< PreviousCOMMERCIAL PROPERTY10Business Link www.blmforum.netCollaboration is one of thekey concepts beinghighlighted as a method toattain success withincommercial property. What ison offer for firms wanting tocome together with others?The long, locked in contracts of thepast have gone. Where a ten-year leaseor a longer term may have been offeredbefore, now flexible in and out terms arethe norm. Firms are now able to drop outof property virtually at the drop of a hat.What we have seen more frequentlyrecently is the use of micro-offices forspecific projects being much moreeffective, and there are swathes ofvenues in our region offering facilitiesthat are seemingly unrivalled in terms ofboth quality and price. Collaborative workis having an impact. Firms locatedtogether sharing facilities and thereforecreative space too are working onprojects together simply from being co-located. We’ve expounded the virtuesof University-led property of this kindbefore, but it seems to be going fromstrength to strength.York Science Park is often held up asa great example of collaborationworking in terms of academic research,development and innovation and it’seasy to see why. Companies are able touse offices and hot-desking facilities ona flexible basis as well as meetingrooms designed to be used at amoment’s notice. This encouragesworking together to make projects work- so design companies are colliding withscience-led concerns to create newproducts or services that will be able tobe taken to market in new and excitingways.It also means firms in competitionwith each other no longer need to behostile or ignorant of each other’s work.Working together with pooled resourcesand shared business accommodationwhile remaining independent is trulypossible with this kind of commercialproperty use.The facilities are often what makesthese communities work and theacademic involvement certainly opensup funding for equipment companieswould simply never be able to afford.The newly-expanded QU2 office spaceat Leeds Metropolitan University, forThinkingoutside theoffice10-11:Layout 1 3/5/13 09:00 Page 1Business Link 11www.blmforum.netCOMMERCIAL PROPERTYexample, offers training and advice fornew or small businesses. But on theother end of the scale, users of officespace at York Science Park can useequipment that will aid development ina much more advanced way.The practical advantages are obvioustoo, with many serviced office spacesoffering telephone answering services,secretarial support and even on-sitecatering, meaning it engenders a feelingof community among the occupants. Asa result, those businesses made to feelwelcome are more likely to stay withinthese spaces for longer than theyanticipated. Building up a relationshipwith other companies can take years,whereas in these situations the processcan be accelerated and effective closeworking relationships encouraged.Isolation these days seems short-sighted and arrogant - the constantneed to network and brand to yourcontemporaries is essential andrefusing to do so only means successfor already established companies. These kind of commercial propertyoptions offer something that manywould argue we have lost - the ability tothink outside the office. It’s the businessequivalent of knocking on a newneighbour’s door for a cup of sugar, andcould lead to a lifetime of collaborationand untold business ventures. York Science Park is oftenheld up as a venue wherecollaboration betweenbusiness and academia havepaid dividends.Leeds Met University haverecently seen success fromtheir incubator offices dubbed‘QU2’PHOTO: LEEDS METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITYCompanies are able touse offices and hot-desking facilities on aflexible basis as well asmeeting roomsdesigned to be used ata moment’s notice.10-11:Layout 1 3/5/13 09:00 Page 2COMMERCIAL PROPERTY12Business Link www.blmforum.netHelping youmake it bigin businessNew and growing businesses inGainsborough and the surrounding area havean innovative, prestigious and excitingenvironment in which to work.Mercury House, located on the outskirts of the Lincolnshiremarket town of Gainsborough accommodates new start andinfancy businesses, through to established enterprises.The county council-run centre is an impressive, yetcomfortable building, comprising of a fully managed receptionarea, with wireless broadband, seating area, coffee and snackvending machines, and a relaxing break-out lounge for tenantsand conference guests. With managed workspace office suites,incubation units and fully equipped conference rooms, MercuryHouse is the ideal place to do business.If you currently work from home and would like to benefitfrom professional business services and networking events,Mercury House