Jaynic’s 5.4-acre site at Stour Business Park on the A143 in Little Wratting has been launched onto the market for open storage.

The site, two miles north-east of Haverhill, is on part of the former Karro Foods complex and recently won planning consent for open storage. It is immediately available to let either as a whole or in two parts.

The site is in two level regular shape platforms, mainly laid to concrete, with partial type 1 surfacing, and with a tarmac car park. The whole site is securely fenced and gated and has access to mains services.

The landlord would also consider upgrading the specification of the site to include, for example, additional fully concreted areas, to suit an occupiers’ requirements.

Phil Woolner of Cheffins who are joint agents with Rumsey & Partners, says: “This is a rarely available opportunity to acquire a site for open storage on the A143 between Haverhill and Bury St Edmunds in an area of short supply . Locally the new northern relief road connecting the A143 to the A1307 will open in Spring 2024, further enhancing the accessibility to the A11/M11/A14. It is strategically in the heart of East Anglia enabling rapid access to London, Felixstowe and the Midlands.”

Agents for the site are Rumsey & Partners and Cheffins.

The EpiCentre in Haverhill, that is celebrating its third anniversary this month, has become firmly established as a key flexible business hub for the region where thirty companies employing 140 people are now in occupation.

Not only does it provide office and lab space, on flexible terms without tying in companies on long-term leases, but its business support team provides great business support and advice with key handy introductions. Other facilities like the coworking desks and meeting rooms are open to all business and individuals in the area, not just occupiers

And, as if that wasn’t enough, it provides front of house reception services and a popular café on site. 

The EpiCentre opened in the Autumn of 2020 when the nation, and indeed the globe, was in the grip of the pandemic but despite the challenges it attracted occupiers from day one, some of whom have been there ever since.

Centre Manager Andrew Bell, say: “The loyalty shown by the occupiers proves that the service, flexible space formula, and business support is very appealing to companies. Some startups have grown and moved on to larger facilities, others will continue to expand in the centre, but all take advantage of the attractive facilities on offer.”

Folgate Insurance Company, uses the EpiCentre as its UK business development hub offering its insurance through brokers throughout the country. Employing four members of staff out of its second-floor offices, Paul Craig, head of the business development team, says: “The EpiCentre provides excellent value for money as a brand new building. If we were in Cambridge we would be paying a big premium for a facility like this. We like the big airy office suites and the fact that there is excellent internet connectivity which is a fundamental part of running our business.”

While for Keyla de Magalhaes, who runs her Audiology Expert clinic, from The EpiCentre, the major plus is the availability of parking and the reception facilities, that the patients visiting her regard as a big thumbs up. “Before I worked out of opticians shops in busy high streets, where it would be hard to park and it might involve steps up or staircases that could be a negative for some of our patients. Here at The EpiCentre, we have the reception facilities welcoming patients with pleasant waiting areas and a cup of coffee if they wish and with lifts to each floor there is no drawback for patients who might have mobility issues,” she adds.

A significant part of The EpiCentre is given over to laboratory space for the life sciences and biotech industries. A major beneficiary of this space is CodiKoat, that came to the centre almost on the day it opened to develop its anti-viral coating product.

Matin Mohseni, of CodiKoat, says: “The EpiCentre has been very instrumental to our growth in the sense of providing us with the facility we needed to prove our technology in the real world. There were two of us to start with in Nov 2020 with one lab bench now we have 23 colleagues and have expanded into most of the lab spaces in the centre.

“The staff and management at The EpiCentre have been super-helpful with us and tried to accommodate the needs we had. The centre’s Innovation Director provided us with vital business support. As a startup we had to focus not just on what was going on in the lab but on how to grow the business as a whole and in that respect we have had a great deal of help from The EpiCentre.

“We are not very far away from Cambridge but there is a different eco-system in the building with other companies of the same age as us creating a good collaborative environment. We have had a good many interactions on a daily basis with other startups, getting to know where they are in the growth cycle, what they have done to facilitate that growth and making introductions for each other. The EpiCentre’s Innovation Director helped us with the company vision, helping us go-to market for our products.

“We are super glad that The EpiCentre has experienced the same type of growth as we have as a company being around the same age, and hope our collaboration will carry on for years to come.”

A new 1.17 million square foot warehouse is unveiled to local dignitaries today (Tuesday, 21^st November) at Gateway 14, the new state-of-the-art business, innovation, and logistics park near junction 50 of the A14 at Stowmarket.

The building, a new distribution centre for garden and leisure retailer The Range, has been completed by Gateway 14 Ltd - a wholly owned subsidiary of Mid Suffolk District Council, with development partner Jaynic, and undertaken by contractor Winvic Construction Ltd.

Gateway 14 Chair, Sir Christopher Haworth, said: “This is a great day for Stowmarket and the surrounding region. Not only does it bring over 1,600 jobs to this prime location, but it also delivers the first building on the new highly sustainable, mixed-use Gateway 14 development, set in an attractive parkland setting. We already have further strong interest in the park and expect to be able to identify new occupiers in the near future.”

Mid Suffolk District Council leader Cllr Andrew Mellen said: “Completion of this building is a significant milestone for Gateway 14 and Mid Suffolk.  By bringing its operations to Stowmarket, The Range is creating hundreds of new jobs for the region and providing a boost for the local economy.

“It is also the first business to come to Gateway 14 – with the site taking shape as a major landmark for business and innovation in the east. I am really pleased that the building has been constructed with high environmental standards, as we want this whole development to be an exemplar of good, sustainable practice.”

Alex Simpkin, CEO at The Range, said: “We are thrilled to receive the keys to this best-in-class distribution centre, which is a key milestone in The Range’s commitment to enhancing operational efficiency, streamlining logistics and supporting the expansion of our retail store network and website in the UK.

“It’s fantastic that the project is being delivered on time enabling us to press forward and create much-needed jobs for the local area at a time when they are needed the most.

“This site will support us in our goal of delivering an ever-expanding range of high quality, value for money products for the public through our growing store portfolio and multichannel offerings.”

Danny Nelson, Winvic’s Director of Industrial, Distribution and Logistics, commented: “Gateway 14 is a significant project, not only for its size, but also its sustainability features. It has been a pleasure to work in partnership with Jaynic for the first time to construct the 1.17 million square foot industrial facility, which will soon be occupied by The Range, and we hope to build on our relationship in the future.”

Ben Oughton, Development Director of Jaynic, said: “We have worked closely with The Range to bring forward a highly sustainable building that will be the benchmark for future buildings moving forward.”  

Gateway 14 benefits from being part of Freeport East, one of only eight Freeports in the UK.  The Freeport status provides businesses on Gateway 14 with a range of benefits including a suite of tax reliefs and simplified customs arrangements, together with partnering to deliver innovation and skills support for the wider community.

Steve Beel, Chief Executive of Freeport East said: “This a landmark first development for Freeport East but the first of many.  Bringing a diverse range of new business operations into the Freeport East area will strengthen and diversify our local economy and provide a range of opportunities for local people.  With 100% of all the business rates collected at Gateway 14 being recycled into local growth priorities, it means that this major development will also drive benefit across local communities, such as supporting our new Innovation & Skills Fund and supporting local businesses to innovate and grow.”

Gateway 14 will provide high specification buildings with sustainability a central feature including EV charging, LED lighting, solar PV, smart energy systems and rainwater harvesting. The development is committed to meeting a Very Good BREEAM rating and will strive for Excellent wherever possible as well as delivering low carbon and net zero solutions. The distribution facility for The Range achieves BREEAM Excellent.

Accessibility through and around the development is a key feature with significant walking and cycling routes being integrated along with access to public transport links and local amenities.

Biodiversity on the site is also a priority, with high-quality landscaping, green corridors and nesting boxes all being introduced across the site to support not only the wildlife and ecology but also to create a vibrant, attractive, and healthy working environment for employees.

For more information, please visit www.gateway14.com and www.freeporteast.com

Last Friday evening (20^th October), The EpiCentre played host to a public meeting for the Wivelsfield village and Haverhill community to air their opposition to the proposed anaerobic digestion plant north of Spring Grove Farm, Withersfield, Haverhill.

Over 100 residents and members of the business community were addressed by the head of 'Muck Off Acorn' opposition group Indy Wijenayaka, who is also the ward councillor for Withersfield and portfolio holder for Growth at West Suffolk Council.

Andrew Bell, centre manager of The EpiCentre, said: “we are seriously concerned that the risk of significant smells from the plant across the immediate location could drive business away from the centre. This makes no sense whatsoever; since we opened in 2020, we have established the centre as a major employment hub creating jobs for over 140 people in some 30 companies, whereas the digestion plant would employ just five people.”

“The EpiCentre has become established, not only in the business community with its direct business support and key networking opportunities, but also in the local community – hosting meetings, this one included, and with wider charitable events and support.”

Indy Wijenayaka, said: “The application put forward by Acorn and the Thurlow Estate has extremely detrimental impacts on the residents, and businesses alike, and particularly for the EpiCentre. If this application is approved the impact on growth to the area will be unacceptable. The EpiCentre plays a vital role in attracting innovative, hi-tech and high value businesses to this area, these are the types of businesses that are vital to West Suffolk’s growth strategy, and we must ensure this is continued, therefore we must oppose the plans put forward by Acorn and the Thurlow Estate. I hope that Suffolk County Council can see the imperative in refusing this application.  “

The meeting raised a host of objections to the plant including:

• Hundreds of lorry movements, many through Withersfield Village every week
• Increased air pollution and traffic on the A1307
• Industrial sized unit built on a flood plain with potentially dangerous contaminated run off.
• Delivery of lorry loads of chicken manure and other waste to the edge of town.
• Risk of significant smell across the entire town
• Possible limitation of Haverhill’s future development plans

Jaynic, the owner of The EpiCentre building had already commissioned its own expert’s report on the negative impact the plant would have. Michael Bull & Associates, consultants in air quality and odour assessment, concluded: “The EpiCentre is a high-quality facility consisting of offices, laboratories, and meeting rooms with business support. A key requirement for these activities is to provide a high level of amenity to clients and it would be extremely detrimental to their business should unpleasant odours be present at any time.”

BraveleyCultured, a bio-tech company that is looking to use marine micro-organisms mainly in the foodtech sector, is the latest to take laboratory desk space at The EpiCentre in Haverhill.

The company founded at the end of 2022 goes on bio-prospecting trips all around the UK to collect seaweed and other types of sediment to analyse them back at The EpiCentre to identify how they can be applied within the bio-manufacturing industry.

Chief Operating Officer Federica Pesce says: “At BravelyCultured we are harnessing the untapped potential of the earth's ocean to develop innovative solutions for the bioeconomy. Currently, only 0.001% of marine microorganisms are known to science. The BravelyCultured team aims to expand the biomanufacturing toolkit by collating the vast biodiversity of the earth’s ocean into a platform to improve existing, and develop new novel solutions, for the bio-manufacturing industry, starting with food.

“Traditional methods to produce food ingredients by fermentation are expensive and increasingly unsustainable. By using new ocean micro-organisms that can grow on waste streams and renewable feedstock, we are contributing to a future of food production which is cheaper and more sustainable. BravelyCultured is in conversation with a number of potential customers including an Indian company that is producing animal-free Omega 3s and has expressed strong interest in screening BravelyCultured’s microbial library and     co-developing a nutritious alternative fish fillet.

Andrew Bell, Centre Manager at The EpiCentre, says: “We are delighted that BravelyCultured has decided to make its home at The EpiCentre. We now have a very broad range of biotech and life science companies occupying our laboratory space. Our offer that appeals to young start-up companies is more price competitive than the equivalent space in Cambridge, yet still within the Cambridge orbit, and provides flexible occupational terms with business support provided by Oxford Innovation Space, the management company running The EpiCentre.”

Pesce, says: “After receiving funding from the Carbon13 venture builder programme we were looking for laboratory space around Cambridge but having found out about the EpiCentre, we thought it was a great opportunity to be at a place where we could get good value for money, where start-ups are really supported, and is a great place to start our research. What was important was not only the lab space but the co-working space where the team can meet together and not all the spaces in Cambridge have this combination of lab and co-working space,” adds Pesce.

The founding trio comprises a young, diverse and female-led organisation. Natalija Stepurko, BravelyCultured's CEO, combines her PhD in Biochemistry from Cambridge University with her entrepreneurial skills acquired from courses at the Judge Business School. The CSO, James Dunce, has a PhD in Biochemistry and post-doctorate from Cambridge University, and has eight years of protein engineering expertise. While COO Federica Pesce, has over 10 years’ experience in sustainable development having worked for the European Commission and the United Nations Environment Programme on climate action, biodiversity conservation and sustainable food systems.  They have recently taken on a microbiology scientist Priyanka Pothen, who is leading the research funded through an Innovate UK Transformative Technologies grant.

BravelyCultured has just applied for a Innovate UK grant. It is also fund-raising for pre-seed funding and is looking to fundraise £500k, so it can scale up more quickly. It recently won the BAITE Innovation Award Contest at the innovation festival NanoValbruna and is also shortlisted as a Sustainability Award Finalist for the Barclays Entrepreneur Awards 2023.

Image Left to Right:James Dunce, Natalija Stepurko, Federica Pesce

The Space Age is coming to The EpiCentre in Haverhill on Wednesday 20^th September 2023, and while the words “Houston, We have Lift Off” might send tingles down the spine, applications of the space industry have a much greater relevance to our everyday lives and businesses than we might realise.

There are a vast array of applications involving satellite technology across many industries and the wider supply chain including agri-technologies, the energy sector, the marine sector, communications and IT, ports logistics, advanced manufacturing in engineering, defence, wellbeing, education, and investment.

Haverhill and the wider business community is invited to come to this month’s Business Networking event taking place at The EpiCentre on the morning of 20^th September from 9.00-10.30am and then a separate special evening event between 17.30 and 19.30 on the same day. Stuart Catchpole, Space Cluster Manager for Space East will be addressing the audience on “What Space East Can do for Business in the Eastern Region.”

Stuart says: “You might already be working in the space sector, you might be using space technologies or data, or you might be simply interested in finding out what the space sector can do for you and your business. Whatever your motivation, Space East aims to bring together innovative people from business and academia to share knowledge, expertise, and capabilities to explore exciting opportunities and establish the Eastern Region as a leading player in the UK space sector.”

With the backing of the UK Space Agency and Satellite Applications Catapult, Space East’s strong cluster delivers support for business and facilitates collaboration, growth, and development through its cluster community, promoting the region and space-related activity, benefitting regional business and the economy as a whole.

The EpiCentre’s, Innovation Director, Gary Jennings, says: “This is what our networking events are all about, supporting our occupiers at The EpiCentre and companies in the wider region to help them grow their business.   Stuart is with us to share the progress of Space East to date and how the benefits help not just the region but directly with local businesses.”

Space East is co-funded by the UK Space Agency and New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership, It is one of 17 space clusters around the UK and the newest to receive UK Space Agency funding which is there to bolster the UK government’s space strategy released in 2021. The strategy aims to grow the UK space sector, which is now worth around £17.5bn to the economy.

For tickets visit https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/haverhill-business-networking-tickets-664548722117 or

https://www.epicentrehaverhill.co.uk/events/haverhill-business-networking-at-the-epicentre-2/

Its onwards and upwards for MultiplAI, a fast-expanding techbio company developing RNA-based, AI-driven, universal genomic screening for cardiovascular and other complex diseases, that has benefited from the flexible terms and business support offered by The EpiCentre in Haverhill.'

MultiplAI, one of the early occupiers at The EpiCentre which opened in November 2020 is now growing rapidly and, as a result, is relocating to the Cambridge Science Park.

Charlie Luzzani, co-founder and CSO of the company, said: “We are grateful to Centre Manager Andrew Bell and his whole team who have helped us immensely in our growth over the last two years. The space was just what we wanted at the time, with the added attraction of the flexible occupational terms it offers,” adds Luzzani. “It’s just what a start-up company needs and avoids having to sign up to multi-year lease terms.”

Luzzani, cites the benefit of the all-inclusive service provided by The EpiCentre. “As a laboratory user we were able to share the equipment provided by the centre, and through the centre’s business support service we have been able to access a business growth support grant from Suffolk Council.”

The monthly rental paid by the occupier covers overheads such as taxes, electricity bills, waste management, telecoms and wifi provision, allowing companies to concentrate on developing their business rather than dealing with occupational red tape. 

Andrew Bell, says: “Charlie Luzzani and his team have been ideal clients and as they move on we feel very pleased that we have been able to help them in their expansion. That is what The EpiCentre is all about, giving companies the flexibility to grow without the administrative burden that comes with occupying space on conventional lease terms.”

Jaynic has won a planning appeal for open storage use on the former Karro abattoir site at Little Wratting on the A143 between Haverhill and Bury St Edmunds.

The appeal was against a refusal by West Suffolk Council for change of use from B2 General Industrial use to B8 Open Storage use on 2.1hectares (5.4 acres approx.)

The main issues in the appeal concerned the effects of the proposed use on the character and appearance of the area and biodiversity, with particular regard to protected and priority species.

The appeal was allowed subject to several planning conditions requiring the submission of a biodiversity enhancement strategy, lighting design strategy, soft landscaping strategy, landscape management plan and surface water drainage strategy.

Jaynic will shortly be submitting these reports and details to the Council in order to clear these conditions, which will then allow the open storage use to be implemented.

Paul Sutton, planning director at Jaynic, said: “We are pleased to have won the appeal and are discussing with several parties about taking a lease on the open storage space.

“Over the longer term Jaynic will be exploring options for the development of the site for employment purposes in line with the existing Local Plan allocation. We are also discussing with the council the possibility of extending the allocation to the south to create a larger employment site, but this would be done through the emerging West Suffolk Local Plan,” added Sutton.

Agents for the scheme are Rumsey & Partners and Cheffins.

A company that helps young international football players to develop and be scouted with the potential to turn professional has taken a 5-person office at The EpiCentre, Haverhill.

The company, UK Football Group runs UK Football Trials and UK Football Schools.

Its trials company runs one day football trials and five day training and trial camps throughout the UK that brings together 10-20 scouts from non-league to Premier League clubs, in one place looking for budding professionals.

Whilst UK Football Schools helps parents from across the globe with talented footballing offspring to find the UK's finest football specialist schools, that also have excellent academic results for players to fall back on.

James Price, a founding director of the company, says: “Talented footballers often get frustrated at the lack of opportunities available to them in football. To get a club opportunity, players are often relying on a scout watching their game, looking for a player of their age, position and playing style and they must hope they perform well while being watched. UK Football Trials overcome this issue by running sessions with multiple scouts from different divisions together all in one place. The trials use expert UEFA A / Pro licensed coaches, and consist of training sessions followed by age appropriate matches,” adds Price.

An incredible 1 in 6 players on average had scout details requested last year with hundreds of documented success stories recorded. The most notable of these is Daniel Jebbison from Sheffield United who came through their system and became the youngest player to score on his first start in Premier league history in a match against Everton in 2021.

For the Football Schools part of the business Price says: We used to be approached by parents from across the world looking for the very best UK private schools for football and education - with so many options available it is bewildering and confusing trying to make the right choice. UK Football Schools has visited and vetted a huge number of schools and recommends the most suitable football specialist schools for each student.”

Price says they are considering extending their schools business where they don’t just recruit footballers for schools but recruit for schools in general. “We will probably look to do sports specific recruitment finding suitable schools for cricketers, rugby players, golfers even tennis players. There is incredible expertise within the private school system and a lot of them will be specialists in certain areas with amazing coaches.”

Andrew Bell, Centre Manager at The EpiCentre, says: “We welcome James and his team to the centre. The huge variety of occupiers we have here, of which UK Football Group is a great example, fits exactly our ethos of creating an environment where entrepreneurial growing companies can take space on flexible terms and benefit from the superb facilities we provide together with the business support that is available to all.”

Property developer Jaynic is proposing significant highway improvements at an accident blackspot on the A11 between Red Lodge and Fiveways roundabout that goes much further than those currently being suggested by National Highways.

ThIs forms part of Jaynic’s emerging proposals for a new 130-Acre Business Park off the A11 at Barton Mills.

Nic Rumsey Managing Director of Jaynic stated: “We are promoting this strategic employment site with the aim of persuading West Suffolk to allocate it in the forthcoming proposed local plan. As possibly the only site capable of fulfilling West Suffolk’s employment commitments to the A11 corridor, it will also facilitate much needed economic development in the area, bringing a significant number of jobs alongside the planned growth in housing.”

Jaynic is proposing to stop up junctions and central reservation gaps to prevent all turning movements onto, off and across the A11 in this location to improve safety and provide a new grade-separated junction south of Barton Mills. This would not interfere with the A11 traffic flow and would allow uninterrupted north/south flow of traffic between Barton Mills, Worlington and Tuddenham. Pedestrians and cyclists would also have an alternative safe route to cross the A11 and there would be no need for vehicles to carry out u-turns via the Fiveways Roundabout and Red Lodge junctions.

This comprehensive solution contrasts with the National Highways proposals which is only proposing to stop up the central reserve gaps to prevent right turn movements, but would still allow traffic to access and egress the A11 from the existing junctions. Pedestrians and cyclists would still have to cross the busy A11 using the existing footpath. 

Jaynic’s proposals come ahead of a public consultation exhibition that National Highways is holding at the Jubilee Centre, Mildenhall, at 7pm next Tuesday 18^th July 2023, on its safety improvement works.

Nic Rumsey, added: “Our proposals include the works proposed by National Highways, but they go much further in ensuring greater highway, pedestrian, and cyclist safety, whilst allowing full North/South vehicle movements across the A11 with no interference to the existing A11 traffic flow.”

“It must make sense for National Highways, West Suffolk Council, and Suffolk County Council to embrace this opportunity ahead of further local plan consultations and work with Jaynic to deliver the maximum benefits to the Community arising from this opportunity.”

Jaynic and Gateway 14 Ltd has won the ‘Deal of The Year Award’ at The UK Property Forum’s Eastern Echo Awards.

The award is for the pre-sale of a new 1.17m sq ft warehouse to garden and leisure products retailer The Range at the Gateway 14 new mixed-use development adjacent to Junction 50 of the A14 at Stowmarket, Suffolk.

The awards evening was held at the New Dining Hall, Homerton College, Cambridge with eleven gongs up for grabs. The Deal of The Year Award was sponsored by DevComms. The evening also raised just under £3,000 for the chosen charity LandAid.

Gateway 14 Ltd managing director Emily Atack said: “It’s fantastic to receive recognition for this deal and its significance to the region – with this highly sustainable development set to bring 1,650 new jobs to Suffolk.”

Development Director, Ben Oughton, said: “It is an honour to win the deal of the year award for what is the largest warehouse being developed in the region for many years. The whole team is working extremely hard to complete the building in the Autumn for The Range.”

Gateway 14 Ltd (wholly owned by Mid Suffolk District Council) and development partner, Jaynic, is providing a new base for manufacturing, logistics and R&D businesses with a particular focus on innovation and sustainability at Gateway 14 as well as providing innovation space for smaller and start-up businesses that will boost the local economy and attract investment into the region.

In addition, Gateway 14 benefits from being part of Freeport East, one of only eight Freeports in the UK.

The Freeport status will provide many businesses on Gateway 14 with a range of benefits including a suite of tax reliefs and simplified customs arrangements, together with partnering to deliver innovation and skills support for the wider community.

Gateway 14 will provide high specification buildings with sustainability a central feature including EV charging, LED lighting, solar PV, smart energy systems and rainwater harvesting. The development is committed to meeting BREEAM rating of Very Good standard and strive for Excellent wherever possible as well as delivering low carbon and net zero solutions where possible. The distribution facility for The Range will be designed to achieve BREEAM excellent.

Accessibility through and around the development is a key feature with significant walking and cycling routes being integrated along with access to public transport links and local amenities.

Biodiversity on the site is also a priority, with high-quality landscaping, green corridors and nesting boxes all being introduced across the site to support not only the wildlife and ecology but also to create a vibrant, attractive, and healthy working environment for employees.

For more information, please visit www.gateway14.com and www.freeporteast.com

Image – Left to Right: Paul Vicary of DevComms (the award sponsor), Sir Christopher Haworth Bt, Chairman Gateway 14, Emily Atack, Managing Director Gateway 14,  Greg Searle MBE.

Photographer credit: Aurelien Langlais

The EpiCentre in Haverhill has launched the Haverhill Business Network as part of its networking programme to reach out to both the business and local community.

The Haverhill Business Network meets on the third Thursday of every month, from 9-10.30am enabling small and large businesses in the area to network with each other and to share each other’s experiences for their mutual benefit.

As part of the event a guest speaker gives a short address that could cover any aspect of developing a business whether it is growing the customer base, ensuring profitability, dealing with employment legislation, or staff training – the list of topics is almost endless.

At the inaugural May event 27 businesses came along to hear David Jackson from the New Anglia LEP kick the meeting off with advice on growing businesses. 

Andrew Bell, Centre Manager at the centre says: “It doesn’t matter whether the participants are already occupiers of The EpiCentre or are based in Haverhill or the surrounding region, the idea is that we all learn from each other’s experiences.

“Invariably, small businesses do not have the financial resources to invest in specialist management consultancy advice and, in any event, may benefit just as much from hearing how other businesses have met these challenges,” adds Bell. The next Haverhill Business Networking event is on the 19 July.

It’s not just about networking, but community support as well, so The EpiCentre is starting a series of sessions called Wellbeing Wednesdays where both occupiers at the centre and the wider community are welcome to attend. The first series of seven 90-minute sessions is designed to help women who struggle with menopausal symptoms and is being given by Kelly Mepham, a women’s sports coach and PT, specialising in hormones and women’s health.

To book either the networking or any other events attendees should register online at:  Upcoming Events – The Epicentre (epicentrehaverhill.co.uk)

And, exclusively for occupiers at The EpiCentre, there is a monthly “Meet The Neighbour” event to help build an internal community. Gary Jennings, Innovation Director says: “we wanted people within The EpiCentre to have their own space to collaborate. Each month we hold the meeting on a different floors shared kitchen space with coffee and pastries and we ask one or two of the businesses to speak for five minutes about what they do,” says Jennings.

Finally, the centre is running a monthly mentoring and coaching workshop for EpiCentre occupiers called the “Firestarters Forum”. It is held adopting Chatham House rules where businesses sit down to describe what they are working on, the key issues and how they can develop and support each other with Jennings providing the business support.

“it’s all about the business support, making connections, the networking, helping our businesses develop and grow, doing more from a community point of view,” adds Jennings, “and it is all part of our marketing to undertake internal and external activities so that, through word of mouth, people know we are here and what we can offer.”

SKC Games Studio, a pioneering Suffolk-based games company based at The Epicentre, Haverhill, is excited to announce the launch of its Early Access campaign for Project UN: Taradene Exclusively on Indiegogo. The campaign aims to raise a core following during the development of the highly anticipated science fiction open-world RPG shooter/stealth/hacking/investigative series, Project UN®.

Project UN: Taradene is the first title in the series and is set to release in episodes to Early Access backers this summer, with the complete story set to be released to PC and Console audiences in the fall of 2025. Early Access users will receive monthly updates from August 2023 and will have the opportunity to contribute to the development process through feedback and exclusively engagement via a members area on the Project UN website and social media channels.

The game places a heavy emphasis on storytelling and character development, allowing players to influence the course of the narrative through their interactions and key decisions. The game allows players to play as both Hamish, a stealth and hacking specialist, and Teri, a shoot-first-ask-questions-later combat specialist. The game is set across three distinct playing environments - Earth, Taradene (an Alien world), and The Bridge (a Space Station between Earth and Taradene) - and features lush environments and richly developed characters.

"We are excited to launch our Early Access Campaign for Project UN: Taradene and bring our unique and immersive gaming experience to players. Our team has worked tirelessly to develop a game that places a heavy emphasis on storytelling and character development, and we are committed to delivering a unique and engaging experience to players. We invite players to join us on this journey and contribute to the development of Project UN: Taradene through their feedback and support, especially the new SKC AI NPC engine which makes it more immersive. SKC, Shared Knowledge Community is our vision to listen, fully engage and empower our community to make a real difference as the Project UN Universe expands" said Asa Burrows, CoFounder of SKC Games Studio.

SKC Games Studio is committed to delivering a unique and immersive gaming experience to players and has developed the SKC AI NPC engine to enhance player/NPC interaction. The engine is agnostic to large language model providers, meaning that players everywhere can experience natural idle chit chat with their NPC characters including in regions where certain AI maybe restricted. The Bridge will develop into our vision for a Metaverse. The Bridge, allows players to socialise with friends and experience a safe space outside of the game but within the game genre and context living as their future selves. This has a subtle crossover with the game as your apartment on The Bridge and assets are available to you in the game.

The Early Access Campaign offers exceptional perks to backers, including personalised clothing and the opportunity to design one of the leading characters in the game. Join the campaign and be part of bringing Project UN: Taradene to life.

SKC Games Studio is a small, privately founded and funded studio committed to creating a positive and lasting impact in the region while creating a series of story-telling titles. The studio has an experienced Award-Winning team to develop Project UN and the team’s outstanding track record and wealth of expertise in the gaming industry will result in games that will captivate players and keep them on the edge of their seats!

Subscribe to the Project UN website to keep up to with news and updates on the Early Access Campaign.

Goto Indiegogo to view the campaign https://igg.me/at/projectun/x/33489163#

Gateway 14 – the new state-of- the-art business, innovation and logistics park in Stowmarket – continues to take shape, with plans now submitted for a new 164,500 sq ft manufacturing and warehouse unit.

Property developer Jaynic, in partnership with Gateway 14 Ltd – a wholly owned subsidiary of Mid Suffolk District Council – has submitted a reserved matters planning application for the latest addition to the Freeport East site, adjacent to Junction 50 of the A14. 

Gateway 14 is set to provide up to 2.36 million sq ft of development opportunities for R&D, manufacturing, and logistics businesses in Mid Suffolk and is already home to a new 1.17m sq ft distribution centre for garden and leisure retailer The Range – due for completion by the end of the year.  

Ben Oughton, Jaynic development director, said: “We’re submitting the planning application speculatively in order to maintain momentum of delivering further high-quality buildings for this prime A14 scheme.  Pending approval, it would mean we could have the next building ready for an occupier within 9-12 months on a freehold or leasehold basis for B2 (manufacturing) or B8 (distribution) uses.  The size of the unit is influenced by current demand and is well suited to this prime position at the entrance to Gateway 14”.

Plans for the new unit have been shared with neighbouring communities, district and parish councillors, and the chamber of commerce, through stakeholder briefings – with considerable emphasis on the quality of architecture and Gateway 14’s commitment to the environmental, social & governance (ESG) agenda.

Sir Christopher Haworth, Chair of Gateway 14 said: “There is a great deal of interest in Gateway 14.  By obtaining planning permission, we can capitalise on this interest and help others to see how the site is taking shape as a major landmark for business, innovation, and logistics in the east.  As with other units, this will be a high quality, sustainable development.  In addition to achieving the highest possible environmental standards, we also want to provide attractive surroundings for those taking up the job opportunities Gateway 14 will bring.”

Sustainability is a central feature of the application with a design to BREEAM excellent which includes an EPC A rating, EV charging, LED lighting, solar PV, smart energy systems and rainwater harvesting, delivering low carbon and net zero solutions where possible.

Biodiversity is also a priority, with high-quality landscaping, green corridors and nesting boxes all being introduced to support not only the wildlife and ecology but also to create a vibrant, attractive, and healthy working environment for employees.

Gateway 14 benefits from being part of Freeport East, one of only eight freeports in the UK. The freeport status will provide many businesses on Gateway 14 with a range of benefits including a suite of tax reliefs and simplified customs arrangements.

Gateway 14 Ltd and Mid Suffolk District Council also intend to bring forward a skills and innovation centre for the site, providing a dedicated space for start-ups and businesses looking at innovative ways to grow – including through upskilling of the local workforce.  Development of the centre will help to further stimulate innovation and skills development across the park and wider economic area. Further information and a planning application is due to follow later this year.

Agents for Gateway 14 are Savills and Avison Young, and further land is available for design and build units on a bespoke basis.

For more information, please visit www.gateway14.com and www.freeporteast.com

The EpiCentre at Haverhill is to run a series of 90-minute sessions to help women who struggle with menopausal symptoms.

The six session “Wellbeing Wednesdays” series will start at The EpiCentre on 7^th June, 2023 from 12.30-2pm and at the same time every third week. The sessions are open to both EpiCentre occupiers and members of the public.

The sessions are to be run by Kelly Mepham, a women’s sports coach and PT, specialising in hormones and women’s health.

Mepham, says: I’d not realised how many women were struggling on a daily basis with menopausal symptoms, and this went far beyond keeping on top of their health and fitness, but also impacting their careers and work lives.

“I was astounded to learn that approximately one in 10 women leave their workplace as a result of struggling with menopause, and up to one in four consider leaving. This is quite a scary statistic and gave me food for thought on ways my business could potentially help prevent this happening.

“Knowledge is power, therefore my aim is to give articipants at the sessions information, support and coping mechanism tools within the workplace, to allow them to overcome this tricky stage of life,” adds Mepham.

Centre Manager, Andrew Bell, says: “We are grateful to Kelly for offering these sessions and in our view ‘wellness’ support is as important a service business support to both our existing occupiers as well as the local community.”

BOOKING IS ESSENTIAL For details:

https://www.epicentrehaverhill.co.uk/events/womens-health-menopause-sessions-with-kelly-mepham/

Jaynic has appointed Chartered Town Planner Rachael Morey as Senior Planning Manager to support the company in obtaining planning permissions for its growing commercial and residential land bank in East Anglia and in other UK locations.

Previously, she was Planning Manager at Barratt David Wilson and Bloor Homes. Prior to this she was a planning consultant at Savills.

Morey will be working alongside Andrew Anderson and Paul Sutton within the Land Promotion Team and will advise on planning matters for residential and commercial sites across the operating area.

Morey, said: “Jaynic is a highly regarded land promoter in the Eastern Region. After three years focussing solely on the residential sector, I am looking forward to the challenge of working with Jaynic on its mixed commercial and residential sites to broaden my experience.”

Jaynic director, Andrew Anderson, said: “We welcome Rachael, with all the experience she has gained on both the developer and consultancy side, who arrives at a very busy period ahead of us where we currently have six sites where we are promoting through the planning system opportunities that could provide 2.9 million sq ft of commercial space and 2,500 housing units.”

Morey’s role will include appraising sites from a planning perspective, managing consultancy teams both through the local plan promotion process as well as taking project lead and managing the planning application process through to determination.

Jaynic’s land promotion agreements include:

• 270-acres at Rougham Hill on the south-eastern side of Bury St Edmunds for a residential-led mixed use scheme.
• 25-acres at Fornham Road, Bury St Edmunds, being promoted for employment uses.
• 130-acres at Barton Mills on the A11 being promoted for employment uses
• 69-acres at Barretts Lane, Needham Market being promoted for residential development.
• A 41 acre prime site west of Cambridge on the A14 Boxworth junction, to the south of Cambridge Service being promoted for B2 and B8 employment uses.

CodiKoat, the company based at The EpiCentre in Haverhill has beaten a highly competitive field to be awarded a £330,000 UK Research and Innovation grant. The grant will fund CodiKoat’s development of new antimicrobial reusable food packaging solutions.

Incredibly, to date CodiKoat have been successful in all eight grants that it has applied for from Innovate UK, with over £2.1m in grant funding received in under three years.

This latest grant success will enable CodiKoat to test and deliver new antimicrobial reusable food packaging formats, which the company are calling “CodiPac”.

CodiPac will introduce CodiKoat’s novel antimicrobial technology Cydal to the food packaging manufacturing process, a technology which is independently certified to kill 99.99% of viruses, bacteria and fungi on surfaces within seconds.

The aim of the project is to reduce the environmental impact associated with the need for high temperature washing or chemical sterilisation for typical types of reusable food packaging. CodiKoat will work with supermarkets and consumers to assess the viability of this alternative to single-use packaging.

New CodiKoat CEO Blake Gudgel said, “We are delighted to have been successful in this latest funding application to Innovate UK, who have been an essential partner to the ongoing growth and innovation at CodiKoat.

And, Andrew Bell, Centre Manager at The EpiCentre, says: “It gives us great pleasure to see CodiKoat, one of The EpiCentre’s early occupiers, being successful with its grant applications on what are significant innovations.”  

The grant forms part of an initiative to reduce the environmental impact of plastic food packaging by the UK’s national innovation agency, Innovate UK.

Propelled by the support of Innovate UK, CodiKoat have established a world-class team and made remarkable scientific breakthroughs as they push their antiviral technologies towards commercialisation.

The first funding application CodiKoat made to Innovate UK has formed the foundation for many of the later scientific developments made by the business. Born in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, CodiKoat sought to develop a unique novel process for giving frequently contacted surfaces virucidal properties, and to deliver that in a more sustainable, durable and effective way.

That technology has since been independently ISO-certified as the fastest antiviral protection of its kind in the world, killing 99.99% of virus particles within seconds of contact.

Seven successful funding applications followed for a variety of purposes, as the scope and extraordinary potential of the new technology became more apparent. Funding has been received for the development and prototyping of industry-changing products including antiviral air filters, sustainable and reusable cups for events and festivals and antimicrobial face masks.

The sustained support shown by Innovate UK in CodiKoat highlights the importance and value of UK-based funding for establishing the UK as world leaders in scientific innovation.

The EpiCentre in Haverhill is proud to be supporting initiatives to help local charities and the wider business network.

Andrew Bell, Centre Manager at The EpiCentre says: “One of The EpiCentre’s core messages is that when a business sets up at the EpiCentre it becomes part of a community and we mean that in the broadest terms. We are not just an office building, we have lots of resources here to share, supporting both the local community and the wider business network.”

The EpiCentre’s support includes local charity REACH, the Citizens Advice Bureau and Withersfield Parish Council in whose parish the centre lies:

The EpiCentre has recently set up a donation point for local charity REACH providing food and essential non-food items for local people who are struggling in the current economic climate. Henry Wilson of REACH says: “The EpiCentre has contacted us with a genuine interest in supporting our cause, and in turn is also helping the people in Haverhill who need our guidance and aid. We're also taking advantage of the generous offer of meeting space for REACH, it’s a great facility and a real treat for our hard-working team to be looked after. It is so encouraging to be approached by local community-minded businesses like The EpiCentre wanting to play their part to make a difference, and we really appreciate their continued support,” adds Wilson.

The Citizens Advice Bureau is supported by The EpiCentre with charitable donations to help finance the bureau’s initiatives. It has contributed significantly to the cost of a balloon flight for winners of a local raffle and will be selling raffle tickets through The EpiCentre. And it recently sponsored a virtual horse race night at the local golf club, as well as providing the welcome drinks, the proceeds of which raised funds for the bureau. Tony Howard of the Citizens Advice Bureau, says: “We welcome the Epicentre’s support.”

The citizens advice office in Haverhill has provided services to almost a thousand clients during the past year and represents a rise of around 20% during the past six months.

Every day the organisation provides advice to its clients on almost every issue, but much of its work is focused on issues with housing, debt, benefits and family relationships, which have risen by over 50% during the past six months. During the current crisis, there has been a significant rise in enquiries about energy and debt in particular. Time is spent helping clients navigate their way through first time applications for benefits to support their families.

Over half of Citizen’s Advice’s clients are affected by long term health issues and disability. Specific initiatives around helping clients with mental health issues, MS sufferers and clients with Long Covid are in place and provide support. “I never realised until I met Tony that the Citizens Advice Bureau was a charity organisation, supporting this wonderful organisation and its direct impact locally was an easy decision to make,” says Bell.

Since the EpiCentre has opened, the local community in Withersfield Parish has benefited greatly, with the parish council being able to hold its meetings at the centre. This has allowed a greater range of the community to participate, especially during the winter months when the village hall is harder to heat and has limited external lighting. The EpiCentre has also played host for meetings on local issues regarding property developments and offers the ideal facilities to hold these types of meeting. A range of small business owners who are based in the locality also use the EpiCentre on a frequent basis for ad-hoc meetings, which has really been a benefit for local entrepreneurs and small business owners. “It’s always easy for the community to be able to book meetings as the staff are always really helpful and friendly,” says Indy Wijenayaka of the parish council. “The EpiCentre has truly become part of the local area of Withersfield and Haverhill.”

Bell, says: “It provides a mutual benefit all round. We can promote the building to a wider range of people showing what we are able to offer which creates greater awareness and space sales and at the same time gives something back to the local community.”

The centre’s activities are in addition to the networking breakfasts and business events that it opens up to the wider business community. The next breakfast networking meeting is on the 17 May, see the website for more details.

4 native trees have been planted at Gateway 14, the new business, innovation and logistics park development in Stowmarket, as part of the site’s commitment to bio-diversity.

Mid Suffolk Tree Warden Richard Frost and his team of local volunteers planted a range of native species including hawthorn, crab apple, hazel, white poplar and English Oak. They are all sourced from Suffolk seeds and cuttings, and have started life in a variety of habitats including volunteers’ back gardens before being transferred to a dedicated area at Gateway 14.

The tree warden’s native tree planting is in addition to the contract being undertaken by Bury St Edmunds based Pro-Scape Ltd, providing landscaping, alongside all the principle infrastructure work on Gateway 14, including highways and green areas totalling some 70,000 sq metres of planting.

Richard Frost, said: “We are happy to have been able to contribute towards a more diverse woodland habitat at Gateway 14. It’s all about improving the treescape of Suffolk and we appreciate the support given by both Gateway 14 Ltd and its development partner Jaynic in enabling this to happen as well as Suffolk County Council which is funding this campaign.”

Jaynic, Senior Commercial Manager, Joe Clarke: “We really appreciate the work that Richard and his team of volunteers have undertaken at G14. Growing native trees from local seed and planting them within our landscape zones will add a real touch of heritage to these biodiverse spaces.”

Gateway 14, which is owned by Gateway 14 Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mid Suffolk District Council, will benefit across the whole park from a range of high-quality landscaping features such as native trees and hedgerows and sub canopy plants that will not only support wildlife but will also provide a natural visual screening from the surrounding areas and establish this as a high quality business park.

Sir Christopher Haworth, chair of Gateway 14 Ltd, said: “The introduction of a wide range of plants, shrubs and trees is part of our plan to enhance the biodiversity at Gateway 14. Working with the local community is important to us and we would like to thank Richard and the Suffolk Tree Wardens for their support in sourcing and planting these native trees.”

Cllr Suzie Morley, Mid Suffolk District Council leader, said: “It is wonderful to have support from the local community to help us meet our climate resilience ambitions and bring native trees to Gateway 14. As they grow, they will not only provide natural habitats for a range of species but will also create an appealing working environment.”

There will be over 15,500 trees, 2,200m of native hedgerow, 30,000 sq m of native buffer planting, and 62,000 sq m of wildflower meadow. In addition to these works the local tree warden group, The Suffolk Tree Warden Network, has grown various trees and plant species from local seed which will be planted alongside landscaping work.

Proposed areas of open space include hard landscape and mown grass footpaths through orchards and wildflower meadows for access and widening out into breakout spaces too at intervals. There are also links to the wider footpath network and public open spaces, through to eventual countryside footpaths and bridleways.

Gateway 14 will retain 21,640 sq m of existing habitat and enhance a further 25,432 sq m, meeting the Government’s draft Environment Bill which requires developments to deliver 10% Biodiversity New Gain. The proposals exceed this requirement, providing 13.59% net gain for habitats and 148.65% for linear features (hedgerows).

The first unit at Gateway 14, a warehouse approaching 1.2m sq ft to be occupied by home, garden and leisure products retailer The Range, is already under construction and will create an estimated 1,650 jobs for the local area

CodiKoat, the company that started life at the EpiCentre, Haverhill, in 2020 at the height of the COVID pandemic with a ground-breaking technology that kills viruses and bacteria on surfaces within seconds, is on the expansion trail, growing into more space at the EpiCentre, recruiting new staff and launching new products.

It now has its own dedicated chemistry laboratory space with 6 desks alongside 4 microbiology spaces within the building. As part of its expansion its world-class scientific team is growing, with a number of new scientific roles advertised so far this year that have generated interest from hundreds of applicants from all over the world. Further scientific positions are due to be advertised in the coming weeks and months.

At the same time and following a trial at The Stephen Perse Senior School in Cambridge, the innovative Vent-Axia PureAir Room 500 X Air Purifier, which is powered by CodiKoat technology, has just been launched onto the market. It removes and kills harmful particulates from the air that you breathe, breaks down pollutants and neutralises bad smells in seconds.

During the pilot at the Stephen Perse Senior School site in Cambridge, the air purification system was installed in classrooms, the gymnasium and the dining hall, and was operational from the start of term in September 2022.

Filter samples which were analysed in that time showed no reduction in efficacy of the system, with all filters remaining 99.9% effective at removing airborne pathogens and viruses throughout the testing period.

On the breakthrough, CodiKoat Co-Founder Matin Mohseni said, “We were delighted to be working with the Stephen Perse Foundation to help keep their pupils and staff safe, and were thrilled to see the incredible results of this pilot in a bustling school environment. We look forward to seeing HEPA Plus deployed in schools, offices, and workplaces around the world to help combat airborne virus transmission.”

The EpiCentre was amongst the first in the world to feel the benefits of the Vent-Axia PureAir 500 X Air Purifier. Having been gifted one for use in the communal café in the building, the PureAir 500 X has been protecting patrons throughout 2023.

EpiCentre, centre manager, Andrew Bell, said: “This is great news both for The EpiCentre and CodiKoat. The company’s expansion has been helped by building owner Jaynic’s decision to provide more laboratory space at the EpiCentre. We’re thrilled to have the brand new Vent-Axia PureAir 500 X protecting our staff and our patrons every time they set foot in the building.”

CodiKoat was founded by three ex-students of Cambridge, Imperial and UCL and who each completed their PhDs in relevant fields. Co-founder Matin Mohseni said: “This is a timely technology that can save lives. It can be used both quickly and cheaply within the healthcare sector, hospitality industry and public transport dramatically helping to stop the transfer of viruses and bacteria both during the Covid-19 pandemic but also thereafter.

Bell, adds: “It’s great that CodiKoat has found The EpiCentre an ideal location for the expansion of its business. The whole ethos of Oxford Innovation Space that runs the centre is to provide flexible space for growing companies that allows them to expand as their business expands.”

And Innovation Director, Gary Jennings, says: “Oxford Innovation takes its role further. Our business support services provide a major incentive for companies taking space here. It provides support by offering services beyond the facilities and physical space, supporting small and medium sized businesses to scale and grow providing additional guidance, signposting connections and even going as far as providing 1-2-1 coaching and mentoring.

ATM Steel attributes a key part of its rapid expansion to the flexible service provided by the EpiCentre in Haverhill where it has been located for two years.

The company has grown into one of the UK’s leading steel installation companies since its formation in 2011, and amongst its many projects is the massive new warehouse for Skechers in Bury St Edmunds. A lthough it has now outgrown its accommodation at The EpiCentre, its two years at The EpiCentre has proved the ideal location for its expansion leg-up.

Charlie Mason, Office Manager at ATM says: “We came to the Epicentre in April 2021, as we needed bigger office space and a better environment than where we had been previously. Our office staff grew as did our need for professional offices. The EpiCentre suited us for the space we needed there together with provision of the kitchen area and reception service. All these factors boosted staff moral and was exactly what we needed.

“The epicentre has been a fantastic space to have offices. The staff are extremely friendly and very helpful. I would recommend it to any growing business. ATM Steel would like to thank the EpiCentre for all it has had to offer over the past couple of years.

“We are moving into an industrial unit on Homefield Road in Haverhill as we are expanding our business and moving into the fabrication of steel. This is a natural progression for the business and something we have been looking to move into for years.”

Centre Manager, Andrew Bell, commented: “It’s great that ATM has found The EpiCentre ideal location for the expansion of its business. The whole ethos of Oxford Innovation Space that runs the centre is to provide flexible space for growing companies that allows them to expand as their business expands.”

And Innovation Director, Gary Jennings, says: “Oxford Innovation takes it further. Our business support services provide a major incentive for companies taking space here. It provides support by offering services beyond the facilities and physical space, supporting small and medium sized businesses to scale and grow providing additional guidance, signposting connections and even going as far as providing 1-2-1 coaching and mentoring.

Highworth Care Ltd, a domiciliary and respite care business, has taken space at The EpiCentre in Haverhill, and is expanding its services in Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Essex.

It currently employs three full-time staff, has seven carers on its books and is recruiting more. As an added benefit it has a license from the Home Office to bring staff in from all over the world to overcome the healthcare/social care staffing shortages in the UK.

The company is family owned and managed by Thabani Bafanah, who trained as an Oncology Therapy Radiographer (Radiotherapy) and worked at Addenbrookes Hospital for eight years before training to be a Management Accountant in the NHS healthcare sector.

Highworth Care Ltd provides personal home care for the sick and elderly supporting them with personal care, nutrition, medication and support giving them access to the surrounding community and its facilities. It also provides short-term respite care after patients come out of hospital or if family members are away or unavailable, as well as Live-In and Overnight Care.

The business was incorporated in 2019, and Thabani had this to say: “The EpiCentre is geographically very central for our services in the Anglia region, and it is a bonus to have the Cambridgeshire postcode.”

“The EpiCentre management has been very helpful, they loaned us furniture initially when we moved in and while our office was being prepared and did all they could to help. Nothing is too much trouble, if there are any snagging issues with the accommodation it is sorted out promptly and it is a real benefit having the reception facilities included in our package.”

Centre Manager, Andrew Bell, said: “We welcome Highworth Care to the Centre and are sure that the company’s homecare services will be a great boost to the region.

Highworth Care Ltd has grown by 300% in the last 12 months both in terms of clients being looked after, staff growth and income turnover.

The EpiCentre is managed by Oxford Innovation Space. Its UK network of innovation centres provides flexible, cost-effective office, lab and workshop solutions for over 1000 entrepreneurs, start-up & growing companies who need space and support to grow.

Yesterday (Wednesday 1st February 2023), Mid Suffolk District Councillors joined representatives from Jaynic, parish councillors and partners involved in the Gateway 14 development for a ribbon cutting ceremony to officially open the first road on the site built by the infrastructure contractor Jackson Civil Engineering Ltd.

The road, named Gateway Boulevard, marks the completion of the main estate road into the new state-of- the-art business, innovation and logistics park from the roundabout on the A120 adjacent to Junction 50 of the A14 in Stowmarket, Suffolk.

The event follows hard on the heels of the ground-breaking ceremony held last Thursday (26th January 2023) to mark the start of construction of the 1.17m sq ft distribution hub for garden and leisure products retailer The Range that is set to create around 1,650 jobs for the district.

Gateway 14 Ltd (wholly owned by Mid Suffolk District Council) and development partner, Jaynic, will provide a new base for manufacturing, logistics and R&D businesses with a particular focus on innovation and sustainability at Gateway 14 as well as providing innovation space for smaller and start-up businesses that will boost the local economy and attract investment into the region.

