at the Royal Mail Group, said: "Our £75m investment is part of Royal Mail Group's strategy to grow its parcels businesses in the UK and overseas.

"Our strategy is to convert the rise in parcel volumes in to profitable growth. That means becoming a much more customer-focused company being run on commercial lines and investing in new, vital technology.

"The investment will enable Royal Mail Group's express parcels business to meet the rapid growth in demand in the business-to-business, business-to-consumer and consumer-to-consumer markets."

Developed by Jaguar Estates and Loxley Land and Property, the unit has been marketed by Knight Frank, whose recent research showed that take-up of industrial units in excess of 50,000 sq ft in South Yorkshire is at its highest for two years.

Just last month, Rebecca Schofield, partner with the Sheffield office of Knight Frank, said: "While the manufacturing sector remains an important driver of demand in the region, a notable development has been the rise in requirements from parcel distributors. These have become particularly active on the back of increased internet sales, with a number of the main operators being in the market for new facilities in South Yorkshire."

Parcelforce website
Knight Frank website

Images: Jaguar Estates

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News: Jaguar Estates sell final speculative unit

Jaguar Estates has confirmed the sale of the last remaining speculative industrial unit at Magna 34 Business Park in Rotherham to HS Atec, a supplier to bus, truck and trailer repairers.

The company is relocating its Sheffield base by purchasing the 6,100 sq ft unit through their pension scheme. HS Atec join existing occupiers Graysons Fixings, UK Mail and Carillion Home Services at the Templeborough development.

Patrick Herbert of Jaguar Estates said: "We are really pleased to have sold the last unit especially to a business that is growing despite the recession. We are now looking forward to attracting companies who require bespoke facilities building to complete the site."

Neil Fattorini, managing director of HS Atec: "HS Atec was looking to relocate their expanding Sheffield branch into a new modern unit giving fast access to its primary customer base in the Rotherham, Sheffield and Dearne Valley area and this landmark location and quality build fits the bill perfectly."

The company carries over 10,000 part numbers at five branches and has in excess of 50 vehicles delivering parts and consumables to customers from a current stock exceeding £1m in value.

Rob Oliver of GVA, brokered the deal.

Magna 34 is a 19 acre business park offering a mix of high quality office accommodation, industrial units and a 151,716 sq ft distribution facility.

Development plots, which could benefit from business rate relief as part of the Sheffield city region enterprise zone, are available for new units up to around 25,000 sq ft on a design and build basis. Marketing agents are GVA and Knight Frank.

HS Atec website

Magna 34 website

Images: Jaguar Estates

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News: UK Mail relocate in Rotherham

The UK's largest independent parcels, mail and logistics services company, UK Mail Group PLC, has relocated across Rotherham to the Magna 34 Business Park in Templeborough.

UK Mail has relocated their South Yorkshire operation from Hellaby and has signed a ten year lease for a brand new 27,232sq ft industrial unit at the development by Jaguar Estates and Loxley Land and Property.

GVA and Knight Frank represented the developers and UK Mail Group PLC was unrepresented. Terms of the deal were undisclosed.

With a national network of more than 50 sites and 3,500 vehicles, UK Mail Group handles around three billion items from over 2,000 customers every year, constituting 17 per cent of all addressed mail within the UK and making it the busiest alternative to Royal Mail.

Paul Hutchinson, Property Manager for UK Mail Group PLC, said: "We now have around 80 employees in our South Yorkshire operation and had outgrown our existing facility.

"Due to the nature of our business, we need quick and direct connectivity to the motorways and the ability to access multiple routes should one be affected by traffic. Magna 34 provides this in addition to offering the flexibility to tailor and fit-out the unit to our exact specifications.

"We look forward to continuing to provide an excellent service to our broad customer base which extends across Sheffield and Doncaster."

Rebecca Schofield, Associate at Knight Frank's Sheffield office added: "UK Mail Group PLC conducted an extensive search for a new facility and due to their delivery requirements, accessibility to all motorway networks was a primary factor. Magna 34 stood out in terms of both location and quality of the facility itself as the natural choice."

