Commercial Property Consultants - Fairhurst Estates

Fairhurst Estates win contract to undertake rating appeals

Fairhurst Estates — Tue, 15 May 2012 15:00:02 +0000

Fairhurst Estates Ltd has recently won the contract to undertake the rating appeals on the 2010 Rating List for Grafton Merchanting GB Ltd (t/a Plumbase) throughout England & Wales.

Fairhurst Estates Ltd are currently inspecting the portfolio and are reporting to the client upon the properties which they feel a rating appeal is justified.

Fairhurst Estates Ltd are also currently undertaking rating appeals on the 2010 Rating List throughout Britain for National Tyres & Autocare, Viking International, Bathwick Tyres and Hewden Hire.

Is your rateable value too high? Would you like the opportunity to reduce your overheads?

admin — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 14:41:36 +0000

Business Rates have to be paid by most companies but this is a charge that can be challenged to reduce company costs. Fairhurst Estates Limited’s (FEL) Ratings division has already successfully challenged and achieved reduced Business Rates for a number of clients throughout the UK on the 2010 rating list. But, without the correct knowledge and approach to the review process, the Valuation Officer could actually increase the rateable value.

At FEL, we have the personnel with the expertise to meticulously examine each rating assessment to ascertain if the rating assessment is at the correct level before making an appeal. Any savings made will then be refunded back to the 1 April 2010.

Four case studies to illustrate our recent success:

Condie Investments Limited – Viscount House, Saltney, Chester

Challenge: Unoccupied office suites Outcome: Empty Rates Relief
This is a three storey office building where the first floor had been split up into a number of individual serviced office suites and the rent payable to the landlord included the rates liability. Unfortunately for the landlord, approximately 25% of these small office suites were vacant producing no rental income but the landlord was still responsible for the rates liability. FEL investigated this case and after receiving instructions, lodged an appeal with the Valuation Office to split the first floor into a number of separate hereditaments for each individual serviced office suite. This resulted in considerable cash savings to the landlord as the empty suites could now benefit from empty rates relief.

National Tyre Service Limited – Market Street, Hemsworth

Challenge: Dual occupancy Outcome: 41% reduction in rateable value
This is an old garage and workshop which has been converted into a tyre and exhaust depot of which a large part has been sublet to a local plumbing merchant. The passing rent for the whole property was £30,000 per annum with effect from August 2007 and the part which was sublet attracted a rental income of £15,000 per annum. The rateable value applied by the Valuation Office Agency was £32,250. FEL researched this case and after receiving this instruction, lodged an appeal and were successful in achieving a reduction in the rateable value to £19,000. This was a saving of £13,250 in rateable value which was back dated to the 1 April 2010.

Bathwick Tyres Limited – Christchurch Road, Bournemouth

Challenge: To reduce rateable area Outcome: Saving of £4,000 per annum
This is a freehold tyre and exhaust depot located in the town centre which had a rateable value of £40,250. After receiving an instruction, FEL inspected and measured the premises. Although FEL were in agreement with the floor areas, the Valuation Officer had included an area of the premises which was no longer applicable. FEL lodged an appeal based on this and was successful in achieving a reduction of £4,000 per annum which was backdated to the 1 April 2010.

Bathwick Tyres Limited – Poundbury West Industrial Estate, Dorchester

Challenge: To reduce the rateable value Outcome: Reduction of 8%
This is a small industrial unit that is used as a tyre and exhaust depot on an established industrial estate located on the edge of Dorchester. Our client occupies the property by way of a lease at a passing rent of £11,750 pa with effect from 22 May 2009. The rateable value was £10,500. FEL lodged an appeal as there was a dispute with the Valuation Officer’s valuation. An agreement was reached to reduce the rateable value to £9,700.

If you would like the Fairhurst Estates’ Ratings team to examine your rateable value with a view to saving you money, please contact Richard Sellers at richard.sellers@fairhurst-estates.co.uk or Katie Wadsworth at katie.wadsworth@fairhurst-estates.co.uk

To find out more about the services available call 0844 879 3613.

Speedy Superstore – Project Managed by Fairhurst Estates

Fairhurst Estates — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 10:55:12 +0000

Fairhurst Estates Building Consultancy are proud to have offered surveying services and project managed the new Cardiff Superstore.

Extract from – Material Handling World Magazine

10 March 2012

Speedy is to breathe new life into the Cardiff economy, courtesy of a new £400,000 equipment rental superstore, which will stock in excess of £5m of equipment ready for hire. Speedy, the UK’s leading equipment rental and support services provider, will officially open its doors to customers in Portmanmoor Road on March 19, in a huge investment into the city by the Speedy brand. The move will bring three primary product sectors of the Speedy business, along with an exciting new Powered Access offering, under one roof to create a compelling ‘one stop shop’ for its customers located and operating in and around Cardiff. To achieve this exciting new offering Speedy will merge the brand’s lifting, tools and survey product lines, to coincide with the closure of three separate branches of the business in and around the city. Not only will all staff retain their positions and relocate to Portmanmoor Road, but a number of additional positions will be created to handle the expected increase in business.The new-look superstore is one of nine sites to be built by Speedy across the UK during the course of 2012.Speedy General Manager Dylan Owen, said: “The opening of our Cardiff superstore is the culmination of a great deal of planning and investment, and we are delighted to be strengthening our presence in the city.”This move strengthens our offering for large, national customers and removes the inconvenience of them having to deal with different centres for different aspects of their requirements.”Meanwhile, all of our smaller sized depots will, as always, continue to offer a bespoke service to all of our local customers.”http://www.mhwmagazine.co.uk/LatestNews/Speedy_breathes_new_life_into_the_Cardiff_economy_-11264.html

Speedy Services Ltd – April 2012

“On behalf myself and my colleagues at 4003 Cardiff Superstore I would like to extend our thanks for all the hard work you and your teams have put in to help us deliver a truly great facility to the business. We have been in for a month now and as nothing has fallen down/off/into anything or anyone I think we can hail it as a complete success.