Cllr Suzie Morley, Mid Suffolk District Council leader, said:

“The official opening of Gateway Boulevard – the main estate road for Gateway 14 – marks an important milestone for Gateway 14. The opening of the road comes just weeks after the start of the landscaping which will see mature trees, bushes, hedgerows, and a wildflower meadow creating a green and appealing working location for occupiers and businesses on the site.”

Sir Christopher Haworth, Gateway 14 chair said:

“The start of this year has already delivered positive and exciting milestones for the Gateway 14 development. Last week, we marked the ground breaking for the site’s first occupier, The Range, closely followed by the official opening of the main road this week. I envisage further announcements for Gateway 14 as we continue to welcome more businesses and the park becomes an exemplar of sustainable development for the region.”

Ben Oughton, Jaynic development director, said:

“With the road opening and fully-serviced development plots available for occupiers, Gateway 14 is set to become a major asset for companies looking for state-of-the-art facilities in the region.”

Gateway 14 benefits from being part of Freeport East, one of only eight Freeports in the UK.

The Freeport status will provide many businesses on Gateway 14 with a range of benefits including a suite of tax reliefs and simplified customs arrangements, together with partnering to deliver innovation and skills support for the wider community.

Steve Beel, Chief Executive of Freeport East said:

“The opening of Gateway Boulevard sends a strong message to potential occupiers considering Gateway 14 that the park is open for business and that its Freeport status will help attract new and innovative businesses to the region and provide extensive re-skilling and up-skilling opportunities.”

Gateway 14 will provide high specification buildings with sustainability a central feature including EV charging, LED lighting, solar PV, smart energy systems and rainwater harvesting. The development is committed to meeting BREEAM rating of Very Good standard and strive for Excellent wherever possible as well as delivering low carbon and net zero solutions where possible. The distribution facility for The Range will be designed to achieve BREEAM excellent.

Accessibility through and around the development is a key feature with significant walking and cycling routes being integrated along with access to public transport links and local amenities.

Biodiversity on the site is also a priority, with high-quality landscaping, green corridors and nesting boxes all being introduced across the site to support not only the wildlife and ecology but also to create a vibrant, attractive, and healthy working environment for employees.

For more information, please visit www.gateway14.com and www.freeporteast.com

PHOTO CAPTION:  Cllr James Caston » Chairman of Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils, flanked on his left by Cllr Suzie Morley and on his right by Sir Christopher Howarth -Photographer Credit: Jake Sugden

Developer Jaynic has been granted reserved matters planning consent from West Suffolk Council for two warehouses totalling 205,000 sq ft at Suffolk Park in Bury St Edmunds.

The warehouses, one of 128,000 sq ft and another of 77,000 sq ft will be on Suffolk Park’s final northern plot and are available on a pre-let or pre-sale basis.

Ben Oughton, development director at Jaynic, said: “With the reserved matters consent having been granted we are now able to deliver these two final buildings within a rapid timescale on either a freehold or leasehold basis. This follows a strong 2022 with Evri, Greene King and Dellonda taking space on the park.”

Suffolk Park, has exceptional transport connections via the A14 corridor, linking it to Felixstowe, the UK’s largest container port, and to the Midlands and London via the M11, M25 and M1.

Suffolk Park has been a great success since outline planning consent for the whole site was obtained in 2017, with 1.8m sq ft transacted to date and occupiers in addition to the 2022 uptake, including MH Star UK, Unipart Logistics, Treatt, Sealey, The East of England Ambulance Trust, Skechers and Bleckmann taking space.

Marketing agents for Suffolk Park are Hazells, Savills and Bidwells.

Construction of a state-of-the-art distribution unit for garden and leisure products retailer The Range is officially underway at Gateway 14.

Yesterday’s ‘ground-breaking’ ceremony (Thursday 26th January 2023) saw Mid Suffolk District Council leader Cllr Suzie Morley and Alex Simpkin, CEO of The Range put the first spades in the ground to officially mark the start of the development.

Once completed, The Range, one of the fastest growing retailers in the UK, is set to create around 1650 jobs for the district. The Range already has two existing major distribution centres in the UK and the new site will help meet consumer demand in the South and South East of the country while also supporting operations across the UK including 100 new stores across the UK and a rapidly expanding e-commerce business.

The development of the 1.17m sq ft high specification distribution centre, is the first building at Gateway 14, a new business, innovation and logistics park located outside Stowmarket, Suffolk. Winvic Construction Ltd have been appointed to deliver this new facility.

Gateway 14 Ltd (wholly owned by Mid Suffolk District Council) and development partner, Jaynic, will provide a new base for manufacturing, logistics and R&D businesses with a particular focus on innovation and sustainability at Gateway 14 as well as providing innovation space for smaller and start-up businesses that will boost the local economy and attract investment into the region.

Cllr Suzie Morley, Mid Suffolk District Council leader, said:

“The first spade in the ground at Gateway 14 marks an important milestone in the progress of Gateway 14. Welcoming a national brand such as The Range as the first occupier is very positive, not only creating job opportunities but also providing a boost for the local economy.”

Gateway 14 chair Sir Christopher Haworth said:

“This is a significant milestone in the development of Gateway 14 and realises our ambition of welcoming national brands to the region. I am delighted that we have an excellent team to deliver this project and look forward to working with them to create a landmark development that is high-quality, sustainable, and fit for the future.”

The Range’s Alex Simpkin said:

“This a major landmark in the expansion of The Range with an eastern region distribution hub with a particular focus on the creation of a sustainable warehouse building together with 1,650 jobs for the region. We look forward to the opening of the building in the next 12 months.”

Ben Oughton, development director, Jaynic, the development partners for the project said:

“The start on site for the Range so soon after construction of the infrastructure began, highlights the strength of demand for this prime location adjacent to Junction 50 of the A14 and is the culmination of several years work to deliver a modern and innovative business park for the area.”

Danny Nelson, Director of Industrial, Distribution & Logistics at Winvic, said:

"I'd like to thank new client Jaynic for having confidence in our team to deliver this impressive facility for their occupier The Range. We're delighted to have started on site and we will be aiming to exceed expectations every step of the way.”

In addition, Gateway 14 benefits from being part of Freeport East, one of only eight Freeports in the UK.

The Freeport status will provide many businesses on Gateway 14 with a range of benefits including a suite of tax reliefs and simplified customs arrangements, together with partnering to deliver innovation and skills support for the wider community.

Today’s ground-breaking marks the first building under construction across any of the Freeport East sites which include Felixstowe, Harwich and four customs sites.

Stephen Beel, Chief Executive of Freeport East said:

“The ground-breaking at Gateway 14 marks the first new development for Freeport East since it was formally approved by Government at the start of 2023. Gateway 14’s Freeport status will help attract new and innovative businesses to the region and provide extensive re-skilling and up-skilling opportunities.”

Gateway 14 will provide high specification buildings with sustainability a central feature including EV charging, LED lighting, solar PV, smart energy systems and rainwater harvesting. The development is committed to meeting BREEAM rating of Very Good standard and strive for Excellent wherever possible as well as delivering low carbon and net zero solutions where possible. The distribution facility for The Range will be designed to achieve BREEAM excellent.

Accessibility through and around the development is a key feature with significant walking and cycling routes being integrated along with access to public transport links and local amenities.

Biodiversity on the site is also a priority, with high-quality landscaping, green corridors and nesting boxes all being introduced across the site to support not only the wildlife and ecology but also to create a vibrant, attractive, and healthy working environment for employees.

For more information, please visit www.gateway14.com and www.freeporteast.com

Gateway14 Ltd, advised by its development partner, Jaynic, has appointed Winvic Construction Ltd to build a warehouse approaching 1.2m sq ft for garden and leisure products retailer, The Range, at the Gateway 14 development adjacent to Junction 50 of the A14 at Stowmarket, Suffolk.

Construction of the project, which is expected to create 1,650 jobs in the region, will start in January 2023 and is due to be completed in November 2023. Gateway 14 Ltd, that is wholly owned by Mid Suffolk District Council, has exchanged contracts with The Range to develop the distribution unit on a freehold turnkey basis, that will be led by Jaynic.  

Jason Newman, Construction Director of Jaynic, said: “We are pleased to have Northampton-based Winvic on board as contractor for the Range warehouse. The company has a strong reputation for building warehouses of this magnitude and we look forward to working with them.”

Danny Nelson, Director of Industrial, Distribution & Logistics at Winvic, said: “It’s fantastic to be working with new client Jaynic on this impressive facility. We’re delighted we were selected due our knowledge and expertise of delivering similar schemes with sustainability at their heart. Jaynic has put its faith in our team and in return we will be aiming to exceed expectations every step of the way.”

Sir Christopher Haworth, chair of Gateway 14 Ltd, said: "This is very good news for the region with the economic benefits it will bring as well as the employment it will generate in the area in the coming years.”

The landmark development, that was granted reserved matters consent in October, will provide a high specification building with sustainability a central feature including EV charging, LED lighting, solar PV, smart energy systems and rainwater harvesting.

The development is committed to meeting BREEAM rating of Very Good standard and strive for Excellent wherever possible. This new distribution facility will be designed to achieve BREEAM excellent.

Accessibility through and around the development is a key feature with significant walking and cycling routes being integrated along with access to public transport links and local amenities.

Biodiversity on the site is also a priority, with high-quality landscaping, green corridors and nesting boxes all being introduced across the site to support not only the wildlife and ecology but also to create a vibrant, attractive, and healthy working environment for employees.

Gateway 14 already has outline planning consent for a 2.36m sq ft mixed-use innovation, business and warehousing scheme. Construction of the site infra-structure including estate roads, utilities and landscaping, is already well underway. Agents for scheme are Avison Young and Savills.

Sustainability is at the heart of Gateway 14 – a major development that forms part of
Freepost East, and the site of a new 1.2m sq ft distribution centre for The Range.
Gateway 14 is a new 156-acre business, innovation, and logistics park, overlooking
Junction 50 of the A14 in Stowmarket, Suffolk.

The environment is a key priority for Mid Suffolk District Council – which owns Gateway 14
Ltd. So, working in conjunction with development partner Jaynic, they are keen to ensure all
development is sustainable – mitigating climate change, reducing energy consumption and
limiting carbon emissions.

This includes the new logistics warehouse for The Range, one of the fastest growing
retailers in the UK.The Range has two existing distribution centres in the north and south-west of the
country, with the third and final distribution centre at Gateway 14 serving the south and
southeast of England.

The Range is committed to reducing environmental impact and has been an early adopter
of sustainable measures elsewhere.Their unit at Gateway 14 has recently received detailed planning consent and will be BREEAM Excellent - exceeding the planning requirements for BREEAM Very Good –
achieving net zero to shell and core and an EPC A rating.

Joe Clarke, Senior Commercial Manager at Jaynic, says: “The sustainability agenda now
plays a very important part in every development we plan. Here at Gateway 14 we are
even future-proofing the scheme. For example, the infrastructure is now in place to
provide surplus energy from PVs on The Range’s roof to other units as and when they are
built.”

Gateway 14 will feature high specification buildings that include EV charging as more
commercial vehicles are electric powered, LED lighting, solar, smart energy systems and
rainwater harvesting.

Walking and cycling routes will be integrated, along with access to public transport links
and local amenities. Upgrades to a section of the Gipping Valley Path adjacent to Gateway
14 have recently been completed increasing plant life and wildlife as well as improving
public access along the river.

Biodiversity on the site is also a priority, with high-quality landscaping, green corridors
and nesting boxes all being introduced. The proposals for the project will exceed the 10%
Biodiversity Net Gain requirement by providing 54.66% for habitat units and a 100% gain
for hedgerow/linear features.

Over 15,500 trees, 2,200m of native hedgerow, 30,000m2 of native buffer planting,
62,000m2 of wildflower meadows will be provided, with any mown amenity grass proposed
as carbons sequestering grass.

As one element of the growing ESG standards, areas of open space will include hard
landscape and mown grass footpaths through orchards and wildflower meadows for
employees and wider public access, widening out into breakout spaces at intervals.
There are also links to the wider footpath network and public open spaces, through to
eventual countryside footpaths and bridleways.

Gateway 14 is creating a scheme where its sustainability programme not only meets the
wider climate change provisions but responds to occupier ESG requirements, as well as the
investment demands of the financing institutions.

Hearing clinician Keyla de Magalhaes who runs her company The Audiology Expert out of The EpiCentre in Haverhill recently appeared on the BBC’s One Show to highlight how noise such as the roar of car and motorcycle engines can cause significant health problems.

Keyla de Magalhaes, who runs The Audiology Expert, was interviewed on the One Show and made clear that “Frequent interrupted sleep can have a serious impact on one’s health. Your brain has an awakened reaction to loud noises which means that when this happens it increases the adrenalin and the cortisol hormones in your body which can cause a spike in your blood pressure and heart rate. Also, it can affect your mental and physical health meaning you are more likely to have anxiety, depression, high blood pressure and even heart disease.”

The Audiology Expert celebrated its first anniversary at The EpiCentre on the 1 December with patients coming from as far afield as Norwich, Beccles, Ipswich, Colchester and Chelmsford. Keyla says that The EpiCentre is ideal for her practice because there is ample parking, lifts to her first-floor clinic and a café making it ideal for patients visiting the centre.

“There are a number of reasons why people are choosing to come to us,” says Keyla, pointing out that she is a fully qualified hearing clinician whereas this might not be the case in many other high street shops. “A properly qualified audiology clinician with 3-4 years training has the ability to diagnose serious hearing problems rather than relying on hearing aid sales to keep them in business,” she adds.

Keyla says that all sorts of people are now coming to her whether it be for ear wax removal, hearing assessment, tinnitus consultation or for hearing aid fittings, and she is able to provide many of these services which the NHS no longer provides or has a long waiting list. At The Audiology Expert patients benefit from follow ups, check ups and appointments without having to wait several weeks for.

The Audiology Expert has been taking advantage of the support services provided by The EpiCentre including marketing advice and social media promotion.

The EpiCentre’s business support services provide a major incentive for companies who come looking to occupy space there. It provides support by offering services beyond the facilities and physical space supporting small and medium sized businesses to scale and grow. The business advice provided by its dedicated Innovation Director, Gary Jennings and the centre team makes all the difference, providing 1-2-1 coaching, business support, and signposting, with a focus on helping business to develop and grow.

Jennings says: “Tailoring the business support to the individual companies at a stage that suits them is key to ensuring a bespoke approach. If this be support in grant funding, developing strategies for sales development right through to getting access to business support tools, normally beyond the reach of most small and medium businesses.”

Today (Tuesday 6 December 2022) Mid Suffolk District Councillors and representatives from Gateway 14 Ltd and development partner Jaynic, planted the first tree to mark the start of the landscaping regeneration at the Gateway 14 development, Stowmarket. 

Gateway 14, which is wholly owned by Mid Suffolk District Council, will benefit from a range of high-quality landscaping features such as native trees and hedgerows and sub canopy plants that will not only support wildlife but will also provide a natural visual screening from the surrounding areas and establish this as a high quality business park.

The £700,000 contract is being undertaken by Bury St Edmunds based Pro-Scape Ltd, provides landscaping, alongside all the principle infrastructure work on Gateway 14, including highways and green areas totalling some 70,000 sq metres of planting.

There will be over 15,500 trees, 2,200m of native hedgerow, 30,000m2 of native buffer planting, and 62,000m2 of wildflower meadow.  In addition to these works the local tree warden group, The Suffolk Tree Warden Network, has grown various trees and plant species from local seed which will be planted alongside landscaping work.

Cllr Suzie Morley, leader, Mid Suffolk District Council commented:

“It was always our ambition that landscaping at Gateway 14 would be a priority. The trees, shrubs and other planting will not only have time to establish before the first tenants move in but also, by introducing a range of planting we will be able to support natural wildlife habitats and meet our commitment to supporting biodiversity.”

Sir Christopher Haworth, chair of Gateway 14 Ltd, said:

“The Board has been determined to enhance the bio-diversity of the site and to create a high-quality environment that the town can be proud of and that will be enjoyed by all those who come to the park.”

The landscaping, designed by James Blake Associates, is designed to provide softening and screening, together with a highly biodiverse landscape infrastructure to the development. It is designed to be low in maintenance intervention, with largely native planting that can adapt to environmental and climate changes.

Joe Clarke, Senior Commercial Manager for Jaynic, the development partner for Gateway 14 said: “This is an important milestone in the development of Gateway 14. Biodiversity on the site is a priority, with high-quality landscaping, green corridors and nesting boxes all being introduced to support not only the wildlife and ecology but also to create a vibrant, attractive, and healthy working environment for employees.”

Proposed areas of open space include hard landscape and mown grass footpaths through orchards and wildflower meadows for access and widening out into breakout spaces too at intervals. There are also links to the wider footpath network and public open spaces, through to eventual countryside footpaths and bridleways.

The Gateway 14 Business, Innovation and Logistics Park will retain 21,640sqm of existing habitat and enhance a further 25,432sqm, meeting the Government’s draft Environment Bill which requires developments to deliver 10% Biodiversity New Gain. The proposals exceed this requirement, providing 13.59% net gain for habitats and 148.65% for linear features (hedgerows).

In October, detailed planning consent was given for the first unit at Gateway 14, a warehouse approaching 1.2m sq ft to be occupied by home, garden and leisure products retailer The Range - creating an estimated 1,650 jobs.

A new coffee shop has opened at the EpiCentre innovation building in Haverhill. Father and son duo Daniel and James Pilley who also run the Suffolk Hotel and Nine Jars on Haverhill High Street, as well as a number of other local ventures, opened The Hive Coffee Shop in the centre on the 1st December.

Managing Director, James, says: “We are looking forward to establishing the Hive as a ‘go to’ destination at The EpiCentre for delicious Illy coffee, cake, sandwiches and an array of other treats. The venue is not only for those companies who are located within the EpiCentre but also for our wider community in and around Haverhill. The Coffee Shop has a bright, modern feel to it with ample free car parking, making it an attractive destination for those who want to drop in.”

Daniel and James opened the Suffolk Hotel and Nine Jars in 2016 and have built their business on family values, becoming part of the wider Haverhill community. Their family run businesses now employ 32 local people, offering a number of career opportunities in hospitality, maintenance, and the hair and beauty industry. The Hive is the next exciting venture for Daniel and James who since reopening from the 2020 lockdown have seen their business go from strength to strength.

The EpiCentre is operated by Oxford Innovation Space and its Centre Manager, Andrew Bell, says: “The success that Daniel and James have had with their businesses in Haverhill gives us confidence that they will replicate this at The EpiCentre and the feedback from our occupiers is very positive.”

The centre recently celebrated its second birthday and, with new occupiers arriving all the time, The Hive provides an added attraction to the support services offered with the office space that helps companies in the centre to develop and grow.

The Epicentre in Haverhill is having a buoyant year as it has its second birthday this week with new companies signing up for space all the time and the full-up sign now being hung on all the laboratory space doors.

The centre is operated by Oxford Innovation Space and its Centre Manager, Andrew Bell, says: “new businesses are joining the EpiCentre every month, including office and lab space, new faces in co-working and local companies booking the meeting and conference rooms, which is reassuring given the recent economic and political chaos.

“When the centre opened on 2nd November 2020 the country was in deep lockdown as a result of the COVID pandemic, but the EpiCentre was able to offer companies flexible occupational terms without the need to sign up to long term leases. This is just what Haverhill needed and since then this flexibility continues to work given the new economic challenges we face,” adds Bell.

At the end of last year, the building’s owner Jaynic took the decision with Oxford Innovation Space to convert the whole ground floor to laboratory space. This proved a timely move as all the space was snapped up immediately. There are 8 individual lab-based companies using the facilities in various stages of growth.

The EpiCentre’s business support services provide a major incentive for companies taking space there. It provides support by offering services beyond the facilities and physical space supporting small and medium sized businesses to scale and grow. The business advice provided by its dedicated Innovation Director, Gary Jennings and the centre team makes all the difference, providing 1-2-1 coaching, business support, and signposting, with a focus on helping business to develop and grow.

Jennings says: “Tailoring the business support to the individual companies at a stage that suits them is key to ensuring a bespoke approach. If this be support in grant funding, developing strategies for sales development right through to getting access to business support tools, normally beyond the reach of most small and medium businesses.”

The EpiCentre, two years in, is looking to a bright future and is continuing to develop not only in the business community, but in the wider community in Haverhill as well with recent support of the Citizens Advice Bureau and future aspirations for helping support the local food bank and debt support charity REACH.

Detailed planning consent has been given for the first unit at Gateway 14, Stowmarket, to be occupied by home, garden and leisure products retailer The Range - creating an estimated 1,650 jobs.

Mid Suffolk District Council's planning committee approved reserved matters for the highly sustainable logistics unit - approaching 1.2m sq ft in size - at a planning meeting on Wednesday October 12. It is a part of the Gateway 14 scheme at junction 50 of the A14 in Stowmarket.

Gateway 14 Ltd is wholly-owned by Mid Suffolk District Council, and advised by development partner Jaynic.

News that work on the distribution unit is now expected to start in January, with a completion date target of autumn 2023, has been welcomed.

Sir Christopher Haworth, chair of Gateway 14 Ltd, said: "We are delighted to see these plans progress. The arrival of The Range will show the huge potential of Gateway 14 for Suffolk and the region. Not only will the scheme deliver a very significant number of jobs but it will also provide a highly sustainable building of which the region can be justifiably proud."

Cllr Suzie Morley, Mid Suffolk District Council leader, said: "I am pleased to see this development receive approval. This is hugely significant for Mid Suffolk and the rest of the county - bringing business and jobs to the area."

Ben Oughton, development director of Jaynic, said: “With the reserved matters consent now in place we expect to start construction in January on a high specification building for The Range with sustainability a central feature of the project with a target delivery date of Autumn 2023.”

Cllr Harry Richardson, Mid Suffolk cabinet member for economic growth, said: "This is an exciting scheme which brings major benefits to our district. We look forward to continuing work on Gateway 14 and bringing further positive impact on the area."

Gateway 14 already has outline planning consent for a 2.36m sq ft mixed-use innovation, business and warehousing scheme, and construction of the site infrastructure is already well underway.

The landmark development will provide high specification buildings with sustainability a central feature, including EV charging, LED lighting, solar, smart energy systems and rainwater harvesting. The development is BREEAM Excellent - exceeding the planning requirements for BREEAM Very Good.

Walking and cycling routes will be integrated, along with access to public transport links and local amenities. Upgrades to a section of the Gipping Valley Path adjacent to Gateway 14 have recently been completed helping to increase plant life and wildlife as well as improving public access along the river.

Biodiversity on the site is also a priority, with high-quality landscaping, green corridors and nesting boxes all being introduced.

The Range is one of the fastest growing retailers in the UK, with over 200 retail stores nationwide and a further 100 planned. It already has two existing major distribution centres in the UK and the new site in Suffolk will help meet consumer demand in the South and South East.

Gateway 14 is part of the new low tax zone of Freeport East. The government's Freeports initiative allows firms to import goods and then re-export them outside normal tax and customs rules. Businesses located at Gateway 14 will benefit from being part of Freeport East, one of only eight Freeports in the UK.

More information about Gateway 14 can be found by visiting: www.Gateway14.com

Picture L-R: Christie Raptaki, Chris Fallon

Roadfill, one of the companies located at The EpiCentre in Haverhill, has won the Green Award at the 2022 Bury Free Press West Suffolk Business Awards.

The company beat six other companies to receive the gong with its use of plastic waste materials to lay and repair roads.

The awards presentation noted that: “Roadfill is an innovative company founded by Chrstine Raptaki, who whilst pregnant in 2017, hit a pothole with such force that it caused her waters to break. Determined to make roads safer, Christie developed a method of using waste plastics to repair and lay new roads. This process reduces plastic waste and the bitumen required.”

The judges said that they were looking to celebrate those organisations and individuals who are transforming their business with a key focus on reducing their carbon footprint. The award recognises the importance of having green credentials and how a business can take positive steps to help the environment.

Chris Fallon, Sales Manager for Roadfill, said: “We are humbled and grateful to be recognised for the award from the Bury Free Press recognising the approach that Roadfill is taking to combat waste and carbon emissions to provide a greener more sustainable approach to public highway mobility.”

Andrew Bell, Centre Manager at The EpiCentre, said: “We are thrilled that Roadfill has received the BFP Green Award and it demonstrates that the laboratory space at the EpiCentre is attracting exciting young companies that are pushing the bounds with their innovative research, and are growing into further space in the centre to house their administrative and marketing functions.”

More than 250 business people from across the district attended a sell-out event at the Apex venue in Bury St Edmunds last Friday night ( for the annual awards ceremony.The awards evening, now in its 11th year, has become one of the region’s most respected and best attended gatherings in the business event calender.

In addition to the BFP awards Roadfill is also up for the most innovative SME with an awards scheme run by Highways England that will be awarded on the 2nd November.

K9 Digital, the 3D character outsourcing studio for games, film, TV and VR, that is based at The EpiCentre has trebled in size since it moved to Haverhill in June this year.

The company started with the two founding owners, Ashley and Tia Sparling in one of the smaller offices and since then it has moved into a larger space on the third floor at The EpiCentre now that staff numbers have grown to six with eight more contractors working remotely. A further move at the centre is on the cards.

Director, Tia Sparling, says: “Our business has grown significantly over the last six months, and we have been working with companies like Ubisoft and Behaviour Interactive creating characters for their new AAA games. At the same time, we are working with start-up studios creating stunning characters that are used as benchmark pieces to be pitched to developers and publishers to raise funds.

“The reason for our success is that the team we have hired are fantastic and have plenty of experience. Both our graduates from Hertfordshire University and De Montfort University in Leicester have gained firsts and won awards, and our intern is fantastic. We’ve also hired a super talented character artist to add to the team as the companies needs have grown.”

“We have recently come back from XDS external developers summit in Vancouver, Canada and we will be attending the global developers conference in San Francisco next spring, so we expect our workload to increase significantly in the coming months,” adds Sparling.

And the business support services at The EpiCentre, operated by Oxford Innovation Space, is helping K9 with its growth. The company is working with the centre’s Innovation Director Gary Jennings on its growth strategy. Jennings says: “We’re advising K9 on applying for an innovation grant and are assisting the company in joining the innovation mentoring scheme, connecting young talent with the business, that will help them to apply for bigger grants shaping the business going forward.”

K9 believes it is vital to link in with local universities and colleges such as West Suffolk College to harness the talent that is graduating so that it can stay in this country rather than being tempted abroad. “There’s huge talent in areas such as 3D art, visual effects (VFX) and animation, but young people cannot gain a leg-up with London being too expensive to live in and a scarcity of studios in this region, so we are trying to help bridge that gap,” claims Sparling.

On the recommendation of Oxford Innovation Space the company has joined the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) and through the centre’s monthly breakfasts catchup and other events there is strong sense of business community that is especially beneficial to the younger members of staff embarking on their careers. K9’s future is bright, based on a solid platform and sound support.

L to R: Daniel Ravenhall, Alona Stupak, Holly Bruce, Ashley Sparling, Tia Sparling

Property developer Jaynic has completed the development of its 76,000 sq ft warehouse unit at Suffolk Park, Bury St Edmunds, for Evri – formerly named Hermes Parcelnet Ltd – which it pre-let to the parcel carrier in 2021 and subsequently forward funded with CBRE Global Investors.

Ben Oughton, development director of Jaynic, says: “With Evri shortly to move into SP76 and the other 160,000 sq ft unit in the same phase about to go under offer to a major occupier, there is only one phase left to develop. In this phase we are seeking planning consent for two buildings, one of 77,000 sq ft and the other 128,000 sq ft,” adds Oughton.

Occupiers taking space at Suffolk Park to date include Weerts Group, Skechers, MH Star UK Ltd, Unipart Logistics, Treatt, Sealey and The East of England Ambulance Trust.

Suffolk Park is located within one hour of the Port of Felixstowe to the east, the UK’s largest container port and gateway to the region, and within 30 minutes of Cambridge to the west. It offers a prime and core location on the important A14 strategic corridor. Access to the Midlands, London and the South East are all convenient from Suffolk Park.

Major residential development is underway in the town with over 5,000 new homes allocated and construction commenced, to help the town’s continued economic growth and to accommodate an expanding workforce.

Letting agents for Suffolk Park are Hazells, Savills and Bidwells.

The company that uses plastic waste to repair and lay roads which reduces carbon emissions showing strong growth

Roadfill® Ltd, one of the companies located at The EpiCentre in Haverhill, that uses recycled plastic products to repair and re-lay roads in an environmentally friendly way, is short-listed for two regional business awards:

Roadfill® is short-listed for the Innovation Award category at the Suffolk Business Awards – sponsored by the University of Suffolk.

Roadfill®/Christie Raptaki (founder of the company) The Green/Environmental Award at the Bury Free Press West Suffolk Business Awards – sponsored by the Bury Free Press.

Chris Fallon, Sales Manager at Roadfill® said: “It is an honour to be shortlisted for these awards. We are currently on a bit of a roll with award gongs reflecting the innovative products we are developing at The EpiCentre’s laboratories to help reduce carbon emissions.”

The company recently won the SME UK Enterprise Award for the most innovative use of recycled plastics in the South-East of England and was chosen as the most sustainable road product company in 2022 at the Global 100 Awards. Amongst other accolades it is a finalist in the Highways UK Excellence awards and was recently featured in The Times newspaper as one of the most promising companies to look out for in the East of England.

Andrew Bell, centre manager at The EpiCentre says: “We are delighted that one of the centre’s companies is being recognised for the vital steps it is taking in reducing carbon emissions. It is a reflection of the young and innovative companies that are now located in The EpiCentre and taking advantage of our facilities and business support services,” he adds.

The company has been working for four years on the use of waste plastic products for road laying and repair. It has now gained industry acceptance after the Government changed the rules in August 2021 on what can and cannot be used in asphalt to reduce carbon emissions and has received the requisite regulatory certificates.

After concrete, tarmacadam is one of the most energy hungry construction materials. Bitumen, a fossil fuel, that is a main ingredient of tarmac, is normally heated to very high degrees but with plastic waste elements added to the mix it can be produced at a much lower temperature thereby reducing carbon emissions.

Fallon adds: “Not only are we reducing the amount of bitumen required in the mix but we are also tackling plastic waste which is a blight throughout the globe. We are in a unique position; we have got something that the bigger road construction companies haven’t got and now want.”

Roadfill® is working with the recycling companies across the UK and Europe and with local authorities to take away their waste plastics. Also, it is selling its plastic waste products under license in South Korea, Australia, Sweden and the US state of Florida.

Roadfill® staff numbers at The EpiCentre are growing rapidly having doubled to 10 staff in the last six months and expected to rise to 15 before the year end, while turnover that was virtually zero a year ago is forecast to reach £2.5m by the middle of 2023.

Picture - Chris Fallon, Sales Manager at Roadfill®

Picture: EpiCentre Change over: L to R – Andrew Bell, Kelly Boosey, Babita Devi, Gary Jennings

Oxford Innovation Space has appointed Gary Jennings as the new Innovation Director at The EpiCentre in Haverhill alongside Centre Manager, Andrew Bell.

Gary has many years’ experience of promoting healthcare businesses. “I am very pleased to be taking on this new role having worked in the international business arena for 30 years. My job will be to help companies at The EpiCentre scale-up and grow both in the Cambridge, Suffolk and Norfolk region, throughout the UK and internationally.”

Gary and Andrew take over from Centre Manager Kelly Boosey who has been promoted within Oxford Innovation and Innovation Director, Babita Devi.

Andrew, who is local to the Cambridgeshire area, has a long-term career within centre management and the hospitality industry. He previously worked for TWI’s facility The Granta Centre part of the South Cambridge Business Technology Cluster for five years and he is well connected in the region’s businesses.

The EpiCentre operated by Oxford Innovation Space has quickly become part of the region’s business ecosystem, building a strong events programme for business and the local community. Offering support services beyond the facilities and physical space which includes laboratories, office, co-working and meeting rooms. Its ethos is about supporting small and medium sized businesses to scale and grow. The business support provided by its dedicated Innovation Director and centre team makes all the difference, providing additional guidance, signposting connections and can even go as far as providing 1-2-1 coaching and mentoring.

Property developer Jaynic has exchanged contracts to sell its SP47 warehouse scheme at Suffolk Park, Bury St Edmunds to the Sealey Group.

The 47,000 sq ft building will be completed this coming autumn and will be occupied by Dellonda Ltd which is part of Buy St Edmunds-based Sealey Group. Sealey & Dellonda are major employers in the town and known nationally and internationally as a leading brand and supplier of professional tools and workshop equipment under the Sealey brand and Home, Garden & Leisure products direct to the consumer under the Dellonda brand (www.dellonda.co.uk)

Mark Sweetman of Dellonda Ltd, said: “Our rapid growth has meant that we needed additional space ahead of other facilities that we are currently developing at Suffolk Park and SP47 is completing just at the right time.”

Ben Oughton, development director at Jaynic, said: “We are very pleased to have exchanged contracts with Sealey. They are a highly respected name in the town and as expected when we decided to build this unit speculatively, we knew there was existing pent up demand that we could satisfy at Suffolk Park.”

Sealey & Dellonda have seen significant growth in recent years and occupy three different buildings in Bury St Edmunds totalling over 440,000 sq ft with a total 430 staff.

At the same time, Jaynic will also complete its SP160 unit providing 160,000 sq ft at the end of September and is currently the only building of its size and specification available locally and regionally.

Marketing agents for Suffolk Park are Hazells, Savills and Bidwells.

Developer Jaynic has submitted a reserved matters application to West Suffolk Council for a 77,000 sq ft and 128,000 sq ft warehouse, respectively, at Suffolk Park in Bury St Edmunds.

These two applications are on Suffolk Park’s final northern plot and the developer will decide in due course whether to speculatively develop the units or wait for a pre-sale, pre-let before commencing development.

Ben Oughton, development director at Jaynic, said: “such has been the demand for warehouses in the region and because of the success we have had at Suffolk Park we have decided to move forward now in finalising the planning situation at the park.

Development is already underway on SP160, and SP47 – 160,000 sq ft and 47,000 sq ft units, respectively, both of which will be ready for occupation before the end of 2022 and SP47 is already under offer to a local occupier. These new developments form the third phase of Suffolk Park, a key commercial location in the region with exceptional transport connections via the A14 corridor, linking it to Felixstowe, the UK’s largest container port, and to the Midlands and London via the M11, M25 and M1.

Suffolk Park has been a resounding success since outline planning consent for the whole site was obtained in 2017, with occupiers including Hermes Parcelnet, MH Star UK, Unipart Logistics, Treatt, Sealy, The East of England Ambulance Trust and Skechers.

Marketing agents for Suffolk Park are Hazells, Savills and Bidwells.

Gateway 14 Ltd, advised by development partner Jaynic, has submitted a reserved matters planning application for home, garden and leisure products retail company The Range for a high quality, sustainable logistics unit of approaching 1.2m sq ft on the Gateway 14 scheme at Junction 50 of the A14, in Stowmarket, Suffolk. It will create an estimated 1,650 jobs in the region.

Gateway 14 already has outline planning consent for a 2.36m sq ft mixed-use innovation, business and warehousing scheme, and construction of the site infra-structure is already well underway. It is planned to start development of The Range unit in January 2023 with the building ready for occupation in the Autumn of 2023.

The landmark development will provide high specification buildings with sustainability a central feature including EV charging, LED lighting, solar PV, smart energy systems and rainwater harvesting. The development is committed to meeting BREEAM rating of Very Good standard and strive for Excellent wherever possible. This new distribution facility will be designed to achieve BREEAM excellent.

Accessibility through and around the development is a key feature with significant walking and cycling routes being integrated along with access to public transport links and local amenities.

Biodiversity on the site is also a priority, with high-quality landscaping, green corridors and nesting boxes all being introduced across the site to support not only the wildlife and ecology but also to create a vibrant, attractive, and healthy working environment for employees.

Gateway 14 Ltd, wholly owned by Mid Suffolk District Council, exchanged conditional contracts with The Range last month to develop the distribution unit with its development partner Jaynic, on a freehold turnkey basis.

The Range is one of the fastest growing retailers in the UK. It has over 200 retail stores nationwide and more than 65,000 products across 16 different departments from Homeware and Furniture to DIY and Art Supplies. A further 100+ retail stores are planned in the coming five years, in addition to its growing online presence. The Range already has two existing major distribution centres in the UK and the new site will help meet consumer demand in the South and South East of the country while also supporting operations across the UK.

Sir Christopher Haworth, chair, Gateway 14 Ltd commented:

“Welcoming The Range to Gateway 14 is a significant step forward for the site and demonstrates its important position in Suffolk and the wider Eastern region. Gateway 14 has huge potential not only for nationally important brands like The Range, but also to support local and small businesses.”

Ben Oughton, Development Director of Jaynic, said: “We are committed to delivering a high specification building for The Range with sustainability a central feature of the project with a target delivery date of Autumn 2023.”

Gateway 14 is part of the new low tax, low regulation zone of Freeport East. The government's Freeports initiative allows firms to import goods and then re-export them outside normal tax and customs rules

Businesses located at Gateway 14 will benefit from being part of Freeport East, one of only eight Freeports in the UK.

The Freeport status will provide many businesses on Gateway 14 with a range of benefits including a suite of tax reliefs and simplified customs arrangements.

Agents for the scheme are Avison Young and Savills.

Home, garden and leisure products retailer The Range is to occupy a high quality, sustainable logistics unit of approaching 1.2m sq ft on the Gateway 14 scheme at Junction 50 of the A14, in Stowmarket, Suffolk.

Gateway 14 Ltd, wholly owned by Mid Suffolk District Council, has exchanged conditional contracts to develop the distribution unit with its development partner Jaynic, on a freehold turnkey basis.  

The Range is one of the fastest growing retailers in the UK. It has over 200 retail stores nationwide and more than 65,000 products across 16 different departments from Homeware and Furniture to DIY and Art Supplies. A further 100+ retail stores are planned in the coming five years, in addition to its growing online presence. The Range already has two existing major distribution centres in the UK and the new site will help meet consumer demand in the South and South East of the country while also supporting operations across the UK.

A reserved matters application is to be submitted in July with a proposed start on site in January 2023 and practical completion in the Autumn of 2023. Gateway 14 already has outline planning consent for a 2.36m sq ft mixed-use innovation, business and warehousing scheme, and construction of the site infra-structure is already well underway.

It will make a major contribution to the local and regional economy creating an estimated 1,650 new jobs in the area.

“Alex Simpkin, CEO at The Range, said:

“This acquisition represents a £200m investment and is integral to our expansion plans. We were naturally attracted to the site due to its commitment to sustainability and proximity to the East coast container port of Felixstowe. The Freeport benefits that Gateway 14 provides allows us to evolve our ecommerce division nationwide and accelerate store growth."

Sir Christopher Haworth, chair, Gateway 14 Ltd commented:

“Welcoming The Range to Gateway 14 is a significant step forward for the site and demonstrates its important position in Suffolk and the wider Eastern region. Gateway 14 has huge potential not only for nationally important brands like The Range, but also to support local and small businesses.”

Cllr Suzie Morley, leader, Mid Suffolk District Council said:

“Working in partnership with renowned home and leisure retailer, The Range, will provide a huge boost to Gateway 14 and will create a considerable number of new jobs for local people. As the development continues, I look forward to welcoming more businesses to the site.”

Ben Oughton, Development Director of Jaynic, said:

“Securing such a significant first occupier, only months after we started building the infrastructure at Gateway 14, demonstrates how important a location the A14 corridor has become, and is borne out by the huge interest there is in Gateway 14, with its Freeport benefits and proximity to Felixstowe.”

Gateway 14 is part of the new low tax, low regulation zone of Freeport East. The government's Freeports initiative allows firms to import goods and then re-export them outside normal tax and customs rules

Businesses located at Gateway 14 will benefit from being part of Freeport East, one of only eight Freeports in the UK.

The Freeport status will provide many businesses on Gateway 14 with a range of benefits including a suite of tax reliefs and simplified customs arrangements.

George Kieffer, Acting Chairman of Freeport East:

“The unique location of Freeport East, close to some of the world’s major international shipping routes, provides a range of benefits to businesses which locate here. Freeport East is focussed upon value-added logistics, advanced manufacturing and the clean energy sectors and we are delighted to welcome The Range as the first of what will be many businesses to commit to the Freeport.”

Overall, the landmark development will provide high specification buildings with sustainability a central feature including EV charging, LED lighting, solar PV, smart energy systems and rainwater harvesting. The development is committed to meeting BREEAM rating of Very Good standard and strive for Excellent wherever possible. This new distribution facility will be designed to achieve BREEAM excellent.

Accessibility through and around the development is a key feature with significant walking and cycling routes being integrated along with access to public transport links and local amenities.

Biodiversity on the site is also a priority, with high-quality landscaping, green corridors and nesting boxes all being introduced across the site to support not only the wildlife and ecology but also to create a vibrant, attractive, and healthy working environment for employees.

Agents for the scheme are Avison Young and Savills.

Andrew Bell has been appointed the new Centre Manager at the EpiCentre in Haverhill succeeding Kelly Boosey, and is excited to start his new role in the latter part of June

Andrew, who is local to the Cambridgeshire area, has a long-term career within centre management and the hospitality industry. He previously worked for TWI’s facility The Granta Centre part of the South Cambridge Business Technology Cluster for five years. He is well connected in the region’s business eco-system and looking forward to getting his teeth stuck in.

Andrew, says: “I am really looking forward to starting my new position at the EpiCentre. At The Granta Centre my role was to build a reputation based on service excellence and good value. In that respect, I intend to build on the EpiCentre teams excellent start following it’s launch during the challenging months of the pandemic and continue the success story.

The EpiCentre now has 129 full-time members working from the space of which 73 jobs have been created as a direct result of ‘the over’ 30 businesses choosing the centre as their home.  Both the ground and first floor are full with the remainder of space gradually filling up.  Over 624 hours of business support has been provided over the last 18 months, helping to secure investment funds and create new connections.

Kelly is moving into a Commercial Manager role for Oxford Innovation, the largest operator of innovation space in the UK, to support the business with its growth plans to further improve the performance of its existing 26 centres and to increase the portfolio.

While at the centre she had dedicated her activities to making the EpiCentre part of the region’s business ecosystem, building a strong events programme for business and the local community and recently overseeing the conversion of the remainder of the ground floor to bio-tech and life science laboratory space.  All of which has been filled ahead of schedule.

The EpiCentre is all about supporting small and medium sized businesses to scale and grow. Oxford Innovation offers services beyond the facilities and physical space which includes lab, office, co-working plus meeting rooms. The business support provided by its dedicated Innovation Director and centre team makes all the difference, providing additional guidance, signposting connections and can even go as far as providing 1-2-1 coaching and mentoring.

Land promoter and developer Jaynic that operates mainly in East Anglia has appointed Joe Clarke as Senior Commercial Manager whose priority role initially will be overseeing the physical development of the Gateway 14 scheme at Stowmarket.

Clarke who previously worked for contractor Bowmer & Kirkland in Derby has over 15 years of commercial management experience in many different sectors of the construction industry

He has been involved with managing numerous design and build contracts from inception through to successful completion and handover to clients. He will take full commercial responsibility and manage risk and opportunities within the development team.

Clarke says: “Having worked for a construction company where the role starts only when planning consent is obtained, with Jaynic I am really looking forward being part of a team that takes something from nothing, going to planning, then building out and delivering to occupiers. From cradle to grave as it were,” adds Clarke.

Construction Director Jason Newman says: “We welcome Joe on board who’ll have huge responsibility as the key member of the team delivering the 2.36m sq ft mixed-use Gateway 14 scheme at Stowmarket where Jaynic are development managers for Mid-Suffolk Council. Construction of the infrastructure is already well underway and discussions with potential occupiers are in hand.”

Clarke lives in Derbyshire with his partner, son and daughter, and when not on family duties likes to play golf.

Land promoter and developer Jaynic has entered into a land promotion agreement with a landowner on a substantial site in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. The 270-acre site lies on the south side of the A14 adjacent to Abbots Vale, a scheme that obtained planning consent in 2020 for 1,250 dwellings together with community facilities including a new primary school.

Following initial representations by Hazells Chartered Surveyors, advisers and agents for the landowner, the entire site has been identified in the West Suffolk Local Plan (Regulation 18) Preferred Options, in anticipation of a significant new residential-led mixed use scheme. Early site assessment indicates a capacity in excess of 1,800 new dwellings, together with associated facilities and employment opportunities. West Suffolk Council are due to adopt a new Local Plan in July 2024 and the scheme is likely to be delivered over this and subsequent Local Plan periods.

Jonathan Lloyd, Director of Hazells comments “acting on behalf of various local landowners we have successfully brought forward and sold two of the most significant residential developments sites in Bury St Edmunds under the current local plan. This latest 270-acre site is a potential further extension to the strategic growth of Bury St Edmunds and our client was keen to ensure that it received the best planning and promotional assistance possible. The selection of Jaynic as Land Promoter fulfils these requirements to the full and we are delighted at their appointment.”

Andrew Anderson, Director of Jaynic responsible for the site says: “we are delighted to have secured this agreement and equally pleased that Jaynic’s representations on behalf of the landowner have helped secure a draft allocation in the Council’s draft plan. We now look forward to engaging with all stakeholders to ensure that a sustainable new scheme can be delivered for the benefit of the town.

“The site sits adjacent to the Abbots Vale scheme, which received outline permission for a new residential-led development in 2020. Our site forms a natural progression to this and has the ability to help future proof the council’s housing land supply for many years to come.”

Jaynic has a strong track record in the promotion of residential projects on behalf of landowners, taking them through the planning process and, thereafter, working with housebuilders to deliver high quality, sustainable and efficient developments. Recent projects include planning permissions secured for a 125-home scheme at Red Lodge on the A11, sold to Barratt Eastern Counties, permission on appeal for up to 155 homes in Haverhill, sold to Taylor Wimpey (East Anglia) and the sale of a 183-dwelling site at Seaford in East Sussex to Bellway Homes.

Five new dedicated laboratory spaces at The EpiCentre in Haverhill have been snapped up before completion, due to the rapid upsurge in demand for biotech and life sciences laboratories in the Cambridgeshire area.

Companies occupying the five new units include current customers who are looking to scale as well as new businesses that want to be based at the innovation centre to take advantage of the facilities and services on offer.

Analog Devices Ltd is expanding as it already occupied two bench spaces and has now taken its own dedicated laboratory space together with write-up and analysis space on the first floor.

Julie Byard, a Senior Manager in Analog’s Digital Healthcare division says they are undertaking benchtop experiments on their bio-sensors that help clinicians guide patients through their treatment journey as well as in the testing of diagnostic equipment.

“The EpiCentre has equipment relating to DNA and proteins, so we don’t need to purchase our own,” says Julie Byard.” At the same time she praises the management team at the EpiCentre, “The Oxford Innovation team have been incredibly accommodating and helpful, and with the other companies in the centre’s laboratory space we all feel like a happy family.”

ExpressionEdits is a new occupier at the centre taking three separate, dedicated laboratory spaces. It is a spin-out from the Department of Medicine at Cambridge University and as a bio-tech company they will be using the space to bring forward the full potential of genetic production. Kärt Tomberg a co-founder of the company says: “there is huge demand for life science laboratories in the Cambridge region but very little space available, so the EpiCentre’s new lab facilities have come along just at the right time.”

Centre Manager, Kelly Boosey, says: “We were not surprised that the space has been filled so quickly. Companies may start off in the all-inclusive shared tissue culture and microbiology laboratory with an allocated bench, then move on to their own dedicated lab space, plus at the same time they may wish to obtain one of the office spaces on the floors above to locate their admin teams. This all comes with Oxford Innovation’s business support services, a manned reception and the superb on-site facilities including the centre’s own café and ample parking spaces,” adds Kelly.

Nic Rumsey, managing director of Jaynic, said: “We are investing in more laboratory space because there has been a substantial upsurge in life science and bio-tech research and, of course, the Cambridgeshire area is at the leading edge of this trend.”

The EpiCentre has already attracted a number of start-up and scale-up life science businesses including CodiKoat, Halo Labs, Biotix, TA Instruments, Analog and Amphista Therapeutics. CodiKoat’s growth trajectory evidences the demand for space. It originally took a single bench in the centre’s shared laboratory space, but has grown rapidly, employing world class scientists, and has expanded to take a dedicated laboratory facility of 6 benches as well as a large office to house its full team.

The significant take up of space is in line with Central Government thinking on the life science sector. Last year, UK life sciences companies raised a record-breaking total of £6.6bn in the first 10 months of 2021 creating a solid foundation to support the Life Science Vision launched by the government last summer, with the target of making the United Kingdom the leading global hub for life sciences.

The EpiCentre is all about supporting small and medium sized businesses to scale and grow. Oxford Innovation offers services beyond the facilities and space which includes lab, office, co-working plus meeting rooms. The business support provided by its dedicated Innovation Director, and within the strong the eco-system it is building, makes all the difference. It provides additional guidance, signposting connections and can even go as far as providing 1-2-1 coaching and mentoring.

Cain International (“Cain”), the privately held investment firm, has agreed an extended development finance facility of £19.25 million with Jaynic Property Group.

Cain originally lent £13.8 million in February 2022 for the development of SP160, a 160,000 sq ft warehouse at Jaynic’s Suffolk Park logistics scheme to the east of Bury St Edmunds. It has now agreed to extend the loan by a further £5.45 million, allowing the development of an additional 47,000 sq ft unit, SP47, at the same location.

The new developments form the third phase of Suffolk Park, a key commercial location in the region with exceptional transport connections via the A14 corridor, linking it to Felixstowe, the UK’s largest container port, and to the Midlands and London via the M11, M25 and M1. Suffolk Park has been a resounding success since planning consent was obtained in 2017, with occupiers including Hermes Parcelnet, MH Star UK, Unipart Logistics, Treatt, Sealy, The East of England Ambulance Trust and Skechers.

The activity closely follows Cain’s £13.85 million senior development loan to wine merchant Lay & Wheeler for the forward funding of a new wine storage warehouse and head office near Ipswich, Suffolk.

The firm’s Fortwell debt strategy, which targets development finance for projects in the sub-£50 million bracket, has lent over £66million in the industrial/logistics sector in the last nine months alone.

Cain has additional exposure in the logistics market, having recently entered the space through its equity division through the £550 million acquisition of a Grade A logistics portfolio comprising 3.25 million sq. ft across seven sites throughout the UK.

Nikos Yerolemou-Ennsgraber, director at Cain, said: “Suffolk Park is a fantastic logistics scheme, and as such it is pleasing to put together an extension to the existing loan facility that will enable Jaynic to develop the warehouse space that East Anglia has a growing requirement for. Logistics has been an area of growing importance to Cain, and to hit £100 million of lending to the sector under the Fortwell debt strategy highlights our confidence in the market’s fundamentals.”