UK Mail Group's unit is the largest of eight industrial units which were completed as part of Phase 1 of the scheme, of which just one unit of 6,200sq ft now remains available for occupancy. A total of 10,000sq ft of BREEAM "Good" rated office space was also developed over two buildings, the first of which is fully occupied whilst the second has secured lettings to three national organisations since fit-out was completed last year. A limited number of serviced office suites which can accommodate between 2 and 15 people are available.

Additionally in Phase 1, the development partners teamed up with JF Finnegan to deliver a 151,716sq ft distribution unit for which interest is being invited.

Patrick Herbert of Jaguar Estates said: "With just one small and one large industrial unit left and limited office availability, Phase 1 has been an incredible success and we will now be looking ahead to Phase 2."

Plans for Phase 2 of Magna 34 include design and build opportunities for office accommodation from 2,000sq ft to 20,000sq ft and industrial units from 2,500sq ft up to 40,000sq ft.

UK Mail website
Magna 34 website

Images: Jaguar Estates

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News: New Rotherham premises for u-explore

Rotherham education specialists U-Explore has moved to larger offices in Rotherham as part of the company's continuing expansion.


The firm has moved across town from Parkgate to the Magna 34 development in Templeborough to accommodate a workforce that has grown by 50% over the last year.

Developed through Investors in Education, part of The Music Factory Entertainment Group, the software business was established as a separate firm last year thanks to the backing of a new investor.

The firm created u-xplore interactive, an innovative software solution which engages with young people through cutting edge media. The software aims to change the perceptions of business amongst students and the technology includes profiles of local businesses and inspiring stories which are used as case studies for different sectors.

Andy Pickles, CEO of U-Explore, said: "The move to our new premises signals an exciting new era for U-Explore. At a time when so many businesses are undergoing periods of difficulty and uncertainty, I am delighted to say that U-Explore is continuing to grow and achieve success.

"Our product U-Explore Interactive is now becoming a must have educational resource for secondary schools across the UK and it is this increase in demand, that has driven us to recruit more staff and which has ultimately resulted in the need for us to move to larger premises.

"Our new offices at Magna 34, offer us more scope for expanding the team and with them being open plan, will provide us with a more creative and productive environment in which to work in. We are delighted with our new home and look forward to happy and successful times ahead."

U-Explore website
Rotherham

Images: u-explore.com

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News: More tenants secured for Magna 34 in Rotherham

Loxley Land and Property and Jaguar Estates' £31M Magna 34 Business Park at Templeborough in Rotherham has secured four new tenants to its BREEAM "good" rated office accommodation. The four companies, two relocations and two start-up organisations, are occupying 40% of the A06 Office Building which was launched towards the end of last year as part of Phase 1 of the 19 acre park. Grayson (GB) Ltd purchased 3 of the industrial units totalling 7,500sq ft just weeks after their completion and the latest tenant to move in is B2B telecommunications provider Duocall Communications. Since their establishment in 2007, Duocall Communications has doubled its number of employees and has grown its turnover from some £200,000 in year one to circa half a million. They have relocated from Eastwood Trading Estate in Rotherham as part of their expansion strategy. Director of Duocall Communications, Phil Coley, said; "The business has gone from strength to strength in the last two years and we wanted new office space from which to service our nationwide client base. Magna 34 provides an excellent working environment for our existing team and will undoubtedly assist us when recruiting new staff." Eldon Stevens, Property Manager for Loxley Land and Property added: "The service office option that we are offering at Magna 34 has proven to be very attractive for companies looking for flexible, hassle-free operations set-up. This combined with the sustainable, sleek office and meeting room space that we have taken great care in designing offers a unique product within the locality." Agents for the scheme, GVA Grimley and Knight Frank, are handling significant interest in the park.
Magna 34 website

Rotherham

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News: First tenant for Magna 34 in Rotherham

