Leeds-based Westcourt Property Group are seeing continued letting success at their Grade A office building at Airport West, Leeds, following completion of a comprehensive refurbishment program. Logistics solutions and supply chain specialist Emerge Global, who are opening their first office in the region, have taken a lease at Altitude 4, Airport West, located opposite Leeds Bradford Airport. Robin Beagley, partner at letting agents WSB, said: “The completion of this letting is testimony to the quality and appeal of the contemporary working environment that has been created through the comprehensive refurbishment of Altitude 4. “It goes to demonstrate that businesses are not looking for conventional office space, they want space that offers a fresh, inspiring working environment for their teams.” Luke Dawson, property director at the building’s owners, Westcourt, said: “Our aim with the refurbishment of Altitude 4 was to create an office environment of the highest standard whilst ensuring that it provides efficient, flexible and affordable accommodation that meets occupier’s needs.” The letting of the office space is being dealt with by joint agents WSB Property Consultants and Harvey Burns & Co with Farooq Zar of Schofield Sweeney solicitors representing Westcourt in documenting the leases.

Warehouse REIT, the multi-let industrial warehouse investor, has sold two assets in separate transactions for a total consideration of £13.4 million.

Pellon Lane, a 20,000 sq ft multi-let asset in Halifax acquired in 2017, where Warehouse REIT has successfully secured new lettings or renewals on nearly all the available space since acquisition, has been sold for £1.8 million. 

Meanwhile Warrington South Industrial Estate, a 106,000 sq ft single-let asset acquired in 2019, where Warehouse REIT delivered a ten-year lease renewal in 2020, has sold for a total consideration £11.6 million.

Simon Hope, Warehouse REIT, said: “Strengthening our balance sheet and earnings position by releasing capital from assets which are low yielding or where we have successfully executed our business plan is a key priority for us. As these disposals show, we continue to evaluate all opportunities to do that.

“While the investment market remains subdued, we have sold into pockets of demand, above book value, enabling us to crystallise value for shareholders and increase the portfolio weighting to multi-let assets where we see the most attractive opportunities.”

Kirklees Council has launched the Heckmondwike Blueprint – a masterplan that lays out £1.5m of investment in the town centre over the next decade and beyond. Heckmondwike is the latest local town where Kirklees Council is taking a ‘blueprint’ approach to development. It means that it is looking at the town as a whole, with plans spread across the town centre, encompassing lots of different changes to improve safety and footfall. The Heckmondwike Blueprint is all about creating a healthy, vibrant town centre where people can live, work and relax. The council will also be working with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority to upgrade the Bus Hub to a full bus station, building accessible indoor facilities, improving the outdoor spaces and adding more bus stops. By making public transport a more viable option – not just in Heckmondwike but across Kirklees – the council is aiming to reduce traffic congestion, thereby improving air quality and journey times. This should help meet a target of reducing Kirklees’ carbon emissions to zero by 2038. At the heart of Heckmondwike, Kirklees Council will be creating a new public square away from the noise and irritation of traffic. New Square will be an informal, intimate and versatile space for local people and visitors to enjoy, with attractive seating to encourage people to spend time and socialise. Market Square, with its iconic Listed clock and former drinking fountain, will be completely rejuvenated – providing a beautiful new public space with greenery, seating, footpaths, and space for outdoor market stalls. Parking will be moved to Oldfield Lane, though there’s potential to keep some accessible parking bays on the square itself. Heckmondwike has multiple well-loved parks, and Kirklees Council wants to better connect these spaces with the town centre and create safer thoroughfares for pedestrians and cyclists. Kirklees Council is going to reroute traffic off Northgate to allow Green Park to be extended, creating a safe and inviting space for walkers and shoppers, and new footpaths and cycleways will be added. Algernon Firth Park will be linked by new pedestrian crossings from Green Park, and well-lit walkways will connect the whole area – naturally improving safety and encouraging more people to use these routes. A key part of the blueprint will improving the town centre’s connectedness to Spen Valley Greenway – a well-used walking and cycling trail, which connects Heckmondwike with Cleckheaton, Dewsbury Moor and beyond. The link between Heckmondwike town centre and the Greenway could be made a lot better, and Kirklees Council will be investing in creating better access and signage plus new cycle paths. Councillor Graham Turner, Cabinet Member for Finance & Regeneration, says: “Heckmondwike is a beautiful town with so much potential, and we want to celebrate what local people most love about the town centre whilst also looking to the future. “Rather than focusing on one single development, what we’re doing across Kirklees is focusing on town centres like Heckmondwike as a whole, and approaching local issues from every angle.  Kirklees is one of the most varied districts in the UK, so developing our towns has never been one-size-fits-all. “It’s all about knowing a place, engaging with local people, looking at what that specific area needs, and creating a masterplan – a blueprint – that takes into account the whole picture. “It will be wonderful to see all the most beloved elements of Heckmondwike connect through this work, and to see more people able to enjoy them. We hope this will bring more people into the town, naturally improving safety and also driving more footfall for local businesses. “I’m thrilled with all the work that’s gone into this project, and excited to start delivering later this year. Over the next decade and beyond, these developments will create a greener, safer and better connected town centre for future generations.”

Shipping company DFDS has bought seven acres of land on Stallingborough’s Pioneer Park as the first stage in developing a new combined commercial office. The company plans to create a modern and more sustainable building which will consolidate several of its office-based colleagues from various functional sites across the Humber into one central location. Fran Williams, DFDS HR Director for the UK and Ireland, said: “The building will be much more energy efficient and less environmentally impactful than our existing facilities, and we hope to create a modern and collaborative environment to make working for DFDS even more attractive. “The new facility will be accessible by public transport and a new bicycle route, and for many of our colleagues it reduces the journey distance and time, all of which help our mission to become a net-zero company. “We are now at an advanced phase with this project, and we are working with architects and designers to finalise the building concept and design. Incorporating green spaces, relaxation, and recreation areas, are examples of the features this building will have that differentiate it from our existing facilities. It will offer an environment that will allow us to attract some of the best talent from surrounding areas as well as helping us to retain the highly skilled colleagues that we already have. It’s exciting to think we will have a building that will look and feel as good as our professional values and vision.” Cllr Philip Jackson, Leader of North East Lincolnshire Council, said: “This is great news and we’re really pleased to welcome DFDS to the Pioneer Park development having chosen North East Lincolnshire for their new office. We welcome the investment in our local economy which will support jobs and growth in the area.” The 1,000 people employed by DFDS on the Humber include office-based staff alongside those working in the company’s terminal, warehouses, cold stores and trucks.