Gary McCausland, director at Jaynic, added: “We are delighted to be able to do our second financing with Cain at Suffolk Park and look forward to the continued success of the scheme.”

Starting on site in 2017, Jaynic’s Suffolk Park scheme in Bury St Edmunds has developed over 1.4m sq ft taking space at Suffolk Park. Existing occupiers include Weerts Group (Skechers/Bleckmann), MH Star UK Ltd, Unipart Logistics, Treatt, Sealey and The East of England Ambulance Trust.

Suffolk Park offers prospective occupiers bespoke buildings on a design & build basis alongside a rolling programme of speculative development. Currently it has three warehouses under construction-SP76 a prelet of 76,000 sq ft to Hermes/ Evri and SP47 and SP160 that offer a 47,000 sq ft and a 160,000 sq ft warehouse that will be available for occupation later this year.

A local eyesore, the conveyor belt structure across the A143 at the Karro Food’s complex in Little Wratting, was demolished last weekend by property developer Jaynic making way for a future new business park.

Paul Sutton, Planning Director, at Jaynic said: “The conveyor belt structure, which carried pig carcasses across the road from Karro’s food processing site abattoir, is now surplus to requirements and as part of our agreement with the company we have removed it, following the demolition of the equally unsightly abbatoir we completed last year, on behalf of Karro.”

Jaynic will now be bringing forward the existing employment site allocation in the adopted local plan and will be discussing with West Suffolk Council the opportunity to extend this allocation through the new emerging local plan process.

Sutton, added: “We hope to bring occupiers and development forward that will add to the local economy and create jobs, whilst their operations will be shielded by the substantial existing mature landscaping around the boundaries of the site.”

In 2021, Jaynic bought Karro Food’s redundant 20-acre southern site opposite its retained plant. The development, located under two miles east of Haverhill, is to be called the Stour Business Park with six acres already allocated for employment in West Suffolk Council’s adopted local plan, the Rural Vision 2031.

The site is well-located for access to the principal East of England road network. It will benefit from proximity to the Haverhill Northern Relief Road currently nearing completion, removing the need for traffic to go through the centre of Haverhill. This will give fast access to the A1307, which runs westwards to the A11/M11 and Cambridge, and the A1017.

Karro, part of the Eight Fifty Food Group, was recently acquired by Canadian group Sofina Foods. It will continue to undertake pork product food processing and production on the northern site on the other side of the A143, that it is retaining.

Agents for the scheme are Rumsey & Partners and Cheffins.

Construction is officially underway at Gateway 14 – the multi-million-pound business, innovation and logistics development in Stowmarket.

Today’s ‘ground-breaking’ ceremony saw Mid Suffolk District Council leader Cllr Suzie Morley put the first spade in the ground on the site, which is set to create hundreds of jobs for the district, boost the local economy and attract investment into the region.

The development, by Gateway 14 Ltd (wholly owned by Mid Suffolk District Council) and development manager, Jaynic, will provide a new base for manufacturing, logistics and R&D businesses as well as providing innovation space for smaller and start-up businesses.

Cllr Suzie Morley, Mid Suffolk District Council leader, said:

“This is a hugely important development for Mid Suffolk and the wider region. Gateway 14 has the potential to not only attract businesses to the area but also create a range of employment opportunities in the district. It is a key part of our vision in building a thriving and sustainable future for the residents and communities of Mid Suffolk.”

Gateway 14 chair Sir Christopher Haworth said:

“This ground-breaking marks a significant milestone in the development of Gateway 14 and will open up the park for the construction of the first buildings. I am delighted that we have an excellent team to deliver this project and look forward to working with them to create a landmark development that is high-quality, sustainable, and fit for the future.”

Nic Rumsey, managing director, Jaynic, the development managers for the project said:

“The start on site is the culmination of several years working up the scheme and obtaining a revised holistic planning consent for the whole development. Mid Suffolk District Council’s vision is strong, and we are thrilled to be part of it – creating this exciting scheme that will provide many jobs for the surrounding districts and the region.”

In addition, Gateway 14 benefits from being part of Freeport East, one of only eight Freeports in the UK.

The Freeport status will provide many businesses on Gateway 14 with a range benefits including a suite of tax reliefs and simplified customs arrangements.

Today’s ground-breaking marks the first physical development across any of the Freeport East sites which include Felixstowe, Harwich and four customs sites.

George Kieffer, Acting Chairman of Freeport East said:

“Freeport East is a transformational initiative providing a total of 275 hectares of development opportunities in an area around the ports of Felixstowe and Harwich. Freeport status will attract new and additional investment in world-leading infrastructure and innovation, driving the Green Industrial Revolution and providing extensive re-skilling and up-skilling opportunities to transform the life chances of thousands of people.

“Today’s ground-breaking ceremony represents the first tangible step on this exciting journey.”

Located close to junction 50 of the A14 near Stowmarket, the 2.45m sq ft site, the landmark development is designed to a high specification with sustainability at the centre with features such as EV charging, LED lighting, solar PV, smart energy systems and rainwater harvesting. The development will meet a minimum BREEAM rating of Very Good and excellent wherever possible.

Accessibility through and around the development is a key feature with significant walking and cycling routes being integrated along with access to public transport links and local amenities.

Biodiversity on the site is also a priority, with high-quality landscaping, green corridors and nesting boxes all being introduced across the site to support not only the wildlife and ecology but also to create a vibrant, attraction and healthy working environment for employees.

The infrastructure contract worth £6.4m was recently awarded to Jackson Civil Engineering Ltd and is expected to be completed by early 2023. This includes building the new main estate road from the roundabout on the A1120, providing direct access into the development, the installation of a new toucan pedestrian crossing on the A1120 to the retail development on the opposite side of the road; gas, water and electricity mains, foul and drainage water, footpaths, and cycle lanes, the stopping up of Mill Lane and a bund to the Clamps Farm boundary.

Gateway 14 offers a prime location for manufacturing and logistics with its position along the A14 providing easy access to Ipswich, Cambridge and up to the Midlands as well as to the port at Felixstowe.

For more information, please visit www.gateway14.com and www.freeporteast.com

Photo Caption:

Front: Cllr Suzie Morley (leader, Mid Suffolk District Council) was joined by Gateway 14 chair Sir Christopher Haworth and; Behind: partners from Jaynic, Freeport East, Jackson Civil Engineering Ltd, Stowmarket Town Council and Mid Suffolk District Council to mark the official ground breaking at Gateway 14 near Stowmarket.

Developer Jaynic has broken ground this week on the third unit within phase three of its warehouse development at Suffolk Park, Bury St Edmunds, to be built by contractor Parkway.

The 47,000 sq ft speculative warehouse unit will cater for the strong occupier demand in the region and is due to be completed in December 2022.

Companies taking space at Suffolk Park to date include Weerts Group (Skechers/Bleckmann), MH Star UK Ltd, Unipart Logistics, Treatt, Sealey and The East of England Ambulance Trust accounting for approaching 1.75m sq ft of space.

Suffolk Park offers prospective occupiers bespoke buildings on a design & build basis alongside a rolling programme of speculative development.

It is located within one hour of the Port of Felixstowe, the UK’s largest container port dealing with 42% of Britain’s containerised trade. In 2015 it was ranked as the 37th busiest container port in the world and Europe’s 6th busiest.

Marketing agents for Suffolk Park are Hazells, Savills and Bidwells.

Pictured: L – R Nicola Barber (Jaynic), Matt Vicarage (Parkway), Jason Newman (Jaynic), Gavin Wilcox (Parkway), Nick Timms (Parkway) and Matty Carr (Parkway).

Gateway 14 Ltd, working with its development manager Jaynic, has awarded an infrastructure contract worth £6.4m to Jackson Civil Engineering Ltd.

The infrastructure contract for the 2.36m sq ft mixed-use development project at Gateway 14 adjacent to Junction 50 of the A14 at Stowmarket, Suffolk, includes building of a new main estate road from the roundabout on the A1120, providing direct access into the development, for the residents of The Clamps and will connect into Mill Lane.

Other works include the installation of a new toucan pedestrian crossing on the A1120 to the retail development on the opposite side of the road; gas, water and electricity mains, foul and drainage water, footpaths, and cycle lanes, the stopping up of Mill Lane and a bund to the Clamps Farm boundary.

Jason Newman, construction director at Jaynic said “the letting of this infrastructure contract is a significant milestone in our involvement at Gateway 14 and we very much look forward to the progression of these works over the coming months as the business park starts to take shape.”

Sir Christopher Haworth, chair, Gateway 14 commented:

“The start of the infrastructure development is an exciting step forward and marks the first significant works on the site. It will bring together not only the essential utilities but also the accessibility to and around the site to allow the start of construction of the first buildings.”

Neil Robinson, Regional Director for Jackson Civil Engineering’s Eastern Division said “Jackson is delighted to have been appointed to deliver the infrastructure on this exciting project. We look forward to once again working alongside Jaynic and to playing a part in developing this major business park in East Anglia.”

Jackson’s will start on site at the end of April and is expected to complete the project within 12 months. The development of the infrastructure at Gateway 14 has been registered with the Considerate Constructor Scheme and will be managed carefully to mitigate impact whilst works are underway.

Jaynic has appointed Parkway Construction MK Ltd on its SP47 warehouse at Suffolk Park, Bury St Edmunds, which will break ground on the scheme in April with completion expected in December 2022.

The development will comprise a 47,657 sq ft warehouse to be speculatively developed by Jaynic to cater for the strong occupier demand in the region.

Development director Ben Oughton, says: “There is little or no supply of warehouse space coming out of the ground in the region and given the considerable demand from occupiers we are confident that we will find an occupier for the building during the construction phase.”

Contracts Director Matthew Vicarage at Parkway said “We are delighted to be working with Jaynic on another great scheme”.

SP47 follows on from SP160, also being built by Parkway, where construction is well underway for a 160,000 sq ft speculative warehouse and Jaynic is currently in negotiations with potential occupiers for the building.

Once these two buildings are completed there will be just 12.5 acres remaining at Suffolk Park for development.

Companies taking space at Suffolk Park to date include Weerts Group, Skechers, Bleckmann, MH Star UK Ltd, Unipart Logistics, Treatt, Sealey and The East of England Ambulance Trust accounting for approaching 1.75m sq ft of space.

Suffolk Park offers prospective occupiers bespoke buildings on a design & build basis alongside a rolling programme of speculative development.

It is located within one hour of the Port of Felixstowe, the UK’s largest container port dealing with 42% of Britain’s containerised trade. In 2015 it was ranked as the 37th busiest container port in the world and Europe’s 6th busiest.

Marketing agents for Suffolk Park are Hazells, Savills and Bidwells.

London, 28 February 2022 Fortwell Capital, principal lender to developers and investors within the UK and Ireland, has provided a new £13.8 million development loan to business space developer, Jaynic for the construction of a new logistics unit at Suffolk Park, in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, UK. In doing so Fortwell has now funded over 1 million sq ft of industrial real estate since 2019.

Fortwell’s loan will be used to develop a new 160,000 sq ft unit at Suffolk Park, a key commercial location in the region. Suffolk Park has exceptional transport connections via the A14 Corridor, linking it to Felixstowe, the UK’s largest container port, and to the Midlands and London via the M11, M25 and M1.

The Suffolk Park scheme has been a resounding success since planning consent was obtained in 2017 with 1.4 million sq ft transacted to date. Occupiers include Hermes Parcelnet Ltd, Weerts Group, MH Star UK Ltd, Unipart Logistics, Treatt, Sealey, The East of England Ambulance Trust and Skechers.

Jaynic is Fortwell’s fifth borrower in the industrial/logistics space, with the single unit at Suffolk Park the largest the alternative lender has funded. The deal reflects Fortwell Capital’s strategic focus on lending opportunities within sectors and regions where there is strong commercial activity, accessibility, and high and rising demand for quality assets.

Nikos Yerolemou-Ennsgraber, Director, Fortwell Capital, commented: “First and foremost, we are excited to be working with Jaynic to deliver this unit at Suffolk Park. Jaynic has already demonstrated their ability to deliver high quality, institutional units at the scheme, and we are looking forward to supporting the next phase of the park’s development. We anticipate the demand for larger industrial units will remain strong as more businesses seek to strengthen their distribution facilities in both domestic and international markets.”

Gary McCausland a director of Jaynic said: “We are delighted to be working with Fortwell Capital on this next phase of our development at Suffolk Park. Once these buildings are completed there will be just 12.5 acres remaining for development at the park. The speed with which space has been taken has surpassed all our expectations. We had expected the project to be built out over 10 years and there is every chance that this could occur in just six. This reflects the acute shortage of space with demand continuing to grow and companies taking on additional space to ‘future proof’ their needs. It also demonstrates the growing reputation of Suffolk Park and the A14 corridor as a credible institutional investment location.”

Simmons & Simmons acted for Fortwell, Wedlake Bell for Jaynic. Agents for the scheme are Hazells, Savills and Bidwells.

Workman LLP has been appointed as property and estate managers on Gateway 14, the 2.36m sq ft business, logistics and innovation development at Stowmarket, Suffolk.

Workman will be responsible for the advising in relation to the formation of the estate management strategy and delivering the day-to-day management of Gateway 14, one of the largest ever developments in East Anglia and part of the newly approved Freeport East area Workman are experienced property managers and manage a number of large prestigious business parks across the UK.

The scheme, that was granted planning consent in October last year, is a development by Gateway 14 Ltd (wholly owned by Mid Suffolk District Council) and developer Jaynic, that has a strong track record for delivering high quality business and logistics parks on a speculative and bespoke basis in the East Anglian region.

Freeport East, is one of eight new Freeports in England that benefit from different tax and custom rules. In December 2021, Freeport East received approval for its outline business case and the Tax Site designation for Gateway 14 was approved meaning occupiers will be able to access the financial incentives immediately. Freeport East hopes to generate a Gross Value Added (GVA) of £5.5 billion and create up to 13,500 jobs for the area over 10 years.

Gateway 14 will deliver a range of opportunities for occupiers. New facilities will be available on a bespoke and speculative basis making it the ideal location for office, R&D, logistics and manufacturing users. The mixed-use park will comprise high-specification space, with potential to build E(g), B2 and B8 units.

Ben Oughton, Jaynic’s Development Director, said:

“Workman is a natural fit for Gateway 14 having a huge reputation for managing developments of substantial size. There is already significant interest in the development with the freeport benefits and its location adjacent to the A14 being of great appeal to potential occupiers and it will require extremely active management for which Workman is known throughout the UK and beyond.”

Mark Smith, Partner at Workman commented:

“We are delighted and proud to be appointed to provide management services for Gateway 14, working alongside Jaynic. To manage what will be a hugely significant Business, Logistics and Innovation Park in the East is an exciting opportunity for Workman.”

Sir Christopher Haworth, chairman, Gateway 14 Ltd added:

“Gateway 14 is a flagship development for the region with opportunities for a range of national and international businesses, boosted by the Freeport East designation. Our ambition has always been to deliver to high quality space for businesses, and in turn, create employment opportunities for Stowmarket and the surrounding region.”

Agents for the scheme are Savills and Avison Young

The EpiCentre in Haverhill is fast becoming a destination for stand-out events in the East of England. After a successful series of events in 2021, the programme for Spring 2022 starts with a landmark event bringing together leading universities to share best practice on spinouts and commercialising IP, followed by a showcase of AI and data-focused innovators in life sciences later in the same month.

The events taking place in March 2022, that are open to all, are part of The EpiCentre’s strategy to support start-ups and scale-ups to build economic prosperity and strengthen the eco-system in a location conveniently nestled in the middle of three counties: Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Essex. With part of the space at The EpiCentre dedicated to laboratory facilities and life sciences, these events enable the innovation centre to support its community whilst building awareness of the facilities available for companies that are looking for both infrastructure and business support.

The Innovation & Investment event takes place on 3 March 2022 and will include a live debate in the role Universities play in stimulating economic activity by commercialising intellectual property and spinning out companies. Professor Andy Neely OBE is the Pro-Vice Chancellor for Enterprise and Business Relations at the University of Cambridge and Professor Chas Bountra who is Pro-Vice Chancellor for Innovation at the University of Oxford will lead the debate and share the work that is being done to support their scientific communities as well as creating infrastructure to assist entrepreneurial academics who want to take their research ideas and flourish through commercialisation. Professor Chris Greer who is Pro-Vice Chancellor Research from University of Essex will also be joining to share an alternative aspect of supporting commercialisation through Knowledge Transfer Partnerships designed to encourage collaboration between businesses and universities. The second part of this event is ‘Pitch for Investment’ where 6 companies will be pitching to a combined network of 750 Angels, who will be invited to join virtually. Registration details can be found by clicking here.

Tim Robinson the CEO of Tech East is giving the opening and closing speeches while Anthony Harris, an entrepreneur, technologist and IT industry veteran, will be leading the debate on spinouts. The event is supported by Mills & Reeve, Oion and Cambridge Angels.

On the 15th March the in-person Bio-Tuesday event, being held in conjunction with OBN, the membership organisation supporting & bringing together UK’s life sciences companies, and co-marketed by One Nucleus, will recognise some of the most interesting and progressive AI & Data focused R&D innovators, hailing from the East of England Region.

The event will commence with a scene setting update from Dr Namshik Han​, Head of Computational Research & Artificial Intelligence, Milner Therapeutics Institute, who will share his insight on the latest innovation in this space, with a particular focus on the East of England Region, followed by 6 companies showcasing AI & Data focused R&D innovation. Registration details can be found by clicking here.

Babita Devi, Innovation Director at The EpiCentre, says: “spinouts are clearly an essential and exciting part of that innovation ecosystem, and access to early-stage funds cannot be underestimated in the future success of innovative companies from across the UK. The golden triangle of Oxford, Cambridge and London account for a third of all UK spinouts and pharma, medtech and AI continue to lead the market. We are delighted to host experts from leading universities to share best practice to support the UK’s ambition to strengthen and support its science and technology sectors.

“And on the 15th March 2022 we are looking forward to a stimulating discussion on life-science companies in the Eastern Region who are using AI and machine learning to both diagnose and treat the causes of cancer and other diseases, as well as using data analysis to optimise the drug discovery process,” adds Devi.

The EpiCentre continues to attract ambitious, technology and life science led SMEs, start-ups and growing businesses, creating a vibrant community of innovators and a place in which business can thrive. Services include:

Flexible work, meeting & event space for start-up/scale-up companies;
Community development and collaborative spaces for businesses to meet and collaborate with like-minded innovators; and
Business support services as well as access to a wide network of experts.

The laboratory space at the EpiCentre in Haverhill has proved so successful, with all 16 lab benches now let that the rest of the ground floor offices are to be converted into additional lab space to meet demand.

Jaynic, the owner of the EpiCentre, advised by the building’s managers Oxford Innovation, has decided to convert a further six rooms into dedicated laboratory space and has already pre-let two of the rooms.

Nic Rumsey, managing director of Jaynic, said: “We are investing in more laboratory space because there has been a substantial upsurge in life science and bio-tech research and, of course, the Cambridgeshire area is at the leading edge of this trend.”

The EpiCentre has already attracted a number of start-up and scale-up life science businesses including CodiKoat, Halo Labs, Biotix, TA Instruments, Analog and Amphista Therapeutics. CodiKoat’s growth trajectory evidences the demand for space. It is a start-up, pioneering an anti-viral coating technology that has attracted the interest of UK Central Government in fighting the COVID pandemic and other viral infections. It originally took a single bench in the centre’s shared laboratory space, but has grown rapidly, employing world class scientists and has expanded to take a dedicated laboratory facility of 6 benches as well as a large office to house its full team.

Centre manager Kelly Boosey, said: “The laboratory space provision has been a huge success at the EpiCentre, hence our desire to provide more space in the building for life science and bio-tech businesses, not only offering all-inclusive benches in shared space but also to support the next step of the customer journey by having some dedicated lab space on-site.

The significant take up of space is in line with Central Government thinking on the life science sector. Last year, UK life sciences companies raised a record-breaking total of £6.6bn in the first 10 months of 2021 creating a solid foundation to support the Life Science Vision launched by the government last summer, with the target of making the United Kingdom the leading global hub for life sciences.

The EpiCentre is all about supporting small and medium sized businesses to scale and grow. Oxford Innovation offers services beyond the facilities and space which includes lab, office, co-working plus meeting rooms. The business support provided by its dedicated Innovation Director Babita Devi, and within the strong the eco-system it is building, makes all the difference. It provides additional guidance, signposting connections and can even go as far as providing 1-2-1 coaching and mentoring.

Property developer Jaynic has won detailed planning consent for a 47,000 sq ft warehouse SP47 at its Suffolk Park development in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.

The developer will develop the unit speculatively with the construction contract being put out to tender shortly, giving a tenant the possibility of occupying the building by the beginning of next year.

Development director Ben Oughton, says: “There is little or no supply of warehouse space coming out of the ground in the region and given the considerable demand from occupiers we are confident that we will find an occupier for the building during the construction phase.”

The consent follows on from SP160, where construction is now underway for a 160,000 sq ft speculative warehouse and Jaynic is currently in negotiations with potential occupiers for the building.

Once these two buildings are completed there will be just 12.5 acres remaining at Suffolk Park for development.

Oughton comments: “The speed with which space has been taken at Suffolk Park has surpassed all our expectations. We had expected the project to be built out over 10 years and there is every chance that this could occur in just four years. This reflects the acute shortage of space with demand continuing to grow and companies taking on additional space to ‘future proof’ their needs.”

Marketing agents for Suffolk Park are Hazells, Savills and Bidwells

Paul Sutton (paul@jaynic.co.uk) has been appointed as Planning Director for property development company Jaynic.

Paul, who has been a chartered town planner since 1987, has over 40 years’ experience in town planning, with extensive spells in both the public and private sector, latterly as Director and Head of Planning in Strutt & Parker’s Cambridge office.

Managing Director, Nic Rumsey, said: “It is great to have Paul on-board as planning director. He has been advising us for several years and recently has had great success in helping us to win a planning appeal for up to 155 houses on our site at Haverhill, as well as obtaining consent for 2.45m sq ft of innovation, business and logistics space at Gateway 14 in Stowmarket.

“The considerable success we have had over the last 18 months in signing up occupiers at Suffolk Park as well as agreeing deals with landowners for possible future schemes in East Anglia, has resulted in a significant growth in our business and bringing Paul on board as a permanent member of the team makes perfect sense,” adds Rumsey.

Paul said: “it’s fantastic to be working with such a great team and I am looking forward to achieving positive planning outcomes on several major new projects that are in the pipeline.”

Jaynic currently has nine active sites it is working on in East Anglia with 2m sq ft of logistics, business and innovation space already delivered and a further 8.39m sq ft of space in the pipeline or waiting for planning.

Augmentive, a revolutionary on-line platform offering specialist mental health and well-being support has taken space at The EpiCentre in Haverhill.

One in six adults experienced some form of depression in summer 2021, compared with one in ten before the pandemic, according to the Office for National Statistics. The strong increase in numbers of people looking to find a therapist online suggests that people are being more proactive about seeking help.

Already established in London, the Augmentive service is for anyone who wants to feel their best and is ready to do something about it. It gives access to over 365 qualified therapists, coaches, trainers, nutritionists, and mindfulness specialists, hand-picked by the Augmentive team. The company is now VC backed having raised significant funding and is looking for qualified therapists in East Anglia to join their network.

Co-founder Kit Norman, 28, says “There has been a 160% increase in sessions over the last 3 months and an increase in new customers of 209%. Although established in London, the service will be particularly relevant in rural East Anglia where support can be harder to access. “We’re finding that clients who have been very happy with their experience are now recommending us to others and this is playing a huge part in our growth.”

Kit’s mother Sarah is a qualified therapist who draws from her experience to help match clients’ needs to the most suitable therapist. “Although the NHS can provide brilliant support, long waiting lists and the minefield of finding a therapist alone can mean that people often don’t get to actually talk to anyone until their anxiety or depression has escalated,” says Sarah. “This is where Augmentive comes in.”

A 15-minute free video consultation with the Augmentive concierge enables the client to be placed with the right practitioner, making the process of booking and accessing sessions quick and comfortable. There are no hidden catches with clients able to view, in a user-friendly way, fees and times when the specialists are available, enabling them to make bookings accordingly. Sessions can be held either in person or through the video facility on the platform, thanks to the digital technology expertly built by Kit’s brother Archie Norman, 31, and his team.

Centre manager Kelly Boosey says: “We welcome Augmentive to join our collaborative community at The EpiCentre. And what better a time to start than at this time of year when people use the New Year to re-focus and invest in their own health and well-being.”

Sarah says: “We maintain close relationships with all our practitioners so that we can place clients as effectively as possible. Once we've gained a good understanding of what you're looking for, we can recommend the best specialist or class for you.

“Our thriving community of coaches, therapists, nutritionists and experts from many areas can help you come at things from the angle that feels right for you. There is no commitment to book, our aim is to give you the best options so that you can decide whether you want to proceed as easily as possible,” adds Kit.

In addition to signing up Augmentive, The EpiCentre has made a significant contribution to the well-being of the West Suffolk community during 2021, having provided space in the first half of the year as a COVID vaccine centre and then signing up The Bridge First Aid to offer first aid courses, including mental health, to members of the public and local businesses.

This month marks a key milestone at The EpiCentre in Haverhill with the announcement that CodiKoat, one of its first life sciences occupiers is expanding, further boosting the centre’s reputation as a credible innovation space within East Anglia.

CodiKoat, is a start-up, pioneering an anti-viral coating technology that has attracted the interest of the UK Central Government in fighting the COVID pandemic and other viral infections. It originally took a single bench in the centre’s laboratory space, but has grown rapidly, employing 15 scientists and has expanded to take a dedicated laboratory facility of 6 benches as well as a large office to house its full team.

Matin Mohseni, a co-founder of CodiKoat says: "We are proud to be the first lab customer of The EpiCentre and to grow our team to a point where we can occupy six lab benches and the largest office space in the centre. CodiKoat's mission is to create a safer world for all and the environment, and we believe The EpiCentre has been and will continue to be a valuable resource in this journey. We look forward to continuing our growth by occupying more space at the centre in the near future."

The EpiCentre has successfully attracted a number of life science and bio-tech companies in the 12 months since it opened, with all 16 of its inclusive laboratory benches within a shared space now occupied. As a result, Oxford Innovation is now in discussions with the building’s owner Jaynic to explore the option of converting more space into labs, looking in particular at dedicated labs as grow on space within the centre.

The significant take up of space is in line with Central Government thinking on the life science sector. This year, UK life sciences companies raised a record-breaking total of £6.6bn in the first 10 months of 2021 creating a solid foundation to support the Life Science Vision launched by Prime Minister Boris Johnson this summer, with the target of making the United Kingdom the leading global hub for life sciences.

Centre manager, Kelly Boosey, says: “This is a really exciting time for us despite continuing COVID concerns as there is currently huge demand for laboratory space in Cambridgeshire and across the UK. We benefit from proximity to Cambridge but at the same time we are able to offer more cost-effective packages as well, ample parking and additional services including on-site café Cool Beans.

“Codikoat’s expansion is all about supporting small and medium sized businesses to scale and grow. This is an excellent example of the service we offer beyond the facilities and space which includes lab, office, co-working plus meeting rooms. The business support provided by our Innovation Director, and within the strong the eco-system we are building, makes all the difference. It provides additional guidance, signposting connections and can even go as far as providing 1-2-1 coaching and mentoring.

The laboratories at The EpiCentre have a mix of customers including CodiKoat, Halo Labs, Biotix, TA Instruments, Analog, Amphista Therapeutics and also our newest addition MuliplAI Health. These companies are playing a key role in the development of existing and future technologies and The EpiCentre is delighted to be supporting them.

Jaynic has broken ground on phase three of its warehouse development at Suffolk Park, Bury St Edmunds, to be built by contractor Parkway.

The development will comprise a 76,000 sq ft warehouse pre-let to Hermes Parcelnet Ltd, together with a 160,000 sq ft speculative warehouse to cater for the strong occupier demand in the region, both of which are due for completion in August 2022. These units form part of phase three of the 2.3m sq ft Suffolk Park development.

Companies taking space at Suffolk Park to date include Weerts Group (Skechers), MH Star UK Ltd, Unipart Logistics, Treatt, Sealey and The East of England Ambulance Trust accounting for approaching 1.75m sq ft of space.

Suffolk Park offers prospective occupiers bespoke buildings on a design & build basis alongside a rolling programme of speculative development.

It is located within one hour of the Port of Felixstowe, the UK’s largest container port dealing with 42% of Britain’s containerised trade. In 2015 it was ranked as the 37th busiest container port in the world and Europe’s 6th busiest.

Marketing agents for Suffolk Park are Hazells, Savills and Bidwells.

Pictured: L – R Matt Vicarage (Parkway), Nicola Barber (Jaynic) and Peter Carlow (Parkway)

Property developer Jaynic has forward funded SP76 pre-let to Hermes Parcelnet Ltd, at Suffolk Park, Bury St Edmunds, with CBRE Global Investors for £19.35m reflecting a market re-rating net initial yield of 3.48% based on full costs.

Ben Oughton, development director of Jaynic, says: “The forward funding price achieved on the Hermes unit reflects the very buoyant warehouse investment market and Suffolk Park’s excellent location adjacent to the A14 trunk road giving access to Felixstowe, the UK’s largest container port, and the national motorway network.”

Jaynic secured planning consent in October for the Hermes and adjoining SP160 and has let the building contracts independently to Parkway with construction starting imminently. Completion is anticipated in August 2022.

SP160, a speculative 160,000 sq ft will be delivered alongside Hermes. Strong interest consistent with a buoyant and supply constrained market is anticipated in the unit. These units form part of phase three of Jaynic’s 2.3m sq ft Suffolk Park development.

Occupiers taking space at Suffolk Park to date include Weerts Group, Skechers, MH Star UK Ltd, Unipart Logistics, Treatt, Sealey and The East of England Ambulance Trust accounting for approaching 1.75m sq ft of space. Suffolk Park boasts a range of blue chip institutional investors and corporate owner occupiers.

Suffolk Park offers prospective occupiers bespoke buildings on a design & build basis alongside a rolling programme of speculative development. Located within one hour of the Port of Felixstowe to the east, the UK’s largest container port and gateway to the region and within 30 minutes of Cambridge to the west, Suffolk Park offers a prime and core location on the important A14 strategic corridor. Access to the Midlands, London and south east are all convenient from Suffolk Park.

Major residential development is underway in the town with over 5,000 new homes allocated and construction commenced, to help the town’s continued economic growth and to accommodate an expanding workforce.

Savills advised Jaynic and LSH advised CBREGI on the funding.

Letting agents for Suffolk Park are Hazells, Savills and Bidwells.

This afternoon (Wednesday 1st December) The EpiCentre in Haverhill, celebrated its first-year milestone with live music, canapes, cocktails and a whole host of people who have been instrumental in its success including partners, associates and of course their customers

The centre has quickly become a widely recognised business innovation hub for Cambridgeshire, Suffolk and North Essex providing support for entrepreneurial growing enterprises occupying a mix of laboratory, office, co-working and meeting/event space.

Centre manager Kelly Boosey said: “We never had the opportunity to throw a big launch party given the best part of the year from the opening in November 2020 has been impacted by lockdown and restrictions. Therefore, this gives us a good excuse to celebrate the successes that the last year has brought and to thank our new and existing suppliers and friends for being part of the journey.

Tim Smith, the Deputy Managing Director of Oxford Innovation, the operator of the centre, said: “I would like to congratulate our centre management team for their energy, enthusiasm and sheer hard work in attracting over 20 businesses to the centre during the last 12 months; a period in which all business activities have been severely hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We have filled the ground floor with bio-tech and life sciences companies, with all 16 laboratory benches now full. CodiKoat - our first lab customer - is going from strength to strength and has already expanded in the centre, ably assisted by The EpiCentre’s in-house Innovation Director, who has provided dedicated business support and help with further rounds of investment.

In September the EpiCentre opened its Cool Beans Café and has held over 10 successful in-person events since the easing of restrictions in July this year. “We are really starting to build a collaborative community of like-minded businesses; none of which would have been possible without the support of all those either involved directly with The EpiCentre or who have used this superb facility” adds Smith.

Nitin Patel, Member of the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority Board, who provided investment finance for the innovation centre along with a loan from West Suffolk Council, said: ““It is fantastic to see the diversity of companies operating from the centre that is providing an exciting launchpad for their futures. This has been a very positive start for The EpiCentre helping to grow SMEs through a turbulent period, to find the right space, to adapt, and scale.”

Guests also heard from Asa Burrows the managing director of resident company SKC Games who are developing a triple A game and their vision of creating a gaming hub and motion capture facility on the top floor of The EpiCentre.

Image L-R - Nitin Patel, Tim Smith

Property developer Jaynic has appointed Suzanne Sweeney as office administrator based in its Bury St Edmunds office.

Sweeney will be assisting office and marketing manager Nicola Barber as the company rapidly expands its property development activities in East Anglia.

Barber, says: “We welcome Suzanne onto the team at Jaynic. The company is growing quickly, and her support will be invaluable. We have already delivered 1.4m sq ft at Suffolk Park in Bury St Edmunds, with a further 2.45m sq ft of consented commercial space at Gateway 14, Stowmarket and further sites in the pipeline.”

Sweeney was previously the site administrator for Readie Construction in Romford, Essex, who Jaynic appointed as contractor on its SP 150 and SP205 units at Suffolk Park.

Jaynic has secured planning consent at Suffolk Park, Bury St Edmunds, for a new warehouse to be occupied by parcel carrier Hermes Parcelnet Ltd, together with consent for a speculative 160,000 sq ft warehouse to cater for the strong occupier demand in the region. These units form part of phase three of the 2.3m sq ft Suffolk Park development.

Contractor Parkway has won the contract to build the first two units with construction due to start imminently for completion in August 2022.

Ben Oughton, development director of Jaynic, says: “We pre-let the 76,000 sq ft unit to Hermes earlier in the year. This shows the strong and sustained demand at Suffolk Park over the last couple of years for a range of sizes,” adds Oughton.

Julie Baird, Director for Planning and Growth at West Suffolk Council, said: We are proud that our vision and our work to invest in and secure the infrastructure and the land for the allocation at Suffolk Park is continuing to attract and create new employment opportunities here in West Suffolk. The Suffolk ark allocation was always intended to cater for a range of employment types such as company headquarters, logistics operations and units for start-up and small businesses as well as a strong mix of skilled jobs. We are seeing these coming forward, which is good news for the people of West Suffolk.”

Companies taking space at Suffolk Park to date include Weerts Group (Skechers), MH Star UK Ltd, Unipart Logistics, Treatt, Sealey and The East of England Ambulance Trust accounting for approaching 1.75m sq ft of space.

Suffolk Park offers prospective occupiers bespoke buildings on a design & build basis alongside a rolling programme of speculative development.

It is located within one hour of the Port of Felixstowe, the UK’s largest container port dealing with 42% of Britain’s containerised trade. In 2015 it was ranked as the 37th busiest container port in the world and Europe’s 6th busiest.

Bury St Edmunds is located on the strategically important A14 corridor, linking Felixstowe to the Midlands and London via the M11. The town boasts a variety of production and distribution occupiers including major national operators such as M H Star UK Ltd, Unipart, Sealey, Greene King, British Sugar, Century Logistics, Treatt, Atalian Servest, Mizkan and Taylor Wimpey.

Major residential development is underway in the town with over 5,000 new homes allocated and construction commenced, to help the town’s continued economic growth and to accommodate an expanding workforce.

Marketing agents for Suffolk Park are Hazells, Savills and Bidwells.

Property developer Jaynic has bought 91-acres at the former RAF Airfield at Shepherd’s Grove near Stanton in Suffolk from Property Recycling Group PLC and taken on an existing contract to sell 68 acres to Copart UK, the vehicle remarketing and recycling giant.

The sale to Copart, subject to planning for B8 Use Class (storage and distribution), would create a new 68-acre “super centre” in East Anglia as part of its major expansion programme to meet continued and growing demand from its customers.

The new operation centre on the A143 will be the largest vehicle storage and processing centre site owned by Copart in the UK, which currently has 16 others around the country. It is the largest UK business in its sector, moving more than half a million vehicles a year, and remarketing vehicles on behalf of the insurance sector, fleet, lease and hire companies.

A masterplan for the site had been adopted by West Suffolk Council, including up to 400 residential units, but Jaynic are now pursuing a 100% commercial development, with no residential uses.

The development includes a new roundabout on the A143 together with a link road to the existing Shepherd’s Grove West industrial area allowing HGV vehicles from there to enter and exit directly onto the A143 rather than through the village of Stanton as is currently the case.

Additionally, the new roundabout junction on the A143 will slow traffic considerably coming in and out of Stanton and make the junction on to the A143 from Hepworth much safer. And without the residential scheme there will be significantly less traffic than would have otherwise been the case.

Jaynic’s development will include all of these highway improvements, framework landscaping, on-plot landscaping, additional land planted to meet Bio-diversity Net Gain requirements, the Copart development site and a further 10 acres of commercial land split over 4 plots.

Jaynic will present its proposals in detail to Stanton and Hepworth Parish Councils before holding a public exhibition, prior to the application being submitted in early 2022.

The Copart Suffolk centre will provide between 100 and 120 new jobs for Copart’s directly employed workforce, including management and supervisory roles, engineers, around 30 office jobs, a similar number working in the vehicle yard , and 30 transporter drivers. Apprenticeships will also be available.

Savills agreed the deal with Copart and are agents on the remaining development land alongside Hazells.

Property developer and land promoter Jaynic has moved into new offices at its Greenwood Court building in Bury St Edmunds.

Its new address is 2 Greenwood Court, Skyliner Way, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP32 7GY.

Managing Director, Nic Rumsey, said: “Having occupied the first floor at Greenwood Court for the last two years we have now moved down into the ground floor as this will give us greater opportunity to expand our team.

“The considerable success we have had over the last 18 months in signing up occupiers at Suffolk Park as well as agreeing deals with landowners for possible future schemes in East Anglia, has resulted in a significant growth in our business and the move will enable us to staff up in our Bury St Edmunds regional HQ,” adds Rumsey.

As a result, it is on a recruitment drive with a new assistant for office and marketing manager Nicola Barber arriving shortly and it is on the look out for a technical/design manager to assist construction director Jason Newman.

Jaynic’s biggest project to date is Suffolk Park in Bury St Edmunds where it has developed 1.4m sq ft of 2.3m sq ft consented warehouse and business space, and has attracted many companies to the park including Weerts Logistics, NHS Supply Chain, MH Star, East of England NHS Ambulance Service Trust, Sealey, Treatt plc and Hermes Parcelnet.

And this year it secured an outline consent for its largest development to date, a 2.45m sq ft business, innovation and logistics park at Gateway 14 in Stowmarket working in partnership with Mid Suffolk Council. There are further business and residential schemes in the pipeline in both Suffolk and Cambridgeshire.

Developer Jaynic has completed construction of the 840,000 sq ft warehouse unit built for Belgian logistics giant Weerts Group International at Suffolk Park, Bury St Edmunds.

US footwear retailer Skechers is occupying 322,917 sq ft in the building with the potential to expand to 430,556 sq ft and it is using it as its UK distribution hub for its retail outlets.

Jason Newman, Construction Director of Jaynic says: “This is one of the largest warehouse units ever built in East Anglia and despite the challenges of the pandemic we have been able to deliver it within a reasonable time frame.”

Suffolk Park is Jaynic’s biggest project to date where it has developed 1.4m sq ft of space in four years after receiving consent for 2.3m sq ft of office, light industrial and warehouse space in 2017.

It has attracted many companies to the park including NHS Supply Chain, MH Star, East of England NHS Ambulance Service Trust, Sealey, Treatt plc and Hermes Parcelnet. It continues to speculatively develop at the park and will have over 200,000 sq ft of warehouse space available in Q3, 2022.

Last year Jaynic was appointed development partner by Mid-Suffolk Council on its 2.45m sq ft Gateway 14 innovation, business and logistics scheme in Stowmarket at Junction 50 of the A14. It has been given Freeport status by the Government and it received planning consent in August this year for the development.

Developer Jaynic has sold its 13.84-acre (5.6 hectares) Weaver’s View site at Haverhill, Suffolk to Taylor Wimpey (East Anglia) for up to 155 new homes, including 30% affordable housing.

The property is situated on the western edge of Haverhill, forming a gateway site, that is Cambridge facing via the A1307.

This is the second time that Jaynic has sold land to Taylor Wimpey in this location, with a previous sale in 2014 on land adjacent developed as the 150 unit ‘Arboretum’ scheme.

Jaynic director Andrew Anderson says: “We are very pleased to have concluded the sale of the site to Taylor Wimpey with whom we have a close relationship having undertaken schemes in association with them here in Haverhill and in Bury St Edmunds.

“Weaver’s View provides an attractive setting in a semi-rural location, with attractive views out to open countryside whilst benefiting from excellent nearby amenities and transport connections to surrounding regional centres, notably Cambridge to the north west,” adds Anderson.

Taylor Wimpey Managing Director Bryn Maidman, says: “We are delighted to reaffirm our commitment to Haverhill with this latest purchase of land in the area. Our plans include the delivery of 155 new homes, as well as improvements to landscaping, areas of public open space and local infrastructure.

“We look forward to working with Jaynic again, who we have a long-established relationship with as a fellow Suffolk business who shares our values of placemaking and community involvement.

We are excited for work to start on site and anticipate the first homes to be ready for sale in 2023.”

Haverhill is well located to take advantage of the growth of the Cambridge economy and its southern technology cluster and as a result, has a high level of out-commuting. Key areas of work attracting people from Haverhill are the renowned Addenbrooke’s Hospital Campus in Cambridge and the southern Cambridge cluster of major biotechnology companies and business parks.

Well placed satellite towns such as Haverhill have benefitted from growth and are seeing housing demand from commuters to Cambridge. The major driver of this surge in activity is the affordability in Haverhill as it offers a great value alternative to Cambridge and its surrounding satellite villages. Buyers priced out of Cambridge and the surrounding market are looking further out to Haverhill where they can find the same house type and size at a lower price point.

New homes at Weaver’s View will be of significant interest to first time buyers looking to get onto the property ladder, young families looking to upsize from their current property, growing families looking for a more substantial property but unable to afford Cambridge prices as well as professionals working at the Cambridge research parks and Addenbrooke’s Hospital Campus.

Weaver’s View is capable of generating mass market appeal. Not only will it capture the steady flow of buyers from the M11 corridor and Cambridge, but it will also generate interest from those already located in and around Haverhill.

Jaynic continues to have an interest in part of the Haverhill Research Park site having developed The EpiCentre overlooking the Spirit of Enterprise roundabout. This opened 12 months ago and is proving very popular with entrepreneurial growing companies looking for space on flexible terms. Jaynic still owns 1.85acres adjacent to The EpiCentre for business, technology or warehouse development.

Agents for Jaynic on the sale of the Weaver’s View site were Cheffins and Cushman & Wakefield.

12months, 20 businesses, 5 live events and launch of Cool Beans Cafe

This week The EpiCentre at Haverhill is celebrating its first anniversary with the announcement that it now has 20 businesses occupying space at the centre, a vibrant co-working space, and is fast becoming a widely recognised hub for Cambridgeshire, Suffolk and North Essex providing support for entrepreneurial growing enterprises.

Centre Manager, Kelly Boosey, says: “What an incredible and extraordinary year it has been. We opened our doors for business in November 2020 deep in COVID lockdown and instead of waiting for businesses to come to us we made a concerted effort to engage with the wider community, emphasising the Business Support package that is available when signing up as we are more than just space.

“We made our presence felt in the local area by offering the building as a COVID vaccine centre for six months at the beginning of the year, and throughout 2021 have embraced the business community including participating in the West Suffolk Business Festival and holding Back to Business exhibitions and hosting the first on-the-road 'Tech & Beer' tech networking event.

“The strategy has paid off and now we have 20 companies occupying The EpiCentre drawn from all areas of business. Our laboratory space has been particularly popular with a significant number of companies using the wet lab facilities. A notable business start-up has been CodiKoat that produces anti-viral coatings for numerous surfaces and has attracted the interest of Government in its fight against the spread of COVID,” says Kelly.

The number of companies looking at The EpiCentre as a possible home is growing by the week and includes both life sciences businesses and more mainstream enterprises. The latest companies to sign up are a major US business Analog Devices Ltd and start-up office supplies business Pegasus Office Solutions. Alan Thorpe of Pegasus praises the welcome he received: “It was definitely the most forward thinking and most modern of the properties I saw with a good environment being light and bright.” While Christophe Antoine of Analog says: “We, in the Digital Healthcare division of Analog Devices, are excited to foray deeper into the research and development of new biosensor products at the Epicentre in Haverhill and look forward to growth of this activity over the coming year.”

The EpiCentre’s appeal lies in the fact that there are no huge financial commitments. Rolling monthly contracts means companies are not tied in for years and can adjust space requirements to their immediate business needs. There are office rooms of all sizes, together with hot desks and co-working spaces that are all COVID-safe. And where The EpiCentre scores over traditional workplaces is that it gives support to those enterprises that need guidance in scaling up their businesses.

And The EpiCentre offer became even more attractive at the beginning of September when the centre’s own café Cool Beans opened for business providing artisan coffee and light snacks to the EpiCentre’s businesses as well as the wider Haverhill community.

Developer Jaynic is shortly to hand over an 870,000 sq ft warehouse at Suffolk Park, Bury St Edmunds, to Belgian logistics giant Weerts for its first location in the UK.

And it recently undertook a similar role for global flavour and fragrance solutions company Treatt plc at Suffolk Park in creating the first phase of its new 112,000 sq ft headquarters.

Managing director, Nic Rumsey says: “Development management, whereby we oversee the development of buildings for occupiers is becoming a major part of our business.

“This could be for an occupier for whom we can design and build on a bespoke basis that wants the planning and build process managed, allowing the company to focus on running its core business; or even an occupier who has acquired a new building and wants the fit-out managed on its behalf which we have done for M H Star at its sites in Bedford and Northampton.” adds Rumsey.

Jaynic has become a major development force in East Anglia and at Suffolk Park alone has delivered 1.4 million sq ft for office and warehouse occupiers in the last four years with a further 280,000 sq ft in the pipeline.

As a developer the company is always looking for land to promote through the planning system to bring forward development. It works with a diverse range of landowners including individuals, families, other property companies, the public sector, private businesses, farmers, and educational establishments.

A current example is the Gateway 14 site at Junction 50 of the A14 in Stowmarket where it was selected by Mid-Suffolk Council as land promoter for a 2.45m sq ft innovation, business and logistics scheme on land owned by the council and has just won planning consent.

Similarly, it has been appointed by a landowner as promotion partner on a 39-acre prime site at the Boxworth Road junction with the A14 at Boxworth to the south of Cambridge Services. Jaynic’s role will be to expand the current warehouse allocation in the district plan and if planning consent is forthcoming to promote and see through the development.

It isn’t only commercial development that interests Jaynic. It won planning consent on appeal this year for 155 units on its Haverhill Research Park site where commercial occupiers failed to come forward and the site is currently under offer to a national housebuilder. https://www.jaynic.co.uk/

Jaynic has won the development management fit-out contract for London-based consumer goods importer M H Star on multiple buildings in Bedford and Northampton.

The fit-out for M H Star will include internal reconfiguration, M&E and racking installations on the following buildings:

Bedford: Units 1, 2 and 3 G Park Wixhams, Bedford (161,374 sq ft, 126,132 sq ft and 249,219 sq ft respectively).

Northampton: Unit 1 and 2 Northampton Cross (250,000 and 104,000 sq ft respectively).

The appointment follows on from Jaynic’s original deal with M H Star at Suffolk Park where it sold a 206,000 sq ft warehouse to the company and then undertook the development management of the internal fit-out. It has also recently completed a fit-out project for M H Star on a 226,000 sq ft warehouse in Peterborough.

Arvind Panchmatia, M H Star’s General Manager – UK said: “It is very important to us that our warehouse opening programme is delivered on time and we have been very happy with Jaynic’s project management service on all our pojects.” 

Jaynic’s construction director, Jason Newman, said: “M H Star was looking for a fast-track fit-out programme at Suffolk Park which we were able to fulfil and as a result we have built up a close relationship with the company delivering buildings ready to move into, on time and on budget. This has resulted in the latest appointments at Bedford and Northampton.”

Over the last four years Jaynic has delivered over 1.4 million sq ft of warehouse and business space at Suffolk Park with a further 280,000 sq ft in the pipeline; it has recently won planning consent for 2.45 million sq ft of logistics, business and innovation space at Gateway 14, Stowmarket, Suffolk, adjacent to Junction 50 of the A14 and there are further commercial and residential developments on the drawing board in East Anglia.

Businesses, musical talent and a local celebrity gathered on 8th September 2021, to support the opening of Cool Beans, the new café at The EpiCentre on the Haverhill Research Park. Topped with a ribbon cutting ceremony by West Suffolk councillor Susan Glossop, the innovation centre is fast becoming a great location for companies looking to do business outside of the busy city of Cambridge.

Guests were treated to a truly inspirational speech by Scott Russell, the founder and owner of Paddy & Scott and supplier of coffee to Cool Beans, on how he started his business and funded a village in Kenya. From farm to coffee shop, Paddy & Scott shared an inspiring story of strengthening a local eco-system, a vision shared by The EpiCentre and the regeneration work being done in Haverhill.

Councillor Glossop, said: “The Epicentre is the result of years of work by Jaynic and what is now West Suffolk Council and it has been delivered because of the financial support and funding from the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority as well as a loan from West Suffolk Council.

“The opening of the Cool Beans Café will further enhance the EpiCentre in terms of what it can offer to businesses in the Haverhill area, encouraging networking, growth and support. This café space will serve as the catalyst for many productive and innovative conversations which I hope will lead to future collaborations and success. It also means that the EpiCentre, which has already started a programme of events, can do even more to encourage businesses to engage, log on and work from the EpiCentre, helping businesses back on their feet and moving forward with their plans for growth in West Suffolk,” commented Cllr Glossop.

Scott Russell, said: “We’re super proud to add Cool Beans to over 250 sites in the UK now serving Paddy & Scott’s in what I think will become an iconic location, a real hub of energy and passion. Cool Beans will be supporting our school and community project in Kenya where our coffee farm is located.”

The event also marked a special thanks to Suffolk GP Federation Vaccination Clinic with the unveiling of a plaque, in recognition of The EpiCentre being one of Suffolk’s first vaccination centres earlier this year.

The café is operated by Cambridge Catering, founded 11 years ago by Dennis Caswell who also owns the Sea Tree restaurant in Mill Road, Cambridge and runs contract catering for businesses in and around Cambridge including Dick White Referrals at Six Mile Bottom in Cambridgeshire, which is one of the largest specialist veterinary centres in Europe with 600 staff.