Magna 34 Business Park has secured its first industrial occupier just weeks after phase 1 of the Rotherham regeneration scheme was completed. Grayson (GB) Ltd has purchased 7,500sq ft of industrial accommodation over 3 units for an undisclosed sum. Grayson represented themselves and GVA Grimley, joint agents on Magna 34 with Knight Frank, secured the deal for the Magna 34. Grayson (GB) Ltd supplies fixings, fasteners and consumables to the construction industry and local authorities across the UK. This established business is relocating from leased accommodation at Centurian Business Park in Rotherham and will be fully operational at their new Magna 34 units by the first quarter of 2009. Clare Spivey, Graysons General Manager, said; "Grayson (GB) Ltd is a start-up business and in the two years it has been trading has experienced rapid growth in a challenging market. In line with our recent expansion plans, we have been looking for accommodation to purchase which can accommodate the growing product lines and staff numbers. Therefore we were not only looking for high quality, well positioned workable space but also a good investment opportunity. Magna 34 met all our criteria and we are looking forward to continued business success in our new location." Eldon Stevens, Property Manager for Loxley and Property joint venture developer on Magna 34 with Jaguar Estates, continues; "We have always been sure of the success of Magna 34 as an office and industrial location and this early deal confirms that our initial confidence was justified. The property industry is experiencing challenging times but deals such as this prove that if you have high quality stock in the right location at the right price, there will always be a requirement."
Grayson website

Magna34 website
Rotherham

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News: Phase 1 complete at Magna 34 Business Park

The first phase of works is now complete at the £31m Magna 34 Business Park in Rotherham and it is expected to create around 600 jobs for the region. Joint venture partners Loxley Land and Property and Jaguar Estates have unveiled the first phase of office and industrial accommodation, all of which is ready for immediate occupation, at the 19 acre park located off Junction 34 of the M1 at Templeborough. Phase 1 encompasses 10,000sq ft of Grade A, BREAM ‘Good’ rated contemporary office accommodation and a 151,716sq ft distribution unit for which the Magna 34 development partners have teamed up with JF Finnegans to deliver. Phase 2 of the development will incorporate further office and industrial units, in addition to design and build opportunities, ranging from 806sq ft up to around 40,000sq ft. Property Manager for Loxley Land and Property, Eldon Stevens, said: "We are incredibly proud to unveil this first phase of office and industrial space. Our development agenda was to capitalise on the site’s strategic location and create a business park that could accommodate a range of office and industrial occupiers." Patrick Herbert of Jaguar Estates added: "Magna 34 has transformed the approach to Rotherham from the M1 and our commitment to developing high quality accommodation can be seen with this first phase. The office offering is sleek and contemporary and the serviced option delivers the flexibility potential occupiers are increasingly seeking."

Magna 34 website
Rotherham

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News: Elevate create the right impression at Magna 34

The office space at the recently completed £31m Magna 34 development at Templeborough in Rotherham has been brought to life thanks to Sheffield total office solutions provider, Elevate Office. With just under three weeks until Magna 34’s launch date, developers, Jaguar Estates, contracted the services of Elevate Office Environments to create flexible, functional, and visually impressive workspaces. Patrick Herbert, Director of Jaguar Estates explains: "We wanted to work closely with a local company that could offer flexible office solutions within a tight timeframe. First impressions are imperative in business; that’s why it was important to create visually impressive workspaces that enable businesses of all sizes to access quality office space at an affordable cost." Through working closely with Jaguar Estates, Elevate designed, selected and installed innovative and flexible partitioning and furniture solutions; all within budget and a tight three week deadline. Patrick adds: "We were extremely pleased by how quickly Elevate fulfilled our requirements. The offices are aesthetically striking and as a result we have received a high level of positive feedback from potential tenants. We wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them to other companies looking for an office solutions provider." The Magna 34 development by Jaguar Estates and EDS has created 299,390 square feet of industrial and office space on a key gateway into Rotherham from the M1.

Elevate Office website

Magna 34 website
Rotherham

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