OUTLOO   March 2008

A monthly e-newsletter covering Industrial, Commercial & Retail Property, in North Oxfordshire,

North Gloucestershire, South Northants and South Warwickshire. 

Published by BANKIER SLOAN CHARTERED SURVEYORS.

Acquisitions: Sales: Lettings: Lease Renewals: Rent Reviews: Planning: Rating: Management

Regional Property Helplines :  01869 338866  and  01608 652888

Please "forward" to any friends or colleagues you think may be interested and hopefully they will reply directly to us saying "YES PLEASE" and we'll add them to our register. Our e-mail address is reception@centre-p.co.uk

Existing Property Company - Banbury - £1.25 Million: Opportunities like this come up very rarely, and we are delighted to be promoting this investment opportunity for the first time in this issue of OUTLOOK. For those who might be wondering, it has not yet been advertised locally or in the Estates Gazette, and therefore if you are an agent who represents a potential purchaser please feel free to pass on this information. If you are a principal with an interest please come back directly to BANKIER SLOAN. For further details please click http://www.centre-p.co.uk/Hillview%20Crescent,%20Banbury.pdf. As you will see this is a single block of retail properties with flats above, located in a residential part of Banbury. It is an excellent investment and full details are obtainable by e-mailing our office...PLEASE PROVIDE YOUR FULL POSTAL ADDRESS. Please do look at our weblink before asking for details as this will give you an excellent idea of the company's single property holding.

Rates - WARNING;  Only 30 days to go.  In 30 days time Councils up and down the land will start charging rates on all properties that have been empty for more than 6 months.  This is going to be a major problem for both small and large investors who will suddenly find that they have some fairly substantial bills being sent to them, particularly in relation to industrial property which has been void of rate payments in the past.  The Governments intention was to try and bring down rent levels. It is unfortunate that with the economic situation as it is this new legislation has been brought in at this time.  This  will cause problems to a large number of people and companies. For more information please see http://www.voa.gov.uk/business_rates/empty_property_rates_changes.htm. oh...an after-thought !...the government had proposed that owners who deliberately made properties unusable in order to avoid rates would still be charged 100%.   My reading of the proposed legislation, which at the time I write this has actually still not  passed through the House of Commons, is that this proposal will NOT be included .

VERY SHORT TERM LET: Thorpe Way Industrial Estate, Banbury.  Perfect for those looking for some over-flow space.  Ground Floor 1,500 sq ft,  1st Floor approx 400 sq ft.   £1,000 per month, available for as little as 3 months if this helps your plans.  See http://www.centre-p.co.uk/Unit%203,%20Thorpe%20Way,%20Banbury(JAN08).pdf

Please visit our web site at www.centre-p.co.uk  it's fantastic !

Lock-up Office/Retail Premises - Rochester Way, Twyford, Banbury.  Located on a residential housing estate, 3 miles south of Banbury town centre, this excellent lock up shop/office is available from mid-summer at £135 per week. For further details please view http://www.centre-p.co.uk/Twyford,%20Adderbury.pdf.

Warehouse - Moreton in Marsh:  This 3,000 sq ft unit is being offered on a new lease at an initial rent of £16,500 per annum. It is in a prominent position and will, we believe, be of interest to a large number of potential occupiers.   Visit http://www.centre-p.co.uk/pdfs/Unit%202,%20Fosseway%20Business%20Park(nov07).pdf for further details.

OUTLOOK.....please help us to help you....if you receive more than one copy please press the REPLY button on any repeat copies and just write the word  COPY in the Subject Box and our technology should delete the address, leaving one address in the system !  ..thanks.

Sale of Flat, Centrepoint:    The flat above our offices here in Deddington is being sold.  http://www.centre-p.co.uk/Property%20for%20Sale%20-%20Deddington.pdf  It has recently been granted planning consent for a Change of Use to residential, however it does of course have an historic use as an office. If you are interested please contact either this office - 01869 338866 or Hayward White - 01869 337001 or view their details at http://www.haywardwhite.co.uk/moredetails.php?propertyID=50000002079

DEBBIE at TWENTY!  Debbie would like to thank those many people who congratulated her for working with/putting up with me for twenty years. You'll be pleased to know she is well on her way to paying for her next holiday and was delighted by the considerable correspondence she received, much of which asked questions like:  When do you get Parole?  Would you not have got less for murder?......How have you put up with him for so long?..etc !

Southam Road, Banbury  Offices:   The best 2,000 sq ft offices in Banbury at just £12 per sq ft per annum.  View  http://www.centre-p.co.uk/pdfs/Southam%20Road%20-%20Details.pdf. We make no apology for marketing these at a very competitive rent . Our instructions are to find a tenant and hopefully avoid my clients having to pay rates on this property as from 1st April.  Some might call it foolish....but we really do believe these are the best offices in the region. Why pay more?

Property Requirements: We have been instructed by a number of clients to acquire property in recent months and we have now set up a special section on our website relating to these properties. We would like to draw your attention to this link http://www.centre-p.co.uk/PROPERTY%20REQUIREMENTS.pdf in particular to owners of properties or to their retained agents. We would stress in all cases we are fully retained and do not require a fee from existing owners or agents of premises.

Planning - Cherwell Local Development Frame Consultation: Cherwell District Council have published their latest consultation paper on this entitled "Supplimental Consultation on Site Allocation Issues and Options - New and Amended Sites". This is available via their website, http://www.cherwell-dc.gov.uk/planning/supplementalsites.cfm at local offices and local libraries. This is the council's major document relating to the future development in the area and therefore any company or individual interested in Planning matters are advised to consult this document.  WARNING:  There appears to be a  'glitch' in the programme , when DOWNLOADING the Consultation Portal / Consultation Home http://consult.cherwell.gov.uk/portal for the majority I believe it will show the END date (for consultation) as 4/7/08: 11.59pm while on others it will show it as 7/4/08 11.59pm.  It is 7th April !

Planning Applications: Am I the only person to believe that the new On-Line planning application service is not standardized from one council to the other, and there will be ongoing issues with this service? Some councils (noteably Northampton Borough Council) have an excellent form On-Line which can be printed off, although I am told this is likely to cease after 1st April, which is really sad as it is a form formatted in WORD and therefore can be easily completed and printed off if necessary. Forms produced in a PDF format which do not allow me to complete them on-line drive me mad !

Ok, now please  visit our web site at www.centre-p.co.uk  it's fantastic!  It  includes our latest Available Properties list and detailed maps of the major industrial estates in the area, as well as lots and lots of other good information. Finally our Regional Property Helpline is 01869 338866 or e-mail reception@centre-p.co.uk 

                                                                  Edited by Ian B Sloan FRICS – 1st March 2008

                   BANKIER SLOAN

The longest established Chartered Surveyors in the region dealing exclusively with Industrial, Commercial & Retail Property.

North Oxfordshire, North Gloucestershire, South Northants and South Warwickshire.

Deddington 01869 338866   -  Brackley 01280 700756

Moreton-in-Marsh 01608 652888  -   Coventry 02476 545556