Kelly Boosey, The EpiCentre centre manager, said: “The vision for The EpiCentre is to create a vibrant business community and encourage collaborative conversations over a coffee and a bite to eat. Cool Beans café further adds to the attraction of the centre both for the occupiers and as an informal space for members of the public from surrounding areas to drop in for coffee, hold meetings and make use of the Wi-Fi. And all without having to book space.”

The cafe offers additional services including catering for conferences and meetings for external organisations as well as The EpiCentre customers. This includes business breakfasts, lunches canapes.

Today (18th August, 2021) Mid Suffolk District Council has resolved to grant planning consent for the 2.45m sq ft Innovation, Business and Logistics Gateway 14 scheme in Stowmarket, Suffolk, adjacent to Junction 50 of the A14 that will bring thousands of jobs to the town.

The resolution for the hybrid planning-consent is subject to finalising the planning conditions and the Section 106 agreement. It comprises details for access, infrastructure and landscaping and the indicative masterplan shows a sample layout for 2.45m sq ft of buildings.

The park will deliver a range of opportunities for occupiers. New facilities will be available on a bespoke and speculative basis making it the ideal location for office, R&D, logistics and manufacturing users. The mixed-use park will comprise high-specification space, with potential to build E(g), B2 and B8 units.

It will have the benefit of on-site and local amenities and will also provide access to a strong local and regional labour pool.

Gateway 14 is a development by Gateway 14 Ltd (wholly owned by Mid Suffolk District Council) and Jaynic that has a strong track record of implementing infrastructure and delivering high quality business and logistics parks on a speculative and bespoke basis in the East Anglian region.

Ben Oughton, development director for Jaynic, said: “This is tremendous news for Stowmarket and the region. Gateway 14, with its Freeport designation and proximity to Felixstowe, has already attracted significant interest from potential occupiers.

Sir Christopher Haworth, Chairman of Gateway 14 Ltd said: “As we meet this important milestone, I am delighted that we can move forward with this development, bringing new businesses, employers and jobs to the region.”

Councillor Suzie Morley, Leader of Mid Suffolk District Council commented: “Gateway 14 will deliver a significant economic boost for Stowmarket and the wider Mid Suffolk region. The site will allow the creation of a range of jobs as well as space for new businesses helping to build a place where people are proud to live and work.”

Jaynic will be appointing contractors to go on site in the coming months to construct the estate road infrastructure, services and landscaping. It could be delivering buildings by the second quarter of 2022.

Designed to meet today’s business and future proofing, the scheme will feature high-quality landscaping meeting the requirement for a biodiversity net gain of 10%. There will be an enhanced biodiversity zone, to retain the site’s thriving ecology whilst creating a vibrant, attractive, and healthy working environment for employees.

The landmark development is strategically located in a prime position along the A14, perfectly situated for logistics and manufacturing. The A14 provides access to Ipswich and Felixstowe, as well as the A12 and the wider national motorway network. Gateway 14 bridges the gap between the Midlands and one of Europe’s largest and busiest container ports at Felixstowe and is the country’s primary route for export to European and global markets, opening gateways to business.

Agents for the scheme are Savills and Avison Young.

Jaynic continues the success of its 2m sq ft Suffok Park logistics and business scheme at Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, with the pre-letting of a 76,822 sq ft warehouse to a parcel delivery company.

At the same time it will be submitting a detailed planning application for phase three of Suffolk Park, comprising the pre-let unit and two further warehouse units of 160,000 sq ft and 47,000 sq ft respectively.

Ben Oughton, development director of Jaynic, says: “This pre-letting further endorses Suffolk Park as a distribution location with its immediate access to Junction 45 of the A14. This further letting highlights the strong and sustained demand at Suffolk Park over the last couple of years and has hastened our decision to submit the detailed application for phase three of the development,” adds Oughton.

 Companies taking space at Suffolk Park to date and within the last three years include Weerts Group, MH Star UK Ltd, Unipart Logistics, Treatt, Sealey and The East of England Ambulance Trust amounting to over 1.75m sq ft of space.

Suffolk Park offers prospective occupiers bespoke buildings on a design & build basis alongside a rolling programme of speculative development.

It is located within one hour of the Port of Felixstowe, the UK’s largest container port dealing with 42% of Britain’s containerised trade. In 2015 it was ranked as the 37th busiest container port in the world and Europe’s 6th busiest.

Bury St Edmunds is located on the strategically important A14 corridor, linking Felixstowe to the Midlands and London via the M11. The town boasts a variety of production and distribution occupiers including major national operators such as M H Star UK Ltd, Unipart, Sealey, Greene King, British Sugar, Century Logistics, Treatt, Atalian Servest, Mizkan and Taylor Wimpey.

 Major residential development is underway in the town with over 5,000 new homes allocated and construction commenced, to help the town’s continued economic growth and to accommodate an expanding workforce.

Marketing agents for Suffolk Park are Hazells, Savills and Bidwells.

An exciting new café venture is to open in September at The EpiCentre in Haverhill overlooking the Spirit of Enterprise roundabout, Monday to Friday.

The EpiCentre management company Oxford Innovation has signed up local business Cambridge Catering Company to run the café in the communal hub adjacent to the reception on the ground floor providing business peak hours ‘grab and go’ light bites.

Delicious coffee will be provided by Suffolk-based Paddy & Scott, the rapidly growing business whose coffee is sold in 266 locations in the UK and abroad and that has its own joint venture coffee farm in Kenya.

Cambridge Catering was founded 11 years ago by managing director Dennis Caswell. It owns the Sea Tree restaurant in Mill Road, Cambridge and runs contract catering for businesses in and around Cambridge including Dick White Referrals at Six Mile Bottom in Cambridgeshire, which is one of the largest specialist veterinary centres in Europe with 600 staff.

Kelly Boosey, The EpiCentre centre manager, said: “We are delighted to have Cambridge Catering on board to facilitate the post-pandemic ‘back-to-business’ climate and at the same time supporting local businesses. This will further add to the attraction of the centre both for the occupiers and as an informal space for members of the public from Haverhill and the surrounding area who can drop in for meetings, make use of the wifi and grab a coffee without having to book space.

It will provide conference and meeting room catering requirements for The EpiCentre customers as well as external organisations. This will include business breakfasts and lunches as part of the training, seminar, workshop networking and community events held at the centre.

Managing director Dennis Caswell, said: “Our vision is to provide a value-for-money café & hospitality offering, encompassing good local produce, with healthy & balanced meal options, while supporting local producers and worthwhile causes where possible.”

Confidence in the return to better times is amply demonstrated by the 30% increase in workspace signings in just two weeks at The EpiCentre in Haverhill.

The latest names to join the roster of companies taking space at The EpiCentre are PBS Care, Folgate Insurance and ATM Steel. All are taking space for a variety of reasons, but the common theme is that businesses are reviewing their growth plans and forward planning to kickstart activity now the easing of restrictions is happening post lockdown.

Centre manager Kelly Boosey explains: “It is tremendously exciting to see established companies that have lain low for 12 months beginning to plan for growth. There are clear signs that while there maybe a move towards flexible working, teams still want to come together to share knowledge and develop business on a regular basis.

This growth view is echoed by recent economic forecasts. The government’s independent economic forecaster, The Office for Budget Responsibility, said that Britain’s economic growth will accelerate next year at the fastest rate since official records began in 1948 as the economy rebounds by 7.3%.

“And this is where the appeal of The EpiCentre innovation centre lies. There are no huge financial commitments. Rolling monthly contracts means you are not tied in for years and can adjust your space needs to your immediate business needs. There are office rooms of all sizes, together with hot desks and co-working spaces that are all COVID-safe. And where The EpiCentre scores over traditional workplaces is that it gives support to those businesses wanting to take advantage of that forecast exponential growth to come.” adds Boosey.

Cllr John Griffiths, Leader of West Suffolk Council which helped establish both The EpiCentre and the wider Haverhill Research Park, said: “We have been providing support to many businesses in West Suffolk and in particular to help them weather the pandemic storm over the past year or so. It is fantastic news that, now, as more and more people are vaccinated and restrictions are lifted, businesses are able to better plan for their futures and the flexibility of The EpiCentre is so well placed to support them moving forward with confidence and to assist growth and prosperity here in West Suffolk.”

Business Development Manager, Paul Craig, said: "As Folgate Insurance continues to grow as a business, we realised it was time to expand the office locations. We already had some key staff located in the area and felt a local office to Haverhill would make sense. It would also attract new staff from surrounding areas such as Cambridge, Bury St Edmunds and Saffron Walden.”

"The EpiCentre offers great access to the M11 and M25, which in turn allows us to visit our brokers, or for our brokers to come to us. It also offers good value for money and is well equipped with all the modern technology you would need to run a successful business," adds Craig.

Portia Shadwell, the owner of PBS Care, that delivers specialist care services to a wide variety of healthcare establishments throughout the UK, said: “The EpiCentre offers clean, comfortable and flexible space.”

The EpiCentre will shortly be announcing their upcoming hybrid events programme gradually re-introducing ‘in-person’ events whilst still making content accessible online. Keep up to date with their events on their website: www.epicentrehaverhill.co.uk/events/

Picture: Paul Craig, Business Development Manager at Folgate Insurance

Developer Jaynic has secured outline planning permission on appeal for up to 155 dwellings on a 13.6- acre site, at Haverhill Research Park, Haverhill, Suffolk. The scheme will include 30% affordable housing and is fully serviced and capable of early development.

Planning Inspector David Reed BSc DipTP DMS MRTPI appointed by the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, accepted the developer’s case that there is insufficient demand for a high-quality research park on the site adjacent to the Spirit of Enterprise roundabout on the A1307 at the entrance to Haverhill. He also agreed that there was currently sufficient employment land in and around Haverhill to meet future needs.

The site is extremely well located for new residential development, being Cambridge facing and close to a range of amenities including a day nursery, Sainsburys supermarket and family pub/restaurant, as well as the recently built EpiCentre office complex.

Jaynic gained outline planning permission for the research park in 2012 and has spent the last nine years marketing the site for research and development businesses but to no avail.

Andrew Anderson, Director of Jaynic, said: “we had really hoped to create a scheme that would give biotech and technology companies an alternative to the more expensive locations in and around Cambridge, but despite spending nearly £1.2m on management and marketing the scheme, we were unable to attract those types of commercial occupiers to Haverhill Research Park. Our ambition to achieve this, supported by West Suffolk and the LEP, led us to speculatively develop the Epicentre at the gateway to the site and Haverhill. Whilst we are very confident that the Epicentre will be very successful and the evidence shows it will be – with 10 occupiers already signed up despite Covid - there is more than sufficient land next door to provide eventual ‘grow on’ space and reserving the other two plots for employment uses, which now have residential planning consent, isn’t justified.

“In this context, we decided to apply for a residential scheme on the two biggest development plots, which West Suffolk Council was unable to accept as they believed the site should remain as a potential key employment development. When planning permission was refused, we reluctantly went to appeal and argued our case – so we are obviously very pleased with the outcome,” added Anderson.

The planning inspector concluded in his decision that: “The loss of the larger high quality employment site and the vision and ambition it held out for Haverhill is to be regretted, but the time has come to accept that market forces are against the proposal and that an alternative use should be permitted on the site. The planning balance is firmly in favour of the scheme and the appeal should therefore be allowed.”

A Section 106 agreement between Jaynic, West Suffolk Council and Suffolk County Council agreed in August 2020 provides for the affordable housing on the site, as well as financial contributions towards education facilities, healthcare, libraries, traffic calming, travel plan measures and real-time public transport information. Also, there will be footpath links providing improvements to pedestrian accessibility, publicly accessible open space, and a children’s play area.

Jaynic will seek bids from national housing developers for the new housing allocation and it is hoped that development will commence early in 2022.

The developer will continue to seek employment generating uses for 1.68acres of the park that could accommodate up to 50,000 sq ft of commercial space and in the last six months it has completed development of The EpiCentre, an innovation centre overlooking the Spirit of Enterprise roundabout. This is managed by Oxford Innovation the UK’s leading operator of innovation centres with 26 managed facilities around the British Isles who has just signed up its tenth occupier on flexible terms.

Property developer Jaynic has bought Karro Food Limited’s redundant 20-acre southern site opposite its retained plant at Little Wratting on the A143 between Haverhill and Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.

The development, located under two miles east of Haverhill, is to be called the Stour Business Park with six acres already allocated for employment in West Suffolk Council’s adopted local plan, the Rural Vision 2031.

Jaynic has made representations to the council to seek an extension to the existing employment allocation in the new emerging local plan on the remaining 14 acres, which may also include land for recreational sport and open space.

Nic Rumsey, managing director of Jaynic, said: “We have bought the Karro site because we are seeing substantial demand for warehousing space at our other sites in Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket and believe that this location will prove attractive to potential occupiers.

“We would expect to have a planning application in by the summer and in the meantime, we will offer the site for open storage,” added Rumsey.

Will Staniland, partner at Rumsey and Partners said “We are delighted to have completed this acquisition of a site that has remained unused for 12 years, to be able to offer the market place a well located and accessible plot, of a scale unavailable elsewhere in Haverhill, with the potential of accommodating a single facility of up to 250,000 sq ft.”

Philip Woolner, joint Managing Partner, Cheffins, said: “This is a great time to bring a new industrial site to the market. There is a major shortage of industrial stock available, with warehouse buildings experiencing considerable price growth across the region as supply cannot keep up with the consistent demand seen for the past few years. This site provides the opportunity to cater to a range of outside storage uses in the first instance, and has the longer-term potential for the development of manufacturing or logistics space. In the recent Cheffins Datapoint research, we found that only six per cent of available warehousing stock at the end of 2020 was new build, whilst Grade A buildings accounted for a massive 63 per cent of take-up, illustrating the level of demand from occupiers for quality product.”

The purchase price is confidential but includes a contribution towards capital improvement works that the vendors need to implement together with Jaynic demolishing the existing abattoir building on the site and the existing conveyor bridge which linked the two Karro sites over the A143.

The site is well-located for access to the principal East of England road network, especially the A143, which runs between Haverhill and Bury St Edmunds. It will benefit from proximity to the Haverhill Northern Relief Road currently nearing completion, removing the need for traffic to go through the centre of Haverhill. This will give fast access to the A1307, which runs westwards to the A11/M11 and Cambridge, and the A1017.

Karro, part of the Eight Fifty Food Group, has recently been acquired by Canadian group Sofina Foods. It will continue to undertake pork product food processing and production on the northern site on the other side of the A143, that it is retaining.

Agents for the scheme are Rumsey & Partners and Cheffins.

The EpiCentre in Haverhill is witnessing the post-pandemic green shoots for real with its latest new occupier aptly named Gardening for Kids. This newest member to join the innovation centre is a family-owned business supplying the very best in gardening products, exclusively for children.

Louise Edgeworth of Gardening for Kids, says: “We have been working from our home garage for the last few years, but the business has boomed during the lockdown with parents, schools and nurseries eager to keep their children occupied so we needed bigger premises quickly.”

Edgeworth who lives near Haverhill and is supported in the business by her husband and daughters, says they had been looking around for some time but the spaces that would have been suitable were too expensive and the cheap space, “you wouldn’t want to occupy”.

“Then we came across The EpiCentre. They were so friendly and keen to help, and with their flexible terms and business support, it was an easy decision for us to take a 345 sq ft room there,” adds Edgeworth.

The company is receiving a great deal of interest from charities working with young people and those with learning disabilities because it is well known that gardening is beneficial to mental health. “We have supplied a lot of gardening kits to charities because they are receiving funding for specialist gardens and nature projects, and want bulk quantities of seeds and growing kits,” comments Edgeworth.

As well as benefitting from the boom in business during the lockdown, Gardening for Kids has witnessed many acts of kindness with one customer living near a block of flats who bought all the children in the block gardening packs.

The EpiCentre welcomes Gardening for Kids as its tenth customer. Since opening last November, the innovation centre has quickly put itself on the map for organisations that want more than just office space in the East of England. Part of this is the ‘Back to Business’ initiative which has started to gain momentum as businesses prepare to come back stronger.

The EpiCentre is the latest addition to Oxford Innovation’s network of 26 centres around the UK and is uniquely positioned and equipped to offer business support services. It has welcomed a variety of occupiers to The EpiCentre for both its office and laboratory space, as well as flexible office/meeting room options including co-working and hot desks.

Centre Manager Kelly Boosey says: “The beauty of The EpiCentre is that there are no huge commitments. We believe this to be crucial in the current climate and want our customers to have peace of mind. Flexible monthly contracts and day rates means our customers don’t have to worry about entering long-term contracts. And to help our customers prosper, we pride ourselves on the business support we offer- which is all included in our competitive rates. Our centre complies with guidelines to keep it COVID-safe.”

Amidst the pandemic, The EpiCentre in Haverhill continues to show growth and recently welcomed its tenth customer to the innovation centre.

Joining the Oxford Innovation’s group of 26 centres around the UK, The EpiCentre opened last November and has quickly put itself on the map for organisations that want more than just office space in the East of England. Part of this is the ‘Back to Business’ initiative which appears to be gathering pace.

The latest company to join The EpiCentre is start-up - Gardening for Kids, a family-owned business that has outgrown its garage and has managed to navigate its way through the last year to a position of strength and now needs bigger premises for the growing business.

Centre Manager Kelly Boosey, says: “The green shoots are now showing through clearly and signing up Gardening for Kids is a great example.”

In less than six months, The EpiCentre has welcomed a variety of occupiers ranging from bio-tech companies taking space in the laboratories that come fully fitted-out with specialist equipment to technology consultancies like Snowing Data who offer IT services for both start-ups and established businesses. The centre is also becoming popular amongst companies just wanting ‘touch down’ space as and when needed.

“The beauty of The EpiCentre is that there are no huge commitments”, says Kelly, “rolling monthly contracts give our customers complete flexibility and peace of mind. There are office rooms of all sizes, together with hot desks and co-working spaces that are all COVID-safe.

While working from home has become the norm during the pandemic there is clear evidence that companies are now wanting to return to workspaces with all the benefits of face-to-face interaction and in an environment that cultivates and inspires collaboration that will help organisations that are ready to come back stronger.

“And this is where Oxford Innovation really adds value, through the business support it gives its occupiers,” comments Kelly. “This should never be undervalued. Having support to hand to help companies navigate challenges, gain clarity and help create clear strategies is a valuable asset that is available to all customers at The EpiCentre. We look forward to welcoming the next 10 occupiers that need more than just a desk when it comes to growth and acceleration.”

Structural engineer, Robert Bird Group, has won a contract for its RBG REVEAL 4D virtual environment platform to support Argent Related in the development of the £5bn 180-acre north London neighbourhood, Brent Cross Town.

RBG REVEAL that was launched by Robert Bird last November will produce a 4D model of Argent Related and Barnet Council’s masterplan to include the various stages of the infra-structure including creation of the temporary roads and the development plots to inform the construction sequencing and to avoid future programme clashes.

Jarrad Warhurst, the Robert Bird director responsible for the project said: “This is just the kind of complex project for which the REVEAL tool is perfect and is going to revolutionise Virtual Design & Construction. It is of great value to clients, contractors and project teams on building projects, as it gives project stakeholders direct access in real time to navigate, explore, interrogate, and interact with each other to enable design and construction solutions, from any angle, at any stage of construction. It can be used by both co-located teams, or teams working remotely, making it accessible to anyone, anywhere,” adds Warhurst.

Chris Dent, Construction Director for Argent Related said: “We are pleased to be partnering with Robert Bird on this new innovation. By linking our design models to the delivery programme, 4D will allow us to leverage our existing data into a far more accessible and collaborative form. Whether online working remotely or in physical meetings we will be able to rehearse our construction activities in the virtual environment and get a much clearer picture of the development from its enabling works to its occupation. By collaborating on the same platform, we can engage more effectively with our partners meaning we can design efficiently and construct safely. Visualising the project in this way gives us the power to make informed decisions on the phased build out of the scheme, as well as include live data from ‘Zero Carbon’ initiatives to ‘Modern Methods of Construction’ and capture those lessons for further phases and other developments.”

Previously known as Brent Cross South, the new development uniquely incorporates 50 acres of parks and playing fields which are central to the attraction for people to live, work and visit. Brent Cross Town will deliver 6,700 new homes for sale and for rent and will be a major new office destination. With 3m sq ft of office space, it will create a business ecosystem for 25,000 employees, offering purpose, flexibility and competitive advantage to like-minded organisations, from a broad spectrum of sectors, to come together in one location.

Matt Marsden who leads the Robert Bird Group REVEAL team says: “The RBG REVEAL platform is a major step-change in the way we interact with, develop and communicate design and construction solutions for projects. We’ve purposefully built an environment that is easy to access and easy to use, putting the power to understand challenges and communicate solutions into everyone’s hands, while also looking great doing it. But don’t be fooled – this isn’t ‘Hollywood BIM’- as it draws on the projects live data to deliver a highly accurate, interactive and intuitive 4D communication tool,” Marsden adds.

ENDS

Property developer Jaynic has recruited Lewis Freestone as project manager to support its growing property development portfolio.

Freestone, who is from Fordham, near Newmarket, and is a qualified quantity surveyor, will report to construction director Jason Newman. His previous experience includes working with Marstan BDB and STI Group.

Jaynic’s development activity is mainly focused in East Anglia and the East of England. It specialises in promoting land for residential and employment development through the planning process, the implementation of pump-priming infrastructure and development of buildings on a speculative and bespoke basis.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak, in his Spring 2021 Budget announcement confirmed that Freeport East, including Gateway 14 at Stowmarket and Port One at Great Blakenham, will be one of the first locations in the UK to be awarded Freeport status, bringing a range of business and investment benefits to the region.

The government's Freeports initiative will allow firms to import goods and then re-export them outside normal tax and customs rules and the aim is to have 10 Freeport sites designated across the UK by the end of the year. Further information about Freeport East can be found by visiting the Freeport East website.

Gateway 14 at Stowmarket which is located adjacent to Junction 50 of the A14, connecting the major east coast port of Felixstowe into the UK motorway system, is currently in for planning to provide up to 2.45m sq ft of Business, innovation, warehouse and industrial space.

The development is being promoted by Gateway 14 Ltd (wholly owned by Mid Suffolk District Council) and Jaynic that has a strong track record of implementing infrastructure and delivering high quality business and logistics parks on a speculative and bespoke basis in the East Anglian region.

Freeport East has stated that its ambition is to create manufacturing, green energy and innovation hubs that capitalise on the unique qualities of the Eastern Region and will become an important part of the regions post-Covid recovery.

Sir Christopher Haworth the chairman of Gateway 14 Ltd, said: “Gateway 14, along with the other key sites in Felixstowe and Harwich, is in a unique position to support business growth across multiple sectors from large manufacturers to smaller start-ups, all of which will be key to supporting our local economy and creating job opportunities,” added Haworth

Nic Rumsey, managing director of Jaynic, said: “The confirmation of Freeport East as one the UK’s first Freeport sites is very welcome news for Gateway 14. The opportunities that the Freeport status will bring to Gateway 14 and the wider region will help us deliver our ambitions to encourage innovation, attract investment and support business growth.”

Gateway 14 bridges the gap between the Midlands and one of Europe’s largest and busiest container ports at Felixstowe and is the country’s primary route for export to European and global markets, opening gateways to business.

Agents for the scheme are Savills and Avison Young.

Structural engineer Robert Bird Group will now offer geo-environmental consultancy as a key add-on to its geotechnical engineering service with the appointment of associate director Simon Corness.

Corness has over twenty years’ experience of environmental improvement work in the fields of geo-environmental investigations and remediation, hydrogeology, and environmental audit with firms including Ramboll, WSP and Waterman.

He says: “My brief is to build on Robert Bird’s strong reputation for geotechnical engineering by providing specialist advice to clients on brownfield land where development is being considered. Our services will also support our clients throughout the project lifecycle from property transactions and investment, through to a full range of construction services, including: preliminary environmental site assessment, site investigation, risk assessment, remediation and verification.”

Working closely with our geotechnical teams we are well positioned to provide cost effective ground based risk solutions associated with contaminated land management and brownfield redevelopment with particular efficiencies being realised during site investigation and development.

Tim Hartlib, the head of the geotechnical discipline at Robert Bird, said: “the appointment of Simon Corness gives us the opportunity to apply our expertise much earlier in the development process. It also complements our existing range of services, enabling us to provide a holistic Ground Engineering product to our clients ,” Hartlib adds.

Halo Labs, the San Francisco-based life science instrumentation company developing tools for biologics researchers has taken laboratory space at The EpiCentre, Haverhill Research Park, Suffolk, in response to the Coronavirus pandemic.

The company will be testing its equipment on drug particles at the innovation centre which is managed by Oxford Innovation, the UK’s leading operator of innovator centres with 26 facilities around the British Isles.

Dr Paul Dyer, Field Application Scientist at Halo Labs, says: “We needed a facility to carry out tests on customer samples and with the pandemic this need has accelerated. The EpiCentre meets our requirements in terms of laboratory standards for biotech testing and is more than sufficient to meet our needs.”

Dr Dyer points to the business support provided by Oxford Innovation, its competitive pricing and flexible terms, together with easy road access to Haverhill that, in some respects, gives it an advantage over many Cambridge locations.

The Halo Labs products have reduced therapeutic development timelines and have revolutionized stability testing across the industry. Its Horizon and Aura systems have become the standard for high-throughput, low-volume particle analysis, it is now considered the technology of choice in cell and gene therapy.

Researchers around the globe depend on Halo Labs for unprecedented insights into aggregates and subvisible particles present in their drug products via optical imaging on membranes.

Halo Labs is the second biotech company to locate at The EpiCentre’s laboratory facilities. CodiKoat, a start-up company which has developed a ground-breaking technology that kills viruses and bacteria on surfaces within seconds and is designed to halt the spread of Coronavirus, took up occupation before Christmas.

CodiKoat caught the attention of Health Secretary Matt Hancock when he undertook a virtual tour of the new EpiCentre recently.

Hancock, the MP for the West Suffolk constituency, was undertaking a tour via video-link, to see the new vaccination clinic set up by the Suffolk GP Federation and while there dropped in to see CodiKoat.

The Health Secretary who confirmed that touch is a core vector in the transmission of coronavirus, commented: “That’s amazing, I could see the benefit of this immediately including within the NHS,” and he asked for more details to be sent to him.

Gareth Scargill, commercial director at Oxford Innovation, said “The arrival of both Halo Labs and CodiKoat at The EpiCentre shows the ripple effect from Cambridge that makes Haverhill a viable location. Our shared labs come fully kitted out with specialist equipment, perfect for tissue culturing, microbiology research and more. And with a write-up area and waste management, biotech companies have everything they need,” Scargill adds.

Jaynic, the developer of Suffolk Park, at Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, has awarded a warehouse construction contract to TSL Ltd.

The contract is for a 870,000 sq ft warehouse to be developed by Jaynic for Belgian logistics company the Weerts Group.

TSL, based in Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire, will start the 24-week construction contract this month.

Jaynic’s construction director, Jason Newman, said: “TSL has a strong reputation for warehouse construction and was competitive in tender. We look forward to working with them to deliver this facility for the Weerts Group later in the summer.”

TSL Chief Operating Officer Michael McDonnell commented: “we are delighted to have been awarded this prestigious project and look forward to working closely with the Jaynic team to deliver a great facility.”

Jaynic concluded terms with Weerts on the 42-acre site in October last year and secured detailed planning consent from West Suffolk Council just before Christmas.

This is the largest ever warehouse transaction to be undertaken in Bury St Edmunds and the West Suffolk region bringing major new investment to the town.

Weerts Group has chosen Suffolk Park because of its proximity to the Felixstowe ferry connection with the European continent and its proximity to Junction 45 of the A14 providing fast links into the UK motorway network.

Weerts Group is headquartered in Liège, Belgium, and has operations in Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Hungary and Romania. Its General Logistics Services division offers its clients comprehensive solutions for warehousing, transport and value-add logistics services, with a strong focus on innovative solutions and engaging in continuous improvement projects with its clients.

The site sale to Weerts and the award of the construction contract comes swiftly on the heels of the sale of Jaynic’s SP206 unit at Suffolk Park to Chinese consumer goods importer M H Star. It re-affirms the rapidly increasing popularity of the A14 as a logistics location. In under six months these two transactions amount to 1.1m sq ft of warehousing and will create around 700 jobs for the local economy.

Elsewhere at Suffolk Park the 112,000 sq ft first phase of Treatt Plc’s new global headquarters, being developed by Jaynic, has recently been completed. The 114-acre Suffolk Park has outline planning consent for 2 million sq ft of business, distribution, and industrial space.
Suffolk Park agents are Bury St Edmunds based Hazells Chartered Surveyors, Cambridge agents Bidwells and Savills London’s logistics department. www.suffolk-park.uk

A planning application has been submitted for 2.45m sq ft of Business, warehouse and industrial space at the Gateway 14 site in Stowmarket, Suffolk, adjacent to Junction 50 of the A14 that will bring hundreds of jobs to the town.
This follows a public consultation exercise last Autumn and is a hybrid-application comprising details for infrastructure and landscaping and outline for the plots. The indicative masterplan shows a sample layout for 2.45m sq ft of buildings.

The park will deliver a range of opportunities for occupiers. New facilities will be available on a bespoke or speculative basis making it the ideal location for R&D, logistics and manufacturing users. The mixed-use park will comprise high-specification space for a wide range of uses, with potential to build, E(g) B2, B units.

It will have the benefit of on-site and local amenities and will also provide access to a strong local and regional labour pool.

Designed to meet today’s business needs whilst preparing for the future, the scheme will feature high-quality landscaping meeting the requirement for a biodiversity net gain of 10%. There will be an enhanced biodiversity zone, to retain the site’s thriving ecology whilst creating a vibrant, attractive, and healthy working environment for employees.

Gateway 14 is a development by Gateway 14 Ltd (wholly owned by Mid Suffolk District Council) and Jaynic that has a strong track record of implementing infrastructure and delivering high quality business and logistics parks on a speculative and bespoke basis in the East Anglian region.

Sir Christopher Haworth, Chairman of Gateway 14 Ltd said:

“This is an important moment for Gateway 14 and Stowmarket. It is a big step forward in the delivery of jobs for the area and will bring huge benefit from the very significant investment that these new buildings will deliver, from a range of occupiers. I hope that these proposals will be fully supported by the local community.”

Councillor Suzie Morley, Leader of Mid Suffolk District Council commented:
“This is an exciting opportunity for Stowmarket and the wider Mid Suffolk region. The Gateway 14 development has the potential to attract a range of businesses to the region, creating jobs for the community and providing a boost for the local economy.”

Ben Oughton, development director for Jaynic, said: “We believe this scheme will be a great asset providing hundreds of jobs in the region on this important trunk road between the UK motorway network and the major ferry port of Felixstowe. We already have significant interest from companies wanting space at G14,” added Oughton.

Jaynic is hoping to appoint contractors to go on site in June upon grant of planning consent to construct the estate road infrastructure, services and landscaping. It could be delivering buildings by the first quarter of 2022.
The landmark development is strategically located in a prime position along the A14, perfectly situated for logistics and manufacturing. The A14 provides access to Ipswich and Felixstowe, as well as the A12 and the wider national motorway network. Gateway 14 bridges the gap between the Midlands and one of Europe’s largest and busiest container ports at Felixstowe and is the country’s primary route for export to European and global markets, opening gateways to business.

42-acres (17HA) of Gateway 14 has designated enterprise zone and food Enterprise status, giving businesses the resources to flourish, and regional economies the opportunity to grow. Incentives include business rates relief of up to £275,000 over five years.

Agents for the scheme are Savills and Avison Young.

The EpiCentre in Haverhill will soon become a focal point for different reasons – as it supports the rollout of the NHS vaccination programme. The EpiCentre offers innovation and lab space to start-up and scale-up businesses. It is located in the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Matt Hancock’s constituency, in West Suffolk and will be the location for several months of vaccinations from next week.

The EpiCentre not only meets the stringent -80C storage facilities required by the vaccine manufacturers, it has large meeting rooms that have been converted into temporary booths and has ample parking.

The Innovation Centre, which opened in November 2020, is attracting organisations that otherwise struggle to get lab space, such as a company that is developing technology that kills viruses and bacteria in seconds, that can be used on any substrate and lasts the lifetime of the product.

Kelly Boosey, centre manager at The EpiCentre, comments: “National roll out of the vaccination will require as much support as possible. As a new Innovation Centre we will do everything we can to support the NHS to roll out the vaccination programme to the local community. The Science and Technology element of our facility means we want to be at forefront of supporting the effort to get this virus under control. The programme will continue into Spring 2021.”

The new facility in the East of England is part of Oxford Innovation’s group of 26 centres around the UK, that support companies looking for growth through innovation.

Developer Jaynic has completed the multi-million pound 112,000 sq ft first phase of the new UK headquarters for Treatt plc at Suffolk Park, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.

Jaynic, the developer of Suffolk Park, acted as development manager for Treatt, the London Stock Market quoted global flavour and fragrance solutions provider, that has been based in Bury St Edmunds for nearly 50 years.

The building contractor for the first phase was Readie Construction who started on site in September 2019.

The new purpose-built headquarters includes offices, manufacturing, logistics and a warehousing facility totalling 112,000 sq ft in its first phase and there is provision to expand this up to 200,000 sq ft in a later phase.

Treatt currently occupies six separate buildings on Northern Way in Bury St Edmunds. The new facility at Suffolk Park allows the company to bring all its activities onto one inclusive site.

Jason Newman, Construction Director of Jaynic, said: “We are particularly pleased to have been able to deliver this facility for Treatt during what has been a very difficult year and our thanks go to Readie Construction for constructing this excellent facility.”

Daemmon Reeve, Group CEO of Treatt, said: “This relocation will revolutionise every aspect of our business and is the most significant investment in our 130-year history. We are delighted to be one of the first businesses to build on Suffolk Park. To have continued such a complex construction with minimal delays amidst the turbulence of 2020 has been a testament to all those involved. With the fit-out phase now fully underway we look forward to occupying our new state of the art facility in due course.”

The development is part of a broader multi-partner initiative with West Suffolk Council and housebuilder Taylor Wimpey to support a range of new and existing businesses in the Bury St Edmunds area and to continue to create jobs and prosperity.

The development team comprised:

PRC Architecture - Architects and Planning Consultants
Richard Jackson Associates - Civil and Structural Engineers
Kelly Taylor Associates - Mechanical and Electrical Consultants
Indigo - Landscape Architects
Aecom - Cost Consultants

Jaynic, the developer of Suffolk Park, at Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, has secured detailed planning consent for an 870,000 sq ft warehouse to be developed for Belgian logistics, company Weerts Group.

The Belgian company concluded terms on the 42-acre site from Jaynic in October this year as its first location in the UK and the planning application was submitted immediately afterwards.

The 870,000 sq ft logistics facility will be completed in Summer 2021.

Ben Oughton, development director at Jaynic, said: “We are grateful to West Suffolk Council for their highly positive approach to this planning application. It was submitted on 23rd September and approved on the 3rd December. It is an outstanding effort by all, and enables us to appoint a contractor in the very near future.”

This is the largest ever warehouse transaction to be undertaken in Bury St Edmunds and the West Suffolk region bringing major new investment to the town.

Weerts Group has chosen Suffolk Park because of its proximity to the Felixstowe ferry connection with the European continent and its proximity to Junction 45 of the A14 providing fast links into the UK motorway network.

Weerts Group is headquartered in Liège, Belgium and has operations in Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Hungary and Romania. Its General Logistics Services division offers its clients comprehensive solutions for warehousing, transport and value-add logistics services, with a strong focus on innovative solutions and engaging in continuous improvement projects with its clients.

The site sale to Weerts comes swiftly on the heels of the sale of Jaynic’s SP206 unit at Suffolk Park to Chinese consumer goods importer M H Star and re-affirms the rapidly increasing popularity of the A14 as a logistics location. In under six months these two transactions amount to 1.1m sq ft of warehousing and will create around 700 jobs for the local economy.

Cllr John Griffiths, Leader of West Suffolk Council, said: “The council’s hard work over years to bring together millions of pounds of investment to create Suffolk Park and its status as an Enterprise Zone is really paying off and enabling business expansion, skills growth and job opportunities including in research and development, high-tech, office and logistic uses. We are delighted to support this application and welcome the creation of further new jobs here in West Suffolk. The fact we are continuing to attract international businesses as well as supporting our local businesses in their growth ambitions, together with our strategic position on the A14 corridor, further illustrates that Bury St Edmunds and West Suffolk continues to be a great place to live and do business.”

Elsewhere at Suffolk Park the 112,000 sq ft first phase of Treatt Plc’s new global headquarters, being developed by Jaynic is due for completion imminently. The 114-acre Suffolk Park has outline planning consent for 2 million sq ft of business, distribution, and industrial space.

Suffolk Park agents are Bury St Edmunds based Hazells Chartered Surveyors, Cambridge agents Bidwells and Savills London’s logistics department. www.suffolk-park.uk

Companies looking for space to occupy in the Haverhill area should consider The EpiCentre at Haverhill Research Park where the pricing policy, for qualifying companies, includes business rates relief of up to 100% for the next five years providing they sign an occupational contract by 31st March 2021.

The EpiCentre managed by Oxford Innovation can offer this discount in the rental package because 35-acres of the park falls within the Cambridge Compass Enterprise Zone. The business rates discount is subject to qualification criteria.

Centre manager, Kelly Boosey, say: “We appreciate that for young, entrepreneurial companies cashflow is key and saving on business rates is a great way to ensure that investment in business development is directed into helping their businesses grow.

“Come to The EpiCentre and take advantage of a discounted inclusive licence fee, the business support provided by Oxford Innovation which will qualify you to benefit from the ‘Enterprise Zone Pricing Initiative’.

Launched in 2016 the enterprise zone was promoted by the Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough Enterprise Partnership (LEP), now the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority.

The latest virtual platform for the property and construction industry that’s interactive and intuitive

Robert Bird Group has launched the RBG REVEAL platform, a simple-to-use, interactive and intuitive 4D virtual environment that is set to revolutionise Virtual Design & Construction (VDC) services in the property and construction industry. RBG REVEAL creates a virtual environment within which design and construction planning and solutions can be viewed, developed and coordinated in real-time.

RBG REVEAL is of great value to clients, contractors and project teams on building projects, as it gives project stakeholders direct access to navigate, explore, interrogate, and interact with design and construction solutions, from any angle, at any stage of construction. It can be used by both co-located teams, or teams working remotely, making it accessible to anyone, anywhere.

Jarrad Warhurst, Construction Engineering Director (UK/Europe) of Robert Bird Group, says: “The RBG REVEAL platform is a major step-change in the way we interact with, develop and communicate design and construction solutions for projects. It is more accessible in terms of construction visualisation than anything on the market at present, putting the power to understand challenges and communicate solutions into everyone’s hands. It is a highly interactive and intuitive 4D communication tool and – since it draws on project BIM information - the data provided is extremely accurate,” he adds.

Warhurst says that the initial response from clients to the release of RBG REVEAL, has been overwhelmingly positive. “We are using RBG REVEAL on a number of projects to get under the skin of complex project delivery challenges.”

VDC can be applied to provide insights into both permanent and temporary works designs and can also be used to develop virtual construction rehearsals incorporating various construction methodologies and erection sequences. The extent to which pre-construction planning and problem-solving can now include programming and scheduling options, and site and construction access and logistics - makes the combination of RBG’s Construction Engineering and VDC services a highly effective approach to managing project delivery risk.

Prior to the release of RBG REVEAL, other VDC platforms tended to be either of high visual quality, or highly data-rich, but never both. Warhurst says that the RBG REVEAL platform links these two demands. “It has an interactive interface and is intuitive to use, but is also very mature in the data it captures. You can use it to interrogate most of the information used to build up project BIM models, making it a powerful tool for co-ordinating design and construction outcomes with project teams.”

Start-up company Codikoat which has developed a groundbreaking technology that kills viruses and bacteria on surfaces within seconds is the first company to take laboratory space at The EpiCentre at Haverhill Research Park.

CodiKoat technology can coat any surface be it hard or soft, rough or smooth, curved or flat using an antiviral adhesive film. This new and patented technology can also be easily integrated into the manufacturing process of door handles, doctors’ gowns, bank notes, lift buttons, keyboards and virtually any product and surface commonly exposed to viruses and bacteria.

The company was founded by three ex-students of Cambridge, Imperial and UCL and who each completed their PhDs in relevant fields. Co-founder Matin Mohseni said: “This is a timely technology that can save lives. It can be used both quickly and cheaply within the healthcare sector, hospitality industry and public transport dramatically helping to stop the transfer of viruses and bacteria both during the Covid-19 pandemic but also thereafter.

“The EpiCentre’s laboratory facilities that we are using are to Bio-Safety Level 2 which is suitable for the testing we are doing on our products. Another advantage of the EpiCentre is the synergies that a multi-occupied building can provide as well as the innovation services Oxford Innovation provides including business planning advice, coaching and mentoring,” added Mohseni.

To develop these products, Codikoat has won a total of £325k grant from Innovate U.K. and is collaborating with BDK and Hardshell which are one of the leading manufacturers of adhesive materials and facemasks in the UK.

Gareth Scargill, commercial director at Oxford Innovation, said “Codikoat is part of the Cambridge Accelerator Programme and we are seeing the ripple effect from Cambridge make Haverhill a viable location. Our shared labs come fully kitted out with specialist equipment, perfect for tissue culturing, microbiology research and more. And with a write-up area and waste management, you’ll have everything you need,” Scargill adds.

The EpiCentre has over 60 office suites available from 17sqm (172 sqft) up to 78sqm (840sqft) including three flexible shared purpose-built laboratory spaces with access to specialist equipment, together with conference and meetings rooms, training facilities and a ‘work-hub’ area for shared working.

These suites are available for pre-let immediately, and are supplemented by communal breakout spaces, a café, and meeting and conference rooms.

Metals Daily, one of the world’s leading and fastest online sources of precious metals news, research and prices, has relocated from Central London to the EpiCentre at Haverhill Research Park as part of an expansion into selling precious metals to private clients.

Oxford Innovation has signed-up Metals Daily that cites the benefits of being part of a business community as the EpiCentre fills up and the value for money aspect over a Cambridge location.

The company is taking a 3-man office with plans to expand rapidly. Ross Norman, the owner and CEO of Metals Daily, explains: “We really like the idea of sharing business experiences with other companies in the building giving it a cross-between a conventional office and a Regus or WeWork flexible space, but with a more personalised feel.

“Cambridge is a very expensive location and hard to get into, so Haverhill as a satellite location gives you the benefits of the Cambridge Phenomenon without the price tag. In any event, the science and research parks are moving out in this direction as the Cambridge benefits ripple outwards,” adds Norman.

Gareth Scargill, commercial director at Oxford Innovation, says: “We welcome Metals Daily to the building. It is important to us that The EpiCentre creates a sense of community amongst the businesses located here and it is very much part of the Oxford Innovation ethos to help young, entrepreneurial companies to grow. Metals Daily clearly fits this mould and we are looking forward to helping it in its growth trajectory,” he adds.

Scargill urges organisations looking for flexible office or laboratory space to visit the centre’s website and to get in touch to find out more about the centre: https://www.epicentrehaverhill.co.uk/

Strategically located near Cambridge and part of the South Cambridge Business and Technology Cluster, The EpiCentre is ideal for growing businesses. On-site and nearby amenities include restaurants, a nursery, landscaped lake and jetty, retail stores, petrol station, ATM and car wash.

The EpiCentre has over 60 office suites available from 17sqm (172 sqft) up to 78sqm (840sqft) including three flexible shared purpose-built laboratory spaces with access to specialist equipment. These suites are available for pre-let immediately, and are supplemented by communal breakout spaces, a café and meeting and conference rooms.

Oxford Innovation is the UK’s leading operator of innovation centres with 26 managed facilities around the British Isles.

Oxford Innovation has signed up Norwegian materials testing equipment company Dolphitech to take its first office in the UK at developer Jaynic’s The EpiCentre in Haverhill.

Dolphitech is an ISO9001:2015 certified company that develops advanced ultrasound cameras for 2D and 3D test and inspection of materials in a variety of industries including, aerospace, space vehicles, wind turbines, automotive and oil and gas.

The company has developed a novel ultrasound transducer design that produces high-resolution images. It utilises an advanced technology developed by a team of experts in ultrasound, analogue and digital electronics.

Jason Smith, chief commercial Officer, of Dolphitech, said: “The new EpiCentre office will become Dolphitech’s technical hub, providing training and customer support, materials sample testing, non-destructive testing results and verification in a Covid-secure, safe operating environment.

“In a time where people are moving out of offices, we see the value and importance in continuing to offer world class customer service and aftercare service.

“The new office at the EpiCentre is a significant milestone in Dolphitech’s growth and a real investment in the future. Establishing this footprint in the UK will help us serve and support our growing customer base in the UK and in Europe, as well as establishing a global excellence centre for training and technical support.”

Gareth Scargill, commercial director at Oxford Innovation, says: “The innovation centre is the perfect home for a company like Dolphitech which can match its space requirements to the size of its business as it grows and develops. Dolphitech is the latest in a line of companies signing up or showing interest in occupying space at The EpiCentre,” he adds.

Scargill urges organisations looking for flexible office or laboratory space to visit the centre’s website and to get in touch to find out more about the centre: https://www.epicentrehaverhill.co.uk/

Strategically located near Cambridge and part of the South Cambridge Business and Technology Cluster, The EpiCentre is ideal for growing businesses. On-site and nearby amenities include restaurants, a nursery, landscaped lake and jetty, retail stores, petrol station, ATM and car wash.

The EpiCentre has over 60 office suites available from 17sqm (172 sqft) up to 78sqm (840sqft) including three flexible shared purpose-built laboratory spaces with access to specialist equipment. These suites are available for pre-let immediately, and are supplemented by communal breakout spaces, a café and meeting and conference rooms.

The offices are rented out on an inclusive basis to include reception, concierge, rent, rates and utilities, and the building has fibre broadband with a minimum capacity of One Gigabyte.

Oxford Innovation is the UK’s leading operator of innovation centres with 26 managed facilities around the British Isles.

Scargill comments: “We are offering much more than a serviced office or laboratory with flexible space. An integral part of our offer is innovation services to entrepreneurs, including business planning advice, coaching and mentoring.”

Oxford Innovation also manages investment networks that link investors with entrepreneurs seeking funding from £20,000 to £2m.

Belgian logistics, real estate and motor-racing company Weerts Group has chosen Suffolk Park at Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, for its first UK warehouse location and has secured just over 42-acres from developer Jaynic for a new 870,000 sq ft logistics unit to be delivered by Jaynic in summer 2021.

This is the largest ever warehouse transaction to be undertaken in Bury St Edmunds and the West Suffolk region bringing major new investment and jobs to the region.

The 870,000 sq ft logistics facility will be developed in two phases with a first phase of 476,000 sq ft to be completed in Summer 2021 and the second phase following immediately.

A detailed planning application has just been submitted to West Suffolk Council. Weerts Group is renowned across Europe for its buildings where sustainability is an important feature.

Weerts Group has chosen Suffolk Park because of its proximity to the Felixstowe ferry connection with the European continent and its proximity to Junction 45 of the A14 providing fast links into the UK motorway network.

Ben Oughton, development director of Jaynic, said: “This is a very significant deal for Suffolk Park, Suffolk and East Anglia. This transaction with Weerts Group comes swiftly on the heels of the sale of our SP206 unit to Chinese consumer goods importer M H Star and re-affirms the rapidly increasing popularity of the A14 as a logistics location. In under six months these two transactions amount to 1.1m sq ft of warehousing and the creation of around 700 jobs for the local economy,” added Oughton.

Weerts Group is headquartered in Liège, Belgium and has operations in Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Hungary and Romania.

Its General Logistics Services division offers its clients comprehensive solutions for warehousing, transport and value-add logistics services, with a strong focus on innovative solutions and engaging in continuous improvement projects with its clients.

In 2017, it significantly expanded its operations through the acquisition of the in-house logistics of the Audi manufacturing plant in Brussels (65,000 sqm), where it operates all in-house logistics activities for the Brussels plant and is actively involved in preparing for the construction of the first full electric vehicle of the Audi group.

Pascal Weerts, CEO of Weerts Group, said: “We are delighted to support one of our biggest clients in their international growth and expansion by setting up our first important warehousing facility in the UK, and to have attracted a solid financial partner to secure the funding of the land acquisition and the development (Blackstone). Being a family-owned structure, our mission is to build engines for value creation. Our independence and entrepreneurial spirit allow us quickly to spot and seize opportunities, and our expertise as logistics operator allows us to develop logistics projects that are perfectly designed to meet the standards that our clients expect, on the best locations.”

Cllr John Griffiths, Leader of West Suffolk Council, said: “We welcome this new investment and the creation of new jobs here in West Suffolk helping to deliver the vision that the Council worked so hard to achieve when it set out to create the Suffolk Business Park.”

Richard Pyatt, a director of Hazells Chartered Surveyors, comments: “Acting on behalf of Jaynic we were delighted to introduce Weerts Group to Suffolk Park and assist in the negotiations for this transaction. This is a stellar example of the increasing demand from major logistics companies who see Felixstowe and the A14 as an alternative to the Kent ports for their links to the European continent. Securing a major occupier of this nature represents a significant boost for the local economy in Bury St Edmunds and underlines Suffolk Park as the pre-eminent logistics park in the region.”

Elsewhere at Suffolk Park the 112,000 sq ft first phase of Treatt Plc’s new global headquarters, being developed by Jaynic is due for completion imminently. The 114-acre Suffolk Park has outline planning consent for 2 million sq ft of business, distribution, and industrial space.

Suffolk Park agents are Bury St Edmunds based Hazells Chartered Surveyors, Cambridge agents Bidwells and Savills London’s logistics department. www.suffolk-park.uk

Today, (Monday, 2nd November 2020), The EpiCentre in Haverhill, was opened at a ribbon cutting ceremony attended by local dignitaries.

Present at the opening of the innovation centre was Austen Adams the business board chairman of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, Councillor John Griffiths, leader of West Suffolk Council and Nic Rumsey, managing director of developer Jaynic.

Already four companies have signed up to take space in the building and discussions are in hand with other potential occupiers.

Development of The EpiCentre was made possible with a £6.2m cash boost provided jointly through a £3.5m loan by West Suffolk Council and £2.7m of Local Growth Fund investment from the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, to bring jobs and employment to Haverhill Research Park and its enterprise zone.

Business board chairman Austen Adams said: “The EpiCentre is a brilliant example of an innovative project that will help to unlock the East of England’s growth potential by helping start-ups to thrive and create new jobs.

