New Children's Play Area Enhances Retail Park
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TheThe newsletternewsletter forfor thethe ThorpThorp ArchArch EstateEstate SummerSummer 20092011 METROPOLIS NOW!: Wharfedale Property Management Director, Tim Munns, at the new Metropolis imported to the children’s play area with children (L to R) Rosie Moorhouse, Charlotte Munns and Ava Garcia and, sat on his knee, William Munns NEW CHILDREN’S PLAY AREA ENHANCES RETAIL PARK A SERIES of refurbishments has enhanced Other key elements of the £500,000 “The new lighting, signage and road Thorp Arch Retail Park in time for the busy refurbishments to the Retail Park, which surfacing have greatly modernised the summer months. features outlets such as DFS, Power Retail Park which is important in bringing Electrical, Buywell Interiors and Sharps shoppers to the Estate as well as being The latest in children’s play equipment, Bedrooms as well as the café and garden convenient for the thousands of people who a giant, multi-use, Metropolis, has been centre, include new eye-catching signage, work here.” imported from the USA for the play area lighting and road surfacing. which has been a highlight of Thorp Arch Further moves to re-vitalise the Retail Park Estate since it was established more than 40 Tim Munns, a director of Wharfedale are in the pipeline and are likely to be years ago. Property Management, which manages announced later in 2011. the Estate, says: “We are delighted by Metropolis, imported and installed in a these latest improvements to the play area £100,000 investment by owners Rockspring and Retail Park which are key areas for Hanover Property Unit Trust, measures 32 thousands of visitors to the Estate each year. ft by 48 ft and is 14ft tall and combines a variety of play activities for children “We, like many others, were sad to see the including brightly coloured slides, ladders, old pirate ship depart but it was no longer climbing walls, and coloured canopies. viable and a new generation of children is already fi nding Metropolis and HMS Thorp It has replaced the original pirate ship that Arch worthy successors. captured the imagination of thousands of children since it was installed in the late “Thousands of children play here every year, 1960s but which could no longer be safely while their parents or grandparents go shopping, www.thorparchestate.co.uk repaired and was dismantled and taken and the children’s play area has always been one away last autumn. of the Estate’s best-loved facilities. Wharfedale Property Management Limited, managing agents for the Thorp Arch Estate, can be contacted at The Estate Offi ce, Thorp Arch Estate, Wetherby, West Yorkshire LS23 7BJ ❙ Telephone 01937 845919 www.thorparchestate.co.uk TECHNOLOGY BUSINESS SET TO GO A STORM FOR MARCUS A long-term love of gadgets and technology has helped to create a new business for former Royal Mail worker Marcus De Storm. Marcus, 43, has launched one of the Estate’s newest online enterprises, Storm Multi-Media Technologies (Unit 428A) which opens the door to a range of futuristic technologies – many before they reach the high street. Futuristic technology which allows home owners to view their homes from a laptop or desktop computer from anywhere in the world and TV set top boxes which allow users to access up to 2,000 channels, are available from Storm Multi-Media Technologies which Marcus has launched with his wife and WE’RE WATCHING YOU: Marcus De Storm and his wife Carol with some of the range of business partner, Carol. surveillance technologies they sell through their new venture at Unit 428A. Marcus, who worked for the Royal Mail in Leeds, says: “I’ve always been fascinated by technology toys and a wide range of DVD Marcus adds: “There is big interest among technology and really love all types of gadgets. and CD peripherals including retro items such shoppers in new technology but a lot of the There is such a lot of exciting new ideas on as iphone 3G/3GS phone covers which make high street and well-known retailers are pretty the market. Carol and I also love shopping them look like old-fashioned tape cassettes. expensive which enables us to compete with for bargains and I decided to combine the two good-quality products and reasonable prices. interests into our new venture.” Storm Multi-Media Technologies is setting the After looking around for shop premises in the web-based venture as an international website area, we decided to come to the Estate which Among products Storm Multi-Media www.stormmultimediatechnologies.co.uk to is a wonderful location, run by very helpful Technologies has on offer are sophisticated enable the business to sell products by mail people and gives us exactly what we need as a surveillance equipment, cameras, web cams, order. small business to grow.” EXPERTISE ON TAP FOR SECURITY