offers virtual office tenancy. Relax in theknowledge that your calls are being answered and your postsorted and safely stored awaiting your collection. There are arange of packages and benefits to suit the needs of yourbusiness.Businesses requiring conference and meeting room facilitiescan take advantage of one-to-one meeting rooms, smallmeeting rooms, or larger suites for up to twenty peopleboardroom style. Prices start from just £8 per hour.To give you the experience of working at Mercury House, thecentre is giving businesses the opportunity to book a full day’suse of the Hot Desk Room throughout May for free. Bookingsmust be made by Friday 31st May, quoting codeMERCURY052013. Bookings are subject to availability.12:Layout 1 3/5/13 09:01 Page 1The Hollies41 Victoria Street, Newark, Nottinghamshire £445,000The Hollies boutique style Guest House provides for 3 en-suite letting bedrooms and separate owner’s apartmentin this imposing Georgian townhouse which has undergonerefurbishment to a high standard. The Hollies has beenawarded 4* Silver Award for High Class Accommodation andCustomer Service and also awarded 5* Hygiene Rating. The Hollies has been awarded a Certiicate of Excellencefrom Trip Advisor. The property also beneits from a delightful enclosed rear garden with summer house andoff-street parking. Carholme Guest House175 Carholme Road, Lincoln £285,000Well presented, fully equipped 5 bedroomed Guest House withinexcellent prominent location.The Carholme Guest House is a particularly well presented andpopular Guest House located on the western outskirts of LincolnCity Centre, prominently located on Carholme Road (A57). Theproperty currently offers 5 letting bedrooms, although this could beconverted into 4 letting bedrooms in order to also provide spaciousowner's accommodation at ground loor level. The property isideally located for visitors to Lincoln given its close proximity to theUniversity, Cathedral and the Brayford Marina.Visit us online at mundyscommercial-uk.comOr call 01522 55608829 Silver Street, Lincoln, LN2 1ASUK PROPERTY AWARDSAward Winning Estate Agency2008 - 2009 - 2010 - 2011 - 2012Minster Lodge3 Church Lane, Lincoln£650,000 Recently ReducedA superb 6 en-suite bedroomed guest house located within the primeresidential/tourist district of Lincoln Close to the Cathedral and BailgateArea.This is a rare opportunity to purchase a very well established Bed &Breakfast property, which is fully equipped and has recently beenrefurbished to an excellent standard throughout. The property has thebeneit an ‘AA 5-Star’ accreditation and also has the beneit of having a5* Food Hygiene Rating.The property beneits from ample private parking facilities together with delightful gardens to the front, sideand rear of the property. In addition, there is a detached single garage.In addition to the six bedroomed Guest House, there is the opportunity to acquire a further self containedapartment in the adjoining neighbouring property which provides completely separate owner’s accommodation.Further details are available on request.13:Layout 1 3/5/13 09:02 Page 1Call Armstrong House,Grimsby on 01472 310302Ground floor offices to letPrime location in Grimsby•A range of affordable office sizes available on easy in/easy out terms•Easy access to motorway, ports and town centre•Secure off street parking for staff and visitors •Virtual office services from only £15 per month WE AREHEREarmstronghouse14:Layout 1 3/5/13 09:02 Page 115:Layout 1 3/5/13 10:24 Page 1That’s not surprising given renewableenergy looks set to be joining existingspecialisms of the region, such asadvanced engineering, science andfood production. The arrival of blue chipcompanies in this sector will inevitablybe a driver for others in the industry toconsider the region as an obvious placeto relocate. At the recent Humber SkillsPledge event at Willerby, Lord Haskinsemphasised that our part of the worldhas plenty of space for companieslooking to set up new sites – as well asthe skills and enthusiasm to ensure thatthey have a ready-made workforcewaiting for them.Relocation can be a major gamechanger for businesses, and a recentseminar held by Leeds law firm Clarionemphasised this to an interestedaudience. James Lawson, a partner inClarion’s property team, points out, “Inthis demanding environment, manybusinesses are looking critically at theirown property requirements andrelocation is moving up the agenda.Whether considering relocation due togrowth or contraction, or the search fora better deal and increased efficiency,corporate occupiers are well positionedto take advantage of a strongnegotiating position in the currentmarket.” Indeed, as our commercialproperty pages have regularlyemphasised, the