“High potential and innovative companies across the East have the power to be the catalyst for building back better and I think this is a great example of an investment that will pay dividends by helping drive inclusive local economic growth.

“I am really excited to learn more about the companies who will be occupying the Epicentre.”

Councillor John Griffiths said: “It is great to see the EpiCentre, which is about creating job opportunities, increasing skills and new opportunities especially for young people in and around Haverhill, finished and ready to use. Four businesses have already signed up which shows business confidence in what we are all trying to achieve, and we hope more will soon follow. I would like to thank all those involved for making this ambitious ambition a reality for Haverhill, West Suffolk and the region.”

Jaynic managing director Nic Rumsey, said : “I would like to thank the combined authority and West Suffolk Council for their unwavering moral and financial support that has made this development possible and look forward to seeing this becoming a thriving centre for the benefit of the wider community.”

Tim Smith, deputy managing director of Oxford Innovation, the operator of The EpiCentre, said: “We are off to a flying start with four companies already signed up and more in the pipeline for this superb facility, which will become a prime business hub for entrepreneurs and fast growing companies in the surrounding area.”

The new 30,000 sq ft four-storey EpiCentre is located adjacent to the Spirit of Enterprise roundabout creating a prominent ‘landmark’ building at the entrance into Haverhill.

The EpiCentre has over 60 office suites available from 17sqm (172 sqft) up to 78sqm (840sqft) including three flexible shared purpose-built laboratory spaces with access to specialist equipment, together with conference and meetings rooms, training facilities and a ‘work-hub’ area for shared working.

These suites are available for pre-let immediately, and are supplemented by communal breakout spaces, a café, and meeting and conference rooms.

Oxford Innovation is the UK’s leading operator of innovation centres with 26 managed facilities around the British Isles. An integral part of its offer is innovation services to entrepreneurs, including business planning advice, coaching and mentoring. It also manages investment networks that link investors with entrepreneurs seeking funding from £20,000 to £2m.

PICTURE - Rebecca Baron

From left to right;

Babita Devi (Oxford Innovation), Kelly Boosey (Oxford Innovation), , John Griffiths (Leader West Suffolk Council), Austen Adams (Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority) , and  Nic Rumsey (Jaynic )

The EpiCentre at Haverhill Research Park adjacent to the ‘Spirit of Enterprise’ roundabout offers highly flexible office and laboratory space to young, entrepreneurial, and fast-growing companies.

While there has been much talk about the ‘Working From Home’ phenomenon since the beginning of the pandemic there are many who believe that the ‘new normal’ will be a flexible mix of part WFH and part working from an office.

Centre Manger, Kelly Boosey, says: WFH means that colleagues rarely see each other as a group, they lack bonding or social connections, and they miss out on the sharing of ideas.”

And this is where the EpiCentre fits in perfectly with both approaches. “It is more than a serviced office; While companies can rent dedicated office space for x months or longer, the EpiCentre also provides a flexible offer where customers can have a virtual address, book a desk for a day or meet potential clients, and provides that all important collaborative business support for young entrepreneurial businesses to grow,” adds Boosey.

In addition, the centre offers three purpose-built shared laboratories with write-up space, furnished with a range of specialist equipment. The lab space is ideal for tissue culturing, microbiology research, and more.

This reflects the EpiCentre’s strategic location near Cambridge and is part of the South Cambridge Business and Technology Cluster as well as the Cambridge-Norwich Tech Corridor.

The EpiCentre has over 60 office suites available from 17sqm (172 sqft) up to 78sqm (840sqft). These suites are available for pre-let immediately, and are supplemented by communal breakout spaces, a café and meeting and conference rooms.

The offices are rented out on an inclusive basis to include reception, concierge, rent, rates and utilities, and the building has fibre broadband with a minimum capacity of One Gigabyte. Already two companies have signed up for space and more are in the pipeline. https://www.epicentrehaverhill.co.uk/

Oxford Innovation the operator of developer Jaynic’s The EpiCentre in Haverhill has appointed its senior management team Kelly Boosey, Centre Manager and Babita Devi, Innovation Director.

The new innovation centre adjacent to the ‘Spirit of Enterprise’ roundabout in Haverhill that opens at the beginning of November will become a growth hub for early stage and start-up businesses.

Boosey’s customer facing background in the tourism industry and entrepreneurial experience in setting up a business is ideally suited to that role.

Having worked for Thomas Cook and Center Parcs for many years Boosey understands the importance of customer care as well helping small businesses grow having set up her own tourism consultancy business.

Boosey, said: “The EpiCentre will be more than a serviced office, as well as providing a flexible offer where customers can have a virtual address, book a desk for a day or meet potential clients, we are providing business support for young entrepreneurial businesses to grow.”

The innovation director role that Babita Devi is taking on is unique to Oxford Innovation’s centres. Their purpose is to provide business and innovation support, deploying many specifically SME and high growth orientated business tools to support the customers in the innovation centres.

Devi has a wealth of experience across a wide range of industries, from start-ups to multi-nationals, and has coached and mentored teams and individuals for growth. “The EpiCentre will help feed an eco-system based on Oxford Innovation’s framework, supporting the growth potential of tech companies across the East of England. Business coaching and support are essential to help scale up high potential and innovative companies and the EpiCentre plays a pivotal role in the delivery of this,” commented Devi.

Devi’s team will offer a generic high growth diagnostic of business needs, called GrowthMapper. This includes:

• Customer Value proposition assessment

• Leadership and management assessment

• Financial modelling and forecasting

• Raising finance

• Specific support in developing connections and collaborations.

Oxford Innovation has already signed up its first occupier, Snowing Data, a fast-growing software development company with more signings in the pipeline.

On completion, The EpiCentre will have over 60 office suites available from 17sqm (172 sqft) up to 78sqm (840sqft) including three flexible shared laboratory spaces with access to specialist equipment. These suites are available for pre-let immediately, and are supplemented by communal breakout spaces, a café and meeting and conference rooms all with social distancing provisions in place.

The offices will be rented out on an inclusive basis to include reception, concierge, rent, rates and utilities, and the building has fibre broadband with a minimum capacity of One Gigabyte.

The centre will house a purpose-built shared laboratory with write-up space. Furnished with a range of specialist equipment, the shared lab space is ideal for tissue culturing, microbiology research, and more. It includes a CO2 Incubator, autoclave, centrifuge, LN2 vessel, shaking incubator, chemical fume hood, glass washer and Phase 3 power outlets.

IMAGE: L-R, Babita Devi and Kelly Boosey

Fast growing software development company Snowing Data is the first company to take space with a 452 sq ft unit at The EpiCentre, in Haverhill, that opens this November.

Snowing Data, that has seven employees already is set to double in staff numbers by the end of the year and The EpiCentre with its flexible terms and all-in services is the ideal location for the company.

“We are delighted to be moving into The EpiCentre which will allow us to expand as the company grows. With our new product for start-up businesses The Real Essentials and our Near Source solutions for software development, we needed a location that is great for our employees and able to accommodate our rapid growth. The EpiCentre gives us both with its innovation inspiring environment and excellent facilities,” says Snowing Data CEO Asa Burrows.

Snowing Data provides support to established companies to get IT projects off their desks and to help with their digital transformation. For the growing number of start-ups, it also provides an off-the-shelf professional IT package, so that they can concentrate on launching and growing their business.

In addition, Burrows has set up SKC Games Studio that will also be based at The EpiCentre and is developing an original AAA game franchise with a story that is fictional with a non-fictional context.

The EpiCentre is run by Oxford Innovation, the UK’s leading operator of innovation centres with 26 managed facilities around the British Isles.

Gareth Scargill, commercial director at Oxford Innovation, says: “The innovation centre is the perfect home for a company like Snowing Data which can match its space requirements to the size of its business as it grows and develops. We look forward to working with Asa and the team at Snowing Data and helping it through its business evolution in the coming years,” he adds.

Scargill urges organisations looking for flexible office or laboratory space to visit the centre’s website and to get in touch to find out more about the centre: https://www.epicentrehaverhill.co.uk/

Strategically located near Cambridge and part of the South Cambridge Business and Technology Cluster, The EpiCentre is ideal for growing business. Onsite and nearby amenities include restaurants, a nursery, landscaped lake and jetty, retail stores, petrol station, ATM and car wash.

On completion, The EpiCentre will have over 60 office suites available from 17sqm (172 sqft) up to 78sqm (840sqft) including three flexible shared laboratory spaces with access to specialist equipment. These suites are available for pre-let immediately, and are supplemented by communal breakout spaces, a café and meeting and conference rooms.

The offices will be rented out on an inclusive basis to include reception, concierge, rent, rates and utilities, and the building has fibre broadband with a minimum capacity of One Gigabyte.

The centre will house a purpose-built shared laboratory with write-up space. Furnished with a range of specialist equipment, the shared lab space is ideal for tissue culturing, microbiology research, and more. It includes a CO2 Incubator,autoclave, centrifuge, LN2 vessel, shaking incubator, chemical fume hood, glass washer and Phase 3 power outlets.

The EpiCentre is directly adjacent to the ‘Spirit of Enterprise’ roundabout on the A413 and is in a high-profile gateway position at the entrance to Haverhill. The EpiCentre benefits from 115 car parking spaces with electric charging points available.

Scargill comments that “The EpiCentre will provide a great location for ambitious, innovative and growing companies as part of the Greater Cambridge eco-system, enabling start-ups, SMEs and entrepreneurs to push the boundaries in their field and drive economic growth.

“We are offering much more than a serviced office or laboratory with flexible space. Our offer is not to ‘let and forget’ but to provide ‘value-add’ to our customers through our inclusive business coaching and support programme.

“Oxford Innovation has an outstanding track record of success in incubating and accelerating high growth businesses providing the provision of specialist coaching services and funding support through our established investor networks,” adds Scargill.

An integral part of its offer is innovation services to entrepreneurs, including business planning advice, coaching and mentoring. Oxford Innovation also manages investment networks that link investors with entrepreneurs seeking funding from £20,000 to £2m.

Developer Reselton Properties has submitted amended plans to the Greater London Authority (GLA) for the Stag Brewery site in Mortlake, South West London with increased affordable housing and less car parking.

The revised scheme will deliver up to 30% of the whole residential provision as affordable housing and it removes some 186 car parking spaces from the original design.

The earlier scheme granted planning consent by the London Borough of Richmond Upon-Thames in January this year was ‘called-in’ by the GLA in May and the Mayor will now act as the planning authority for the scheme.

Following the call-in Reselton Properties has been in discussion with the GLA planning officers to improve the scheme further and ensure it is fully aligned with the Mayor’s strategic planning policies. 

A spokesman for Dartmouth Capital Advisors, the development managers for Reselton, says: “While there has been an increase in the number of affordable homes to meet the GLA’s requirements a significant number of these units are smaller being aimed at younger or older buyers and have been partly absorbed into the previously proposed care village and nursing home that have been dispensed with. Because of this we have been able to significantly cut back the number of car parking spaces,” adds the spokesman.

As a result of the changes the gross external area of the scheme shows less than a 15% increase over the previous scheme.

The changes in summary include:

1. Provision of affordable housing increased to up to 30%

2. Reduction of on-site car parking, refocused towards increased public transport and accessibility

3. Increased number of homes across the scheme - this has led to an increase in height of some buildings

4. A car free travel plan for the proposed school

5. Alternative options being explored to Chalkers Corner highways works in order to mitigate highways impacts

6. Changes to the layout and form of some buildings

7. Improvements to the road and pedestrian access around the school 

8. Changes to some of the town centre uses, including increase in office floorspace, minor amendments to quantum or location of flexible uses, and removal of the gym

9. Landscaping amendments, including removal of four trees on the north west corner of the Site.

The revised scheme continues to provide many community benefits, including:

• A new secondary school
• Employment for up to 500 people
• New publicly accessible, local facilities including: Cinema, hotel, offices with workplaces, community hall and rowing club, 30/40 flexible use units
• Access to the River and Towpath that will be available to the public 24/7, and new public routes throughout the development
• Over 4.36 ha of publicly accessible open space
• Large areas of play-space across the scheme
• Over two thousand cycle parking spaces
• The preservation of heritage buildings
• Up to 400 new trees across the site

Michael Squire of Squire & Partners, the architects for the projects, said: “Our enhanced scheme for Stag Brewery evolves the design in line with GLA targets on social housing and parking. The new proposals maintain the footprint of the current planning application, adding additional floors in strategically selected locations. Facades have developed to feature broader gables, a more varied palette of materials and create symmetry across the site.

“Public access to a beautiful and important section of the river for the first time in more than 300 years, generous open spaces and a variety of community uses are all retained, ensuring that this new scheme delivers much needed housing as well as creating a valuable addition to the local community in Mortlake,” added Squire.

The development is being undertaken by London-based Dartmouth Capital Advisors on behalf of Reselton Properties, a wholly owned subsidiary of  Singapore-listed City Developments Limited (CDL).

Jaynic, the developer of Suffolk Park, Bury St Edmunds, has been appointed as development managers on the fit-out contract of the SP206 warehouse for M H Star which it has just sold to the consumer goods importer.

The fit out for M H Star will include internal reconfiguration, sprinklers and racking installations on the 206,000 sq ft unit.

Jaynic’s construction director, Jason Newman, said: “We are delighted to have won the contract as development managers on the M H Star fit-out with the building due to be delivered by the end of October in time for the November opening of the facility. We are going out to tender on the fit-out contract in the next few weeks.”

The sale and fit-out completes phase one of the warehouse development, the 147,000 sq ft first unit having been let to Unipart and the resulting investment sold to the Charities Property Fund last summer.

Elsewhere at Suffolk Park the 112,000 sq ft first phase of Treatt Plc’s new global headquarters, where Jaynic is also the development manager, is due for completion this summer.

Development director Ben Oughton, said, “We are delighted with progress at Suffolk Park over the last couple of years and are in discussions with other occupiers on further deals.”

Suffolk Park’s agents are Bury St Edmunds based Hazells Chartered Surveyors, Cambridge agents Bidwells and Savills London’s logistics department. www.suffolk-park.uk

The Robert Bird Group has been appointed as structural engineers on the transformation of Olympia London into a new cultural hub for west London.

The firm is providing structural, civil, geotechnical and construction engineering services on the project for YOO Capital, which jointly owns the 130-year-old exhibition centre with Deutsch Finance International.

David Seel, Managing Director (Europe, Middle East and USA), said: “We are delighted to have been appointed on this high-profile site. Our specialist disciplines collaborated together to consider holistic challenges the clients faced and are delivering innovative ideas that have a balanced consideration for architecture, experience, construction, risk and cost” added Seel.

The development designed by Heatherwick Studio and SPPARC will see Olympia transformed into a leisure and entertainment destination and plans include a four-screen arthouse cinema, a state of the art theatre, a performing arts venue, offices, restaurants, shops, two hotels and 2.5 acres of public space. The Grand Exhibition Hall, National Exhibition Hall and the Central hall are all Grade II listed.

Jaynic has sold the SP206 warehouse at Suffolk Park, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, to consumer goods importer M H Star completing the disposal of its first phase of warehouses.

Ben Oughton, development director of Jaynic, said: “The sale of this warehouse to M H Star is great news and further underpins the park’s prime location adjacent to the A14, just a mile from Junction 45, giving M H Star great links into the national motorway network.

Oughton added: “Having successfully completed and found occupiers for our first phase we have now received planning consent for a second phase of four big sheds and will start construction in the near future as there is little supply of new space in the region.”

Moris Ye, Assistant Manager - UK Operations at M H Star UK Ltd, said: Choosing to purchase this warehouse from Jaynic was an easy and straightforward decision from us at MH Star UK. With our business evolving and growing rapidly, we needed extra distribution space to fulfil our ongoing and future requirements.

“The Bury St Edmunds warehouse will be the third in our property portfolio and we are excited to be setting up in such a lovely town, where we can give back to the community and create job opportunities for the local residents.

“We are very happy with the deal made with Jaynic, and are hoping we can continue doing business with each other in the near future as we continue to expand,” Ye added.

Charles Binks of Knight Frank that acted with Charles Palmer Properties for M H Star, said: “After an extensive search for a unit which we could purchase freehold, together with its proximity to the port of Felixstowe where many of the company’s products arrive into the UK, we were delighted to agree terms to buy a unit of the quality offered at Suffolk Park and this will now form a key part of MH Star’s UK network and play a significant role in supporting their continued growth “

Cllr John Griffiths, Leader of West Suffolk Council, said: “It is tremendous news that M H Star has chosen Bury St Edmunds to locate one of its major warehouses. Suffolk Park is quickly becoming a major employment hub for the town and shows continuing market confidence in West Suffolk both now and beyond the current global crisis of the coronavirus pandemic. It’s good to see that the vision set out by the Council when it led on work with partners to unlock land and infrastructure for the Suffolk Business Park, is becoming a reality.”

The consent for the next phase is for four “Big Sheds” of 37,000 sq ft, 80,000 sq ft, 100,000 sq ft and 150,000 sq ft, respectively. The 114-acre Suffolk Park already has outline planning consent for 2 million sq ft of business, distribution, and industrial space.

Suffolk Park agents are Bury St Edmunds based Hazells Chartered Surveyors, Cambridge agents Bidwells and Savills London’s logistics department. www.suffolk-park.uk

Jaynic, the developer of Suffolk Park, Bury St Edmunds; Gateway 14, Stowmarket and Haverhill Research Park is delighted to announce that it is the lead sponsor of the Girls Night Out sponsored walk in Bury St Edmunds on the 12th Sept. Registration for walkers opens on 26th June. For further information and to register: https://www.girlsnightoutwalk.co.uk/

The St Nicholas Hospice Care’s Annual Sponsored Pyjama Walk – dubbed the Girls Night Out - inspires people to raise £200,000 each year.

Nic Rumsey, managing director of Jaynic, says: "We're pleased to be the main sponsor of the 2020 Girls Night Out event. These are uncertain times for everyone, but we are proud to be helping a local charity do something amazing.

“The hospice helps so many people at the most difficult times of their lives and to be able to keep doing that they need the community's support,” adds Rumsey.

During these uncertain times there will be virtual version of the pyjama walk. Walkers will put on their comfiest trainers and pyjamas to take on their own walk and use government guidelines to stay safe. Walkers will set a distance and en-route share milestones and tributes to loved ones.

The Hospice team will use social media to bring together everyone such as walkers, marshals, sponsors, and members of the community.

While walkers participate, they will feel the warm support of the organisers’ virtual marshals digitally clapping their posts, also live video hosted by the hospice team will engage with all involved.

Jenny Smith, the Hospice Events Fund Raising Manager, says: “Over the next few weeks, we will be preparing to launch registration on Friday 26 June, with a suggested donation of £20 to sign up and an option for people to collect sponsorship.

“Please start to spread the word! We firmly believe, with your spirit, this could be a special moment for our community which generates much-needed support for those faced with dying, caring and grief. Take care and continue to stay safe, please follow the link if you’re interested in some of the initially planned changes to this year’s event.

Jaynic and Oxford Innovation have started a staff recruitment drive for their exciting new EpiCentre innovation centre at Haverhill Research Park that is due to open its doors for business in November 2020 with positions available for 6 permanent full and part-time positions.

These roles are now available to receive applications. The details and how to apply can be found at https://careers.oxin-centres.co.uk/

Gareth Scargill, Commercial Director, at Oxford Innovation, said: “This is a great opportunity for those looking to join this growing company working in a brand-new business park environment on the edge of Haverhill.

“The company is young, fun, fresh and passionate about supporting SMEs, innovators and businesses especially during their early years. The business and innovation centres provide a perfect platform to be creative, and flexible with plenty of opportunity to work with likeminded individuals,” added Scargill.

The available positions are as follows:

• A business support focused Innovation Director
• A commercially focused Centre Manager
• An operationally focused Assistant Centre Manager
• Two Customer Experience Assistants
• A Laboratory Technician

The EpiCentre, is directly adjacent to the ‘Spirit of Enterprise’ roundabout, in a high-profile gateway position at the entrance to Haverhill. The purpose-built facility by developer Jaynic will provide over 60 office suites, ranging from small offices to custom-built workspaces, together with conference/meeting rooms, training facilities, café and a communal area for shared working. The Epicentre will also benefit from 115 car parking spaces with electric charging points.

Gateway 14 Ltd, advised by its development manager Jaynic, has appointed property consultant Savills as joint agent alongside Avison Young to market the 156-acre business and logistics scheme at Junction 50 of the A14 at Stowmarket, Suffolk.

Savills is a market-leading agency along the A14 corridor with offices in Ipswich, Chelmsford and Cambridge in addition to London. It will be working with Avison Young to promote the site both in the East Anglia region, nationally and internationally. Rapleys is appointed alongside Avison Young to investigate the roadside potential of the site given its proximity to the A14.

Richard Sullivan, national head of industrial & logistics at Savills, comments: “We are very pleased to have been appointed as joint agent on Gateway 14. Our local knowledge combined with the team’s national expertise and wider international network means we are confident of finding the right occupiers for what will be a state of the art new scheme. With supply still relatively low across the East of England, we anticipate that Jaynic’s latest development will receive significant enquiries from a range of interested parties.”

Sir Christopher Haworth, chairman of Gateway 14, said: “We are delighted to have Savills on board which completes the line-up of marketing agents for the scheme. We are moving ahead rapidly with Gateway 14 to realise our vision of delivering a multi-million-pound boost for the wider economic area of Mid Suffolk.”

Ben Oughton, development director of Jaynic, said: “We welcome Savills as part of the marketing agency team. We are seeking to attract a mix of occupiers that could create thousands of jobs for the town and have confidence that with Savills, Avison Young and Rapleys on board we can move ahead swiftly with making Gateway14 one of the prime business locations in East Anglia and the UK.”

Gateway 14 Ltd, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Mid Suffolk District Council and recently appointed Jaynic as the development manager for the scheme. This will provide up to 2.3 million sq ft of business, logistics and commercial accommodation over the next 10-15 years, with the first buildings being available in 2021/2. A planning application will be submitted by the end of 2020, to enable a phased development on the 156-acre site.

The masterplan layout is still being developed, however the site could accommodate logistics buildings up to 1,000,000 sq ft, with roadside uses alongside the A14 frontage, and headquarters office/R&D campus style buildings.

The site can support the growth of creative and technology businesses, a sector which is already important to Mid Suffolk, while also maximising opportunities for inward investment and job creation. Part of the site has an enterprise zone allocation that providing rates relief for businesses.

The A14 corridor is one of the principal trunk routes for UK logistics offering access from the Port of Felixstowe into the heart of the UK and it is also a primary route for export to European and world markets. The site is 26 miles from the Port of Felixstowe, 12.5 miles to Ipswich and the A12, and 45 miles to M11 and links to Cambridge.

Website: https://gateway14.com/

Agents contact details: John Allan – Avison Young John.Allan@avisonyoung.com

Chris Moody- Savills cmoody@savills.com /

Phil Dennis- Savills PDennis@savills.com

Alfred Bartlett – Rapleys - Alfred.bartlett@rapleys.com

Oxford Innovation the company appointed to manage The EpiCentre innovation centre at Haverhill Research Park has launched the marketing and website for the facility that is due to open in November. https://www.epicentrehaverhill.co.uk/

Jo Stevens, managing director of Oxford Innovation, said “The EpiCentre will provide a great location for ambitious, innovative and growing companies as part of the Greater Cambridge eco-system, enabling start-ups, SMEs and entrepreneurs to push the boundaries in their field and drive economic growth.

“We are offering much more than a serviced office or laboratory with flexible space. Our offer is not to ‘let and forget’ but to provide ‘value-add’ to our clients.

“Oxford Innovation has an outstanding track record of success in incubating and accelerating high growth businesses providing the provision of specialist coaching services and funding support through our established investor networks,” adds Stevens.

Strategically located near Cambridge and part of the South Cambridge Business and Technology Cluster, The EpiCentre is the perfect location to grow your business. Onsite and nearby amenities include, restaurants, a nursery, landscaped lake and jetty, retail stores, petrol station, ATM and car wash.

The EpiCentre will have over 60 office suites from 17sqm (172 sqft) up to 78sqm (840sqft), although larger open plan requirements could be accommodated now of up to 600sqm (6500sqft). There will also be a shared laboratory space available. These suites are available for pre-let immediately for as little as one month, together with breakout spaces, meeting and conference rooms and a café.

The offices will be rented out on a fully inclusive basis to include reception, concierge, rent, rates and utilities, and the building has fibre broadband with a minimum capacity of One Gigabyte.

The 30,000 sq ft EpiCentre is directly adjacent to the ‘Spirit of Enterprise’ roundabout on the A413 and is in a high-profile gateway position at the entrance to Haverhill. The EpiCentre benefits from 115 car parking spaces with electric charging points available.

Nic Rumsey, the managing director of Jaynic, said: “This is a very important step for the Haverhill Research Park. We expect The EpiCentre to appeal to start-ups, companies seeking satellite offices near Cambridge and Ipswich and corporates looking for flexible expansion space,” added Rumsey.

Councillor John Griffiths, leader of West Suffolk Council, said: “We are delighted that The EpiCentre is now moving forward to further enable us to help new and existing local businesses grow in Haverhill. By building on our strengths such as advanced manufacturing, we will be helping to develop new skills to benefit not only Haverhill, West Suffolk and the Cambridge Sub-Region but also the national economy.”

Oxford Innovation is a leading operator of innovation centres that provide office and laboratory space. It currently operates 26 centres throughout the UK. An integral part of its offer is innovation services to entrepreneurs, including business planning advice, coaching and mentoring. Oxford Innovation also manages investment networks that link investors with entrepreneurs seeking funding from £20,000 to £2m.

Construction of the EpiCentre has been made possible with finance provided jointly by £2.7m of Local Growth Fund investment from the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority and a loan from West Suffolk Council.

ENDS

Following a successful public consultation, popular food retailer Aldi and established Suffolk Park developer Jaynic have submitted a planning application to West Suffolk Council for a multi-million-pound development at Suffolk Park.

The proposals include a fresh, modern foodstore, alongside a state-of-the-art innovation centre, and retail / commercial kiosks. This significant investment has the potential to generate nearly 400 jobs and enable further development across the Suffolk Park Enterprise Zone.

The proposed discount foodstore, is Aldi’s second in the town and will complement its existing popular store at Dettingen Way on the west side of Bury St Edunds.

The innovation centre will provide flexible office space specifically designed to meet the needs of local businesses and start-ups, encouraging local economic growth.

Retail and commercial kiosks will provide vital services to existing businesses and residents including coffee shops, sandwich bars, and secretarial and administrative services making the Suffolk Park area an even more convenient and attractive place to live and work.

Over 4,300 households and businesses were consulted on the proposals, with an impressive 93% (845) of respondents in favour. Popular reasons for support included the need for an Aldi on the eastern side of Bury St Edmunds, to prevent shoppers having to travel across the town and relieve congestion at the Dettingen Way store. Businesses in the area spoke of the need for more high-quality space, and amenities for employees. Households and businesses welcomed the opportunity of new investment and jobs.

The proposals include ample car parking for all elements of the development; disabled facilities, toilets and access throughout; and extensive, landscaped, open community space for businesses and residents.

Aldi’s Regional Property Director said:

“Aldi would like to thank local residents and businesses for engaging in the consultation process and providing such encouraging feedback on our proposals. We know our customers are currently travelling some way to visit our Dettingen Way store, these proposals will ensure easier access to our award-winning product range and, reduce the need to travel. We are delighted to be able to partner with Jaynic to bring these exciting proposals forward, we now look forward to working with West Suffolk Council throughout the application process.”

Jaynic’s Development Director, Ben Oughton said:

We are delighted to be working on this joint venture with Aldi to give the east side of Bury St Edmunds a much-needed sustainable mixed-use scheme for both the local community and the growing number of businesses on Suffolk Park. The requirement for an innovation centre and retail and commercial kiosks alongside the store is clear and will bring more of a balance in the provision of amenities to Bury St Edmunds that is currently skewed towards the west of the town,” added Oughton.

The application has now been submitted to West Suffolk Council, which is expected to determine it over the coming months.

Jaynic, the developer of Suffolk Park in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, has gained detailed planning consent from West Suffolk Council for a second phase of warehouse units totalling 367,000 sq ft.

The consent is for four “Big Sheds” of 37,000 sq ft, 80,000 sq ft, 100,000 sq ft and 150,000 sq ft, respectively. The 114-acre Suffolk Park already has outline planning consent for 2 million sq ft of business, distribution and industrial space.

This follows on from its first phase where it developed two warehouse units totalling 357,000 sq ft. The 147,000 sq ft building was successfully let to Unipart acting as the provider for the NHS Supply Chain last Summer, and it is in detailed negotiations with occupiers on its second 206,000 sq ft unit.

Ben Oughton, Jaynic development director says: “Despite the current health crisis there is strong evidence that there is still significant demand for well-located logistics warehouses. We felt that as the first phase is proving successful with Unipart taking the first unit and the current strong demand for the second unit the time was right to go ahead with a further second phase of speculative units.

“Suffolk Park is located immediately adjacent to the A14 trunk road providing a fast transport link from the east coast ports through East Anglia and into the national motorway network that provides an ideal location for logistics companies,” adds Oughton.

Cllr John Griffiths, Leader of West Suffolk Council, said: “This investment by Jaynic, shows continuing market confidence in West Suffolk both now and beyond the current global crisis of the coronavirus pandemic. It’s good to see that the vision set out by the Council when it led on work with partners to make Suffolk Park a possibility, is now becoming a reality.”

A recent report from Savills on big shed supply highlighted the lack of new speculative units in East Anglia. At the time the report commented that: “there are no speculative units scheduled for delivery in 2019” and pointed out that the first phase of units at Suffolk Park units were the first speculative warehouses to be delivered in the region for over a decade. Encouraged by this Jaynic has gained planning consent for this second phase.

The Suffolk Park agents marketing the development are Bury St Edmunds based Hazells Chartered Surveyors, Cambridge agents Bidwells and Savills London’s logistics department. www.suffolk-park.uk

Gateway 14 Ltd, advised by its development manager Jaynic, has appointed property consultants Avison Young and Rapleys to market the 156-acre mixed-use and logistics scheme at Junction 50 of the A14 at Stowmarket, Suffolk. Jaynic was appointed as development manager earlier this month.

Strategic real estate advisor Avison Young has been appointed to market the overall scheme both in the UK and internationally and Rapleys has been appointed to investigate the roadside potential of the site given its immediate proximity to the A14. A further marketing agency appointment will be made in the near future with local and regional expertise to identify occupier demand in East Anglia.

Sir Christopher Haworth, chairman of Gateway 14, said: “We are moving ahead rapidly with Gateway 14 and realising our vision of delivering a multi-million pound boost for the wider economic area of Mid Suffolk. We are delighted to have Avison Young and Rapleys on board alongside Jaynic to deliver this very exciting scheme.”

Ben Oughton, development director of Jaynic, said: “This is a key site for Stowmarket, and East Anglia as a whole and with the help of Jaynic and the agents we are seeking to attract a mix of occupiers providing a range of employment opportunities that could create thousands of jobs for the town.”

John Allan, Director, National Industrial & Distribution at Avison Young, said: “We are delighted to have been appointed as lead marketing agent on this strategically important scheme for Suffolk.”

Alfred Bartlett, Head of Retail & Leisure Group at Rapleys LLP, said: “We are delighted to have been instructed to advise on this strategically located and highly prominent opportunity, and look forward to working with Jaynic to bring the development forward. Our appointment at such an early stage in the master planning of the scheme allows us to influence the layout, mix make up of occupier to reflect the market and more importantly adapt to specific operators’ requirements. We would encourage interested parties to make contact to discuss how they might be accommodated at Gateway 14.”

Gateway 14 Ltd, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Mid Suffolk District Council and has just appointed Jaynic as the development manager for the scheme. This will provide up to 2.3 million sq ft of business, logistics and commercial accommodation over the next 10-15 years, with the first buildings being available in 2021/2. A planning application will be submitted by the end of 2020, to enable a phased development on the 156-acre site.

The masterplan layout is still being developed, however the site could accommodate logistics buildings up to 1,000,000 sq ft, with roadside uses alongside the A14 frontage, and headquarters office/R&D campus style buildings.

The site can support the growth of creative and technology businesses, a sector which is already important to Mid Suffolk, while also maximising opportunities for inward investment and job creation.

The A14 corridor is one of the principal trunk routes for UK logistics offering access from the Port of Felixstowe into the heart of the UK and it is also a primary route for export to European and world markets. The site is 26 miles from the Port of Felixstowe, 12.5 miles to Ipswich and the A12, and 45 miles to M11 and links to Cambridge.

Website: https://gateway14.com/

Agents contact details: John Allan – Avison Young John.Allan@avisonyoung.com

Alfred Bartlett – Rapleys - Alfred.bartlett@rapleys.com

Gateway 14 Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Mid Suffolk District Council, has appointed Jaynic as the development manager for a major new development, adjacent to junction 50 on the A14 at Stowmarket, Suffolk. The development will provide up to 2.3 million sq ft of business, logistics and commercial accommodation over the next 10-15 years, with the first buildings being available in 2021/2.

Jaynic has signed a 15-year development agreement with Gateway 14 Ltd. A planning application will be submitted by the end of 2020, to enable a phased development on the 156-acre site.

Gateway 14 will consist of a mixed-use, market facing business park for warehousing and logistics with an innovation cluster within the “space to innovate” enterprise zone. The strategic aim is to benefit the wider economic area of Mid Suffolk, especially the growth of creative and technology businesses in the area, while also maximising opportunities for inward investment, job creation and wider community benefits.

It is intended that the main infrastructure will commence by Spring 2021 so that occupation can start in early 2022.

The masterplan layout is still being developed, however the site could accommodate logistics buildings up to 1,000,000 sq ft, with roadside uses alongside the A14 frontage, and headquarters office/R&D campus style buildings. Wsws4

Nic Rumsey, managing director of Jaynic, said: “We are delighted to have been appointed by Gateway 14. This is a key site for Stowmarket, and East Anglia as a whole. We look forward to working with Gateway 14 to attract a mix of occupiers providing a range of employment opportunities that could create thousands of jobs for the town.”

Sir Christopher Haworth, chairman of Gateway 14 said:

“This is a very significant development for Suffolk. Its position on the A14, on a key transport route, will meet the demand for warehousing and logistics in the county and provide modern workspace for smaller businesses. The development is a very exciting prospect for the area and a tribute to the entrepreneurship of Mid Suffolk District Council in backing the purchase of the land by Gateway 14 Ltd.”

Cllr Suzie Morley, Leader of Mid Suffolk District Council said:

“Our ambition is to create a high-quality, mixed-use business park that provides significant warehousing facilities but also supports our plans to make Stowmarket a centre of innovation in the East of England and create a range of employment opportunities for the surrounding area.”

Cllr Gerard Brewster, Cabinet Member for Economic Growth said: “The partnership announcement between Gateway 14 and Jaynic marks an important step for this development. It is another step forward in delivering jobs for our district and strengthening the economy of Mid Suffolk.”

The A14 corridor is one of the principal trunk routes for UK logistics offering access from the Port of Felixstowe into the heart of the UK and it is also a primary route for export to European and world markets. The site is 26 miles from the Port of Felixstowe, 12.5 miles to Ipswich and the A12, and 45 miles to M11 and links to Cambridge.

Gateway 14 Ltd was established by Mid Suffolk District Council in 2018 to acquire and deliver the development of this site in Stowmarket. Since its incorporation Gateway 14 has also acquired the Stowmarket East site.

In East Anglia, Jaynic has a strong track-record. It is currently developing the 2m sq ft Suffolk Park scheme in Bury St Edmunds where it is building a 112,000 sq ft headquarters building for Treatt and Haverhill Research Park where it is building a 35,000 sq ft Innovation Centre. Also, it was responsible for developing Cambridge Research Park and Buckingway Business Park in Cambridge, the University of Essex Knowledge Gateway in Colchester and Haverhill Business Park.

Avison Young was Gateway 14’s property adviser.

Five engineering traineees at civil, structural and geotechnical engineers Richard Jackson Limited have been given first-hand experience of construction in action with a visit to developer Jaynic’s EpiCentre scheme at Haverhill Research Park in Haverhill, Suffolk.

Richard Jackson who is the engineer on the EpiCentre project was able to show the trainees (that included four apprentices) the building’s frame being assembled by contractor Parkway. The steel frame is progressing well, and the precast concrete stairs and lift shaft were being installed while the apprentices were on-site.

The EpiCentre project has been made possible with finance provided jointly through a £3.5m loan by West Suffolk Council and £2.7m of Local Growth Fund investment from the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority.

As part of the scheme funding Jaynic contracted to participate in an apprenticeship programme to support training in the region.

Nic Rumsey, managing director of Jaynic said: “We are well aware of the challenges construction is currently facing with a lack of young people coming into the industry and are very happy to facilitate apprenticeship training at Haverhill Research Park.”

Robert Morris, the project’s director at Richard Jackson, said: “We are delighted to be working with Jaynic in bringing the EpiCentre and other projects to fruition. Richard Jackson appreciates the importance of developing the next generation of engineers through a variety of experiences. This site visit has given our trainees and apprentices a valuable understanding of the many specialisms required to deliver construction projects to a high standard.”

The 30,000 sq ft four-storey EpiCentre is due for completion this coming November and is directly adjacent to the ‘Spirit of Enterprise’ roundabout at the entrance to Haverhill. The 60 office suites are available for pre-let immediately from November for as little as three months, together with breakout spaces, meeting and conference rooms and a café open to the public. The offices will be rented out on a fully inclusive basis to include reception, concierge, rent, rates and utilities, and the building has fibre broadband with a minimum capacity of One Gigabyte.

Jaynic, the developer of Haverhill Research Park, welcomes the proposals for a new metro system that would link Haverhill to Cambridge and the surrounding region.

Nic Rumsey, managing director of Jaynic commented: “This is very exciting news for us as it would greatly enhance Haverhill Research Park and Haverhill’s communications with Cambridge, drawing us closer into its orbit and the greater Cambridgeshire area. However, we acknowledge that even if approved it would be a phased infrastructure project over many years, and the connection to Haverhill may not be in place until the late 2020s at the earliest.

“We are in the process of building the EpiCentre building that will offer flexible innovation centre accommodation in over 60 office suites, with a further 15 acres for up to 410,000sq ft available for commercial development and we believe that having a metro-link to Cambridge would make the park even more attractive,” added Rumsey.

The Cambridgeshire Autonomous Metro (CAM) proposal by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA) is for a metro-style network that seamlessly connects regional settlements, major city fringe employment sites and key satellite growth areas across the region with key railway stations and Cambridge city centre, helping to nurture and sustain long-term regional economic growth.

Four regional routes will connect St Neots, Alconbury, Mildenhall and Haverhill with the city of Cambridge. CAM is currently expected to use a technologically advanced, sustainable, highly flexible trackless electric vehicle. The project is currently out for public consultation from 21st February to 23rd April 2020.

The benefits that will arise from CAM include:

• Providing a reliable and regular service using modern vehicles, significantly reducing journey times between the wider region and the city of Cambridge

• By connecting existing and planned settlements with key regional centres of employment, CAM will greatly expand the opportunities available to residents of the region, including access to a greater number and variety of jobs.

• By providing a passenger transport system that offers a genuine alternative to using the car, CAM will help to reduce congestion and improve air quality

• It will connect key regional centres of employment, with existing settlements, railway stations and planned growth, to create a platform for sustainable and inclusive growth across the region,

• By decreasing the relative distance between key ‘clusters’ around the city and across the region, CAM will link key growth areas, encouraging additional jobs by making the region a more attractive place to locate, expand and invest.

The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA) is the Transport Authority responsible for transport planning and public transport in the area. It brings together the councils of the area and is led by the elected mayor.

IMAGES:

Illustration of Cambridge Autonomous Metro by Natalie Harmer

Indicative Map courtesy of CAM

The foundations and drains are complete. Now the skeleton of the the EpiCentre innovation centre at Haverhill Research Park is underway with the erection of the steel framework commencing directly adjacent to the ‘Spirit of Enterprise’ roundabout on the A1307 will open for business in November 2020.

This immediately gives a feel for what a landmark presence this building will have at the Gateway to Haverhill. Daily progress can be followed via a live timelapse camera, refreshed every 15 minutes on the homepage of www.haverhillresearchpark.com

The 30,000 sq ft centre to be run by Oxford Innovation the biggest operator of its kind in the UK, will have over 60 office suites from 17sqm (172 sqft) up to 78sqm (840sqft) available to hire for as little as three months on a fully inclusive rent, together with breakout spaces, meeting and conference rooms and a café open to the public.

The facility will appeal to start-ups, companies seeking satellite offices near Cambridge and Ipswich and corporates looking for flexible expansion space.

Jaynic the developer of the Haverhill Research Park has signed a 10-year management agreement with Oxford Innovation, the UK’s largest operator of successful innovation centres, to run its Epicentre building that is under construction at Haverhill Research Park that will open for business in the Autumn of 2020.

The Epicentre innovation centre will have over 60 office suites from 17sqm (172 sqft) up to 78sqm (840sqft), although larger open plan requirements could be accommodated now of up to 600sqm (6500sqft) These suites are available for pre-let immediately from November for as little as three months, together with breakout spaces, meeting and conference rooms and a café open to the public. The offices will be rented out on a fully inclusive basis to include reception, concierge, rent, rates and utilities, and the building has fibre broadband with a minimum capacity of One Gigabyte.

The 30,000 sq ft four-storey EpiCentre is directly adjacent to the ‘Spirit of Enterprise’ roundabout on the A1307 and is in a high-profile gateway position at the entrance to Haverhill. EpiCentre benefits from 115 car parking spaces with electric charging points available.

Construction of EpiCentre has been made possible with finance provided jointly by £2.7m of Local Growth Fund investment from the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority and a loan from West Suffolk Council.

Nic Rumsey, the managing director of Jaynic, said: “This is a very important step for the Haverhill Research Park and surrounding region. We welcome Oxford Innovation with its many of years of experience in operating innovation centres. Its willingness to operate the Epicentre gives a great endorsement to the building and location.

“Oxford Innovation will be starting its sales drive immediately and we expect the Epicentre to appeal to start-ups, companies seeking satellite offices near Cambridge and Ipswich and corporates looking for flexible expansion space,” added Rumsey.

Jo Stevens, managing director of Oxford Innovation, said “We are delighted to be partnering with Jaynic at the EpiCentre in Haverhill. At Oxford Innovation we are proud of our track record of incubating, harnessing and nurturing talent and innovation, enabling start-ups, SMEs and entrepreneurs to push the boundaries in their field and drive economic growth.

“The Epicentre will provide a great location for ambitious, innovative and growing companies as part of the Greater Cambridge eco-system and we can’t wait to get started on finding great companies to come and join us there.”

Cllr John Griffiths, Leader of West Suffolk Council said: “The innovation centre is about having the space for new start up businesses to turn their ideas into an enterprise, creating jobs, prosperity and supporting the growth of the economy. We are delighted with the latest announcement which is a key component to the development of the town and the opportunities that it will forge for our local communities.”

Cllr Susan Glossop, Cabinet Member for Growth at West Suffolk Council said: “Haverhill is a great location for new business, it has an established network of business, with growth in the advanced manufacturing sector and close proximity to Cambridge Cluster. We are delighted to secure the experience of Oxford Innovation to run this facility and look forward to working with them to create an environment which will attract and support the most ambitious new business start-ups.”

Mayor James Palmer of the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority said: I welcome the appointment of Oxford Innovation, the country’s largest innovation centre operator, to run the EpiCentre building at the Haverhill Research Park. The Business Board was enthusiastic about the potential for EpiCentre to provide a hub of office space suitable for startups and SMEs in the region, and we were delighted to be able to provide £2.7m funding from the Local Growth Fund. Oxford Innovation’s strong record in providing innovation services-mentoring, investment networking and business planning advice - makes them an excellent choice to run this ground-breaking new space that is accessible to Greater Cambridge and the wider Cambridgeshire region and will help sustain long-term local economic growth.

Haverhill is an important town for West Suffolk with plans for 4,000 new houses and it continues to make a significant contribution to the wider Cambridgeshire economy. Haverhill Research Park is one of five sites under the Cambridge Compass Enterprise Zone programme

Assuming the EpiCentre is successful, Jaynic and Oxford Innovation have ambition to open more centres in the East Anglia region in future.

Oxford Innovation is a leading operator of business and innovation centres that provide office and laboratory space. It currently operates 26 centres throughout the UK. An integral part of its offer is innovation services to entrepreneurs, including business planning advice, coaching and mentoring. Oxford Innovation also manages investment networks that link investors with entrepreneurs seeking funding from £20,000 to £2m.

Jaynic the property developer behind Suffolk Park in Bury St Edmunds and the Haverhill Research Park has appointed Sarah Howard MBE as a non-executive director to help expand its business.

Howard is the Chair of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) and the immediate past President of the Suffolk Chamber of Commerce, and in 2015 she was awarded an MBE for her services to the community through the ONE Haverhill neighbourhood community programme.

Nic Rumsey, the managing director of Jaynic, said: “We are delighted that Sarah has joined Jaynic. She lives and works in Haverhill and has huge knowledge of the East Anglia region and beyond which we believe will be of great benefit in helping us to expand our business. As UK chair of the BCC she also plays on the national business arena,” added Rumsey.

Sarah Howard commented: “I have known Nic for many years and it is an honour to be invited to become a non-executive director of Jaynic. The company is playing a vital role in the provision of new building space and jobs that is so important for the growth of our region. I hope I can make a positive contribution to Jaynic’s expanding business.”

Sarah continues to run Haverhill's Sarand Business Software and chairs Abbeycroft Leisure - a not-for-profit organisation running leisure centres and health and well-being programmes across Suffolk.

Over many years Jaynic has been involved in an array of high profile schemes in East Anglia including Cambridge Research Park, Buckingway Business Park, Haverhill Business Park, Haverhill Research Park and Suffolk and there are further schemes in the pipeline.

Developer Jaynic and Aldi reveal plans to bring a new Aldi store, innovation centre and retail kiosks to Suffolk Park, Bury St Edmunds.

Developer Jaynic and Aldi have announced exciting plans to develop a new Aldi supermarket, innovation centre and retail kiosks.

These will provide sustainable facilities for both Suffolk Park, the adjoining commercial occupiers, and the nearby residential areas, reducing traffic congestion that results from shoppers needing to go to other parts of town for their food provisions.

Jaynic, that has a regional office in Bury St Edmunds has a strong track record of delivering employment and business developments in the region, will work in partnership with Aldi to bring forward new mixed-use proposals on the rapidly expanding Suffolk Park. The new supermarket will be Aldi’s second in the town and will trade alongside their existing popular store at Millennium Way.

The plans would see the creation of a state-of-the-art innovation centre, which would provide space for entrepreneurs and local businesses to expand. The innovation centre will complement the wider ambitions for Suffolk Park to become a hub for business and employment in the future. The project partners estimate that the proposals could create the potential for up to 200 new local jobs.

Roland Stanley, Property Director at Aldi, said: “Since Aldi first opened in Bury St Edmunds over 10 years ago, our store on Millennium Way has become extremely popular, and many of our customers are already travelling across town to shop at Aldi. A new store will be more convenient to those people, as well as easing congestion at the existing store. A number of our stores in East Anglia already trade successfully next to business parks and are a valuable amenity for those businesses and their staff. We are delighted to be working with Jaynic and to be a part of this exciting next phase of development at Suffolk Park.”

Ben Oughton, Development Director at Jaynic, said: “We are delighted to announce our partnership with Aldi, and our plans for a new innovation centre at Suffolk Park, which will create a high-quality space for local businesses to expand. We’re passionate about delivering enterprise opportunities for East Anglia and these mixed-use proposals demonstrate that commitment at Suffolk Park.”

The announcement follows news last summer that Jaynic has let its 147,000 sq ft logistics warehouse on Suffolk Park to Unipart acting as the provider for the NHS Supply Chain .

Jaynic has already started development of a 112,000 sq ft facility for Treatt plc representing the first phase of its new global HQ. Treatt is a global ingredients manufacturer and solutions provider to the flavor, fragrance and consumer goods markets.

Additionally, another local company Sealey has bought 7.5 acres at Suffolk Park for further expansion and Jaynic has completed terms with the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST) for a new 26,000 sq ft Make Ready facility.

Because of this success Jaynic has submitted a detailed planning application to West Suffolk Council for a further 367,000 sq ft of warehouse units.

More information about the upcoming planning application is expected to be released in the near future.

Construction has begun on the EpiCentre innovation centre at Haverhill Research Park, Haverhill, Suffolk, and this has been marked with a ground-breaking ceremony on site.

In attendance were, Councillor Griffiths, the leader of West Suffolk Council, Councillor David Roach, Portfolio Holder for Local Plan Development and Delivery at West Suffolk Council and Nic Rumsey, managing director of developer Jaynic.

Councillor Griffiths said: “We are delighted that the EpiCentre is now moving forward to further enable us to help new and existing local businesses grow in Haverhill. By building on our strengths such as advanced manufacturing, we will be helping to develop new skills to benefit not only Haverhill, West Suffolk and the Cambridge Sub-Region but also the national economy. I would like to thank our partners in the public and private sector who have worked so hard with us to bring millions of pounds of investment to Haverhill, an economic boost for our residents and businesses, and income to support council services. By investing, unlocking outside funding or providing loans we are bringing business, jobs and supporting infrastructure to assist our growing economy across the whole of West Suffolk.”

Mayor James Palmer of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority said: "Fantastic to get shovels on site. Thanks to our Local Growth Fund unlocking potential, this development shows how the Mayoral Combined Authority and Business Board can work with partners to make things happen, quickly and effectively. With the £ 2.7 million Combined Authority investment there’s no looking back for what will become a key growth hub, creating new jobs, new businesses, and widening prosperity, not just for Haverhill but for this important part of our whole regional economy."

Nic Rumsey commented: “Starting work on the Epicentre fulfils our long-held ambition for a business centre at Haverhill’s gateway. We reiterate our appreciation of the financial assistance from the Combined Authority’s Business Board and West Suffolk Council without which it wouldn’t have been possible.”

The Epicentre building on the gateway site is directly adjacent to the ‘Spirit of Enterprise’ roundabout at the entrance to Haverhill and will hopefully help to attract further commercial investment and to support the creation of jobs for the area.

West Suffolk is part of the nationally important Cambridge Sub-Region and as such a driver of the UK economy. Haverhill is an important town for West Suffolk with plans for nearly 4,000 new houses and it continues to make a significant contribution to the wider Cambridgeshire economy. Haverhill Research Park is one of five sites within the Cambridge Compass Enterprise Zone.

Encouraging well managed housing growth with local jobs, supporting innovation and inspiring and supporting start-ups is an integral to good growth and the aims of both West Suffolk Council and the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority.

One of the reasons the new West Suffolk Council was created was to work better with regional and national partners on projects and funding while being small enough to work on tailored initiatives with the local communities.

