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NEWS & VIEWS

Beth Wilson joins Systra in Reading

Systra has appointed Beth Wilson as senior consultant in its development planning team in Reading. Miss Wilson has joined the transport planning and engineering consultancy from Paul Basham Associates on the south coast where she worked for four years. She has considerable experience in residential, retirement living, commercial, industrial and leisure development projects throughout the south. Her key expertise includes producing transport assessments, travel plans, construction traffic

Harwell is flying

Harwell Campus has revealed the 160,000 sq ft of speculatively-built Grade A space it let in 2017 was the largest the county has ever seen in a year.  Bosses at the 710-acre science and technology park - a former RAF base - unveiled details of the site’s success with a presentation to property professionals on Thursday, February 22. Of the let space, 83 per cent went to innovative tech companies in space, life sciences and energy sectors with half expanding on, and half locating to, Harwell.

BBC Radio Berkshire to move to Thames Valley Park

BBC Radio Berkshire is to become the latest new occupier at 550 Thames Valley Park, which now boasts a host of diverse tenants. New state-of-the-art studios will be created on the ground floor, ready for the BBC team to move in later this year following the corporation’s decision to sell the Caversham Park site where the radio station is housed along with BBC Monitoring. Radio Berkshire has been at Caversham Park for more than 20 years and the decision to sell that site was made to reduce the

Theale deals for Hicks Baker

Brewery Court at Theale has reflected the healthy demand for small self-contained units in the region. Hicks Baker has reported three small deals totalling just under 5,000 sq ft at the popular courtyard in Theale High Street. The new occupiers are: Vitality Consulting South which has taken a new three-year lease at £21 per sq ft at Number 1. Lubrication Engineers Limited which has acquired the freehold at Number 2 for £678,000. Calcot Services for Children Limited which has taken a 10-year

Harry Bevins joins Haslams Chartered Surveyors

Harry Bevins has joined Haslams Chartered Surveyors. Mr Bevins, who was previously with Hicks Baker, has four years’ experience in Thames Valley commercial property markets as well as a number of years in residential sales. He is a chartered surveyor and holds a masters degree in real estate, gained from the University College of Estate Management. He will operate in Haslams’ commercial agency and development department. Partner Neil Seager said: “We are delighted that Harry has joined

Deadline approaches for Oxfordshire Property Awards

Property professionals have just days left to put themselves forward in a new awards event which recognises the industry’s best in Oxfordshire. The Oxfordshire Property Awards is the climax to the Oxfordshire Property Festival on April 18. There are six award categories for projects and developments and two for individuals. The full eight categories are: * Best property consultant * Best housing development * Most innovative & enterprising working environment (cool & funky space award) * Best

Rumours & innuendo: To fly to Slough?

In one of the biggest possible deals in the Thames Valley for a number of years, talk has circulated that BA is pondering moving its headquarters to Slough. The airline, is searching for a massive 500,000 sq ft to replace its current HQ located at Waterside at Harmonsworth and, should the third runway go ahead at Heathrow, it will need to move. It is understood to be seriously looking at a large central location in the town with access to communication links. The buildings near the station

View from the Riverbank: Occupiers are making tracks

We have come a long way since Crossrail Ltd was formed in 2001 - Atomic Kitten and Shaggy were enjoying chart success and Tony Blair was to be re-elected for a second term. As we approach the beginning of the end of the construction works for the Elizabeth line in 2018, it is safe to say that even for the property sector, the journey has been somewhat torturous.  However, as tenant lease breaks begin to fall in, the more discerning occupiers currently located in the towns not enjoying the

Brexit: 'European influence may be less than we think'

More than eighteen months after the referendum, leading figures from the region’s property sector have reported little impact from the UK decision to leave the European Union. At a round table debate hosted by Thames Tap, eight professionals from the Thames Valley explained their experience since June 2016 and the only noticeably negative impact was the current uncertainty. UK Property Forums managing director Matthew Battle chaired the event at Green Park and asked what a post-Brexit Thames

Reading Golf Club 'sale' prompts MP's warning

Reading Golf Club says it is ‘actively exploring options’ to relocate - and now an MP has stepped in over what he calls 'potential conflicts of interest'. Speculation had been rife on social media after the club in Kidmore End Road, Emmer Green, decided to move forward with plans to look into possible relocation. Now the club, whose 18-hole course straddles the Reading/South Oxfordshire border, has issued a statement to Emmer Green Residents Association (EGRA) saying if it can find a suitable