Xhas now been added to your account
CONTINUE BROWSINGGO TO MY ACCOUNT
FHP News
As part of the strategy to strengthen the property team in Derby, leading commercial surveyors Fisher Hargreaves Proctor have announced further key appointments. Mark Bradley has moved from the Nottingham office to head the retail agency and landlord and tenant department and Alan Pearson has joined the practice from Nottingham agents heb.
Mark will be heading High Street retail agency in respect of disposals, lettings and acquisitions within the city centre and also covering a wider geographical area extending from the M62 to Bedfordshire and the West Midlands to East Anglia. His retained clients include Betfred Bookmakers, for whom he acquired the former Derbyshire Building Society premises in Market Place and Cardzone trading as Paper Kisses who have recently opened in Westfield Derby Shopping Centre.
A partner of FHP, Mark has over 30 years experience in the retail property market. A well known surveyor in the national rent review arena, Mark has undertaken numerous rent review and lease renewal cases in Nottingham, Derby and throughout the majority of towns in the East Midlands. Mark has handled major instructions for institutional landlords on prime retail units including flagship stores such as Zara and Sports Soccer in Clumber Street, Nottingham and several cases involving properties on St Peters Street and East Street, Derby.
Alan Pearson has been appointed as Associate Partner within the retail and leisure team and brings a wealth of high street and shopping centre experience. Alan has been appointed as joint agent for Westfield Derby, which comprises over one million square feet of space over 200+ stores and is anchored by Debenhams and Marks and Spencer. The shopping centre benefits from an annual footfall of in excess of 25 million. Alan also acts on behalf of a number of institutional and regional landlords on disposals and lettings and is retained by menswear brand Duck and Cover who are actively seeking further stores for 2010, with 2 currently under offer, Coffee Shop operator Kona Blue who operate from Westfield Derby and Highcross Leicester and milkshake brand CookieShake.
Alan commented “There is a tremendous opportunity to build upon our existing retail presence in Derby city centre following our appointment on Westfield Derby and to extend our services into other major towns such as Chesterfield and Burton upon Trent, where we are already active but not to the degree that we would like to be. The intention is to grow the business in Derby and the surrounding towns.
I am delighted that Westfield have appointed Fisher Hargreaves Proctor with respect to the Westfield Derby Shopping Centre. This is a fantastic scheme, which is a real asset to Derby, increasing its profile in the eyes of retailers and assisted with increasing the retail spend in Derby by £245 million and lifting it in the retail rankings from 53 to 31 (source CACI)
There has been a positive approach by retailers in early 2010 with enquiry levels significantly increasing on 2009. These have been across all sectors from branded fashion, furniture and homewares to service operators. Notable lettings in Westfield Derby this year include Pandora, Lee Longlands Furniture, Ditsch and Select.”
Mark added “Fisher Hargreaves Proctor’s continuing commitment to the city is firmly underlined by the strengthening of the retail team at the Derby office. We will operate the retail landlord and tenant department entirely from the Derby office covering the wider Midlands region. In the current economic climate, we are also advising several clients in respect of lease re-gearing opportunities which in the longer term can benefit both landlord and tenant and in the more serious cases, can help the business to remain solvent.”
George Dunnicliff has also re-joined FHP at the Derby office to assist with the retail agency instructions having previously spent a year with the firm as a sandwich course student and he is now working towards his professional qualification as a chartered surveyor.
Since opening the Derby office four years ago, FHP have been involved with several key projects including the Jurys Inn Hotel, Victory Park, The Carter & Carter training complex at Pride Park, the Riverlights retail and leisure development and Cathedral Quarter initiatives.
For advice in respect to retail and leisure agency and landlord and tenant matters please contact Mark and Alan on 01332 343222 or by email at markb@fhp.co.uk and alan@fhp.co.uk respectively.