Picture: (L to R) Nic Rumsey, Jaynic: Cllr David Roach, West Suffolk Council: Cllr John Griffiths, West Suffolk Council

Jaynic, the developer of Suffolk Park in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, has submitted a detailed planning application to West Suffolk Council for a second phase of warehouse units totalling 367,000 sq ft.

The application is for four “Big Sheds” of 37,000 sq ft, 80,000 sq ft, 100,000 sq ft and 150,000 sq ft, respectively. The 114-acre Suffolk Park already has outline planning consent for 2 million sq ft of business, distribution and industrial space.

This follows on from its first phase where it developed two warehouse units totalling 357,000 sq ft. The 147,000 sq ft building has been successfully let to Unipart acting as the provider for the NHS Supply Chain, and it is in discussions with occupiers on its second 206,000 sq ft unit.

Ben Oughton, Jaynic development director says: “Buoyed with this level of demand we believe the time is right to further increase the supply of speculative warehousing space at Suffolk Park.”

A recent report from Savills on big shed supply highlighted the lack of new speculative units in East Anglia. The report commented that: “there are no speculative units scheduled for delivery in 2019” and pointed out that the Suffolk Park units are the first speculative warehouses to be delivered in the region for over a decade.

The Suffolk Park agents are Bury St Edmunds based Hazells Chartered Surveyors, Cambridge agents Bidwells and Savills London’s logistics department. www.suffolk-park.uk

Jaynic the developer of the Haverhill Research Park in Haverhill, Suffolk, has awarded a construction contract with a value of just under £5m to Parkway Construction to build its Epicentre scheme.

Finance for the innovation centre has been provided jointly through a £3.5m loan by West Suffolk Council and £2.7m of Local Growth Fund investment from the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority.

The funding has unlocked development on the enterprise zone of the 30,000 sq ft four-storey building that was given planning consent in May this year and Parkway will start construction at the end of this month.

Jaynic’s Managing Director, Nic Rumsey, said:

“We welcome Parkway on board to deliver the Epicentre that will fulfil our long-held ambition for a business centre at Haverhill’s gateway. We reiterate our appreciation of the financial assistance from the Combined Authority’s Business Board and West Suffolk Council without which it wouldn’t have been possible.”

The Epicentre building on the gateway site is directly adjacent to the ‘Spirit of Enterprise’ roundabout at the entrance to Haverhill and will hopefully help to attract further commercial investment and to support the creation of jobs for the area.

West Suffolk is part of the nationally important Cambridge Sub-Region and as such a driver of the UK economy. Haverhill is an important town for West Suffolk with plans for nearly 4,000 new houses and it continues to make a significant contribution to the wider Cambridgeshire economy. Haverhill Research Park is one of five sites within the Cambridge Compass Enterprise Zone.

Encouraging well managed housing growth with local jobs, supporting innovation and inspiring and supporting start-ups is an integral to good growth and the aims of both West Suffolk Council and the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority.

One of the reasons the new West Suffolk Council was created was to work better with regional and national partners on projects and funding while being small enough to work on tailored initiatives with the local communities.

Mayor James Palmer, Leader of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority said: “Haverhill is a growing town full of opportunities and potential. This is something recognised by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority Business Board who see this as an important initiative for not only Haverhill but the wider area and economy.”

West Suffolk Council Leader, Councillor John Griffiths, said: “We are delighted that the EpiCentre is now moving forward to further enable us to grow new and existing local businesses here. Building on our strengths such as advanced manufacturing this will bring new skills to benefit not only Haverhill, West Suffolk and the Cambridge Sub-Region but also the national economy. I would like to thank our partners in the public and private sector who have worked so hard with us to bring millions of pounds of investment to Haverhill, an economic boost for our residents and businesses, and income to support council services. By investing, unlocking outside funding or providing loans we are bringing business, jobs and supporting infrastructure to assist our growing economy across the whole of West Suffolk. It is another great step forward for Haverhill,” added Cllr Griffiths.

Suffolk Park developer Jaynic is development manager

Treatt Plc, the manufacturer and supplier of innovative ingredient solutions for the flavour, fragrance, beverage and consumer products industries, announces that it has entered into a construction agreement with Readie Construction Limited for the development of its new head office facility on Suffolk Park, Bury St Edmunds.

Suffolk Park developer Jaynic is the development manager. Construction on the 112,000 sq ft first phase is due to commence this month with completion scheduled for Summer 2020; occupation will take place shortly thereafter.

The contract is on a fixed price basis and comprises the design and build of works associated with the new building including laboratories, manufacturing and warehouse facilities, offices and collaborative working spaces. Contract negotiations with other suppliers for the provision of plant and machinery for the new site are also proceeding well.

Daemmon Reeve, CEO of Treatt, commented:

"We are extremely pleased to have entered into a contract with Readie Construction Limited to build our new head office facility. This marks a significant step in Treatt’s history and will provide our teams with the facilities and positive working environment to underpin our ambitious future growth plans.”

Plans to bring jobs and employment to Haverhill Research Park and Enterprise Zone in Haverhill, Suffolk, with the development of a new innovation centre has been given a welcome multi-million £6.2m cash boost.

Finance has been provided jointly through a £3.5m loan by West Suffolk Council and £2.7m of Local Growth Fund investment from the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, for the EpiCentre project at the park.

The funding will unlock development on the enterprise zone of the 30,000 sq ft 4-storey building that was given planning consent in May this year with construction expected to start in October. The EpiCentre building on the gateway site is directly adjacent to the ‘Spirit of Enterprise’ roundabout at the entrance to Haverhill and will help to attract further commercial investment and to support the creation of jobs for the area.

West Suffolk is part of the nationally important Cambridge-Sub region and as such a driver of the UK economy. Haverhill is an important town for West Suffolk with plans for 4,000 new houses and continues to play a significant contribution to the wider Cambridgeshire economy. Haverhill Research Park is one of 5 sites under the Cambridge Compass Enterprise Zone programme.

Encouraging well managed housing growth with local jobs, supporting innovation and inspiring and supporting start-ups is an integral to good growth and the aims of both West Suffolk Council and the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority.

One of the reasons the new West Suffolk Council was created was to work better with regional and national partners on projects and funding while being small enough to work on tailored initiatives with our local communities.

West Suffolk Council Leader, Councillor John Griffiths, said:

“This is part of West Suffolk Council’s ambition and drive to attract jobs and economic opportunities to our area and further ensure our future prosperity. By working with the developer and partners, across borders, we have been able to bring millions of pounds of investment to Haverhill, an economic boost for our residents and businesses together with an income to support Council services. One of the reasons for creating the new West Suffolk Council was to be better able to attract external funding while still being the right size to work with our local communities on tailored initiatives and this is an excellent example.

“Haverhill is a growing town full of opportunities and potential. This is something recognised by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority Business Board who see this as an important initiative for not only Haverhill but the wider area and economy. I would like to thank the members of the Business Board, the Mayor and the Combined Authority for sharing this vision, and the local growth funding, and look forward to even closer working.”

Jaynic’s Managing Director, Nic Rumsey said

‘We are delighted that we will now be able to deliver the long held ambition of a landmark Innovation / Business Centre at Haverhill’s gateway. Without the financial assistance from the Combined Authority’s Business Board and the Council it wouldn’t have been possible. We expect to start construction early October and to be open for business in September 2020.’

Image: (L to R) Councillor John Griffiths, Leader of West Suffolk Council, Andrea Mayley, Economic Development and Business Growth Manager at West Suffolk Council, and Austen Adams of the Business Board of the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Authority Combined Authority and Nic Rumsey, Managing Director, Jaynic.

Jaynic the developer of Suffolk Park and Haverhill Research Park is taking a permanent regional office in Bury St Edmunds as a result of growing property development activity in the region.

Its new office is at:

2a Greenwood Court

Skyliner Way

Bury St Edmunds

Suffolk

IP32 7GY

In addition to its current development activities in Bury St Edmunds and Haverhill, it has also submitted a masterplan for a new commercial and residential development at the former RAF airfield in nearby Stanton and there are other schemes in the pipeline.

Jaynic’s headquarters office continues to remain in Ascot, Berkshire

By Ben Oughton, Development Director, Jaynic

Jaynic, the development company that’s creating a new employment
area at Suffolk Park in Bury St Edmunds is supporting the Bury Free
Press Business Awards at a time of great change in the region and what
better a time to celebrate business success.

There are great things happening in and around Bury St Edmunds. In
April this year St Edmundsbury and Forest Heath Councils merged to
form West Suffolk Council. As Council Leader, Cllr John Griffiths says:
“A new West Suffolk Council to better drive jobs, prosperity and the
local economy..”

And that is why Jaynic is supporting these very important awards,
because they showcase the best businesses from the length and
breadth of West Suffolk. This is now a substantial area with the
enlarged authority and there are many successful established and
growing businesses in the district.

With the strong support of the local authority at Suffolk Park we
already have several well established organisations including – East
of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust and Sealey - that are building
or have bought sites for major expansion, and we have recently signed
a lease with Unipart who will be acting as the provider for the NHS
Supply Chain.

These are businesses that have made Bury St Edmunds their home for
many years and have successfully grown their turnover and profitability
as a result of successful management. An undoubted contributor to this
success is their ability to grow the business within the town providing
top class facilities for their staff.

It is a truism that an attractive working environment helps to get the
best out of ones employees, ensure staff retention and improve
productivity.

The business awards are there to reward this approach to business and
to encourage young businesses to reach for the stars. With the council
planning for 13,000 new jobs between 2011 and 2031, rewarding
success will become all the more important.

We want to share in this success by creating such facilities at Suffolk
Park and in the coming months we plan to seek consent for more
business space that will enable local businesses to expand. In addition,
we want to attract companies from outside the region to consider
locating in Bury St Edmunds with all its attractions.

Shepperton House forming the second phase of the 215-apartment Teddington Riverside scheme in Teddington, south west London, is launched onto the market with 6 of the 19 apartments already bought or reserved.

The three-bedroom apartments at Shepperton House on the site of the historic Teddington Studios are for sale at £1.632 million each and over-look the River Thames at Teddington Lock.

Eugenie Ropner, Head of Sales & Marketing at developer Pinenorth Properties, says: “Shepperton House is in a truly stunning location in the centre of the development benefiting from views of Teddington Weir and down over the footbridge across the Thames. All of the apartments have balconies or terraces benefitting from these views and unsurprisingly six of the apartments have already been snapped up prior to completion.”

Teddington Riverside offers lateral living and underground parking to the apartments with direct lift access to each block, 24hr security and concierge service, and a courtesy town car. This is set in beautifully landscaped gardens on the river’s edge overlooking the ever-changing views of the weir.

Teddington has just appeared in the 2019 Sunday Times list of the top ten best places to live in the UK and has been named as one of the top ten healthiest London high streets (Royal Society of Public Health, 2019).

This historic waterside location will gain further prominence as multi-national luxury hotel and leisure group, L+R has acquired the Lensbury Club next door. This club now joins L+R’s portfolio which includes such iconic luxury properties as Chewton Glen and Cliveden as well as leading luxury international hotels that include the Fairmont Monte Carlo and Excelsior Venice.

The 4 * Lensbury Hotel and Spa includes a range of sporting facilities including gym, tennis courts and swimming pool.

Teddington has the advantage of its own high street with boutiques and restaurants as well as being equidistant between Richmond and Kingston town centres (5 minutes from John Lewis Car Park) each of which have theatres and riverside restaurants. There are areas of outstanding beauty nearby with both Bushy Park and Richmond Park minutes away and the historic Hampton Court Palace and Ham House nearby.

Teddington is well-connected to central London, Heathrow and Gatwick Airports. Regular trains provide transport to Waterloo in just 36 minutes. Heathrow is 28 minutes and Gatwick is 48 minutes by road for those commuting each week.

The developer, City Developments Limited (CDL), one of Singapore’s largest quoted property companies, has a strong track record in creating award-winning architectural projects. Marketing Department telephone: +44 (0) 20 7349 0091

Developer Jaynic has sold its SP147 logistics warehouse investment at Suffolk Park, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk to The Charities Property Fund, managed by SavillsIM, for £17.25m reflecting a net initial yield of 4.77%.

The 147,000 sq ft unit has been let to Unipart on a 25-year lease with five yearly RPI linked upward only rent reviews and tenant break clauses at years 15 and 20. The agreed rent equates to £5.95 per sq ft.

It is believed to have been the largest letting deal in the town for almost 10 years, since the letting of G-Space 140 at Saxham Business Park to Dorel in 2010.

Ben Oughton, development director of Jaynic: “We are delighted to have concluded the sale of SP147. The sale and letting underpins the park’s prime location adjacent to the A14, just a mile from Junction 45, giving Unipart great links into the national motorway network. It also reinforces the region’s growing importance as a distribution hub and a mainstream location for institutional investors,” adds Oughton.

“We took the decision 18 months ago to build two speculative warehouses in a region where there was virtually no supply but strong demand. As a result, we are now working up proposals for a further phase of warehouse units,” adds Oughton.

Discussions are currently on-going with a number of parties on SP206, the 206,000 sq ft warehouse unit, that remains available offering a specification that includes 12.5 metres clear height, 30 HGV parking spaces, 50kn/m2 floor loading, 50m yard depth, high speed fibre/data, full air-conditioning, and a BREEAM “Excellent” rating.

A recent report from Savills on big shed supply highlighted the lack of new speculative units in East Anglia. The report commented that: “there are no speculative units scheduled for delivery in 2019” and pointed out that these (Suffolk Park) units are the first speculative units to be delivered in the region for over a decade.

Agents on the investment sale were Savills and Bidwells

Suffolk Park agents are Bury St Edmunds based Hazells Chartered Surveyors, Cambridge agents Bidwells and Savills London’s logistics department. www.suffolk-park.uk

The construction of the 21 Moorfields development has eased through its most recent milestone and, in doing so, has set the record for the most heavily loaded pile test of its type in the UK.

Robert Bird Group was commissioned by Landsec to develop the structural and geotechnical engineering design of 21 Moorfields in London’s Moorgate area.

The proposed 16-storey (60,000 sqm) future London HQ for Deutsche Bank will clear span up to 55 metres over Moorgate underground station and the new western ticket hall to Liverpool Street Elizabeth Line station to avoid disruption to the stations during construction.

The complex steel frame uses a combination of long span arches and transfer trusses to provide a coordinated temporary and permanent works solution to building over a live station.

The key to unlocking the development lies in the innovative foundation solution with the entire building only supported on fifteen new 1.8 – 2.4m diameter mega-piles that extend down to the Thanet Sand, more than 50m below the station.

The unfactored load carried by individual piles will be more than 55MN, more than any other single pile in the UK, and equivalent to the typical load seen in columns of a 30-40 storey tower. To justify such an advanced foundation design, a pile test was crucial to confirm their performance under such large loads.

Ensuring that Moorgate station remains fully operational throughout all demolition and construction activities was a non-negotiable criterion when agreeing the scheme with TfL. This included both the construction and testing of the piles, all carried out above the live station.

The roof of Moorgate station has insufficient capacity to support the major plant loads required to install the piles - a 140tonne Piling Rig, 140tonne Crawler Crane and ten wet 90tonne Bentonite Tanks.

David Seel, Managing Director West, Robert Bird Group, covering the UK, Middle East and USA said: “RBG’s Construction Engineering team developed the temporary works strategy to enable piling operations to be undertaken above the station roof using a steel grillage to transfer the plant loads to the existing station columns and their foundations. The Grillage is designed for easy assembly and removal, optimise programme and minimise environmental impacts on the surrounding neighbourhood.

“RBG, Cementation Skanska, Mace and Geotechnical Consulting Group have worked closely together throughout the development of the pile design and construction methodologies. This includes the design of the pile test which used a bespoke 200 tonne, 6m tall steel reaction frame to load a 1.2m diameter, 55m long sacrificial pile to up to 50.5MN. The test pile includes full length instrumentation that allows the team to determine how the load is shed along its shaft at various depths and at its base,” adds Seel.

The reaction frame was jacked against four of the permanent piles that are also fully instrumented. The jacks were individually controlled by ALE, the jacking specialist, throughout the 72hr test with RBG on site to monitor the response of the reaction frame.

The test was completed with the pile head having settled by only 73mm under the maximum load, a load 25% greater than the failure load predicted using conventional theory of deep piles in London. It also outperformed the settlements which were predicted to be more than 300mm. This outstanding result not only validated the pile design for the project but will also go on to provide the industry with highly valuable information on the behaviour of very highly loaded deep piles in Central London.

Ross Sayers, Development Director, London at Landsec commented:

“Breaking the UK record for the heaviest pile load of this kind highlights the huge complexity of the site at 21 Moorfields. This result is a testament to Robert Bird Group’s hard work and expertise in helping us achieve our ambitions with this scheme.”

21 Moorfields is due to be completed in 2021 and will be the London HQ of Deutsche Bank.

Milton Keynes Development Partnership (MKDP) has appointed Greig & Stephenson Architects (GSA) to help develop ideas for the future of the open market next to the city’s indoor shopping centre, Centre:MK.

GSA specialises in market-led projects and was behind development of some of the UK’s most popular and successful schemes including Borough and Camden Lock markets in London and Leeds, Preston, Wolverhampton and Leicester markets as well as projects overseas.

MKDP Chief Executive Charles Macdonald says: “Successful cities are increasingly embracing independent traders operating from market stalls to bring new life and diversity to their centres. We want Milton Keynes’ market to be reinvigorated and are looking forward to working with GSA and to seeing what new ideas they can bring.”

Over the coming months potential plans will be shared and discussions will take place with stakeholders and the public so that feedback can be considered as part of the creation of plans for the market's future.

Adam Parker, partner at Greig & Stephenson, says: “We are excited to be working with MKDP on the development of ideas for Milton Keynes’ open market. Our practice specialises in market-led projects, which offer a truly sustainable vehicle for the regeneration and development of our town and city centres, on a social, economic and environmental level.

“In a time when the public are more discerning about how they spend their money and leisure time, markets offer a flexible asset that should provide the opportunity for activity throughout the day and evenings, catering for the full cross section of the local community, becoming a destination in their own right,” adds Parker.

“We look forward to undertaking in-depth research and continued engagement with local stakeholders including the public and local traders, which will inform the potential plans and designs.”

Pupils from Newland House School in Twickenham handed over a time capsule at the Teddington Riverside residential scheme on the site of the historic Teddington Studios which will be buried in the grounds and opened in 50 years’ time.

Toys, school newspapers, drawings of life in Teddington in 2019, a school blazer and a CD of the school choir were just some of the items placed in the special vessel that is engraved with the name of the school and the date it was buried.

Eugenie Ropner, Head of Sales and Marketing at Pinenorth Properties said: “It was great to have the children from Newland House School here and see the items they have chosen to put into the capsule. The Community is important to us and we really enjoy involving people from Teddington in the project,” she added.

Head of Pre-prep, Tracey Chong commented: “We were delighted to be asked to contribute to this very special history project to help fill the time capsule being buried in the grounds of the new Teddington Riverside development on the site of the old Teddington Studios.

“As part of the project, children in Year 2 captured the essence of the studios, the history of Teddington and of course the school, and as they learned more about the significance of our local landmarks and we discussed olden times and the River Thames.

“In the classroom we tend to focus on literacy and numeracy in the mornings, but this investigation fed well into our afternoon topic-based learning. The children loved being creative and their imaginations were piqued by images of the old studios which were demolished in 2016.

“Before long they had created plenty of material for the time capsule and a few members of the school council were chosen to visit the site and hand over the time capsule at Teddington Riverside. This was an excellent learning project for the school and we were most grateful to the owners of Teddington Riverside for giving us this opportunity,” added Mrs Chong.

Teddington Riverside has donated £250 to the school to be used for a history learning initiative.

Following discussions with West Suffolk Council and the Combined Authority / Business Board LEP, Jaynic has just submitted another planning application for an Innovation/Business Centre at Haverhill Research Park, but in a different location to previous proposals.

A new 30,000 sq ft four-storey Centre, to be known as the ‘EpiCentre’, has been proposed on plot 100 at the gateway to the town from the north-west and adjacent to the Spirit of Enterprise roundabout, where it will have maximum visual impact, creating a prominent ‘landmark’ building at the entrance into Haverhill.

Replicating the previous permissions, the development will comprise high specification offices and dry R&D accommodation in a range of sizes from 170 - 7,000 sq ft, together with conference and meetings rooms, training facilities and a ‘work-hub’ area for shared working. As before there will be a coffee shop / café with an external break out area.

It is planned that the EpiCentre will offer early-stage companies tailored support services designed to boost the growth of their businesses ranging from cost –effective, flexible, managed space to business advice, integrated telecoms, broadband internet access and networking facilities.

Jaynic has applied to the Combined Authority / Business Board LEP for Capital funding grant towards the cost of building the EpiCentre and has also asked West Suffolk Council to consider lending the remaining cost until the building is up and operating.

Jaynic managing director, Nic Rumsey, says: “The proposed new location for EpiCentre will provide a landmark building at the gateway to Haverhill which should prove attractive for start-up and growing companies.”

He adds: “We are demonstrating our good faith and commitment to the project by speculatively applying for permission. However whilst it is our greatest ambition to finally get the EpiCentre built, it is unlikely to happen without the financial support of the LEP and West Suffolk. It is expected that both the LEP and West Suffolk will have formally determined their position by the end of March 2019.”

Developer Jaynic has been appointed by London Stock Market quoted global flavour and fragrance solutions company Treatt plc to develop a new global headquarters facility at Suffolk Park, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.

The new headquarters will include offices, manufacturing, logistics and a warehousing facility totalling 112,000 sq ft as a first phase with provision to expand up to 200,000 sq ft in a later phase. A detailed planning application has this week been submitted to West Suffolk Council for the first phase.

Treatt currently occupies six separate buildings on Northern Way in Bury St Edmunds. The new facility at Suffolk Park will allow them to bring all its activities onto one inclusive site.

Jason Newman, Construction Director of Jaynic, said: “we are delighted to have been appointed by Treatt to manage the development of this major facility for the company.”

Daemmon Reeve, Group CEO of Treatt, said: “Jaynic have a breadth of relevant experience and a proven track record and we are excited to have them on board for what it going to be a key part of Treatt’s future.”

An added benefit for Treatt is that the new development will be within New Anglia’s Enterprise Zone. Qualifying occupiers can obtain up to £55,000 per annum of business rates relief for five years totalling £275,000. This is a major plus for Suffolk Park and a great incentive for expanding companies in the region to consider.

The development is part of a broader multi-partner initiative with St Edmundsbury Borough Council and housebuilder Taylor Wimpey to support a range of new and existing businesses in the Bury St Edmunds area and to continue to create jobs and prosperity.

The development team comprises:

PRC Architecture - Architects and Planning Consultants
Richard Jackson Associates - Civil and Structural Engineers
Kelly Taylor Associates - Mechanical and Electrical Consultants
Indigo - Landscape Architects
Aecom - Cost Consultants

Property Recycling Group plc and Jaynic are to hold a public exhibition on the draft Masterplan they have prepared, which proposes commercial and residential development on the former RAF airfield at Shepherd’s Grove. The proposals will provide a number of benefits for the local community.

The Masterplan area includes Shepherd’s Grove East and Shepherd’s Grove West as well as the undeveloped land between these two existing employment sites. Shepherd’s Grove is located to the south of the A143 one mile to the east of Stanton in Suffolk.

The public exhibition will be held at Stanton Community Village Hall, in Stanton, on Thursday 21st February between 3.00pm and 8.00pm.

The community benefits of the proposals would be:

A new business park for up to 1,750,000 sq ft of floorspace creating a significant number of new jobs
All HGV traffic currently going through Stanton to the existing Shepherd’s Grove West industrial estate will be able to enter Shepherd’s Grove via a new roundabout junction on the A143 and a new access road into the heart of the area.
The new roundabout junction on the A143 will slow traffic considerably coming in and out of Stanton and make the junction on to the A143 from Hepworth considerably safer.
A new and attractive residential development of between 265 and 380 dwellings with improved pedestrian and cycle access to Stanton and the existing primary school, healthcare and shopping facilities

The developable land within the Masterplan area forms 3 distinct ‘zones’ which, through new development, will each exhibit their own identity whilst creating a cohesive mixed use community.

The Northern Zone forms the new site entrance and will be more open in character with attractive landscape frontages to the main A143 Bury Road. The new uses are likely to be commercial and roadside uses which by their nature require a prominent location and offer the opportunity to create high quality ‘gateway’ buildings.
The Central Zone is a contained and more concealed part of the site and is likely to provide new business units of varying sizes in contemporary new buildings, which will provide an attractive foil to the existing adjacent uses at Shepherd’s Grove East and Shepherd’s Grove West.
The Southern Zone is likely to form a new residential area that will derive its own identity through the creation of a series of ‘character areas’. This residential element could provide between 265 and 380 dwellings depending on the amount of affordable housing required by West Suffolk Council. This new residential area is well located to create an attractive development that would benefit from enhanced connections to the existing services and facilities available in Stanton (to the west) and Walsham le-Willows (to the south).
A new roundabout junction just south of the A143 will form the main entrance to the masterplan area, which could be flanked by new ‘gateway’ buildings of high architectural quality. The new access will benefit the wider community, and particularly the residents of Stanton, by removing the need for commercial vehicles to go through the village to reach Shepherd’s Grove West.

New footpaths and cycleways will be installed running north / south through the Masterplan area linking the proposed employment and residential elements and providing easier connections to Walsham Le Willows to the south and Hepworth to the north.

A new estate road will serve the northern and central employment zones with fully serviced plots being created off this new access corridor. Within the Southern Zone a loop road will provide access to the residential area, with a series of secondary roads leading off the main loop road. Whilst there are 3 existing bus routes that pass within 0.5 - 1km of the site, discussions are underway to improve public transport provision to the site, given the new business and residential site uses, and to create greater accessibility to the site.

The Masterplan area is allocated in the ‘Vision 2031 Local Plan’ as a Rural Employment Area, primarily for new business uses. However, any new development must include the construction of a new access road through to Shepherd’s Grove West and a roundabout on the A143, so that vehicular access to Shepherd’s Grove West is no longer through the village of Stanton.

As a consequence of the infrastructure requirements, the development of the available land within the Masterplan area for employment uses, cannot be viably achieved without the inclusion of a proportion of residential and other commercial uses to help subsidise the provision of the new infrastructure. This will include the new access road as well as electricity, telecoms and drainage services.

Following the public consultation, revisions may be made to the Masterplan prior to its consideration by West Suffolk Council. Once approved, the Masterplan will become supplementary planning guidance and a planning application for the scheme would be submitted before the end of 2019.

Further details, consultation questionnaire and a copy of the Masterplan can be found on: www.shepherdsgrovestanton-masterplan.co.uk

For further information:

Richard Aylwin

ACL

Mob: 07966 018252

Tel: 0207 832 6450

Jaynic Properties Ltd has successfully managed the planning application and sale of the 15.7-acre former Newlands Private School site in Seaford, East Sussex.

Following extensive consultation with local residents and stakeholders, Jaynic secured outline planning permission for a carefully designed scheme of 183 homes, with Bellway emerging as the successful purchaser following a competitive tender process.

The development comprises 167 new-build private and affordable homes, with the original school building being converted into 16 characterful apartments. The development will also provide a sports pitch and changing rooms, public open space, a children’s play area and extensive landscaping.

Andrew Anderson, Director at Jaynic, said: “We’re delighted to have successfully shaped the future of this site and look forward to seeing Bellway deliver a scheme to provide much-needed new homes in a development that the residents of Seaford can be proud of.”

Dan Merriman, Land Director at Bellway Kent said: “We’re very pleased to have been successful in the tender process for this site and are now finalising our detailed proposals for the development.

“We will be providing a range of properties to meet the needs of local people, including homes for first-time buyers, growing families and downsizers, and we will be submitting a reserved matters application to the local authority in due course.”

Jaynic Properties was formed in 2008 and has quickly established itself as a leading property company focused on the design, planning, investment and development of commercial and residential property across the South East of England. Jaynic works closely with local communities and stakeholders to ensure that its projects create desirable and sustainable places for people to live and work.

CB Richard Ellis acted on behalf of Jaynic Properties Ltd on the land sale.

Today, Monday, 26th November 2018, Councillor John Griffiths, the leader of St Edmundsbury Borough Council, opened two new warehouse units at Suffolk Park, Bury St Edmunds.

The two units of 147,241 sq ft and 206,491 sq ft respectively, on a 19-acre plot at Suffolk Park, are available for immediate occupation and were constructed by Readie Construction Ltd on a £13m contract.

The BREEAM excellent development has a 12.5 m clear height, 50m deep service yards, level access and dock loading together with ancillary offices. These units are the first to be constructed on the 114-acre park that has planning consent for 2m sq ft.

Councillor Griffiths, said: “This is the next chapter in a story that will see the Council and its partners deliver new jobs for the future prosperity of the people we serve in West Suffolk. The Council played a lead role in securing the Eastern Relief Road and land for this business park development. Our vision is for a range of business growth at the park creating opportunities that will enhance the mix of jobs and skills that we have in this area. Treatt will build its new global headquarters here, Sealey has secured land for it to expand onto the park and with the completion of these two new business units, we look forward to the announcement of more businesses coming to Suffolk Park.”

Ben Oughton, development director at Jaynic, said: “this is a great opportunity for a company needing immediate warehouse facilities right on the A14 with its fast connections into the UK motorway network. There are no other developments in the region of this size and quality for companies to move into straight away and, already, are conversations with potential occupiers are meeting with a very positive response.”

Suffolk Park has already secured local companies Treatt, to develop a new 200,000 sq ft global headquarters complex and Sealey, to take a 7.5-acre site for expansion. An added benefit is that 37-acres of the park are within New Anglia’s Enterprise Zone. Qualifying occupiers can obtain up to £55,000 per annum of business rates relief for five years totalling £275,000. This is a major plus for Suffolk Park and a great incentive for expanding companies in the region to consider.

The development is part of a broader multi-partner initiative with St Edmundsbury Borough Council and housebuilder Taylor Wimpey to support a range of new and existing businesses in the Bury St Edmunds area and to continue to create jobs and prosperity.

Jaynic has appointed Bury St Edmunds based Hazells Chartered Surveyors as agents for the scheme and interested parties should contact either Jonathan Lloyd or Richard Pyatt on 01284 702626. Hazells are joint agents with Cambridge agents Bidwells with Patrick Stanton as agency lead tel: 01223 841841. Savills London’s logistics department are working alongside Hazells and Bidwells on the logistics development. John Madocks Wright can be contacted on 0207 4098151. For further information www.suffolk-park.uk

Photo - From L-R: Nicola Barber of Jaynic, John Griffiths, Leader of St Edmundsbury Council, Nic Rumsey, Managing Director of Jaynic

West Kent Housing Association has completed a senior living project in Swanley, Kent, that was designed by Pellings, the design, property and construction consultancy.

Woodlands Court follows on from the very successful Pellings-designed Bonney Court scheme close by, both of which are for West Kent Housing Association. Woodlands Court and Bonney Court form part of a “hub and spoke” community for over 55s, where nearby White Oak Court, as an extra care building, provides “hub” facilities including hairdressing, clinics and dining facilities, while Bonney Court and Woodlands Court act as “spoke” buildings enabling residents to live independently.

The scheme built by contractor, the Chartway Group, provides much needed accommodation for those who want to enjoy independent living in modern, one and two-bedroomed apartments. A total of 31 units have been created and replace the 16 homes that were on the site originally.

James Green, Partner with Pellings, said: “Using our experience from designing Bonney Court and other similar schemes we designed and won planning consent for a project tailored to the needs of older people, creating a communal feel yet providing residents with the independence of being able to live in their own apartment.”

The scheme has been carried out after extensive consultation with the residents of the homes it has replaced via Emerald, West Kent’s older people’s housing and services brand. It was inspired by West Kent’s innovative “Age A Positive Experience” strategy, which seeks to provide homes that anticipate people’s changing needs and help them live independently as long as possible. It is a response to the UK’s increasing life expectancy and the fact that locally, too, the number of adults aged 65 and over is set to grow significantly over the next 20 years.

Woodlands Court is a three-storey building in a horseshoe shape around a communal central courtyard that takes advantage of the steep topography of the site to maximise views over the adjacent park.

Green explains, “the scheme is designed to DCLG Technical Housing Standard’s – Nationally Described Standard but gives more than the minimum space requirement.

“This is a bespoke, architecturally designed facility, with a high level of both interior and exterior design. Internally, there is a communal lounge as well as break-out seating areas in the corridors with pleasant artwork and colour co-ordinated walls and carpets giving it a sense of place.”

Green points to the in-built flexibility incorporated into the design allowing active older residents to live independent lives and to stay living there until they need the next level of care.

“A percentage of the units are designed for wheelchair accessible shower rooms and each flat has the capability of accommodating a Class 2 mobility scooter and also secure space at ground floor level for Class 3 mobility scooters,” adds Green.

“Woodlands Court provides accommodation for the over-55s on the same basis as our hugely successful Bonney Court development just around the corner,” explains West Kent’s Housing Director Deborah White. “That scheme has proved so popular that we decided to provide more of the same.”

West Kent worked closely with the residents of the original 16 supported living flats to provide them with alternative accommodation during the construction period. Those households were given first choice on renting the new homes when they became available.

THE NEW LUXURY RESIDENTIAL WATERFRONT DEVELOPMENT IN SOUTH-WEST LONDON LOCATED ON THE SITE OF THE HISTORIC TEDDINGTON FILM STUDIOS OVERLOOKING TEDDINGTON LOCK

Designed by award-winning architects Hamiltons, Teddington Riverside will comprise 217 apartments, available with 1, 2 and 3 bedrooms (570 sq ft to 1300 sq ft); six new-build houses and the original restored Weir Cottage comprising 2 x duplex apartments

- Carlton House with 57 apartments launches this September 2018 – 28 x 1-bed, 11 x 2-bed and 18x 3-bed

- Prices – from £670,000 for a 1-bed apartment. Sales agents Knight Frank

- Teddington Riverside has the advantage of having the 4 * Lensbury Hotel and Spa next door which is unique in that it offers boating facilities in addition to the usual sporting facilities with gym/tennis/pool etc all set in a magnificent setting with lawns sweeping down to the River.

- Unique opportunity for investors and those looking to right-size, an opportunity to release equity for family members and retirement, with all purchasers experiencing the beautiful Riverside Lifestyle and all the advantages of Central London being only a short distance away

- Service charge of under £3.00 psf vastly less than other developments of similarly high specification.

- Riverside development- most of the apartments have balconies or terraces and many benefit from outstanding views of the River Thames.

- Teddington has the advantage of its own high street with boutiques and restaurants as well as being equidistant between Richmond and Kingston town centres (5 minutes from John Lewis Car Park) each of which have theatres and riverside restaurants. There are also areas of outstanding beauty with both Bushy Park and Richmond Park minutes away and both the historic Hampton Court Palace and Ham House nearby.

- Opportunity to live on the site of the historic Teddington Studios overlooking Teddington Lock which has never before been open to the public

- There will be a residents’ courtesy car offering a shuttle service to the local stations easing the commuter’s journey into London during rush hours.

- It offers lateral living and underground parking to the apartments with direct lift access to each block and 24hr security and concierge, set in beautifully landscaped gardens on the river’s edge overlooking the everchanging views of the Weir.

- Teddington Riverside is well-connected to central London, Heathrow and Gatwick Airports. Regular trains provide transport to Waterloo in just 36 minutes. Heathrow is 28 minutes and Gatwick is 48 minutes by road for those commuting each week.

- Teddington Riverside is also close to highly rated state and independent schools in the London Borough of Richmond, acknowledged as having the best standard of education in London. American and German international schools are also nearby. There are also good local hospitals such as Kingston A and E as well as the New Victoria and Parkside private hospitals nearby.

The interiors are spacious and light-filled, with high-quality fixtures and fittings throughout, including underfloor heating and timber floors in the living spaces. Generous open-plan lateral living and dining flows through the apartments, providing ease and flexibility for formal or casual dining. State-of-the-art modern fitted kitchens with Siemens fitted appliances and stone Bianco worktops enhance the living experience. The bedrooms have been meticulously designed as calm and restful retreats, reflecting the nature and ambiance of the waterside location, with ample storage space and natural broadloom carpets.

The Teddington Riverside Marketing Suite is open daily. Tel:+44(0) 20 7349 0091

The developer, City Developments Limited (CDL), one of Singapore’s largest quoted property companies, has a strong track record in creating award-winning architectural projects.

In addition to Carlton House, Teddington Riverside comprises Shepperton House, which comprises only 3-bedroom apartments, and will be finished in December 2018. The other buildings all offer a combination of 1, 2 and 3-bedroom apartments. Haymarket House and Camera House will be completed in June 2019 and September 2019, respectively.

Stevenage Borough Council has completed a social housing development at the Twin Foxes pub site in Rockingham Way, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, providing eleven 2-bed flats and three 1-bed flats.

The Twin Foxes was the first pub in Stevenage New Town and was named after identical twin poachers who lived in the area from the 19th century.

The council was advised by Pellings, the design, property and construction consultancy who acted as Employer’s Agent, Clerk of Works and Principal Designer and construction was undertaken on a design and build contract by contractor SJM.

Designed by the Hertford Planning Service the project is a three and four-storeys high timber frame construction with brick and rendered facades, and a mainly flat roof. The flat roof includes a raised monopitch feature to create design interest to the roof line. Each apartment has either one or two bedrooms, with open plan kitchens and living rooms, bathrooms, and Juliet balconies on four of the units.

Tracy Smythe of Pellings said: “the scheme has regenerated a site that was no longer in use and is providing much needed accommodation in the town.”

Twin Foxes is only the second of a new generation of social housing being developed by Stevenage Borough Council with a further 300 units in the pipeline between now and 2021.

Ash Ahmed, Assistant Director for Housing Development, Stevenage Borough Council, commented:

“The scheme has proved extremely popular with residents, the wider community and our political members. Everyone is excited by the fact that we have delivered a mixture of full social and affordable rented tenures on this scheme without compromising the design and quality.”

There is considerable interest in the provision of rooftop housing developments (RTD) to help alleviate the housing crisis – agent Knight Frank estimates that 40,000 homes could be built on top of existing buildings in Central London alone – however a seminar by Pellings the London and South East based integrated design, property and construction consultancy, warned that careful planning is required.

Nigel Goddard of Pellings and one of the speakers at the seminar emphasises this point: “Following the Mayor of London’s support of rooftop developments and the recently published NPPF guidelines stating that planning authorities support well designed and appropriately scaled RTDs, there is a clear opportunity to create more residential units on top of existing housing.

“But it is not like building on a cleared site. You can think of RTD as a new build project with its foundations many metres in the air and as the extension of an existing building, and the solution requires skills and experience from both perspectives,” he adds.

Pellings has analysed the challenges RTDs face and developed hybrid solutions for what is in effect a hybrid problem. Goddard who has been leading an RTD programme for a London Authority at Pellings has created a 10-point plan for social housing landlords considering rooftop housing includes:

Identifying key drivers: condition of the existing building, housing need, airspace opportunities and S.106 obligations.

Initial viability studies: undertake water, drainage, gas, and electricity surveys and capacity of lifts, parking, play and landscaping areas and tenure mix.

Occupancy issues: Leaseholder and tenancy positions including statutory consultation, service charge issues, loss of amenity, and increased noise.

Technical validation: These include Health and Safety, means of escape, sustainability studies and energy performance.

Planning and statutory issues: including space standards, wheelchair access, floor-to-ceiling heights and apartment orientation.

System selection: consider the most appropriate system whether off- or on-site construction methods.

Contracts and procurement: Consider design and build and contractor selection.

Technical specifications: Use NBS/NHBC and other guidance, avoid over innovation; insure good M&E integration by using BIM.

Guarantees: be clear on the guarantee requirements and engage early.

Cost and risk: Develop a full elemental cost plan and costed risk register with evaluated risk reduction/mitigation measures at all stages of the design and works procurement for the project.

Goddard concluded: “Rooftop development can surely make a meaningful contribution to the supply of housing but a considered and structured framework for assessing the viability of a project is required by those who understand the pitfalls as well as the potential benefits.”

Castlecombe Primary School in Mottingham, South East London has completed a half-form entry expansion ahead of programme and under budget.

The expansion was designed by Pellings the London and South East based integrated design, property and construction consultancy, which took it up to planning, producing the tender documents and also fulfilled the Employer’s Agent, Quantity Surveyor and Principal Designer roles.

Construction started in June 2017 and the school took occupation in May 2018 providing places for a further 120 pupils. This project represents the first phase of what will eventually be a full one form entry expansion.

Because the school is in Metropolitan Open Land, planning consent was given providing there was no further incursion of buildings onto the site which meant creating a second floor on the existing school footprint. This involved demolishing a toilet area and an external covered storage area and building over existing classrooms to create a total of four new classrooms.

The building expansion was designed to be sympathetic to the original architecture which is modern 1990s but with a castle theme that provides castle keystones above the window heads. The new structure comprises a steel frame with a Metsec steel framing system and, continuing the castle theme, the provision of decorative brick bands using materials matching those of the existing building. The roof is pitched timber and the windows are in keeping with the original style. During construction children were taught in temporary classes on the playing fields.

Councillor Peter Fortune, Bromley’s Executive Member for Children, Education and Families said: “The expansion of Castlecombe School in Mottingham went extremely well and the resulting addition of up to 120 extra school places means that we can offer every pupil at Dorset Road Infants School a junior school place at the school if they would like it. This is part of a programme of expansion that has seen 960 temporary and 2,200 permanent school places created since September 2014. I wish all the children at Castlecombe now and in the future, the very happiest of school days.”

Philip Baldock, Senior Associate Building Surveyor at Pellings: “This project was completed early and under budget because a great level of trust was created between us, the design & build contractor Neilcott, the school and the client, the London Borough of Bromley.

“This was achieved through robust tender documents which clearly set out the employers’ requirements and ensured that provisions were allowed in the budget for items that could be problematic, like drainage, ground conditions and unforeseen structural works to existing buildings together with a general contingency.

“In addition, Pellings was responsible for liaising with the contractor on their RIBA Stage 4 design to ensure they met the employers’ requirements, as well as responding to the contractor’s requests for information in a timely manner.” adds Baldock.

A pro-active approach was taken to meeting the construction deadline by, for example, putting in the first fix M&E before the building was fully watertight and bringing the plasterers on site early to allow the decorators in ahead of time.

Baldock concludes: “The success of this project is put down to all the parties working in collaboration with each other to achieve a satisfactory outcome for the client.”

Over 50 members of Suffolk Chamber of Commerce were treated to brunch and a presentation from the developers of Suffolk Park in Bury St Edmunds with the park now going full speed ahead.

Members heard that the 114-acre park with potential for 2m sq ft of business, logistics, and industrial space is well advanced. Major local company Treatt is building a 200,000 sq ft international headquarters within the enterprise zone on the site; local company Sealey has bought a 7-acre site for expansion; two speculative units totalling 350,000 sq ft are under-construction and will be available for occupation from November this year, all the infra-structure, main estate road and landscaping have been installed and there are plans for further development to cater for demand.

Jonathan Lloyd, director in Bury St Edmunds, commercial agents, Hazells Chartered Surveyors, in his presentation, said: “We are delighted with the progress that has been made. Developer Jaynic has confirmed their confidence in the market by building two speculative logistics units and are very much ahead of the competition in satisfying the pent-up demand for well-located space that will be ready for occupiers to move into. We are now actively seeking tenants for the units and continue to promote the many opportunities offered by the Park.

“We are grateful to the Suffolk Chamber of Commerce for giving us the opportunity to keep local businesses informed of progress on the site, and we are looking for businesses to come forward to discuss their potential requirements,” he adds.

Simon Burton, chair of Suffolk Chamber in Bury St Edmunds, said:

“Suffolk Park is tangible proof of the buoyancy of the local Bury St. Edmunds’ economy both now and in the immediate future. Suffolk Chamber in Bury St Edmunds has championed this and other business parks in the area which will help boost the capacity of existing businesses and act as a magnet for further inward investment.”

John Griffiths, leader of St Edmundsbury Borough Council, said: “I am proud and delighted to see that the Council’s drive and initiative to secure the Eastern Relief Road, the Suffolk Business Park and Enterprise Zone status, is starting to see results.

“The whole purpose of this was to secure land so existing local companies like Treatt and Sealey – and new ones attracted to the West Suffolk area - can go on to even more success and achieve their ambitions. All of this is part of our strategic priority to enable economic growth, lifting skills and expertise across West Suffolk and with-it levels of pay, creating new opportunities for younger people as they leave education, and enabling even greater wealth and prosperity which brings better living conditions for all our local residents.”

The development is part of a multi-partner initiative with St Edmundsbury Borough Council and housebuilder Taylor Wimpey to support a range of new and existing businesses in the popular Bury St Edmunds area and to continue to create jobs and prosperity.

Global real estate advisors Savills in London are appointed alongside Hazells and Bidwells as letting agents for the scheme.

For further information contact retained agents:

Savills 0207 4098817 Hazells 01284 702626 Bidwells 01223 841841

Sealey, one of the largest suppliers of garage and workshop equipment in the UK, has bought a 7.5-acre site at Suffolk Park, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, for expansion.

The company employs 400 people and already occupies in excess of 440,000 sq ft of property around Bury St Edmunds. It has made this strategic acquisition to facilitate future growth and will be working up a planning application for a new facility in the near future.

Ben Oughton, development director at Jaynic the developer of Suffolk Park, said: “The Sealey acquisition is good example of the strong interest being shown by both local, regional and national occupiers, in Suffolk Park, which is adjacent to the A14 with its excellent links into the national motorway network.”

Mark Sweetman, managing director of Sealey, said “We are focused on continuing the growth of our business and this acquisition will enable us to expand our property footprint in line with our strategic plans. We are excited about what the future holds and the additional employment opportunities that will be created locally.”

Councillor John Griffiths, Leader of St Edmundsbury Borough Council, said: “It is great to see that our work to secure the Eastern Relief Road and with it the availability of land to expand, has meant that another one of our successful local businesses is able to not only plan for its future growth, but in so doing, is also able to further strengthen its commitment to this wonderful part of West Suffolk. In the long term this is about helping businesses grow and create new jobs, new skills and greater opportunities for the communities that we represent. So we welcome news of this sale and we look forward to looking at the detail of the planning application in due course.”

Suffolk Park already has planning consent for up to 2m sq ft of logistics, manufacturing and business space. Treatt another major Bury St Edmunds company has bought a 10-acre site on Suffolk Park’s enterprise zone for its global headquarters, the new major estate road and landscaping have been completed this month and Jaynic, in partnership with major global financing institution PGIM, is developing two major speculative logistics units totalling 350,000 sq ft to cater for known demand in the region.

The development is part of a broader initiative with St Edmundsbury Borough Council and housebuilder Taylor Wimpey to support a range of new and existing businesses in the popular Bury St Edmunds area and to continue to create jobs and prosperity.

Agents for Suffolk Park are Global Real Estate advisors Savills and local agent Hazells.

www.suffolk-park.uk

Councillor John Griffiths, Leader of St Edmundsbury Borough Council, today, 21st May, dug the first trench to commence construction of two speculative warehouse buildings at Suffolk Park, Bury St Edmunds, totalling 350,000 sq ft.

The £13m construction contract has been awarded to Readie Construction Ltd for the two units of 147,241 sq ft and 206,491 sq ft respectively on a 19-acre plot which will be ready for occupation in November this year and Jaynic is ready to talk to potential tenants.

The BREEAM excellent development has a 12.5 m clear height, 50m deep service yards, level access and dock loading together with ancillary offices. These units are the first to be constructed on the 114-acre park that has planning consent for 2m sq ft. www.suffolk-park.uk

Councillor Griffiths, said: “These two new units will help provide a range of opportunities both for existing local businesses looking to expand, and for businesses outside of the area wishing to relocate to West Suffolk. This will in turn help to create new jobs and new opportunities for our residents and continue to ensure that West Suffolk remains a great place both to live and to work.”

Ben Oughton, Development Director with Jaynic, comments: “This is a big day for us at Suffolk Park. Having just completed development of the infrastructure, we are now starting construction of the first two units on site giving potential occupiers the opportunity to move in at the end of this year. This means we are ahead of the game and believe we are the only scheme in this region that will have warehouses ready to occupy in 2018,” adds Oughton.

Paul Stephens MD of Readie Construction said: “We are extremely pleased to be undertaking the construction of the two new units at Suffolk Park and understand the significance of the scheme to our client Jaynic and the surrounding stakeholders. We look forward to delivering the project and engaging with the local community however and wherever possible”.

Jonathan Lloyd of Hazells Chartered Surveyors, the Bury St Edmunds based retained agents for Suffolk Park, said: “We have already completed one significant deal at Suffolk Park with a large local company and another one just about to be announced, and these two new speculative units are the next step in its development. We now move onto the next stage of reaching out to the big logistics and other business occupiers seeking representation in the eastern region. These units will be ready for occupation by November 2018 and we are keen to speak to occupiers now about their requirements,” added Lloyd.

Global real estate advisors Savills in London are appointed alongside Hazells as letting agents for the scheme.

The development is part of a multi-partner initiative with St Edmundsbury Borough Council and housebuilder Taylor Wimpey to support a range of new and existing businesses in the popular Bury St Edmunds area and to continue to create jobs and prosperity.

For further information contact retained agents:

Savills 0207 4098817 Hazells 01284 702626

Today, Monday, 14^th May 2018, Councillor John Griffiths, the leader of St Edmundsbury Borough Council, opened the new main estate road at Suffolk Park, Bury St Edmunds which has been completed along with all water, electricity, gas, drainage and telecoms services together with landscaping at the 114-acre park.

The road opening will be followed shortly by the start on site of two  major speculative units totalling 350,000 sq ft which will be completed before the end of 2018 to cater for the strong demand in the area.

Also, a deal for the sale of a 7.5-acre site to a local employer to accommodate expansion is shortly to be announced.

Ben Oughton, development director at Jaynic, said: “the opening of the main estate road, infrastructure services and landscaping brings Suffolk Park a step closer to creating a complete working environment for occupiers and, in addition to local company Treatt who will be building its new global HQ on the park’s enterprise zone, negotiations are progressing well with other companies. 

“The quality of the environment is very important to us. We believe that this investment will appeal to potential occupiers and their employees,” adds Oughton.

Councillor Griffiths, said: “I am delighted that St Edmundsbury has been able to support this key part of the development at Suffolk Park, a new road and landscaping which in time will serve both the expansion of existing successful local businesses, and help attract new ones to this wonderful part of West Suffolk. This will enable the creation of new jobs and new skills all of which will help both the economy and the prosperity of our local communities and help ensure that West Suffolk continues to be a success story for generations to come. It is great to hear that negotiations are progressing well with other companies and I look forward to more announcements over the weeks and months ahead.”