downturn in theproperty industry has led to manyproperty owners offering flexible ratesand contracts to ensure buildings areoccupied.Across the region, too, localauthorities are making strenuous effortsto attract new business. Of coursemuch of the area is enveloped into theEnterprise Zones that offer severalincentives for incoming businessessuch as relaxed planning laws. The Humber LEP is behind the largestEnterprise Zone allocation in the country,totalling 484 hectares and fifteen sitesacross the Humber where eitherdiscounted business rates or enhancedcapital allowances are on offer.The LEP is using them to attract newbusinesses to the area and help existingbusinesses to expand, with the mainfocus on renewable energy andadvanced manufacturing – andCablescan, who have moved from thecompany’s Beverley facility to theEnterprise Zone at the BAE Systemssite at Brough were one of the firstoccupants of any Enterprise Zone in theUK. Tony Pontone, Director atCablescan, says, “As a company wehave continually looked to grow and thefacilities at BAE Systems Brough,together with the incentives providedthrough the Enterprise Zone, havepresented us with an opportunity toexpand and in doing so create moreskilled jobs in the region. A real win-winsituation.”Impressive though the incentives inthe Enterprise Zones are, there’scertainly nothing to stop forward-thinking councils and business supportservices offering similar and equallyattractive incentives outside of theseZones. The aim is always to make itsimple to allow inward investment.For example, in Doncaster, theCouncil’s existing operations SuccessDoncaster and Invest in Doncaster havebeen renamed Business Doncaster aspart of a change to simplify businesssupport services in the town. The aim isto create a single brand which is anobvious and effective first point ofcontact for all business supportrequirements including support andadvice for new start and existingbusinesses, individuals work and skillsrequirements and businesses looking torelocate or invest in the borough.Peter Davies, Mayor of Doncaster,says, “We have listened to the localbusiness community and have broughtour business support services togetherunder one simple banner. Byrebranding to Business Doncaster, wehave also strengthened links with ourpartners as we work together to makedoing Business in Doncaster as easyand as hassle free as possible.”Relocation not only allows businessesto benefit from more space and closerlinks to major clients, but also allows fora major change in the atmosphere,RELOCATION16Business Link www.blmforum.netThose who have lived and worked in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire for manyyears don’t need to be told about the benefits it can offer – but it’s nowbecoming an even more popular destination for those looking to relocate.Wish youwere here16-18:Layout 1 3/5/13 12:23 Page 1Business Link 1718 image and culture of theorganisation. For example, KRLGroup’s move to new headquartersin Hull is part of an ambitiousgrowth plan implemented after amanagement buyout in 2009.Directors believe the modernbuilding – which is bringingtogether sales, warehousing andmaintenance teams under one roof– will help improve workflow andcreate the right “first impression”with potential new customers, partof its plan to grow by 10% over thenext year.George Baker, managing directorof KRL Group, says, “The move tothese larger premises presents ourcustomers with a moreprofessional, up-to-date,impression of KRL Group, proveswe have excellent resources andare here to help them for the longterm. With this relocation we aredemonstrating – to whatever typeof businesses that come throughour door – we have the capacityand capability to look after themKRL Group’s move to newheadquarters in Hull is part of anambitious growth plan and directorsbelieve the modern building will helpimprove workflowHull law firm Andrew Jackson has moved to a new head office at Marina Court in Hull,following the extensive£600,000.00 refurbishment of 17,500 sq ft of office space carried out by Chameleon Business Interiors on behalf of the Wykeland Groupand we’re not going to disappear.These first impressions do countand allows us to compete with thelargest of rivals.”The company has invested£60,000 into tailoring the buildingfor its exact needs, and the newenvironment is already improvingbusiness efficiency – its positionon the main road of an industrialestate allows larger lorries to makefewer deliveries each daycompared to the previous locationin a residential area.Elsewhere in the region thereare initiatives to make it easy forbusinesses to relocate and for theareas to enjoy the benefit of astrong cluster of complementarycompanies. One of the mostsuccessful so