One Step Beyond…
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Exact Science p3 Work Happy p4 In the Pipeline p7 Inside Thames Valley Keeping employees Current planning Science Park healthy & happy applications in the region ThamesDECEMBER 2017 ISSUE 2 – QUARTERLY www.tvproperty.co.ukTap Passengers join One step beyond… Frasers Centrepoint The business park that time forgot is undergoing a transformation to place it to press for train among the most modern in the Thames Valley. service changes rasers Centrepoint, the new owner of Winnersh Triangle, is supporting Femployees of occupiers in a bid to ensure new faster train services stop there. South Western Railway’s (SWR) proposed new timetable will provide two additional trains on the Reading to Waterloo line, but under current plans neither will stop at the park where 5,500 people are employed by 60 businesses. The new services shave eight to 10 minutes off total journey time between Reading and Waterloo, a move welcomed by bosses at the 90-acre park where the station is used The new café in the Arlington Business Park in Theale by more than 500,000 people a year, a 41 per cent increase over the past five years. BY ALAN BUNCE been, for various reasons, a lack of inward Upgrades to the station to Parkway status are also in the pipeline, with a £3 million NEWS EDITOR investment in the business park; a lack of capital expenditure for a number of years investment recently announced from Thames Valley Property which had left it unlit and behind the curve. Thames Valley Berkshire LEP. [email protected] Dozens of employees have responded so far ”What did we see as an attraction? The to the train operator. connectivity of the park to the M4 and via business park which had become one Theale station is great as is the car parking Elaine Jarvis, a training specialist at Evertz of the most dated in the Thames Valley ratio, one of the best in the Thames Valley APAM Director - Chris Taylor Microsystems, is a regular commuter from A has been transformed into one of but the real opportunity was to completely Maidenhead and says the current service the most modern. A joint venture between reinvent the park. There was a lack of However Mr Taylor says APAM wanted to to Winnersh Triangle and facilities at the Patron Capital and APAM bought 11 amenity on the park. Historically the park has offer something special. An idyllic lake in station are already poor. buildings on Arlington Business Park totaling had lots of buildings that were single let. the centre of the park between the buildings 360,000 sq ft in March 2015 and began a She added: ”The new departure times are presented an opportunity to create a ridiculous for anyone arriving at the Winnersh programme of bringing it up to and beyond ”Those tenants had taken a building and signature feature where no land existed. Triangle. Business start times are at the top modern requirements. put their own café in it, so each building was of the hour or the half past the hour - which effectively isolated. Everyone who wanted Mr Taylor said: ”We wanted to do something the current arrival times fit well. A new café with cashless payment system, amenity space, built their own. There was different, something unique for the tenants gymnasium, floating meeting room on the no connection between the buildings and its that are here. Tenant feedback showed that ”Winnersh Triangle serves two hotels and a lake, concierge services and a tenant events tenants and no community feel to the park. our occupiers craved external meeting room large number of business. Our needs have programme has given new life to the Theale We needed to readdress the balance.” and events space they could use outside of time associated to them.” business park. the four walls of their office. (Continued on p3) Details of the changes can be seen at He said as the park’s new owners they could https://www.southwesternrailway.com/ Now those services have been unveiled along see an opportunity to upgrade and improve contact-and-help/timetable-consultation with upgraded building reception areas and the offer for tenants and their employees and park-wide landscaping. There is also new make it a more attractive and desirable place The consultation closes on December lighting and signage upgrades underway to work. 22. Comments can be sent to timetable. and two building refurbishments are to start [email protected]. If you need imminently. A survey of 1,500 tenant employees shortly We wanted to do something more information on the implications of the after APAM acquired the park revealed an timetables, please contact Richard Tyndal at APAM director Chris Taylor said: ”We bought unsurprising desire for a café but a higher- different, something unique for Thames Valley LEP on 07880 787007. the park with the view that it needed than-expected demand for a gymnasium, For more on this story go to repositioning. We perceived that there had both of which were