The estate road contract was undertaken by Jackson Civils and the landscaping contract by Aspect Landscape to designs by Indigo Landscape Architects which includes 500 trees, 1.25 miles of hedge, 500 saplings and 22,000 route shrubs.     

Jaynic the developer of Haverhill Research Park at Haverhill has secured the right to develop light industrial units on the park making it more attractive to potential occupiers.

The original planning permission giving outline consent for up to 450,000 sq ft of offices and research space allowed light industrial development on the park providing it was ancillary to the predominant use of the buildings.

Jaynic applied for consent to vary the outline planning consent on the basis that the adopted Local Plan policy for the Haverhill Research Park, Policy HV10 of the Haverhill Vision 2031 document, makes no such restriction on the (B1) business uses that might be approved at the site.

Policy HV10 allocates the Haverhill Research Park site as a "strategic employment site for Class B1 Uses" - the policy makes no distinction between, or restriction on, uses within that Use Class and further states: "Development at the Haverhill Research Park will comprise the following: light industrial, research and office use..."

St Edmundsbury Council has accepted this and has now given permission for this condition to be lifted.

Ben Oughton, development director of Jaynic, said: “This will help us in seeking occupiers for the park. Despite detailed discussions with a number of potential businesses, prospective occupiers for new buildings on the Haverhill Research Park have expressed the view that the planning condition places an unwelcome restriction on their likely occupation and business use of any building,” he adds.

Jaynic hopes that the lifting of this condition will broaden the appeal of the Park. It has a high quality, fully serviced business environment in a gateway position to Haverhill from Cambridge. Infrastructure is in place to deliver new office/R&D and light industrial space in a broad range of sizes. On-site amenities include a Montessori Nursery School and the Flying Shuttle pub/restaurant.

Jaynic and PGIM Real Estate have partnered to develop two logistics units at Suffolk Park, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, with a gross development value of £35 million, with a £21.5 million loan facility provided by PGIM Real Estate, acting on behalf of institutional investors. PGIM Real Estate is the real estate investment business of PGIM, the $1 trillion global investment management businesses of U.S.-headquartered Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU).

A £13m contract has been let to Readie Construction Ltd and building of the two units of approximately 147,000 sq ft and 206,000 sq ft respectively, on a 19-acre plot will commence at the beginning of May.

PGIM Real Estate’s loan finances 95% of costs for the site acquisition and development which is expected to complete in November 2018.There is potential for an occupier to commence racking/fit-out about one month earlier.

Forecast rental values are £5.95 per sq ft based on standard FRI lease.

The BREEAM excellent development has 12.5 m clear height, 50m deep service yards, level access and dock loading together with ancillary offices.

Ben Oughton, Development Director with Jaynic, comments “We are delighted to have partnered with PGIM Real Estate for this project. These units will be the only speculative development in this area currently being undertaken. It will provide much needed stock that can be delivered before the end of 2018 setting the scheme apart from other development sites in the vicinity, where lead in and occupation lags by anywhere between 12 – 24 months,” adds Oughton.

Andrew Macland, Managing Director and Head of UK at PGIM Real Estate comments “We are proud to be Jaynic’s funding partner for this scheme as its expertise and track record exemplifies our partner-led investment approach. This well-located site in a currently under-served area for logistics properties will offer our investors access to a strongly performing sector. Jaynic has a strong development pipeline and we are looking forward to establishing a long-term relationship through further projects together.”

Bonnie Minshull, director at Savills, the joint letting agents, says, “I am delighted with the decision to undertake a speculative development at Suffolk Park as it will provide high quality logistics facilities to meet demand from businesses in a region where there is a dearth of supply. We have already received a good level of interest in the units and hope to have the buildings let before practical completion”.

The development is part of a broader initiative with St Edmundsbury Borough Council and housebuilder Taylor Wimpey to support a range of new and existing businesses in the popular Bury St Edmunds area and to continue to create jobs and prosperity.

The infra-structure, including all utilities and the main estate road, and landscaping contracts for Suffolk Park have been let and are due for completion in the next few weeks.

Bury St Edmunds is located in the heart of the eastern region and forms one of the main commercial centres within the strategically important A14 corridor, linking Felixstowe to the Midlands and London via the M11. Junction 45 of the A14, via the recently completed Rougham Tower Avenue, lies just 1.4 miles to the east of the site.

The town is the primary commercial and administrative centre for West Suffolk and boasts a variety of service sector, production and manufacturing occupiers including major national operators such as Sealey, Greene King, British Sugar, DHL, Century Logistics, Treatt, Servest, Mizkan and Taylor Wimpey.

Jaynic has been responsible for the creation of a number of major employment sites in the region including: Cambridge Research Park, Buckingway Business Park, Cambridge, University of Essex Knowledge Gateway, Colchester, Haverhill Business Park and Haverhill Research Park.

Agents are Global Real Estate advisors Savills and local agent Hazells.

Project manager GVA Second London Wall has been appointed by Reselton Properties Ltd, the subsidiary of Singapore Stock Exchange quoted City Developments Limited (CDL), in connection with the £1.25 billion redevelopment of the Thameside 22-acre Stag Brewery site in Mortlake, south west London.

Second London Wall’s appointment initially comprises tendering the pre-demolition soft strip of the old brewery buildings and preparation of utility diversions to enable demolition once planning consent is secured.

Wes Bradford, Senior Director at Second London Wall, says: “We are delighted to have been appointed by Reselton on this complex project and are now busy preparing the demolition tender package for the initial site works which will be issued to the market next month.”

A spokesperson for Reselton, said: “We are moving into a pro-active stage in the redevelopment of the Stag Brewery with the planning application having recently been validated by the London Borough of Richmond. We welcome Second London Wall on board with its vast experience of project managing major mixed-use schemes,” added the spokesperson.

Second London Wall has project managed some of the largest and most prestigious schemes in London in recent times, notably the 40-acre Westfield Shopping Centre at Shepherds Bush and major residential schemes including One Hyde Park, Fitzroy Place, Fitzrovia and The Glebe residential scheme in Chelsea.

The Stag Brewery project is designed by architects Squire & Partners opens up the currently enclosed site with a comprehensive regeneration of the brewery that will form a key part of Mortlake’s future.

The planning application submitted to the London Borough of Richmond Upon Thames includes:

• A mix of uses creating a traditional commercial high street feel for the benefit of the surrounding Mortlake community that comprises some 20 units for shops, bars, restaurants, a gym, together with a hotel, cinema and rowing club.

• Nine acres of green space with numerous squares, all with public access, provide the focus for the residential accommodation which surrounds them. A new green link connects the existing Mortlake Green with the River Thames.

• A new secondary school for 1,200 pupils together with a full-sized football pitch (also available for community use), as well as indoor multi-use gym, play and sports space.

• 3,000 sq m of offices providing space for existing and new local small businesses.

• 667 homes to be built across the site. These are a mix of 1, 2, 3 and 4 bed homes, private and affordable. The scheme also proposes a care village, containing up to 150 assisted living units and an additional care home with dementia care. All residential buildings will have underground parking.

• An extensive package of road junction improvements at Chalkers Corner designed to mitigate the additional trip generation of the proposed development and improve air quality for existing residents.

The scheme’s submission follows an extensive public consultation exercise including exhibitions, public meetings and liaison with local community groups, where we have sought and taken into account the views of the local community,” adds Squire.

The design has been developed with input from the adopted 2011 London Borough of Richmond Upon Thames development brief for the site along with national planning policy guidance.

Pellings, the integrated property, construction and design consultancy has appointed Mark Gannon BA, MBA,FCA as Partner and Head of Finance.

Gannon, has a Big Four accounting background including PWC and EY and an MBA from Cass Business School, as well as experience in industry including Bovis Homes and EC Harris (now Arcadis).

Gannon, says: “I am delighted to be joining Pellings as it continues to expand, building on its strengths as a multi-disciplinary practice with a 40-year history. I look forward to helping to shape the new systems and processes that will support and enable the future development of the business.”

Chairman, Richard Claxton, says: “We welcome Mark who has joined us to help, guide and support us to reach the next stage of our growth.”

Pellings, has a strong presence in the South East of England with offices in Waterloo, Bromley, Walton-on-Thames and Cockfosters.

Mark Gannon’s details: mgannon@pellings.co.uk Tel: 0208 460 9114 Website: www.pellings.co.uk

Professor Tiberiu Florascu, the Head of Romania’s Bucharest Master-planning Committee is attending MIPIM 2018 in Cannes as a delegate to launch the city’s 1m sq metre GREEN SATELLITE mixed use sustainable development project as a major expansion zone on the north side of Bucharest, and to meet potential development partners for the project.

The site which is close to the American School of Bucharest and on the Bucharest ring road is in single ownership. The complex is designed to accommodate:

200.000 sq metres of commerce – including shopping malls, cinemas, cafes and restaurants
100.000 sq metres of offices
600.000 sq metres of apartments
More than 40.000 sq metres dedicated to community buildings – medical services, spa, health & fitness facilities, an indoor swimming pool, kindergartens, public services
20.000 sq metres of green areas
40.000 sq metres dedicated to leisure, entertainment and arts
Parking lots are located along the border streets and more than 25.000 sq metres of car parks are in multistore garage buildings
The 21.000 sq metre pedestrian boulevard represents the green spine of the entire complex
Professor Florascu, says: “The GREEN SATELLITE is the main engine for urban development in this important area of the city. It is well connected with the centre of Bucharest by the ring road, public transport lines and a possible extension of the metro line north from Pipera Station.

“The GREEN SATELLITE will be an inspired fusion of contemporary design, a new urban hub for professional and family housing, and an active business community set exclusively between two forests set in 2,600 hectares of beautiful landscaping,” Professor Florascu adds.

According to the world economic outlook, in 2018 Romania will have the largest economic growth in Europe. The GDP growth rate in Romania in 2017 is estimated at 6.1% totalling 197Billion euros, showing strong economic growth with significant investment opportunities in real estate and business.

Bucharest is currently one of the densest cities in Europe with a growing population and more than 90% of the total metropolitan population living inside city limits.

Reselton Properties Ltd the subsidiary of Singapore Stock Exchange quoted City Developments Limited (CDL) has submitted a planning application for a £1.25 billion mixed use development on the 22-acre Stag Brewery site in Mortlake which is one of the largest Thames-side sites in south west London.

At the same time the developer is in the process of appointing project managers to handle the pre-demolition, strip and demolition works and the ongoing phased construction of the project.

The project designed by architects Squire & Partners opens up the currently enclosed site with a comprehensive regeneration of the brewery that will form a key part of Mortlake’s future.

The planning application submitted to the London Borough of Richmond Upon Thames includes:

A mix of uses creating a traditional commercial high street feel for the benefit of the surrounding Mortlake community that comprises some 20 units for shops, bars, restaurants, a gym, together with a hotel, cinema and rowing club.
Nine acres of green space with numerous squares, all with public access, provide the focus for the residential accommodation which surrounds them. A new green link connects the existing Mortlake Green with the River Thames.
A new secondary school for 1,200 pupils together with a full-sized football pitch (also available for community use), as well as indoor multi-use gym, play and sports space.
3,000 sq m of offices providing space for existing and new local small businesses.
· 667 homes to be built across the site. These are a mix of 1, 2, 3 and 4 bed homes, private and affordable. The scheme also proposes a care village, containing up to 150 assisted living units and an additional care home with dementia care. All residential buildings will have underground parking.

An extensive package of road junction improvements at Chalkers Corner designed to mitigate the additional trip generation of the proposed development and improve air quality for existing residents.
Michael Squire of Squire & Partners, said: “over the last 18 months, we have worked closely with the London Borough of Richmond Upon Thames planning department, the GLA and local residents’ community groups to create a scheme that will be a truly valuable addition to the local community and gives full public access to a beautiful and important section of the River Thames. As a result of its generous mix of uses, the scheme enriches the wider area rather than delivering an independent housing estate disconnected from its existing context.

“The scheme’s submission follows an extensive public consultation exercise including exhibitions, public meetings and liaison with local community groups, where we have sought and taken into account the views of the local community,” adds Squire.

The design has been developed with input from the adopted 2011 London Borough of Richmond Upon Thames development brief for the site along with national planning policy guidance.

Reselton bought the site from ABInBev – better known as Anheuser Busch in November 2015.

Network Homes has completed Le Bon Court comprising 27 one-and-two bedroom apartments and it is the first London Living Rent development to be built in the London Borough of Harrow.

Integrated design, property and construction consultancy Pellings acted as Employers Agent and CDM advisor and the scheme was designed by MEPK Architects.

The development is on five floors and is on the site of the former Kempsford House Hotel in St. Johns Road, Harrow, and the site was introduced to Network by Bugler Homes.

James Green of Pellings said: “The project was procured on a design and build contract. Construction comprises a concrete frame to first floor level with brick and block above and wide-span concrete plank floors. The fifth floor is stepped in acting as a mansard and is clad in zinc,” adds Green.

This development includes a secure cycle store and disabled parking, with residents encouraged to make use of nearby public transport.

The London Living Rent initiative was introduced by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, and it forms part of his affordable homes programme in the capital with rents based on a third of average household incomes. This gives Londoners the chance to save for a deposit to buy a shared ownership home.

Twenty-three properties will be for London Living Rent and these have been offered to Harrow residents who will be able to rent on assured shorthold tenancies of up to 18 months, with the option to renew for a further three years. They will also get the opportunity to buy shares in the home for up to five years after the launch date of the development. The remaining properties for will be available for affordable rent.

Helen Evans, Chief Executive at Network Homes, said: “This is a really high quality development that offers stylish and genuinely affordable homes for local people in Harrow. Network Homes is pleased to be working with the Greater London Authority and Harrow Council on this innovative scheme to support people to rent, save and buy their own home.”

Pellings, the integrated design, property and construction consultancy has been awarded a position on Lot 1a of ESPO’s (Eastern Shires Purchasing Organisation) Property Advice Management Services framework (2664), covering London and the South East from January 2018 to end of December 2020.

The framework appointment is for project management and property advisory services for property and building projects to manage a variety of projects as and when required by clients.

Property types include schools and academies, local authority and NHS buildings and police and emergency services facilities.

Alan Davison, Board Member at Pellings said: “We are delighted to have been appointed to the ESPO framework following a rigorous selection process, and we look forward to the opportunity to support ESPO with its consultancy requirements. The framework appointment is multi-disciplinary and encompasses the full remit of design, construction consultancy and property advice,” added Davison.

Today, Wednesday, 17th January 2018, Councillor John Griffiths, the leader of St Edmundsbury Borough Council, planted an English Oak as the first tree in the £175,000 landscaping contract at the 114-acre business, distribution and manufacturing project at Suffolk Park, Bury St Edmunds.

The planting which started this week is being undertaken in two phases. The first phase includes planting along the estate road boundaries including Rougham Tower Avenue and Lady Miriam Way, and will take eleven weeks up to the end of March.
The second phase of planting, along the estate’s main road, will follow  in November and December 2018 giving each phase of planting the best opportunity to establish and thrive before the dry warmer months set in.

Councillor Griffiths, commented: “This tree is symbolic of the roots that we have planted over several years all with the purpose of attracting inward investment and business growth here in West Suffolk while protecting our environment. We have worked and invested to achieve the Eastern Relief Road, Suffolk Business Park and with it Enterprise Zone status which makes it an even more attractive proposition to expanding or relocating businesses. Now we are investing in securing a high quality environment which will help attract the </span><span>right mix of businesses to safeguard the growth of our economy now and into the future. That in turn will help to achieve greater level of skills, pay and opportunities for young people as they leave education, creating greater wealth, prosperity and better living conditions for all of our local residents.”

The contract is being undertaken by Aspect Landscape to designs by Indigo Landscape Architects and will include 500 trees, 1.25 miles of hedge, 500 saplings and 22,000 route shrubs.

Zeb Hoffman of Indigo commenting on the first tree planting said: “the English Oak is the quintessential British tree which can live for a 1000 years or more growing 20-40 metres. While we enjoy oaks for their rugged beauty, they also provide a variety of resources for local birds insects and wildlife, supporting more life forms than any other native tree,” he adds.

Nic Rumsey, managing director of Jaynic, said: “The quality of the environment is very important to us. We believe that this investment will be appealing to potential occupiers and their employees.”

Jaynic has benefited from an innovative agreement with St Edmundsbury Borough Council who provided a £3m loan facility agreement towards the road infrastructure and landscaping.

An asset management contract awarded to Pellings the London-based integrated design, property and construction consultancy by the St Clement Danes Holborn Estate Charity, has resulted in the successful delivery of 50 new alms house apartments at Sydenham Hill, London, SE26.

The St Clement’s Heights alms house residents have recently moved into their new supported living apartments which were financed by the sale of the 6-acre site to Crest Nicholson that has developed a further 26 apartments and 20 townhouses for private sale.

The project was initiated by St Clement Danes Holborn Estate Charity in 2010 who instructed Pellings to undertake a stock condition survey. It was quickly established that the alms house flats had reached the end of their economic life and as bedsits were very unattractive to future residents.

Pellings was further instructed to look at the redevelopment potential of the site and concluded that the existing buildings although in a conservation area were of little architectural merit, that there was low site density on the 6-acre site and that it was in an area of high property values making a redevelopment of the site viable.

The alms house charity was advised by Pellings that if a suitable planning permission could be achieved it would be possible to sell part of the site for private housing with the land sale proceeds paying for the new alms houses.

Neill Werner, Partner/Head of Architecture at Pellings, says: “we worked closely with Crest Nicholson to produce a masterplan that integrates contemporary buildings with the surrounding landscape. The project was designed to meet the often-differing needs of both social housing providers and private developers while still delivering the number of homes established by the outline permission achieved by Pellings in 2013.”

Werner adds: “Detailed consultation with the alms house residents took place using the Construction Industry Council’s Design Quality Indicator empowering the residents as stakeholders to be pro-actively involved through structured workshops and online tools to ensure design quality. In this way residents were able to influence the design and finishes of their flats including the kitchens and bathrooms, as well as the common parts. At the same time, clear lines of communication were established so that residents and their families knew who to contact if they had queries on the development and needed reassurance on any aspect,” he concludes.

Equally important was local community engagement which played a vital part in shaping the final design of the project. The neighbouring residents and the influential Sydenham Society were fully consulted and expressed their views on the massing and height of the buildings as well as the external materials. As a result, the ground floor car park was repositioned to basement level, enabling the residential blocks to be reduced from five to four stories.

A third of the steeply sloping site was designated as an area of high ecological value, restricting the development footprint to the high plateau. This required a careful balance between the built form and the natural surroundings.

The scheme design focused around a formal communal garden, with the alms house at its head and the private dwellings lining the three remaining sides. The main alms house building is configured to embrace its own private courtyard garden for the enjoyment of the elderly residents alone, while the rest of the site is accessible to all, including the general public.

Through careful phasing, the new alms houses were developed before the existing buildings were demolished, enabling residents to immediately move into their new accommodation.

“Place making was at the forefront of our design process” says Werner. “The alms houses were developed to HAPPI and London Design Guide standards. St Clement’s Heights creates social cohesion with its communal gardens and viewing areas, yet the design configuration addresses the individual needs of the scheme’s different users. Each building on the site has a relationship both with the formal landscape at the heart of the site and the leafy edges of the tree-lined boundaries, with tremendous views as far as the Weald of Kent and the City of London”

Pellings, the integrated design, property and construction consultancy has been appointed to PfH’s Technical Support Services  Framework, for the four-year period to 2021.

The framework appointment is for five lots:

• Asset Management
• Project Management
• Quantity Surveying Services & Valuations
• Architectural Design
• Construction Design Management

PfH, is the dedicated procurement services provider to the social housing sector and provides services to 850 social housing providers throughout the UK.

Alan Davison, Board Member at Pellings said: “We are delighted to have been appointed to the PfH framework following a rigorous selection process, and we look forward to the opportunity to support PfH members with their consultancy requirements,” Davison added.

Jordan Youngs, Procurement Specialist at PfH, said: “This OJEU compliant framework provides access to a wealth of consultancy knowledge and expertise and will save PfH members – time, resources and cost efficiencies.”

A reception for East Anglia region commercial agents was held on Friday 13th October, 2017, by developer Jaynic to officially launch its 2m sq ft Suffolk Park business, distribution and manufacturing project in Bury St Edmunds that included a tour of the park followed by a full English breakfast at nearby Ravenwood Hall and a prize draw.

36 East Anglia agents from around the region including Norwich, Yarmouth, Lowestoft, Colchester and Cambridge attended the event. The winner of the prize draw was John Birchall of Fenn Wright in Ipswich who won a ‘goliath’ (4 litres) of sloe gin, with runners up Patrick Stanton of Bidwells in Cambridge and Mark Kohler of Merrifields in Bury St Edmunds winning 2 litre (?) bottles and all attendees receiving miniatures of sloe gin to prepare them for the winter cold.

Simon Wilson, Jaynic’s Suffolk Park, project director, said: “We had a tremendous turnout from the regional agents and received really positive feedback about the scheme with all the agents really excited that Suffolk Park is now being delivered.the Agents were impressed to see that work had already commenced on delivering the key infrastructure to allow early delivery of units to occupiers’ requirements”

Suffolk Park has already got off to a tremendous start with the sale of 10-acres to local major employer Treatt at the beginning of 2017 and the commencement of infra-structure construction works that started in October. Also, Rougham Tower Road linking the park directly to nearby Junction 45 of the A14 has just opened and a reserved matters application was recently submitted for two distribution units totalling 350,000 sq ft.

Wilson commented: “Jaynic’s proactive approach opening up the park will enable early development of the whole site for a range of uses from 2,000 sq ft to 750,000 sq ft far faster than competing sites in the Region,” he added.

Hot on the heels of the opening of the new Eastern Relief road from Junction 45 of the A14, Jaynic, the developer of the 114-acre business, manufacturing and distribution project at Suffolk Park, Bury St Edmunds has awarded the main infrastructure contract to open up the development to Ipswich-based Jackson Civils. Construction starts in early October and is due for completion in March 2018.

The contract includes earthworks and the creation of the main estate road from Lady Miriam Way to the Sybil Andrew’s School roundabout on Rougham Tower Avenue that opened on the 25^th September, as well as the installation of utilities with foul and surface water drainage into the site. A separate landscaping contract will be let shortly. The total cost of the two contracts is more than £3m.

Jaynic Project Director Simon Wilson said: “We are delighted to have Jackson on board. They are regionally based but part of a national group and we chose them because they are very professional and totally understand infrastructure.

“Jaynic’s proactive approach to constructing the spine road so soon after the link to the A14 has been completed brings key infrastructure and servicing into the wider 114-acre site enabling early development of the whole site for a range of uses from 2,000 sq ft to 750,000 sq ft far faster than competing sites in the Region,” he added.

Jaynic has benefited from an innovative agreement with St Edmundsbury Borough Council who provided a £3m loan facility agreement towards the infrastructure.

Cllr John Griffiths, Leader of St Edmundsbury said: “This loan by the Council has helped enable Jaynic to bring forward these vital infrastructure improvements, and are part of our commitment to remove barriers to jobs growth, and bring forward land and services for our existing firms here, as well as attracting new business to the area. We are keen, and are acting, to help deliver a greater level of skills, pay and opportunities for young people as they leave education, in turn enabling greater wealth, prosperity and better living conditions for all of our local residents.” 

Pellings, the integrated design, property and construction consultancy has been appointed to Fusion21’s national consultants’ framework, worth up to £90 million over a four-year period.

The framework is split into 10 lots and covers a range of construction related consultancy services. Pellings has been appointed to the following:

• Programme & Project Management
• Stock Monitoring and Appraisal
• Architectural
• Principal Designer Duties

Alan Davison, Board Member at Pellings said: “We are delighted to have been re-appointed to the Fusion21 Consultants framework following a rigorous selection process, and we look forward to the opportunity to support Fusion21 members with their consultancy requirements,” Davison added.

Dave Johnson, Consultant’s Framework Manager at Fusion21, said: “This OJEU compliant framework provides access to a wealth of consultancy knowledge and expertise and will save Fusion21 members – including social landlords, local authorities, NHS trusts, education institutions and blue light organisations – time, resources and cost efficiencies.”

Pellings, the design, property and construction consultancy, has used its design expertise in creating homes for older people to design a scheme in Swanley, Kent.

Due for completion in May 2018 Northview follows on from the very successful Pellings-designed Bonney Court scheme close by, both of which are for West Kent Housing Association.

The scheme being built by the Chartway Group will provide much needed accommodation for the over 55s who want to enjoy independent living in modern, one and two-bedroomed apartments. A total of 31 units are being created and replace the 16 homes that were on the site originally.

James Green, Partner with Pellings, said: “Using our experience from designing Bonney Court and other similar schemes we designed and won planning consent for a project tailored to the needs of older people, creating a communal feel yet providing residents with the independence of being able to live in their own apartment.”

Northview is built on three-storeys in a horseshoe shape around a communal central courtyard that takes advantage of the steep topography of the site to maximise views over the adjacent park.

Green explains that the scheme is designed to DCLG Technical Housing Standards – Nationally Described Standard but gives more than the minimum space requirement.

In addition, a percentage of the units are designed for wheelchair accessible shower rooms and each flat has the capability of accommodating a Class 2 mobility scooter and also secure space at ground floor level for Class 3 mobility scooters.

Windowsills in each unit are lower to allow room for wheel chairs and there is a communal lounge at ground floor level.

“Northview provides accommodation for the over-55s on the same basis as our hugely successful Bonney Court development just around the corner,” explains West Kent’s Head of Support Rajinder Manger. “That scheme has proved so popular that we decided to provide more of the same.”

West Kent worked closely with the residents of the original 16 supported living flats to provide them with alternative accommodation during the building work. Those households will be given first choice on renting one of the new homes when they become available early next summer.

Developer Jaynic, as a major show of confidence in the Bury St Edmunds industrial and logistics property market, is seeking detailed planning consent for two major distribution sheds totalling 350,000 sq ft at its 114-acre Suffolk Park scheme.

The development is part of a multi-partner initiative to support a range of new and existing businesses in the popular Bury St Edmunds area and to continue to create jobs and prosperity. It is envisioned that the development will have a mix of businesses.

The reserved matters application submitted to St Edmundsbury Borough Council is for one unit of 205,000 sq ft and one of 150,000 sq ft. Jaynic plans to develop them speculatively to capture unsatisfied demand from occupiers seeking to lease large distribution space along the A14 corridor.

Simon Wilson Suffolk Park project director at Jaynic says "We are aiming for a decision by Autumn 2017. A positive outcome would enable us to have units ready for occupation in Quarter 3, 2018, comfortably ahead of anything comparable in the East of England Region.”

Richard Sullivan, Savills’ national head of industrial and logistics adds: “The supply of large, good quality industrial and distribution units in the UK is at an all-time low. The ability to deliver units of this size and specification into the region offers an excellent opportunity to attract new occupiers to Bury St Edmunds as demand from a wide-range of logistics operators remains at an all-time high.”

Jonathan Lloyd of Hazells, local agents on the scheme, comments, “there is strong de-mand for business and distribution space in Bury St Edmunds and these two units would come at a time where there is very little currently available in the region.”

Suffolk Park is adjacent to the new Eastern Relief Road leading to Junction 45 of the A14 which can accommodate up to 2 m sq ft of business, distribution and industrial space. Also, it provides a unique opportunity for a “regional hub” single distribution warehouse of up to 750,000 sq ft.

Earlier this year St Edmundsbury Borough Council granted Jaynic, as development pro-moter, outline consent for B1 (office, research & development and light industrial) and B8 (warehousing, storage and distribution) development for the whole 114-acre site. The park includes Enterprise Zone status on 35 acres.

A 10-acre site has already been presold to Treatt – a leading beverage ingredients manu-facturer for a new 200,000 sq ft global headquarters facility to be constructed within the Enterprise Zone.

Jaynic is finalising a construction contract for the infrastructure works with the intention that the main estate road between the Eastern Relief Road and Lady Miriam Way and associated infrastructure works will be completed by the end of this year.

Jaynic the property developer with an expanding £300m development programme in the South East has made two senior appointments to drive the growth.

Former CBRE director and Kier development manager Simon Wilson has been appointed as Project Director to oversee the development of the £200m 2m sq ft Suffolk Park development at Bury St Edmunds. And Jason Newman, following senior positions at Regal Homes, Bowmer and Kirkland and Kier, has been appointed as Group Construction Director to drive forward the Bury St Edmunds scheme and the 450,000 sq ft Haverhill Research Park.

These appointments follow hard on the heels of the appointment of well-known Cambridge commercial property surveyor, and former equity partner of Carter Jonas, Ben Oughton, as project director of Haverhill Research Park, Haverhill, Suffolk.

Nic Rumsey, founder and managing director of Jaynic says: “We have entered a significant growth phase with £300m of property development in the pipeline and these senior appointments underpin that expansion.”

Jaynic is also working up residential schemes in Seaford, East Sussex and Winkfield, Berkshire.

Pellings, the design, property and construction consultancy, has completed the conversion of part of an office building at Clearwater Park, Princes Wharf, Stockton-on-Tees, North East of England into a state of the art Global Operations Centre (GOC) for Cubic Transportation Systems, a leading integrator of payment and information services for transportation authorities and operators.

Working with interiors contractors Skansen Ltd, Pellings has created what is Cubic’s first GOC, which is now a template for similar fit-outs worldwide.  The Stockton-based GOC has the capacity of accommodating 100+  technical support and service desk personnel. The centre provides a worldwide hub for the cost-effective execution of customer service needs 24/7 ranging from public transport operations to traffic management for roads and highways.  

Ian Flockhart, a partner at Pellings, explains that Stockton was chosen by Cubic because of the proximity to an existing skill base as well as to some of the U.K.’s premiere universities.

Flockhart states that: “while Pellings has a breadth of skills including commercial design, multi-disciplinary FM and contract administration, it was the project management role that was the most critical for this task.

“The building was converted from a bland, open plan office into a modern, cutting edge environment.”

Flockhart adds that after completing the initial survey on the building, it became clear that ‘time and cost’ was the challenge. The project was fast-tracked and took eight weeks from inception to completion.  

An important factor in its success was selecting the right partner. Pellings drew up a shortlist of three project partners and from this selected Skansen Ltd as the interior contractor and designer for the project. Flockhart remarked that Skansen gave greater design input than a normal building contractor would normally provide.

Flockhart says: “The conversion included stripping out existing fixtures and fittings, as well as putting in new acoustic glazing and ceilings to cut down on noise reverberation where many employees are working in what is essentially a call centre environment. In addition, new partitioning, electrical circuits, IT, soft furnishings, large monitoring screens and LED up-lighting and down-lighting were installed.”

“The furniture included the latest electronically adjustable desk technology for different height employees and to accommodate those wishing to stand as well as sit,” adds Flockhart.

The quality of the working environment was paramount. Adam Salazar of Skansen, says: “A special feature of Cubic’s new operations centre is the installation of personalised artwork to highlight the culture and history of the company as a world leader in transport technology. This includes wrapping the full-height storage in a vinyl wrapper with a bespoke ‘stuff and nonsense’ design, such as the pairing of the A34 road to the West Country with Route 66 in America, together with a stylised graphic of a road and rail map.”

Also, in the entrance reception a Cubic company timeline has been created with a series of black and white picture images charting the history of the company, with the final image declaring “the best is yet to come”.

Interest was also created by using a variety of different colour schemes and coloured fabrics for the interior decorations and furniture. 

One of the challenges was project managing the fit-out from London and because of the fast-track delivery required, Skansen had to use sub-contractors from the South East who they knew and trusted to deliver the projects on time and on budget.

Further, as part of the building was already occupied by Cubic, Skansen had to ensure strict security to ensure that no unauthorised personnel could gain access to those parts of the building it wasn’t fitting out.

Plans to help boost the local economy and jobs has taken a major step forward thanks to an innovative agreement between Jaynic Suffolk Park Limited and St Edmundsbury Borough Council.

The Council has signed a £3 million loan facility agreement with the promoter of the 114-acre Suffolk Park commercial scheme in Bury St Edmunds adjacent to Junction 45 of the A14.

This enables Jaynic to borrow up to £3m towards infra-structure costs to make sure facilities are in place to attract business and help create jobs in the area.

Jaynic can use the loan facility for up to two years, repayable in full, towards the main estate road together with two spur roads, drainage, distribution of mains services, internet provision and landscaping.

The loan agreement is part of the joint public and private sector initiative to boost the local economy and maintain St Edmundsbury as a successfully growing area that supports current and new companies.

Simon Wilson, project director of Jaynic (pictured left), says: “We are delighted to have the continued support of St Edmundsbury Borough Council in this. The loan facility together with the monies realised from selling 10 acres to Treatt PLC, means that the infrastructure for the whole site, covering the current and all future phases is now fully funded.”

“With the infra-structure in place we can provide fast track occupation for companies planning to move to Suffolk Park that will benefit the whole Bury St Edmunds economy,” adds Wilson.

Cllr John Griffiths, Leader of St Edmundsbury Borough Council (pictured right) said: “This further emphasises our commitment to bringing economic growth to  west Suffolk, removing the barriers so that existing businesses can expand and succeed, as well as attracting new ones to the local area. We invested in the Eastern Relief Road which has opened up the employment land on Suffolk Park and the wider Suffolk Business Park. We also worked with New Anglia LEP to establish the site as part of its Space to Innovate Enterprise Zone

“All of this will lead to thousands of new jobs, the development of new skills, expertise and opportunities, particularly for younger people as they leave education. That in turn will lead to greater wealth and prosperity which brings better living conditions for all our residents.” 

The development masterplan, which received outline planning consent in April, provides for up to 2m sq ft of business, distribution and industrial space at Suffolk Park and includes a potential 750,000 sq ft ‘big box’ distribution warehouse on the east side of the site.

Enterprise Zone status on 14 hectares of Suffolk Park, which was secured by New Anglia LEP and St Edmundsbury Borough Council, means that any qualifying company taking new accommodation within the zone will be eligible for relief of up to £55,000 pa against the rates payable for five years amounting to a saving of £275,000 over that period.

Bury St Edmunds based Hazells Chartered Surveyors are local agents for the scheme and interested parties should contact either Jonathan Lloyd or Richard Pyatt on 01284 702626. Savills London’s logistics department are working alongside Hazells on the potential logistics development. John Madocks Wright can be contacted 0207 4098151 for further information orwww.suffolk-park.uk.

Orion reaffirms strategic plan of developing La Reserva Club into Sotogrande’s latest high-end community

LUXEMBOURG and NEW YORK, June 13, 2017 — Orion Capital Managers, L.L.P. ("Orion") and Cerberus Capital Management, L.P. (“Cerberus”) today announced that Orion’s European Real Estate Fund IV acquired the remaining 50% of Sotogrande Luxco currently owned by an affiliate of Cerberus. Orion is now the sole shareholder of Sotogrande Luxco, owning c.99% of Sotogrande SA, the main shareholder of the business. It is envisaged that Sotogrande LuxCo will launch a delisting takeover bid over the Sotogrande shares.

This transaction marks the beginning of the second phase of Sotogrande SA’s redevelopment and repositioning plan, which focuses on making the property, including its high-end private community, La Reserva Club, a luxury destination of choice within Southern Europe. Orion is committed to delivering extensive common amenities and infrastructure work to its residents and guests, while also pursuing the development of the first luxury villa community on El Mirador.

Aref Lahham, Founder and Managing Director of Orion, stated: “We are honoured to have joined forces with Cerberus in the acquisition of Sotogrande SA. Our partnership not only allowed us to acquire such a unique asset, but also provided us the proper platform to develop Sotogrande into a premiere residential and leisure destination within Europe once again. Now that the first phase of our repositioning is complete, we are looking forward to our continued engagement and support of the company and its management team towards the realisation of the company’s strategic objectives.”

Lee Millstein, Global Head of Real Estate for Cerberus stated: “Cerberus is pleased to reach this important milestone in the development of Sotogrande. Together with Orion, we have increased the attractiveness of Sotogrande as a luxury destination, helped evolve its brand in the market and improved the long-term value of the business. We believe Orion will continue to be a great steward of this asset and wish Sotogrande and its management team continued success in their plans.”

About Orion Capital Managers

Orion Capital Managers LLP ("Orion") is a European real estate investment firm. Orion's business is commercial real estate investment management on behalf of major investors from around the world. The firm is dedicated to consistently deliver performance to its investor partners. Orion is wholly owned by its Founding Partners and has offices in London, Madrid, Milan and Paris. Orion Capital Managers' local presence and experience in European markets creates a platform which responds rapidly to a broad range of transactions.

About Cerberus Capital Management, L.P.

Established in 1992, Cerberus Capital Management, L.P. is one of the world’s leading private investment firms. Cerberus has more than US $30 billion under management invested in three complementary strategies: global credit opportunities (which includes non-performing loans, corporate credit and distressed debt, mortgage securities and assets, and direct lending); private equity; and real estate. From its headquarters in New York City and network of affiliate and advisory offices in the U.S., Europe and Asia, Cerberus has the on-the-ground presence to invest in multiple asset classes globally.

About Sotogrande S.A.

Sotogrande SA is a Spanish company listed on the Madrid Stock Exchange (“STG") which operates within the Leisure Real Estate and Hospitality Segment and focused on the 20 square kilometre estate and destination called Sotogrande at the southeast point of Andalucia. The company is currently mainly developing La Reserva Club, the last high end community within Sototogrande.

This morning St Edmundsbury Borough Council granted outline planning consent for the major 114-acre Suffolk Park business scheme at Bury St Edmunds, adjacent tothe new Eastern Relief Road leading to Junction 45 of the A14 which will accommodate up to 2 m sq ft of business, distribution and industrial space.

St Edmundsbury Council granted Jaynic, as development promoter, outline consent for B1 (office, research & development and light industrial) and B8 (warehousing, storage and distribution) development, together with reserved matters approval for the main internal road linking the Eastern Relief Road with Lady Miriam Way South plussite-wide framework landscaping. The site has Enterprise Zone status on 35 acres.

The outline consent includes some B2 (manufacturing) space on the 10-acre site presold to Treatt – a leading beverage ingredients manufacturer - at the beginning of this year, which will be the subject of a separate reserved matters application shortly. The company is currently located in Bury St Edmunds and will consolidate its operations into a new 200,000 sq ft global headquarters facility to be constructed within the Enterprise Zone. Further B2 development may be possible for named occupiers, subject to planning.

Nic Rumsey of Jaynic, says: “It is currently the only major allocated employment site in Bury St Edmunds with an outline planning permission. The site is unique in the town and region for the scale of buildings it can offer. Occupiers requirements for buildings from 10,000 sq ft up to 700,000 sq ft including a potential 750,000 sq ft ‘big box’ distribution warehouse on the east side of the site, can now be accommodated within 12-15 months from now.”

Chris Starkie, Managing Director of New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership, says: “Suffolk Park offers enormous potential for inward investment and economic growth – that’s the reason the LEP invested £10m to link the site directly to the A14 and selected it for Enterprise Zone status. Planning consent takes the site to the next stage, allowing more businesses to benefit from discounted business rates, simplified planning and Superfast broadband and from the excellent infrastructure Suffolk Park will soon have”.

Jonathan Lloyd of Hazells, agents on the scheme comments that “there is strong demand for business and distribution space in Bury St Edmunds being that it is located on the strategically important A14 east/west cross route into the UK motorway system.”

Jaynic has already gone out to tender for the infrastructure works with the intention of having the chosen contractor on site so that the main estate road between the Eastern Relief Road and Lady Miriam Way and associated infrastructure works are completed by the end of 2017. Individual occupier’s buildings, subject to reserved matters approval can commence whilst the infrastructure works are ongoing. This means companies could be in occupation and operational early in 2018.

Jaynic has appointed Bury St Edmunds based Hazells Chartered Surveyors aslocal agents for the scheme and interested parties should contact either Jonathan Lloyd or Richard Pyatt on 01284 702626 for further information or www.suffolk-park.uk

Savills, Industrial and Logistic’s department in London has been instructed to advise on the Big Shed potential.

Orion Capital Managers has successfully completed the capital raising for its Orion European Real Estate Fund V, with the fund being oversubscribed resulting in a total of 1.5 billion Euros of investor equity commitments.    Orion again enjoyed the support of many long term investors with the initial Fund V closing in late December 2016 and the final close completed in March 2017. 

Orion Fund V continues the strategies of prior Orion funds investing in a wide range of assets across Europe, as the firm was a major seller in 2014 and 2015.  Commenting on the market, Aref Lahham - Chief Executive, said: “We are excited by the opportunities being generated by current political uncertainty across Europe.”

While Orion’s three Founding Partners - Aref Lahham, Van Stults and Bruce Bossom - all remain totally committed and active in the business, Rami Badr, who joined Orion 15 years ago is becoming an additional partner and member of the firm’s Investment Committee.  Orion intends to bring on other senior team members as partners over time.

Well-known Cambridge commercial property surveyor Ben Oughton has been appointed by Jaynic Investments Ltd, the owners of Haverhill Research Park as Project Director to the development.

Nic Rumsey, founder of Jaynic and its Managing Director, commented: “We are delighted to have Ben on board. He has huge knowledge of the commercial property market in the Cambridge and East Anglia acting for both landlords and occupiers and I believe that his appointment will be a vital part of driving forward development activity during 2017 and beyond.

Oughton said: “Haverhill Research Park is in a great location with many benefits including enterprise zone status, consent for an innovation centre and 450,000 sq ft of business space. Existing on-site amenities already include a nursery opened in 2015 and a pub. Taylor Wimpey is developing a residential scheme adjacent to the park, part of which is sold and occupied, and there is allocation for a further 3,500 houses coming on stream in the town soon which benefits from excellent road connections into Cambridge.

“We are pushing forward immediately to explain to the occupier market the benefits of locating in Haverhill which has all the advantages of its proximity to Cambridge but on significantly more competitive terms,” Oughton adds.

Prior to his appointment at Haverhill Research Park, Oughton was a partner of Jeffersons Commercial before its acquisition in 2011 by Carter Jonas where he became an equity partner and has other ongoing property interests.

Jaynic Properties Limited has secured a resolution to grant outline planning permission for 125 residential dwellings in a prime location adjacent to the A11 at Red Lodge, Suffolk. Agents Savills have been appointed to offer the site for sale, with offers invited by 12 noon on Friday, 7^th April, 2017.

The housing-led development on 4.08 hectares (10.08 acres) comprises 87 private units and 38 affordable, with a broad range of dwellings from one to four bedrooms. The development also incorporates a children’s play area, with links to adjacent public open space and recreational facilities.

Red Lodge village benefits from a range of community facilities and services including a church, village hall and sporting facilities. There is also a day nursery, a primary school a post office, convenience store, pharmacy, pub and several other food establishments, alongside plans for a new 420-entry school to be opened in 2018.

Andrew Anderson, Director at Jaynic said “the site offers an excellent opportunity to develop housing within a sustainable location at the gateway to Red Lodge village. The village is conveniently located with easy access to Cambridge, Newmarket and Bury St Edmunds via the A11/A14,” adds Anderson.

In addition to the road links, the village is situated close to the town of Kennett which benefits from a railway station offering a direct service to Cambridge and Bury St Edmunds in approximately 28 minutes and 11 minutes respectively. Cambridge airport lies approximately 24 km (15 miles) to the south.

Jaynic Properties was formed in 2008 and has quickly established itself as a leading property company focussed on the design, planning, investment and development of commercial and residential property across the South East of England. Jaynic works closely with local communities and stakeholders to ensure that its projects create desirable and sustainable places for people to live and work.

Jaynic has appointed Savills as land sales agents. Interested parties are to contact Abigail Jones or Justin Bates on 01223 347000 for further information.

Singapore-listed City Developments Limited (CDL), through its wholly-owned subsidiary Trentworth Properties Ltd, represented in the UK by Dartmouth Capital Advisors Limited, has exchanged contracts to buy the freehold Ransomes Wharf site in Battersea, London, SW11, from Curatus Trust.

CDL plans to develop the site into a luxury residential project with an estimated gross development value of £222 million (approximately S$395.2 million^[1]).  The site is located within the London Borough of Wandsworth, on the south bank of the River Thames and adjacent to Albert Bridge.

The 0.65 hectare (1.6 acres) Ransomes Wharf site is being bought for £58 million (approximately S$103.2 million^[1]), phased over the next 18 months. It is situated just to the west of Albert Bridge in Battersea’s creative quarter on the River Thames, with occupiers including Foster + Partners Architects, Royal College of Art and Vivienne Westwood. It is also a minute’s walk to Battersea Park, which is one of London’s best kept riverside open spaces.

Chelsea and the King’s Road are just five minutes on foot across either Battersea or Albert Bridge; the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea playing host to some of London’s most fashionable restaurants and bars, and prime residential property.

The site has an existing planning permission for 118 apartments including 24 affordable homes, eight commercial units totalling 21,980 square feet at ground and lower ground floors and 103 car parking spaces. The residential development comprising six residential buildings of up to 10 storeys will include 21 one-bedroom units, 45 two-bedroom units, 19 three-bedroom units and nine two- to four-bedroom penthouse apartments. Work is expected to start on site demolition this spring.

The heart of the development is centred around a new public piazza, creating an exceptional vista from Elcho Street to the dock, and providing access through to the Thames Path and around the historic dock. There will be ground floor commercial space which will deliver an opportunity for interesting retail and workspace uses to support the existing leisure facilities in this creative neighbourhood.

This acquisition adds to CDL’s portfolio of Thames-side luxury residential developments that are currently in the pipeline including the 22-acre freehold Stag Brewery site in Mortlake and the 220-unit residential development on the former Pinewood Studios freehold site in Teddington, both in South West London.

Mr Kwek Leng Beng, CDL Executive Chairman, said, “The UK is one of CDL’s key overseas markets for strategic diversification. Through our partnership with Dartmouth Capital, we have purchased this site as part of our continuing focus on the suburban London market in search for the best value in creating highly desirable living and working environments in London.

“Ransomes Wharf site provides an opportunity to create a luxury residential development around a historic dock in the mature Battersea village surroundings with well-established pubs, restaurants, independent retailers and craft businesses.

“We believe the Ransomes Wharf development will be timely bearing in mind the recent major pre-let to Apple Corporation at Battersea Power Station. Ransomes Wharf should be appealing to Apple and other relocating organisations, such as the new US Embassy, as Ransomes is just across Battersea Park and will offer an attractive and established alternative to living at Nine Elms.”

With this latest acquisition, CDL has invested a total of £510.2 million in 10 prime freehold properties in the UK:

•         28 Pavilion Road, Knightsbridge
•         32 Hans Road, Knightsbridge
•         15 Lansdowne Road, Croydon*
•         31/35 Chesham Street, Belgravia
•         90-100 Sydney Street, Chelsea
•         202 Kings Road, Reading*
•         Teddington Film Studios, Teddington, Middlesex
•         Stag Brewery, Mortlake, London SW14 7ET
•         Development House, 56-64 Leonard Street, Shoreditch
•         Ransomes Wharf, Battersea, London, SW11

*These two properties have been sold as at 31 December 2016.

Pellings, the design, property and construction consultancy has made new appointments to expand and bring future expertise to its architecture division at its headquarter in Bromley, South London.

Davide Capello Dott.Ing.(Arch) ARB RIBA has joined the Architecture team as a senior architect. Capello will spearhead Pellings architecture projects in the residential  sector in their Bromley office. Capello joins from Milan Babic Architects. Dcapello@pellings.co.uk

Annie Lieu BA (Hons) Arch DipArch ARB has joined the Architecture team as a senior architect. Lieu will be working on Pellings’ residential and education projects from the Bromley office. Lieu joins from LOM Architecture and Design. Alieu@pellings.co.uk

Cristina Izcara MArch ARB has joined the Architecture team as an Architect. Izcara will be working on a variety of new residential and education projects in the Bromley office. Izcara has joined from BDG Architecture and Design. Cizcara@pellings.co.uk

Fellowship Inn is where Sir Henry Cooper trained and lived and was a venue for the likes of Fleetwood Mac and Eric Clapton

Pellings, a leading construction solutions consultancy, has been given the green light to commence a multimillion pound restoration of the Fellowship Inn at Bellingham, South East London.

The Fellowship Inn, once the venue for music and boxing legends, has been awarded planning permission and listed building consent following receipt of Heritage Lottery Funding of £4m for the major renovation.  

This historic venue is where legendary boxer Sir Henry Cooper lived and trained in the run up to his fight with Muhammad Ali, and where the likes of Fleetwood Mac and Eric Clapton played.

When completed, the restored Fellowship Inn will comprise a community pub, a cinema, a theatre/performance venue, a live music hub with rehearsal spaces, a coffee shop and a micro-brewery. The project for social landlord Phoenix Community Housing will be designed by architects Thomas Ford & Partners and project managed by Pellings.

The building will play a vital role in Phoenix’s ambitions to regenerate Bellingham and surrounding wards in the Borough of Lewisham and will deliver a range of social and community benefits in support of Phoenix’s broader vision for the pub to create opportunities for local people, deliver cultural experiences and support the regeneration of the area.  As well as offering a new community venue in an area short of amenities, the project will create 70 new jobs along with at least 45 apprenticeships over the next 15 years.

The extensive restoration works are due to be completed in 2018 and the completed facilities will be managed by the Laine Pub Company and Lewisham Music Hub.

Ian Flockhart, a partner at Pellings, said: “Pellings was delighted to be involved at the early stages of the Heritage Lottery Funding bidding process which included carrying out initial surveys, budget cost planning and scoping for the works that formed part of the bid team. We are very pleased to have subsequently been appointed as Project Manager and Quantity Surveyor on this exciting project.”

The building is Grade II listed and was built for returning First World War veterans and their families and sat at the centre of the new Bellingham ‘Homes for Heroes’ estate designed to ease inner city overcrowding. A building of such importance will maintain many of its original interior fittings and its original layout and exterior appearance. The pub is considered to be an ‘improved’ public house, as it was built in the 1920s in Mock Tudor style.

And sells first 10 acres to Treatt

Jaynic, as development promoter has submitted an outline application for B1 and B8, together with detail for the main infrastructure and landscaping on Taylor Wimpey’s 114 acre site at Bury St Edmunds. Suffolk Park, which has Enterprise Zone status on 37 acres, and will accommodate up to 2 m sq ft of business, distribution and industrial units.

Simultaneously it has sold a 10-acre site to Treatt – advised by agents Carter Jonas - which will finance the cost of the park’s initial infrastructure. Treatt, is one of the world’s longest established solutions providers for the flavour, fragrance and personal care industries, and has been located in Bury St Edmunds since 1971. The company is to consolidate from several locations in the town into a new 200,000 sq ft global headquarter facility to be constructed within the Enterprise Zone. The purchase price has not been disclosed.