SPECIALISTS Confi dence in their own expertise led security At fi rst they stayed in their existing jobs specialists Paul Richardson and Tristan Freer while planning their new venture during the to leave a large national company in Leeds and weekends. Then they took a leap of faith and start their own venture. set up their joint business. Originally based at Paul’s home in Brotherton, “Initially” says Paul “we got lots of sub- TAP Security Systems Ltd – taken from their contracted work both from our former fi rst names Tristan and Paul (TAP) - supplies employers and from other large national and installs electronic security systems for operations including Chubb and Secureplex homes and commercial premises and moved which was useful for them as they knew we into Unit 454 on the Estate two years ago. were experienced and very useful in getting our SECURING SUCCESS: Tap Security new venture off the ground. Systems Ltd directors, Tristan Freer (left) Paul, 35, says: “We both worked for a large and Paul Richardson, with one of their security business. I was a service line manager “Now we’re busy working throughout security systems. and Tristan was a senior service engineer. Yorkshire and have also been able to work We knew each other’s work well and felt for many businesses on the Estate including we had more to offer professionally than The Pure Group, Crazy Tykes, E-Tail and continual inspection of its business operations remaining little more than a number in a large Cellbeam. It is great that there is business right and ethics. The NSI status enables TAP Security organisation. on our doorstep and that it is part of the culture to offer police response and insurance approval of the Estate.” for all customers who require it. “We knew that our work is top class and believed there was a gap in the market for a Last December the company (www. Paul says: “We like being on the Estate. It is small, approachable security company where tapsecuritysystems.co.uk) achieved National a very pleasant place to be based with a sense quality work would be done by the two Security Inspectorate (NSI) status to provide of community, very reasonable rents and a very directors.” its customers with peace of mind through helpful management team at the Estate Offi ce.” The Archway Newsletter ❚ Summer 2011 www.thorparchestate.co.uk Avacta chief executive, Professor Alastair Smith: “A main attraction of the Estate for us is its location.” AVACTA GROUP RELOCATES TO BECOME ESTATE’S FIRST BIOTECHNOLOGY COMPANY PIONEERING healthcare technology mechanical hardware, software engineers Park was access to the fi rst-class laboratory company, Avacta Group Plc, has completed and development technicians. The Animal facilities but now that we have developed the fi rst stage of relocating its operation to Health team, including sales and marketing the fi rst products and are moving to the the Estate. and customer support, has also transferred manufacturing and delivery stage, we to the Estate. would like to bring the labs and the rest Avacta, which creates analytical tools for of the business together in one, more cost- drug developers and diagnostics for vets, Avacta has its origins in research at Leeds effective, site. has moved half of its 50 staff to four offi ces University and launched in 2006 with totalling 2,700 sq ft at Unit 651 which venture capital funding before fl oating on “A main attraction of the Estate for us is was recently refurbished with a £800,000 the London Stock Market later that year. its location. Our staff come from Harrogate, investment to create the Estate’s fi rst The company, which moved to the Bio Leeds and York so it is ideally placed with purpose-built offi ce suites. Centre, York Science Park, in 2007, has two very good access through the A1. The key operating businesses, Avacta Analytical, newly-refurbished facilities are exactly what The company, which has established a which promotes Optim 1000 and contract we want and, importantly in the current global network of distributors, chose research services to the pharmaceutical climate, more cost-effective than York the Estate to step up the manufacturing sector, and Avacta Animal Health, which Science Park where, because of the amount and business development of its fi rst two is developing AX-1 and also carries out of space we require, those facilities were products, analytical instrument, Optim diagnostic testing services for vets. very expensive. 1000, which helps drug developers identify the best compounds to bring forward as new Avacta chief executive, professor Alastair “The relocation to the Estate represents a new pharmaceuticals and AX-1, a diagnostic Smith, says: “A main reason for our era in our development as we concentrate tool for the veterinary healthcare market relocation to Thorp Arch Estate is that on manufacturing and delivery.