subsequently created. the tenants that are here. tvproperty.co.uk Independent NEWS & VIEWS reported daily from across the Greater Thames Valley ThamesTap Calendar of Meet the team… THE BUSINESS 2018 Events OF PROPERTY MATTHEW BATTLE Publisher & Managing Director e: [email protected] t: 07768 377172 TUESDAY 9th JANUARY WEDNESDAY 18th APRIL Oxfordshire Property Festival - Corpus FTC Thames Valley - Green Park Christi College and Bodleian Libraries Conference Centre Walks, talks awards and music to Networking lunch, sponsored by Blandy celebrate the property scene in Speakers, networking, lunch and lots ALAN BUNCE & Blandy. Oxfordshire. more. Editor Speaker TBC. e: [email protected] Further FTC Thames Valley events t: 07890 997824 (details to be confirmed) are on the following TUESDAYS in 2018: 6th February, 6th March, 10th April, AMY CHARLES TUESDAY 13TH MARCH - THURSDAY 13th 1st May, 5th June, 3rd July, Events & FRIDAY 16TH MARCH SEPTEMBER 4th October, 1st November, Conference Director MIPIM Cannes Thames Valley Property Forum 6th December (Figgy Pudding UK Property Forums will lead a delegation. Green Park Conference Centre Christmas Lunch). e: [email protected] t: 07508 021084 Every Monday LOUISE LUCAS Design & ThamesTap at 3.00pm New Media Sign up TODAY e: [email protected] Get the latest NEWS & VIEWS in our FREE e-newsletter t: 07786 130008 delivered direct to your inbox. At www.tvproperty.co.uk Urban Masterplanning design Providing award winning Traffic engineering property advice throughout the Thames Valley. Highway We deliver both expert advice and high design quality service in the following areas:- transport planning • Building Consultancy • Property Acquisition • Business Rates Consultancy and Disposal • Commercial Property • Property Asset Management Investment • Property Development • Lease Advisory Consultancy • LPA Receivership • Property Planning • Marine and Leisure Consultancy • Property Valuation development • Occupier Advisory planning Transport Public transport For a consistent, committed property service modelling solutions contact our team on: +44 (0)118 909 7400 or at: [email protected] Smart mobility connecting people & places @vailwilliams Vail Williams thames valley base - national expertise Vail Williams To find out more about how we can help, contact: richard stacey annette smith [email protected] | +44 (0)118 370 2436 [email protected] | +44 (0)118 334 5510 www.systra.co.uk vailwilliams.com Making commercial sense of property VAI.WIL.347 Thames Tap Edition (The Winter Edition) V4.indd 1 21/11/2017 10:25 thames tap ad red.indd 1 21/11/2017 16:30:33 2018 completion for Barclays Eagle cancer treatment Lab sneak peek Graham Construction has provided these new views of the This is a rare glimpse inside the new space where Barclays Proton Partners building at TVSP. Eagle Lab will be teaming up with some of the region’s most exciting start ups. he firm which has also worked on the Gateway building, says a systematic Tmanagement system helped various elements of onsite and offsite construction for the £30 million Proton centre which is due for completion in 2018. When complete it will include facilities for proton beam therapy, a linear accelerator, as well as a CT suite and an MRI. Proton Partners expects to be treating up to 500 patients a year and will accept NHS patients, medically-insured private patients and self-paying patients. nnovation Catalyst, a joint venture involving TVSP director David Gillham said: ”As a the bank, VitalSix and Thames Valley Science partner in Innovation Catalyst, Thames Valley IPark (TVSP), will operate from this office at Science Park shares the vision to create a the park when it opens next year. much needed anchor for innovation; It is the physical centre of a virtual community to bring The 60-seat co-working hub will offer expert closer together businesses, the University of help and mentoring including a 16-week Reading, investors, expertise and more.” Accelerator programme. Barclays is currently seeking to recruit a manager. Contact [email protected] One step beyond… (continued from p1) ”We looked at using vacant built space across floors themselves to create smaller spaces for their businesses hopefully expand or, in the park to provide this but then thought ‘lets the burgeoning SME market. some cases, contract. We would much rather do something quirky and use one of the park’s a tenant downsize on the park than leave most desirable features, the lake itself’. The That strategy, he said, is wholly consistent altogether. Providing amenity on the park is facility is stunning and our tenants can’t wait with APAM’s place making strategy. one element of this but ultimately the value to use the floating pavilion when it opens of strong landlord/tenant relations is key.” The floating meeting room, ”We want to create a diverse multi-let next month.” environment where we can offer tenants Visit www.tvproperty.co.uk for more on this.