The outline planning application for B1 and B8 sets out a development masterplan providing for up to 2m sq ft at Suffolk Park including a potential 750,000 sq ft ‘big box’ distribution warehouse on the east side of the site. The whole park is within a larger area allocated as employment land as an extension of the established Moreton Hall business area by St Edmundsbury Borough Council in its ‘Vision 2031’ local plan.

It is hoped that the outline application which is policy compliant will gain approval in March 2017. Jaynic intends to have contractors on site to undertake all necessary infrastructure works as quickly as possible. This will create a fully serviced attractive landscaped environment to meet the needs of modern businesses.

Nic Rumsey of Jaynic, said: “We are grateful for the active support and assistance of St Edmundsbury that has enabled us to get this major planning application submitted within only six months, and are delighted with the swift sale of the first site on the park to Treatt before we have obtained planning. This augurs well for the future of the project. Suffolk Park is in a prime location next to the established Moreton Hall area. Accessed from the new Eastern Relief Road due for completion in the Summer 2017, it equidistant between Junctions 44 and 45 of the A14 giving direct access to the whole of the UK motorway network.”

Dean Taylor, Director of Operations at Treatt, said: “Treatt is delighted to announce the exchange of contracts at Suffolk Park. This will be one of the most significant company developments in the last 50 years and will revolutionise almost every aspect of the business. It will enable Treatt to excite its customers even more, improve efficiency and further accelerate its growth,” added Taylor.

Cllr John Griffiths, Leader of St Edmundsbury Borough Council, said: “After so many years of very hard work by St Edmundsbury and many others, I am delighted that Suffolk Park is now rapidly moving from plans on paper to reality on the ground, alongside a new school, new community facilities, new homes and better transport links through the eastern relief road.

“The very real prospect of new jobs and inward investment is also great news and it is perhaps particularly pleasing that Treatt are looking to build their new global headquarters here. This really is an excellent next step in delivering this ambitious project, not just for Bury St Edmunds but West Suffolk and beyond, and I would like to thank Jaynic and everyone else involved.”

Bespoke properties from 10,000 sq ft upwards will be available to let or for sale. It is intended that, subject to planning, occupiers’ new properties will be built in parallel to the surrounding work so that occupation can be given as quickly as possible.

Enterprise Zone status, which was secured by New Anglia LEP and West Suffolk County Council, means that any qualifying company taking new accommodation within it will be eligible for relief of up to £55,000 pa against the rates payable for five years amounting to a saving of £275,000 over that period.

Being developed in parallel is Taylor Wimpey’s 500-home Moreton Hall scheme. The new Sybil Andrews Academy School opposite has just opened and it’s gym will soon be available for use by the Public.

Jaynic has appointed Bury St Edmunds based Hazells Chartered Surveyors as agents for the scheme and interested parties should contact either Jonathan Lloyd or Richard Pyatt on 01284 702626 for further information or www.suffolk-park.uk

ORION EUROPEAN REAL ESTATE FUND IV, C.V, has bought Kingsgate Shopping Park in East Kilbride near Glasgow, Scotland, from Aviva Life & Pensions UK Limited. 

Kingsgate provides 266,212 sqft (24,732 sqm) of retail and leisure uses.  The property is 100% leased to 12 tenants including Sainsbury’s, M&S, Homebase, Next and Nike. The current net operating income is approximately £6.6 million per annum.

Kingsgate benefits from a high footfall of approximately 7.2 million visitors p.a. and is one of the most successful retail park trading locations in Scotland. The Definitive Guide to Retail & Leisure ranked Kingsgate as the 19th best shopping park in the UK and fourth in Scotland.

Aref Lahham, Managing Director of Orion Capital Managers, said: “This acquisition offers asset management scope at tenant lease expiry and the opportunity to enhance the tenant mix in line with current consumer expectations for food and fashion offers. It will build on the momentum created by recent lettings to Nike, M&S and Next, “ added Lahham.

Orion was advised by Paradigm and Aviva by Wilkinson Williams.

And announces “MARINA ROSHA" Shopping Centre award commission in Moscow

Baltimore, USA, November 16, 2016… Baltimore-based international design practice Development Design Group (DDG) has been bought by BCT Architects, (BCT) and at the same time it announces at MAPIC that it has been awarded a commission to design its first Moscow shopping centre with another Russian project in the pipeline.

BCT- also based in Baltimore - has purchased the assets of DDG to preserve and strengthen the brand and continue its current projects around the world which includes the commission by ENKA TC, one of the leading developers in Moscow, Russian Federation, to design the Marina Rosha Shopping Centre in the Russian capital. A further commission for a retail project near St Petersburg is due to be announced imminently.

Also, founder, Principal and former CEO of DDG, Roy Higgs, who retired from the practice in 2011 has returned to continue the practice’s drive for more international commissions. Higgs who was born and brought up in London, relocated to Maryland from South Africa and opened DDG in 1979 and has, with the DDG team, designed many award-winning shopping and leisure destinations worldwide.

Bryce Turner, CEO of the new DDG BCT, LLC parent company said: “We are committed to maintaining DDG’s position at the forefront of global retail and mixed-use design and place making. We are delighted to welcome Roy back into the fold and believe that our Russian wins herald more international commissions.”

DDG, is an internationally renowned planning, architecture and design firm, that has delivered projects in more than fifty countries. The firm has relocated to 100 North Charles Street in downtown Baltimore, and will use its infusion of new capital to continue to serve existing and new clients.

DDG President Tony van Vliet, says: “We are excited that DDG now has the investment and resources we need to expand our worldwide practice.”

The investment brings together two firms with shared values and roots going back to the Rouse Company. According to Turner, who began his architectural career at DDG and employs several alumni of the firm, DDG and BCT have collaborated successfully on projects such as Belvedere Square in Baltimore and National Harbor in the Washington DC Metro area.

“We are known for our award winning projects in the US and our full-service architecture and engineering solutions,” Turner said. “DDG is known for its ability to deliver dynamic, extraordinary solutions to place-making globally, including Istinye Park, Istanbul; Easton Town Center, Columbus, USA; and Xi Cheng in Shenzhen, China.

“Together we have the potential to grow into a global architecture and design leader that can build inspiring developments that resonate with their communities, promote healthy social interaction, and represent the latest in technology, security and sustainability,” added Turner.

In addition to Turner and van Vliet, new Board members in the new organisation include Robert Gehrman and Robert Northfield. DDG Principals Jim Andreone, Sa’d Irshaid, Rajesh Gulati, and Haris Koentjoro AIA will continue at DDG.

Following the acquisition of Baltimore-based designers DDG by BCT Architects also from Baltimore, USA, DDG announces that ishas been selected to design the new Marina Rosha mixed-use development in the heart of Moscow.

DDG’s design submission won an international design competition and was awarded the commission by ENKA TC, one of the leading developers in Moscow and Russian Federation. It is a mixed-use project combining office, retail, dining and lifestyle located at a high-profile and strategic location in the North East Administrative District of Moscow, along Sheremetyevskaya Street.

The project will feature a large multi-level shopping center and two office towers, in addition to outdoor plazas and structured parking. The 2,625,440 sq ft/244,000 sq m development incorporates upscale urban retail combined with a vibrant outdoor entertainment and commercial office plaza. The mall itself will feature global brands and upscale boutiques, hypermarket, fitness center, multiplex cinema, fine dining restaurants and casual cafes, including some that overlook gardens, parks, and plazas that will offer seasonal music events, art fairs, farmer’s markets, and flower festivals.

Drawing upon DDG’s extensive experience in planning and designing shopping centers and mixed-use developments, the design employs sensitive urban planning strategies for a challenging site: to stimulate the redevelopment of adjacent Vetkina Street on the east as an asset and to maximize a strategic linkage to a new public park proposed to the south. 

These strategies are at the same time sustainable, by also opening and focusing portions of the project toward the outside public realm, thereby promoting a walkable district with animated streetscapes for pedestrians, and socially enhancing through place-making that enriches the nearby communities. As the design process unfolds, DDG’s designers will take a multi-faceted approach to study and introduce creative architectural solutions and design features that will transform and set the new standards for inspired shopping and leisure experiences in Moscow.

Marina Rosha is DDG’s, first project in Moscow, its second project in Russia, after the ARMADA Shopping Center in Orenburg, with a third under design in St. Petersburg. DDG has over 40 years of experience in 50 countries.

Jaynic Properties Limited has submitted an outline planning application for a scheme of up to 238 homes on the redundant site of the former Newlands School, off Eastbourne Road, Seaford, East Sussex.

The planning application has been lodged with Lewes District Council and will provide much needed new housing, ranging from starter homes to larger family houses. The scheme will be sympathetically developed to reflect the existing character of the area and will also include up to 40% affordable homes, in accordance with Lewes DC and national planning policy requirements.

The Newlands Schoolbuilding was constructed in the early 20th century and, whilst it is unlisted, it will be retained, having been recognised for its local importance. The building will be converted into apartments and incorporated into the development proposals for the wider site.

The landscaping on site will be designed to respect and retain the setting of the Newlands School building and adjoining listed building at Sutton Place. Whilst currently private land, the finished development will incorporate meaningful and useable public open spaces for existing and future residents to use. 

It is envisaged that around 50% of the 6.35-hectare site (15.69 acres) is likely to remain green, be it public open space, a new equipped children’s play area, garden space or retained and proposed planting. The proposals also include a new tree-lined boulevard leading up to the former school building, which will frame the building and provide enhanced views from Eastbourne Road.

In addition to the on-site provision of affordable housing, public open space and a play area for use by existing and future residents, considerable financial contributions will be made by the developer through Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) payments, in support of local facilities and infrastructure.  The sum levied will be directed towards new facilities for education, health etc. in Seaford, with the District and Town Councils deciding exactly how the financial contributions will be distributed to existing and new facilities in the area.

Nic Rumsey, managing director of Jaynic Properties Limited, said: “Our proposals provide an opportunity to create an extremely attractive residential scheme in a wonderful setting. The site is one of the only major sites available in Seaford, with any expansion of the town constrained both by the sea and the surrounding South Downs National Park.

“Our planning application was first prepared, then refined, following extensive discussions with council planning officers, District and Town councillors; and follows a public consultation event at the end of last year where there was a broad consensus in support of the residential development of the site.”

The council’s updated 2015 Strategic Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment identifies the Newlands site as having potential for housing development.

The development will be highly sustainable being close to Seaford town centre, public transport links, the Downs Leisure Centre, shops, cafes and restaurants. The layout will allow for greater connectivity to the surrounding area through cycle and pedestrian links into the adjoining residential areas.

Also, the proposals will blend sympathetically with the adjacent Grade II listed Sutton Place which has a discrete setting and is defined by the semi-formal parkland it fronts on to, together with the mature tree boundary. This is visually and physically separate from the Newlands School building to the east.

Through working closely with the local community and relevant Council officers/stakeholders, Jaynic Properties has ensured that the design of the development will create a desirable place for people to live, and one that Seaford can be proud of.

A luxury care home development with a potential value of up to £200 million, (approximately S$356 million¹), the first-ever to be built in Central London, has been given planning consent by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Council. The development is strategically located just two minutes’ walk from Harrods Department Store in Knightsbridge.

Singapore-listed City Developments Limited (CDL), through its wholly-owned subsidiary Beaumont Properties Limited, represented in the UK by Dartmouth Capital Advisors Limited, received consent for 34 two-bed apartments, ranging in size from 1,250 sq ft to 2,110 sq ft, at 28 Pavilion Road, London, SW1.

Mr Kwek Leng Beng, CDL Executive Chairman said, “We have worked closely with the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Council to draw up a scheme that will appeal to discerning residents in retirement. The Borough has a significant stable, ageing, demographic that is asset rich yet whose needs are insufficiently provided for by the current housing stock. We aim to provide a community style of living for this group, supported by excellent on-site medical care, close to local amenities, shops and restaurants.”

The luxury care home will offer apartments for sale on 999-year leases. Facilities within the development include a luxury spa, swimming pool, communal library, private doctor’s surgery, 24-hour concierge service, dedicated nurse care rooms and car parking. The extra-care will be provided by private nursing and home care specialist.

The six- and seven-storey scheme, with gross floor area of about 135,000 sq ft, has been designed by architects PDP London in collaboration with Hamilton Architects involving the demolition and redevelopment of a 1970s brutalist car park. The island site provides a central courtyard which is accessible to all residents with a new shared public realm contributing to a sense of community and promoting social interaction.

The development, a contemporary interpretation of surrounding Queen Anne typology, provides step-backs and cut-ins as it rises to provide each apartment with outdoor space. The floor plan also decreases in size as it rises, providing the upper levels with large roof terraces and opportunities toreduce the urban heat island effect through the use of green roofs, increased biodiversity and a sustainable urban drainage system.

The Royal Borough, in a recent housing assessment document, identified that those aged 65 years old and over, will increase from 14% in 2012 to 23% in 2037. The population of elderly in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea will be significantly higher in proportion when compared to London as a whole (17%) and the neighbouring boroughs of Hammersmith and Fulham (16%) and Westminster (18%).

The scheme is located in the heart of Knightsbridge, adjacent to some of the top shopping streets in the world including Sloane Street and minutes’ walk from Knightsbridge Underground, Hyde Park and the museums of South Kensington. The site is connected to Harrods by an underground tunnel now disused and there are no plans to reinstate it. It is also a short stroll away from Millennium Hotel, Knightsbridge, which is part of CDL’s London-listed subsidiary, Millennium & Copthorne Hotels plc.

Dartmouth Capital Advisors Limited is the development advisor to Beaumont Properties Limited. Planning advisors were Colliers and Barton Wilmore.

East Anglia business and research park specialist Jaynic Properties has been appointed development promoter by Taylor Wimpey to promote its 114-acre commercial site, including 35 acres with Enterprise Zone status, at The Suffolk Business Park. The land is part of St Edmundsbury Borough Council’s strategic allocation of 168 acres for the extension of the business park.

Jaynic’s brief from Taylor Wimpey and the Council is to work up a fully detailed masterplan, apply for outline planning for the agreed range of uses before Christmas and then implement all necessary works and infrastructure as quickly as possible. This will create a fully serviced attractive landscaped environment to meet the needs of modern businesses.

The primary employment uses applied for will be for B1 offices, research and development facilities, Light Industrial, B2 General industrial and B8 warehousing accommodation. However, it is likely that the scheme will also provide sustainable supporting uses to both the existing and new occupiers, with facilities such as a hotel, pub, crèche, coffee shops and leisure being provided. In all there is the potential to provide up to 2 million sq. ft. for new employment use

Nic Rumsey, managing director of Jaynic, said: “We are delighted to be appointed after a detailed selection process. This is a key site and provides a significant proportion of the strategic employment allocation for Bury St Edmunds up to and beyond 2031. We look forward to working with Taylor Wimpey and St Edmundsbury to attract a mix of occupiers providing a range of employment opportunities that could create thousands of jobs for the town.”

Freehold serviced plots will be offered and bespoke properties from 10,000 sq ft upwards will be available to let or for sale. It is intended that, subject to planning, occupiers’ new properties will be built in parallel to the surrounding work so that occupation can be given as quickly as possible.

Enterprise Zone status means that any company taking new accommodation within it will qualify for relief of up to £55,000 pa against the rates payable for five years amounting to a saving of £275,000 over that period.

Suffolk Park, adjacent to Moreton Hall, will soon be accessible from both junctions’ 44 and 45 of the A14 trunk road, once major infrastructure improvements, including the construction of the Eastern Relief road linking the existing commercial area with junction 45 of the A14, are completed in the summer of 2017. The A14 links the port of Felixstowe with the national motorway network.

John Griffiths, Leader of St Edmundsbury Borough Council, said: “The expansion of the Suffolk Business Park is all about creating the right conditions for growth and future prosperity and with it the creation of new jobs for the people of West Suffolk. We know that we have some very successful local businesses that need more space to develop, and we know that this site’s prime location between the Port of Felixstowe and the science and innovation centre of Cambridge, as well as its ease of access to London, make it a very attractive proposition for the scores of big businesses looking to relocate.  This is another major step in turning our vision into a reality.”

Steve Rolt of Taylor Wimpey said: “We are delighted that the project is going forward and are confident that Jaynic will be successful in fulfilling their brief.”

The £15million Eastern Relief Road (ERR) funded by New Anglia LEP, St Edmundsbury Borough Council and Suffolk County Council is due to be completed by the summer of 2017. Being developed in parallel are Taylor Wimpey’s 500-home Moreton hall scheme as well as the new Sybil Andrews Academy School. With other projects the ERR is estimated to bring in 14,000 jobs and £275m to the town over the next 25 years.

In East Anglia, Jaynic has a strong track-record having developed Cambridge Research Park and Buckingway Business Park in Cambridge, the University of Essex Knowledge Gateway in Colchester and Haverhill Business Park and currently Haverhill Research Park.

Jaynic has recently appointed Bury St Edmunds based Hazells Chartered Surveyors as agents for the scheme and interested parties should contact either Jonathan Lloyd or Richard Pyatt on 01284 702626 for further information or www.suffolk-park.uk

Design, facilities management and construction solutions consultancy Pellings has project managed the delivery of a new office, distribution and warehouse facility at Crawley, West Sussex for Cubic Transportation Systems, a business unit of Cubic Corporation (NYSE: CUB).

Cubic, which manages revenue collection services for Transport for London, is a leading integrator of payment and information solutions delivering integrated systems for transportation and traffic management amounting to more than 24 billion payment transactions annually on a global basis.

The project comprised a £550,000 fast-track conversion of two adjacent warehouses totalling 34,000 sq. ft. at Meadowbrook Industrial Estate on the Manor Royal business district in Crawley, West Sussex.

Pellings’ role on the project included carrying out due diligence services during the pre-acquisition stage, including condition surveys, dilapidations, compliance checking, planning and general property advice. This led to the consultancy being appointed as project managers and FM advisors to Cubic, producing the outline designs, employer’s requirements and contract documentation which gave the baseline of the design and on-going maintenance parameters. These were provided to the contractor, Project Partners, who developed the facility on a design and build basis.

Ian Flockhart, a partner at Pellings who ran the project said: “This was a very demanding project which we were able to deliver on time and on budget. The scheme was driven by the client’s need to relocate its existing facility from a location in Surrey to Crawley in just three months. We were under a huge deadline pressure having to decant the clients existing premises and reoccupy into a much larger facility.”

Specialist systems had to be incorporated to meet the client’s specific requirements including new power systems, air extraction, high bay racking, work-benching and specialist lighting to meet a variety of working functions carried out by Cubic. These functions included high precision working, warehouse storage distribution, testing and general office use.

The warehouse is now fully operational and Pellings is working on other projects in the UK with Cubic.

Crofton, the consulting engineer with offices in London, Kent and Sussex, was a finalist for the Inclusion and Diversity Champion of the Year Category at the ACE Consultancy and Engineering Awards 2016.

The award ceremony took place at a gala dinner in the Grand Connaught Rooms in London’s Holborn on 24^th May, with more than 350 guests from a wide variety of professions within the field.

Doctor Nelson Ogunshakin OBE, chief executive of ACE said:“The evening recognised the people who sit at the heart of our organisations, each and every one playing their part to deliver work of the highest standard.

Steven Hale, managing director at Crofton, comments:

 “We were delighted to be short-listed. Our Diversity and Inclusion Strategy is intended to foster a culture of trust, altruism and respect toward others. It also seeks to enable easy access to opportunities for personal and professional development for all in alignment with Crofton Design’s brand values and corporate goals.”

Gemma Walters and Jackie White the office managers in the London and Kent office, say:

 “We are frequently encouraged to be mindful of the diverse backgrounds of our colleagues. As the office managers for our respective locations (London and Kent), we organise regular diversity workshops for our staff to ensure we all have a better understanding and respect of other colleagues' backgrounds and differences. This makes for a harmonious working environment where people feel safe to be themselves, voice their opinions and have the confidence to collaborate.”

Client, Christopher Bib, of the Lewes District Council, also mentions:

“Crofton Design's commitment to diversity and inclusion is demonstrated across the entire lifecycle of the projects they are entrusted to carry out on our behalf. From the initial meeting, through to regular project touch points all the way to the soft landing phase, we are shown, through the numerous inter-actions with their staff, evidence that Crofton's cultural diversity plays a key part in their ability to deliver projects successfully. At Lewes District Council, we are pleased to say that this is aligned to our own values; this inclusive approach to working fosters local community cohesion and we see great benefits being associated with an organisation that is known”

Examples of Crofton’s diversity and inclusion in the work place include:

• Engagement with a local London school led to the employment of Daryl Curtis after completing his A-Levels. He is working towards a Crofton funded engineering degree on day-release to South Bank University. Daryl comments: “I knew that I didn’t want to stay in full-time education, but I was concerned that with limited qualifications and no work experience, I would quickly be rejected from potential employers. When Crofton offered me employment along with the opportunity to continue my studies, I was both thankful and surprised; where others may have disapproved of my situation, Crofton made working as a young engineer very accessible.”
• The Engineering Development Trust (EDT) is a charity running programmes to stimulate and encourage young people to choose a career in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Involvement with the EDT allows engagement with more young people with a similar attitude. Crofton works with schools in both Kent and London and a mentor from each office works directly with pupils to set up a relevant engineering project.
• Research confirms that the construction sector employs a particularly high proportion of workers over the age of 55, and those under 35 are often considered too young. Bearing this in mind, Crofton believes that young people represent a potent ‘diversity’ group. In the past 12-months in particular, Crofton has made a conscious effort to recruit employees from diverse backgrounds including engineering undergraduate placement students. At the age of 20, these young aspiring engineers have been given the opportunity to gain a practical under-standing of how the industry operates. Upon graduation, they will have already acquired a valuable year’s experience and thus will be appealing prospective candidates to employers.

The 13 ACE awards celebrate the best of the UK’s consultancy and engineering profession and showcase the remarkable work of ACE members and supporters across a variety of specialisms. The Inclusion and Diversity Champion of the Year award recognises an organisation working in the built and natural environment that has the foundation of diversity and inclusion, in which it values and embraces the benefits of a truly diverse workplace.

The organisations were judged based on their demonstrative narratives of why the D&I strategy was implemented and its connection to a broader business strategy. Additionally, the organisation is evaluated based on metrics, employee/customer feedback and case studies as supporting evidence to demonstrate the corporate ethos.

Developer Southwark Square Ltd has innovative plans for London’s Southwark Street revival. Multipurpose complex Gagarin Square aims to bring an enhancedcultural and educational experience to Bankside and the Borough of Southwark by introducing a new theatre, rehearsal studios, observatory, exhibition space, restaurant/café, public terrace and commercial space, all in one location.

Gagarin Square’s vision has been inspired by the continued popularity and success of Southwark Street’s Menier Chocolate Factory theatre, located next door to where the multipurpose complexaimsto be built. The theatre is run by David Babani, one of London’s most successful producers.

Gagarin Square also aspires to bring novelty to London’s developing skyline. The structure has been meticulously designed by renowned Russian architect Nikita Yaveyn of St Petersburg’s architectural practice, Studio 44. The design embodies Russian architectural influences and is a direct tribute to Yuri Gagarin and Soviet/Russian cosmonaut accomplishments, showcased by the development’s centrepiece rocket-like structure, Gagarin Tower (representative of the Vostok 1).

Donald Riley, director at Southwark Square Ltd and development director for Gagarin Square, comments: “This is the perfect time to tap into Southwark Street’s multifaceted potential.

“David Babani amazingly succeeded with our theatre, hidden behind a Victorian warehouse exterior.  Gagarin Square’s façade has to be as magnetic as those of past cinemas of the Old Kent Road.  By bringing bold, striking architecture to the city’s skyline, it goes without saying that Gagarin Square will boost Southwark Street’s profile and enhance the new face of Elephant and Castle. It will boost Southwark Street and halve the distance to the new “Elephant”. It will boost the capital’s economy by attracting tourists, avid theatre goers, not to mention further investment in commercial and residential property for miles beyond.”

Southwark Square Ltd’s Gagarin Square is currently subject to a planning appeal.

ABOUT ACL

ACL’s advice and strategic communications consultancy creates and implements tailored communications strategies based on the client’s individual requirements and business development goals. ACL provides strategies on a business to business basis across the property sector in the built environment. Its clients include developers, fund managers, architects, engineers, surveyors and legal practices. ACL’s communications services draws upon public relations, marketing, social media strategies and public affairs.

ABOUT THE ACCOUNT MANAGER ROLE

ACL would like to hire a talented account manager to take charge of all aspects of the day-to-day running of a range of client accounts. ACL is looking for a confident, independent, ambitious, proactive and motivated individual with 3-5 years relevant experience, preferably (but not limited to) in the built environment. You should have had relevant experience and client facing exposure in previous roles to immediately undertake the management of on-going client activities and take forward the implementation of client communications programmes.

ACL is keen to hire an individual with a natural aptitude for management so that s/he will be able to advise and direct clients accordingly to ensure ACL is delivering a well-rounded and broad spectrum communications service to clients.  

REQUIREMENTS

• Excellent English; this includes verbal and written communication skills and an ability for proofing and attention to linguistic detail. The candidate’s grasp of English should allow their writing to easily address a wide spectrum of target audiences.
• Ability to develop and implement creative integrated communications strategies; the successful candidate will have had experience in developing communications programme strategies and presenting them to clients.
• Client relationship management experience; although not essential for the candidate to have been a client facing lead in their previous role, it is key that the candidate has worked in a team and has had sufficient direct client contact to be capable of independently managing client relationships as ACL’s account manager.
• In depth grasp of developing and implementing social media strategy; this includes an understanding of the crucial role of social media in the broader context of communications, carrying out SEO (search engine optimisation) and executing relevant aspects of clients’ communication programmes via relevant media platforms.
• Experience in applying a variety of communications skills in PR campaigns (including public relations, marketing, digital media, crisis management, public affairs, events etc.)
• Educated to degree level from a reputable university viewed as an advantage
• Social skills; this includes a sense of humour and general social finesse. All this should come across clearly in writing, telephone manner and in direct social interaction - a team player, with the ability to lend.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Independent management of client relationships
• Development and implementation of communications strategies with clearly defined tactics and evaluation techniques as part of a consultative approach to clients’ needs
• Working with ACL directors and clients to develop and promote key corporate messages on a wide range of platforms       
• Development and maintenance of relevant relationships with built environment industry media, industry organisations and influencers  
• Identification of new influencers and development of engagement strategies on clients’ behalf in an ongoing manner
• Identification and creative development of a wide range of client content for use in PR, marketing and social media, including videos, blogs, newsletters and other relevant collateral that fits with clients’ business and communications objectives
• Regular reporting of PR analytics face-to-face and via telephone to clients, including senior managers and managing directors. Written reports will require in-depth knowledge of Microsoft Office and general presentation skills
• Development of creative joint venture initiatives for ACL clients with industry organisations, including the use of media, research, seminars, conference topics, roundtables and sponsorship opportunities

RENUMERATION

Salary: £30 000 - £35 000 + bonus  scheme

CONTACT

Please submit your CV and cover letter to info@aylwincom.co.uk

Successful applicants will be invited for initial interviews in June/July 2016.

Mabel Polley House, a new scheme comprising 37 dwellings for tenants of the Royal Borough of Greenwich, has been completed. The development, built on a site owned by Royal Greenwich and located on the Woolwich Common Estate in South East London, will be managed by the Council and occupied entirely by residents aged 60 or more.

Full concept design and multi-disciplinary services were provided by London design, construction and property consultancy Pellings, with Osborne as the main contractor and BPTW as its detailed design delivery architects. The project team also included Royal Greenwich and was led by the Royal Borough’s in-house New Build team.

At the outset, Pellings and Royal Greenwich undertook a programme of consultation with the local community and created a scheme that involved the part demolition and part conversion of Mabel Polley House, a derelict nursing home, and construction of a new six storey replacement. The refurbished element comprises the reconfiguration of the existing accommodation to deliver eight 2-bedroom and 29 1-bedroom high quality homes, with a communal lounge, parking for 37 cars and landscaped grounds.

Pellings Architecture Partner, Joe Pou, says: “The development delivers high quality homes that meet the specific housing needs of the borough. As well as addressing the shortage of active elderly accommodation, it allows existing council residents to down-size, thereby releasing larger family sized dwellings to households in need of larger accommodation.”

Councillor Denise Hyland,Leader of the Royal Borough of Greenwich, said: “With a growing older population and the need for well-designed, accessible and adaptable housing to meet their needs, the old Mabel Polley House had outlived its purpose and no longer met the needs of residents. The new Mabel Polley is fresh and modern and offers adaptable design for people with different living needs and provides a comfortable, easy to manage and desirable living environment for our older residents.”

For the new build element a steel frame solution on load bearing pads was used, with framed infills finished in render or faced with brickwork. However, for the upper storeys a metsec form of construction was used.

The principal external building fabric details and materials comprised powder coated aluminium, thermally broken double glazed windows in anthracite and white to suit the elevational facades. The façade materials included brickwork to match the existing bricks on the retained front facades, together with a composite wood effect panelling system and glazed balconies using open timber decking.

Pellings’ design meets ‘Housing our Ageing Population: Plan for Implementation (HAPPI)’ requirements which relate to space and flexibility, daylight, outdoor space, adaptability, shared facilities, and energy efficiency. These standards have been met in numerous ways throughout the development of the scheme, including the incorporation of flexibility for adaptation should residents’ health deteriorate and specialist equipment or installations be required to support residents to remain in their home.

Following the delivery of Bonney Court for West Kent Housing Association, Mabel Polley House is the next in a line of ‘active elderly’ schemes designed and delivered by Pellings, with Northview, another scheme for West Kent HA, commencing in 2016. These developments are testament to the quality of the combined expertise of the business in what is a growing sector.

Casa Ald, a new house in Mexico City designed by architects spAce, that combines a balance between modernity and cosiness, has been completed.

The development, built on a site of just over 1,000 square metres, consists of two main volumes: a prism which has another rectangular wooden prism embedded into it. Like all of spAce’s projects, the design followed sustainable guidelines.

From the start, the purpose of the project was to create a house with a balance of modernity and cosiness. This method allowed for the use of very few materials, achieving a quick reading of the volumes.

The house was designed with recycled content low in VOC levels, LED-based lighting, and wood from certified forests.

Full concept design was provided by design, construction and property consultancy spAce, founded by Juan Carlos Baumgartner, with LUA providing the lighting design and the general contractor being Bruno Vadillo.

The first prism consists of a black metal structure that ends on an exposed concrete staple. The two fronts are made of glass, helping to create a transparency to the interior area and also providing a sense of nature to the house.

The second prism is a cantilevered wooden cube, which generates a terrace underneath it. The design of this project included a swimming pool covered with black Venetian glass tiles. These tiles allow for the swimming pool to be turned into a ‘water mirror’ which has the ability to reflect the house.

This four bedroom house also includes a double-height living room and an open plan kitchen. In the living area, a modern cast glass sphere chandelier hangs from the ceiling.

This project integrated art into architecture so that selected works became a part of the design instead of functioning as mere decorative items. With this principle in mind, Juan Carlos Baumgartner commissioned a hyper-realistic 2x6m painting of a 1978 Porsche to be placed in a double height space. Baumgartner also designed a mural that works both as the visual end of the swimming pool as well as the vestibule of the house entrance.

By using few but carefully selected materials, the house offers delightful areas that have met the client’s expectations.

http://www.e-architect.co.uk/mexico/casa-ald-in-mexico-city

Pellings LLP, the multi-disciplinary architectural, property and construction practice has taken an innovative design approach to deliver the complex replacement of Foxfield Primary School in Woolwich, London.

The £10.2m redevelopment of the primary school was undertaken for the Royal Borough of Greenwich, and saw an existing 1970s Two Form Entry Primary School, which was no longer fit for purpose, demolished and transformed into a modern, BREEAM Excellent Three Form Entry Primary School on the same site.

A larger school was urgently required to serve the densely populated surrounding area, and a strong connection between the school and the local community was also an important prerequisite. Design challenges were thrown up by the school’s positioning on a steeply sloping site, the need to create space for many more pupils, and the fact that work had to be undertaken safely while the school remained in operation.

One of the building’s most dramatic design features is an internal “canyon” in the centre of the building, which cascades down over four floors, working with the site’s steep topography. The canyon is the hub of the school with classrooms opening out onto it, ensuring there is a strong visual link throughout the four floors bringing all year groups together.

The design of the building has contributed to an ‘outstanding’ OFSTED report in November 2015.

Head teacher Rupinder Bansil highlights the following design facets that have added to the quality of the learning environment:

• “There is a fantastic use of natural light. This is an urban environment and as the children come from confined spaces in their home lives, the school gives them fantastic space allowing freedom of movement both in-doors and out-doors.”
• “We are able to use the building as a ‘second teacher’ enabling the spaces to be used for displays and interventions.”
• “We are able to use the buildings as a real overall learning space  - a learning space for the children in the classrooms, for the use by parents for courses and workshops and for teacher-training.”
• “A real positive of the buildings are the environmental elements, like the solar panels on the roofs.”
• “The flat-roofs combine as learning spaces for the children.”
• “The visual aspect of the ‘canyon’ space allows an open flow and interaction between teachers and children - one can see everything that is going on and the glass ceiling allows further natural light into the building.”
• “The corridor spaces are very wide which allows group work to be undertaken in them and are seen as another learning space for art sessions, cooking sessions, and training.”
• “We are able to promote excellence because the buildings are so crisp and sharp it enables us to model excellence in all we do as a learning and teaching environment.”

Neill Werner, head of architecture at Pellings commented: “A largely glazed roof means natural light pours down through the canyon, ensuring that even the depths of the school on the first floor benefit from daylight. It also creates a circulation function encouraging free movement throughout the school for teachers and pupils without the need for corridors. In addition, the canyon provides specialist teaching areas with far reaching views and dramatic top-lit central multi-use space.”

Due to the steep topography the school’s main entrance is accessed via a bridge that spans the gradient and links to the main entrance. The bridge is linked to a public, landscaped piazza that acts as a meeting place for parents and children. Although the bridge can be closed outside of school hours, the piazza is fully accessible to the public for use at all times, enhancing the school’s links with the local community.

Externally every inch of space is utilised – existing grass banks that previously had little function were removed and turned into an amphitheatre for arts performances. Classrooms open out onto roof decks that are used for external teaching, and have sweeping views of London’s City Airport. A “discovery trail” runs through the school’s grounds, which has been carefully designed to provide a variety of learning environments for pupils. 

Intensive consultation with staff and governors was an intrinsic part of the design development, where design potential was fully explored as a tool to meeting site challenges. An open-minded approach adopted by the senior management team greatly contributed to the successful outcome.  Community engagement was also critical, generating a true sense of ownership for local residents and parents.

The school was unable to close while construction work was undertaken, so it remained in full occupation while the existing school was demolished and rebuilt. Ian Collins at Pellings who was in charge of contract administration on the project explains this was achieved via a two phased approach to the work. “The first phase saw half the new school being built on existing free space – once this was completed children and teachers were immediately moved into the new space, while the existing school was demolished. We also installed and moved temporary classrooms around the site to suit construction as it progressed,” comments Collins.

He says there was continued liaison with teachers, to ensure that lessons and the people living in the many homes close to the site were not disturbed by construction work. Importance was also given to making sure site separation was given due regard for noise and safety reasons, maintaining safe emergency escape routes, and maximising demolition work outside of school hours. 

The school’s BREEAM Excellent rating has been achieved via intensive use of energy efficient features such as green roofs, PV panels, rain water recycling and passive stack ventilation.

The Royal Borough of Greenwich was the client. Pellings was the architect, town planner, interior designer and contracts administrator, the structural engineer was Gledsdale Associates Ltd and the mechanical and electrical engineer was Bailey Associates.

This week, Haverhill Research Park launched its new branding and unveiled new signage at the entrance to the park.

Together with the new entrance signage the suite of marketing collateral includes a “Big Book” over-sized A4 brochure running to 38 pages, a “Little Book” pocket sized version of the big book, an iPDF digital version for emailing to prospective clients and a new website.

Wayne Hall, managing director of design agency Impact, said: “The new Haverhill Research Park brand identity has been created to encapsulate the very essence of the region in discovering new horizons in science technology and research.

“The four coloured lines logo, represents the four development plot opportunities available at Haverhill Research Park. This highlights the possibilities that each occupier, who locates to the site, has in building a new business horizon for the future. Ultimately this is represented by an inspirational sun/horizon icon made from the four lines,” adds Hall.

The new signage comes at a time of significant steps forward in bringing the park to fruition.

Nic Rumsey, the Director of Jaynic, the developer of Haverhill Research Park, commented: “We are delighted with the new branding, which brings a fresh look to the park and comes at a time when exciting things are happening here.

“Last week we received enterprise zone status as part of the Cambridge Compass Enterprise Zone. We are in detailed negotiations on the funding of The Epicentre, our new innovation centre, and are in active discussions with potential occupiers,” he added.

The park’s “Gateway to Haverhill” location is within 17 miles of Cambridge and in an area of South Cambridge known for its business and technology clusters including bio science, electronics, advanced materials, software, printing, instruments, engineering and clean tech.

Haverhill Research Park gives easy access to the A11/M11 leading to Stansted Airport and London.

It is divided into four plots with planning consent for a total of 450,000 sq ft of business/research space. Full infrastructure is installed, with 30 acres of landscaped grounds, on-site amenities, and within walking distance of nearby shopping. The park provides prospective occupiers with the ideal work-life balance.

Additional attractions include:

• Tailored pre-let property solutions within 15 months

• Business rates relief of up to £275,000 for every occupier until 2022

• On-site pub restaurant and nursery with excellent local facilities nearby.

The Cambridge Compass Enterprise Zone will come into full effect on the 1 April 2016.

BERLIN, –Westinvest Gesellschaft für Investmentfonds mbH has acquired the office building at Schellingstrasse 1 in Berlin. The office building was completed in 1999 and has a total lettable area of approx. 18,500 sqm.

The purchase price was approximately EUR 85 million.

The seller is a subsidiary of Orion European Real Estate Fund IV, C.V., which is sponsored by Orion Capital Managers

JLL acted as exclusive advisor for the Seller in this transaction. Legal advisor to the Seller was King & Spalding. Legal advisor to the purchaser was GSK Stockmann + Kollegen.

Reselton Properties Limited the subsidiary of Singapore Stock Exchange quoted City Developments Limited (CDL), and represented in the UK by Dartmouth Capital Advisors Limited, has completed the freehold purchase of the well-known 22-acre Stag Brewery in Mortlake, south west London.

This follows the acquisition of another CDL backed 207 residential unit development opportunity in Teddington acquired from Haymarket publishing Lord Heseltine’s Group last week. The 4.5 acre site was formerly the home of Pinewood Studios and is located one of the most prominent sites overlooking Teddington Weir on the River Thames.

The Mortlake site which has been sold by AB InBev is located in the London Borough of Richmond with a 200-metre River Thames frontage.

The site, which is widely accepted as one of the best development opportunities on the Thames, has the benefit of an adopted planning brief that promotes mixed use scheme which will deliver a major residential development, a new school, hotel, and other employment and leisure uses.

It offers an opportunity to create a completely new riverside residential quarter for Richmond with a new green parkland spine leading from the existing commercial centre of Mortlake to the Thames.

It is also just 200 metres from the rapid over ground train link to London’s Waterloo mainline station, making it an ideal commuting location.

Kwek Leng Beng the Chairman of City Developments Ltd , said “We will be opening the planning and consultation process with residents early in the New Year. We hope to achieve planning consent in the first quarter of 2018 and to undertake the scheme in two phases.”

This comes a week after the acquisition of Teddington Film Studios’ riverside site by CDL subsidiary Pinenorth Properties Ltd, which is also in the London Borough of Richmond, where planning consent has been granted for 207 residential apartments. Demolition is underway with the first release of homes due next Spring (2016) with construction complete in 2018/19.

Lord Heseltine’s Haymarket Publishing, the vendor of the Teddington site, is relocating within the Borough of Richmond and is contributing to the delivery of educational facilities in the Borough. 

The Chairman Kwek Leng Beng  says: “City Developments Ltd working with Dartmouth Capital has focused attention on the suburban London market in its search for best value and sees the London Borough of Richmond as one of the most desirable locations for living and working in London.”

The first council house development in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets for over 30 years has just been completed at Bradwell Street, London, E1.

The £2.7m development – constructed on a JCT Design & Build Contract - was designed by Pollard Thomas Edwards architects, constructed by Bugler Developments Ltd, with multi-disciplinary architecture, property and construction consultancy Pellings providing Employer’s Agent and Clerk of Works services, and comprises twelve new homes and a community centre, for LB Tower Hamlets on the site of forty-three under-utilised garages. 

The development includes six semi-detached four-bedroom family houses, three detached four-bedroom family houses with wheelchair access and disability adaptations, and a four-storey building with three two-bedroom flats and a community centre on the ground floor.

The homes with disability adaptations involved extensive consultation with an occupational therapist to ensure the fit-out met the needs of the intended residents. 

All the properties are constructed with concrete beam and block floors; cavity walls with face brickwork, aluminium faced composite windows, lightweight internal steel partitions with plasterboard, timber doors and individual gas-fired boilers for hot water and central heating.

Mayor of Tower Hamlets Borough Council, John Biggs said at the opening that Bradwell Street is the first of 800 new homes they plan to build in the borough, but the priority is to build good quality new homes for residents.

All dwellings are fitted with acoustic glazing on the north site due to the location of the main London to Norwich railway line, and homes also feature solar PV on roof areas. The development also includes improvements to the existing public realm including a new play area, and the provision of a new community centre for local residents. 

Matthew Carr of Pellings said: “We are delighted to be able to assist LB Tower Hamlets in providing new homes for their residents and some of the families who are on the Tower Hamlets’ Project 120, those being the most in-need families identified in the borough.” 

Crofton, the Kent based building services consulting engineer with offices in Tonbridge, has won the 2015 Constructing Excellence Sustainability award category for London and the South East, for its role on the new Big Parks project in Peacehaven.  

Lewes District Council’s Big Parks Project provides a gateway to exploring the South Downs National Park. The £2.1m community-led project (funded by Southern Water and Bovis Homes) incorporates 30 acres and includes a central activity café, children’s playgrounds, new cycle paths, skate park, and sports facilities. In response to public feedback and the design team’s aspirations, this project is designed to educate and be enjoyed by all sections of the community, using a mix of highly visible renewable energy technology and durable low-maintenance construction materials.

The Gateway Café (previously an old Groundsmans maintenance building) is the Big Park’s main visitor attraction and its long-term economic viability is key to the client’s vision and success of the project. Even with a tight budget, Crofton agreed that integrating sustainable technologies was fundamental to meeting the project targets and these were given priority during the value engineering process. Both the M&E and architectural solutions ensure the café benefits from low running costs, energy efficiency and longevity and incorporates: a biomass boiler, fuelled with locally sourced pellets – a key visual feature to support learning, PV panels, a solar panel, LED lighting and solar shading with external canopies.

The original structure is externally insulated and over-clad with locally sourced sweet chestnut – a naturally durable, fast-growing, replaceable timber that optimises the natural thermal mass in the high-density masonry. All materials were chosen to not only reduce the carbon footprint of the construction process, but for their durability, reduced maintenance costs and potential for recycling.

Shaun Barkshire, the Crofton engineer in charge of the project commented: “We are tremendously proud to have won this award. The project provided good learning opportunities for the whole team and Crofton ensured that a junior engineer played an important role in delivering the project, developing experience and skills for the future. Representatives from other councils are visiting Big Parks to understand how to build similar sustainable schemes and acknowledge that it is a considerable achievement for Lewes District Council. An incredible 5,000 people attended Big Parks opening in March 2015, demonstrating the power of the two-way dialogue between the team and community and how engaged everyone is with the project.” 

Councillor Andy Smith, Lead Member and Project Board Chair at Lewes District Council said: “The board members and I are thrilled that Lewes District Council’s Big Parks Project won the Sustainability Award in the highly prestigious Constructing Excellence Awards 2015. The judges recognised the excellent community buy-in, engagement and considerable consultation and thinking about the long-term legacy of the park that provides a focal point for the community and facilities for local businesses to thrive. 

Kensington & Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation (KCTMO), advised by Pellings LLP, the multi-disciplinary architectural, property and construction practice, has completed the conversion of a former children’s home to create seven affordable properties at Whistler Walk on  the World’s End Estate, Chelsea, London, SW10.

The seven two-to-five person properties, with a mix of flats and two duplex maisonettes, are designed to maximise the use of space, natural light and window locations, and the layout of each unit brings together kitchens and lounges to incorporate, where possible, kitchen/diner areas. The space reconfiguration is in response to the residents’ expressed concerns of lounges and kitchens being located too far away from one another in previous schemes. Two of the units have been adapted for residents with a disability.

The units also incorporate built in storage cupboards and utility areas where possible, and have been finished to a private rental standard with built in cookers, extraction hoods and large feature ceramic tiles within the kitchens, along with stainless steel towel rails and feature tiling within the bathrooms. The large upper ground floor family 3-bedroom 5 person flat also has a separate toilet and utility room along with ample storage cupboards incorporated throughout.  

A bicycle storage area has been formed, along with bin/recycle storage, disabled parking, landscaping to the rear of the octagonal building, and additional external lighting has also been provided.

The building was originally designed as flats (residential accommodation), and was converted into accommodation for the children’s home in the 1990s.

Pellings initially carried out a full measured survey and produced an options appraisal with drawings for KCTMO, with input provided by a daylight/sunlight specialist. It then sought pre-planning advice, and won planning consent for a change of use from current Use Class C2 to Use Class C3 for seven residential dwellings which included a S106 agreement for local infrastructure.

Pellings was subsequently retained as Employer’s Agent to produce Employers Requirements (ER’s), and the ER’s were sent out for competitive tendering, with Pellings producing the tender analysis report. The appointed contractor was Keepmoat.    

The process involved engaging with both the Occupational Therapist within Kensington & Chelsea, and with the highly active World’s End Residents Association, who provided feedback on the proposal and previous schemes completed on the estate’s Greaves Tower.

Lee Glickman, Associate at Pellings said, “This project was an extremely challenging building to work within, due to its unusual shape and layout, and required a variety of skills from the project team to deliver the scheme to Kensington & Chelsea’s requirements. We are delighted that it has been delivered on time and on budget.” 

KCTMO Chief Executive Robert Black added:  “This was a challenging project, as we had to work within the constraints of an existing building’s solid concrete frame and this limited the scope for remodelling.  Strong teamwork between ourselves, the Council, Pellings and Keepmoat, our contractor, has helped us develop the creative solutions we see today.”

Orion European Real Estate Fund IV, C.V., which is sponsored by Orion Capital Managers has sold the Shell-Haus, Reichpietschufer 60 in Berlin to Triuva Kapitalverwaltungsgesellschaft mbH, at a price of around EUR 80 million. The office building, with its total lettable area of 18,400 sqm, is subject to a long-term lease contract with the Federal Ministry of Defence.

JLL acted as the exclusive advisor and agent of the seller in this transaction. The legal advisor to the seller was King & Spalding.

Octavia Residential Ltd, advised by Pellings LLP, the multi-disciplinary architectural, property and construction practice has completed the redevelopment of 35 lock up garages at Clifden Road, Twickenham, into two 2-storey houses, four flats and one bungalow for private sale.

Pellings was appointed by Octavia to provide Architecture, Employer’s Agent, Quantity Surveying and CDM-C services on the £1.18m redevelopment of the former garage block in Twickenham and, also, to obtain planning consent.

The scheme prepared by Pellings proposed a traditional, symmetrical development which would be in harmony with the scale and rhythm of the street scene and would not detract from the adjacent buildings.

Pellings partner, Joe Pou, says: “The designs sought to produce similar accommodation but in a style that was sensitive to the character of Clifden Road. Elements of the adjacent buildings in Clifden Road were analysed and a modern design was produced that reflected the character of the adjacent buildings without becoming pastiche. This scheme was approved by the local planning committee and was granted consent.

“The new building has similar proportions to the existing homes with a pitched roof and a degree of symmetry consistent with the traditional Edwardian style,” he adds. “In addition, window bays and dormer windows have been introduced with fenestration of traditional proportions to reflect the rhythm of the adjacent buildings.”

Traditional materials including brick walls, tiled roof and timber windows, have been used to maintain the traditional appearance of the street scene with a sensitive colour palette that is consistent with the street character.

The completed scheme fits naturally into the local streetscape whilst maintaining the appearance and benefits of modern housing.

ACR Investments has completed its £18m East shopping centre designed by Wren Architecture & Design creating a heart for Asian retail on Green Street, East London. The scheme is on the site of a former bus depot that had been derelict for 60 years, and is an innovative example of retail-led regeneration bringing a renewed vibrancy to the Green Street area at Upton Park.

The site is situated in a prominent town centre location, and had been earmarked by the London Borough of Newham as a location that needed to be redeveloped for an alternative use. East has addressed this issue, underpinning a thriving Asian community shopping destination which is already ‘on the map’, drawing people from both the local area and the wider Asian community from further afield.

The new 3,900 sq m retail hub comprises 37 individual, two-storey retail units along an internal covered street which terminates with a ground floor souk that has 17 smaller units. A food court on the first floor situated at the rear of the shopping centre acts as a footfall driving anchor, with six quality Asian restaurants and communal seating, recognising the importance of dining and socialising in Asian culture. 

East’s design typology was purposely drawn from an analysis of existing retail provision on Green Street, and to ensure it meets the specific demands of local retailers. Philip Wren of Wren Architecture & Design commented: “East’s retail space is tailored to the local Asian independent retailer market.

“Unlike many modern chain retailers, Asian shop owners tend to make maximum use of two storey retail units that allow for flexible trading, with window displays over two levels maximising the opportunity to show merchandise such as fabrics and fashion. East provides small scale units with double-storey shop frontages to the mall with a mezzanine set back from the front to create the opportunity for more theatrical displays,” he continued.    

Echoes of the Victorian bus station remain. Its original distinctive façade has been retained to preserve the character of the high street, local history and to emphasise the sense of destination. Internally, the roof consists of bow string trusses that echo the quality of the original bus depot roof structure, allowing daylight to flood into the arcade, and enabling natural ventilation with side louvres at a high level.

Wren Architecture & Design held detailed discussions with the London Borough of Newham during the planning process to ensure the shopping centre significantly contributed to the regeneration of the Borough’s town centre. Care was taken to ensure East Shopping Centre would complement, balance and act as an anchor to the existing Queens Market at the southern end of Green Street. 

East’s redevelopment meets the spatial regeneration objectives of Newham District Council, to deliver sustainable and cohesive communities. It achieved a BREEAM Very Good rating for its energy efficient features such as PV panels on the building’s roof, building fabric with enhanced thermal performance and energy efficient LED lighting throughout the scheme.

In the context of regulation of new buildings in this part of Newham, a BREEAM Very Good rating is considered by the local authority to be a significant step forward in providing well designed energy efficient retail units for this community.