Significant Rate Savings

We have recently had a great result on a rates appeal for Apcoa Parking. We reduced the Rateable Value on each of two car parks in the North West by more than 30% leading to significant savings over the 5 years of the 2005 List and a substantial rebate cheque.

Everyone is concerned about saving money these days and although many times Business Rates are an unavoidable tax it does pay to speak to an expert on ways of reducing your liability. The legislation can be difficult to navigate but there are often ways to reduce your liability.

We’re always happy to offer free advice on possible ways of reducing your Business Rates, give me a call if you’d like more information.

Fiona Kelly - Associate Rating

New Instruction from Safestore

Rent Reviews and Lease Renewals come in all shapes and sizes and we have just been instructed By Safestore Limited to negotiate the rent review with their tenant VIP Lounge in Edgware. The premise comprises 12,900 sq ft of first floor good quality banqueting space and ancillary areas with seating for around 600 guests at any one time.

Brendan Joyce - Partner Professional Services

Industrial Lettings Off to a Great Start !

The db Industrial Team have got off to a great start in our new financial year. 7 Units totaling 62,991 sq ft of warehouse/industrial space have been let in the first month in Park Royal.

Highlights include letting 4 Units for Segro at Victoria Industrial Estate totaling 21,829 sq ft and another 2 Units at Premier Park totaling 28,034 sq ft and 13,058 sq ft at Unit 2 Nucleus on behalf of Aberdeen Asset Management

Michael Haines - Associate Industrial
mhaines@dohertybaines.com

New Client Requirements

We have just been asked to look at opportunities for these new requirements

West End Offices- 1,500 sq.ft leasehold

West End Offices - 5,000 Sq.ft leasehold

M4 Corridor Offices - Sites or Buildings 100,000 sq.ft freehold

Witham/Braintree/Chelmsford Offices 5,000 sq.ft freehold or leasehold

NEW MULTI-MILLION POUND INITIATIVE LAUNCHED TO FIND BRITAIN'S TOP THINKING BUSINESSES

We are proud to be associated with the Park Royal Partnership who have just announced a new HSBC multi million pound initiative, designed to find Britain's Top Thinking Businesses!

Thinking businesses across the UK could win a share in £90 million worth of funding, a financial reward of up to £100,000 each and an overseas Thought Exchange Trip for networking and business development, all courtesy of HSBC Commercial Banking. Launching today, ‘Business Thinking 2010’ is a new initiative from the Bank to help support and fund the UK’s most innovative and forward thinking companies.

Businesses with turnovers in excess of £2million can log onto www.hsbc.co.uk/businessthinking and put forward their vision and ambitions for the company, how its management team intends to achieve them and how the prize would help them succeed.

David O'Donovan - Partner Industrial

Going Green and Getting Profit for Clients

We have recently partnered with Ecovest to explore the opportunities of creating renewable solar energy in the UK. Our partners have over 8 years experience in roof mounted solar systems throughout Europe. They recently completed a JV partnership with BP for one of the world’s largest solar Photovoltaic (‘PV’) installations.

Among the benefits are an additional revenue stream, increasing the occupiers green credentials and hence the marketability of the premises and the production of local, on-site energy

We are focusing on large owner occupiers and landlords who have buildings with a foot plate in excess of 80,000 sq ft in southern England. This is the beginning of a new industry in the UK. We believe that through our real estate expertise and close relationships with prominent occupiers in each of the market sectors dohertybaines can assist our new partners in achieving market leadership in this industry.

This is a really exciting opportunity for us and for our clients. if you would like to get further detailed information please contact me.

Niall Crowley
ncrowley@dohertybaines.com

A bit of creative thinking unlocks value

We have just saved a retained client circa £500,000 of holding costs to lease expiry at two sites over the course of Q4 2009 and Q1 2010.

Both properties were let to a client of dohertybaines, both were within their onerous legacy portfolio. We negotiated with each of the client's Landlords and introduced one new tenant – agreeing a surrender of the retained client’s lease and a new lease to the new tenant. At the second property db negotiated the removal of the sub tenants break clause and a simultaneous assignment to the client's sub tenant. The market is tough but its a matter of energy and creative thought.

Graham Pepper Partner - Head of Management

New Head of West End Agency at dohertybaines

We are delighted to announce that we have appointed Alex Brown to head up our West End Agency Team. Alex was previously at The Deerbrook Group and a director at CBRE and Crossland Otter Hunt. Alex will be focusing on growing all aspects of our West End business and one of his first priorities will be to appoint another experienced West End agent into the team. We have great faith in the resilience of the West End market and look forward to introducing Alex and his team to existing clients as well as welcoming new clients to the firm.

Nigel Doherty

Move Management Highlights

We are are currently on-site for the relocation of FTSE 100 Technology Company Invensys plc's Headquarters office in London SW1. The scheme includes the acquisition of the 17,000sqft Grade A office accommodation with office fit out design and procurement, thereafter the move management and relocation of the office over one weekend, and the negotiation and settlement of the Break Clause dilapidations with LandSecs. Its a great project and we were working flat out to ensure we met the deadlines.

Paul Phillips - Partner Building Surveying

Beware of Break Clauses

Break Clauses are being analysed by landlords in great detail at the present time to see if there is any challenge which can be sustained to their validity. We have just agreed the successful defence of a client's break clause in the somewhat turbulent Bracknell letting market with delivery of specific works before the break date, under the landlord's targeted financial settlement and below client's allotted business case budget. A good result.

Paul Phillips - Partner Building Surveying
pphillips@dohertybaines.com

ISO Audit

We are currently going through the process of renewing our ISO Certification. This involves a review on all operational procedures, reviewing client satisfaction and continual improvement on all internal audit procedures, schedules and records and ensuring legal compliance on all matters. We are confident that we will pass with flying colours!

Hanrie Kolesky - Operations Manager

New Understanding Can Bring Benefits For All

We are seeing signs that there is more co-operation between landlords and occupiers as a result of current property market conditions. By breaking through the old fashioned confrontational relationships which have often existed and working together for mutual benefit we have found immediate savings can be generated for occupiers and value created for landlords. This approach has got to be the way we avoid huge swings in the relationship pendulum within the commercial property markets.

Did you know in a recent occupier survey, 50% of respondents thought building service charges offered poor value and landlord moves to improve transparency haven't come quickly enough - what's your experience ?

Nigel Doherty