far has perhaps beenthe South Yorkshire Sector GrowthEnhancement Programme, whichaims to support both inwardinvestors and expand indigenousbusinesses in high-growth sectors16-18:Layout 1 3/5/13 12:23 Page 2RELOCATION18Business Link www.blmforum.netBanks Long & Co Chartered Surveyor hascompleted the sale of prestigious period officesat Lindum Terrace, Lincoln to StanbridgeAssociates, the result of consistent expansion forthe accountancy and business specialist overrecent yearsEvents such as the Lincolnshire Property &Business Investment Show illustrate theunprecedented support from Lincolnshire Councilsto assist business development both for new start-ups and inward and indigenous investmentto accelerate private sector expansionand increase the competitiveness of theregion’s business base.Part-financed by the EuropeanRegional Development Fund inYorkshire and the Humber, over thenext few years it’s hoped to leveragethe maximum potential of existingregional assets. South Yorkshire’scomponent business support services,such as the Rotherham Investment &Development Office and BarnsleyDevelopment Agency are delivering theProgramme’s work and have alreadysupported many businesses inexpanding and relocating.It’s not just companies moving fromother parts of the region that aresupported by these bodies. The Growthand Prosperity in Rotherham (SoftLanding Zone) project aims to assistRotherham companies in accessinginternational markets and also helpsforeign inward investors who choose tolocate to our part of the world, and arelationship between RiDO and theMoscow State Institute of InternationalRelations has already seen Russianentrepreneurs visit similar businesses inSouth Yorkshire to swap ideas and,potentially, consider the area if andwhen plans for international expansionare formulated.Projects such as Leeds BradfordAirport’s £11 million passenger terminaldevelopment are of huge value when itcomes to attracting inward investmentfrom overseas and the region’sincreasing profile in sectors such asrenewable energy can only help further.Encouraging relocation has obviousbenefits for the region’s existingcompanies too, with the potential fornew business relationships andcontracts throughout their supply chain.Yorkshire and Lincolnshire has thefacilities, staff and enthusiasm toprovide the perfect platform for abusiness to excel – the challenge now isto encourage more major companies tosee what the area has to offer.16-18:Layout 1 3/5/13 12:23 Page 3Business Link 19www.blmforum.netHULL & EAST RIDINGOne thing Hull has going for it is itstransport links. The port meaning the city is agateway to the world,but it also hasimpressive connections to the rest of thecountry. The Hull & Humber Chamber ofCommerce’s successful lobbying campaign tosecure a cut in the cost of crossing theHumber Bridge for example has beenrewarded with soaring traffic numbers.The bridge toll was halved, from £3 to£1.50, in April last year and since then,365,000 more vehicles have crossed thebridge, a total of 4.6 million vehicles, whichrepresents an 8.6% rise and can only be seenas a good thing for the area.The number of cars crossing the bridge hasgone up by 9.8%, with commercial vehicletraffic rising by more than 8%.The Chamber’s campaign for a cut in tollswas supported by local newspapers on bothsides of the Humber and led to a Governmentreview, focusing on the economic impact of20 PHOTO: ABP/DRAXAn artist’s impression of theImmingham Renewable FuelsTerminal at ABP’s Port ofImmingham, which will see ajobs boost for the area with 100positions during construction,then 100 permanent jobs as thesite becomes active.Hull and the EastRiding are some of themost diverse areas inour region. Combiningas they do rural andcity locations, plenty ishappening in the areaat the moment. So,what developmentsare in place and howare businessesbenefitting? HEADING EASTthe tolls on businesses, as well as residents.The Government eventually agreed to writeoff £150 million of the bridge’s outstandingdebt, enabling the tolls to be slashed to theircurrent levels.Further links are also being looked into tomake sure Hull is connected with the rest ofthe country. An ambitious plan to privatelyfinance a £80 million electrification of aroundseventy miles of track between Hull and Selbyis being pursued by First Hull Trains.The open-access operator is in talks withprivate sector investors, infrastructure firmAmey and Network Rail, and expects to startdiscussions soon with the Office of RailRegulation and the Department for Transportover plans to electrify the route from the cityto Temple HIrst junction.It is currently outside of Network Rail’s ownimmediate electrification plans, but could19-21:Layout 1 3/5/13 10:27 Page 1Next >