We truly have achieved a great deal in a very limited timescale, even managing to fit in a last minute visit from our revered leader(s). That the visit went so well is again testament to all the prior hard work and effort put in by you and your teams.”

Dylan Owen General Manager, South Wales & Herefordshire, TLS Midlands & West

Speedy Services Ltd

Fairhurst Celebrates 10th Anniversary

admin — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 15:56:49 +0000

As Fairhurst Estates Limited (FEL) we have developed somewhat of a reputation in the roadside, tool & hire equipment and trade sectors and, as we celebrate our 10th anniversary, we are staying ahead of the market with an innovative approach to business and our assured future.

Nigel Blyth, Estates Director; John Thornley, Managing Director; Howard Derbyshire, Building Director

Along with many organisations, we may have to overcome numerous challenges to ensure our continued success; economic restraints and technological advancements have led us to reconsider how we conduct our business and the range of services we provide. We have listened to what our customers are saying and, as a consequence, we have structured our business model to embrace and exploit change and compete within an ever more testing marketplace.

Outsourcing in a virtual world – our innovative approach supports flexibility, raises service standards and drives down cost

For some of our customers we are now operating as a virtual property function. Rather than employ their own full time Chartered Surveyors, FEL has been appointed to manage all their property requirements including sourcing & negotiating, construction & refurbishment, projects & property management, acquisition & disposals. Through outsourcing, our clients can reduce annual overheads, free up capital and concentrate on growing their core businesses. Companies are able to alter the flow and type of work dependent upon their individual set of circumstances.

“We really value the experience, flexibility and speed of response offered by Fairhurst Estates Ltd. We benefit from having senior personnel dealing with our business, providing us with exceptional professional expertise and knowledge of our network.”
John Taylor – Group Corporate Development Director Axle Group Holdings Ltd

“Fairhurst Estates Ltd have shown extensive knowledge of the roadside property market by acquiring for us (National Tyres and Autocare) 20 new branches in 2011. Further exciting opportunities will follow in 2012. This expansion of the network continues to strengthen our presence as a leading player in the UK Tyre and Automotive sector.”
Carlo Lamanuzzi – Property Director, National Tyres and Autocare

“Flexible, innovative service driven by 3 Directors and an associate. Fairhurst Estates Ltd offer a full range of property services of which we can select the most appropriate work streams as required.”
Susan Shardlow – Commercial Director of Hewden Stuart Limited

In 2012 we are rolling out our ‘virtual property department’ model to both new and existing publically and privately owned clients and have increased our staffing to 20 which include chartered surveyors, administrative support staff and, following investment in a maintenance help desk, the employment of a team of experienced and fully trained personnel, available 24 hours x 7.

An original approach for tenants

The Fairhurst Estates’ Property Management team have also adapted to the current business climate and adopted a new approach in letting and sub-letting properties to tenants. Speaking at a recent conference, John Thornley – Managing Director of Fairhurst Estates Limited – has put their success down to hard work, steady & controlled growth and being flexible enough to adapt their business approach to meet the changing demands of the market. This is perfectly demonstrated at Viscount House in Chester where, rather than continuing to seek a sole occupant, a large unit has been divided into managed office suites to provide start-ups and smaller businesses with a viable office solution.

“We have provided a concept in Viscount House that entirely satisfies the requirements of the economy, our tenants, our clients and our business partners. Here in Chester we have created a business community specialising in I.T. and renewables. One of the tenants has been instrumental in introducing further occupiers into the building, testimony that innovative thinking can provide solutions to the most difficult of problems. The tenants have flexible accommodation that can change as their business evolves within a fixed all inclusive rent. Now at near capacity, we have a proven success story whereas many larger properties are still concentrating on sole occupancy.”
John Thornley – Managing Director of Fairhurst Estates

10 years ago …

… when we started Fairhurst Estates we had 6 full time staff operating as an outsource solution for our first and still current client, National Tyre Service, to source new sites and to manage all of their property requirements and services. Since then, we have steadily developed our client base and the services we provide and relocated to our current premises in 2005 on Acorn Business Park, Stockport.

Although we now own 2 properties at Acorn Business Park we are finding that, as digital technology advances, our staff are able to log-in to our systems from multiple access points and so able to operate in a more virtual way. We recognise the responsibility we have toward our environment and put into practice our Environmental Policy – encouraging home working where possible. Although our business has grown we have been able to reduce our office space and have introduced new tenants on to the business park, including some of our own clients, and, because we manage all common areas, they are assured of a full and excellent service.

In 2008 and, as the client base grew, FEL increased the extent of the outsourced solutions offered to their clients, investing in Qube, a market leading and highly sophisticated property management system that provides a more diverse range of solutions, greater control and a speedier service to their clients.

Charity trip to Kenya with Rowley Projects

Fairhurst Estates — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:41:56 +0000

John Thornley Managing Director of Fairhurst Estates and Alison Thornley the Support Manager have recently returned from a charity trip to Nyandiwa, Western Kenya. John a trustee of Rowley Projects was making the trip for the fourth time, it was Alison’s second visit.

Rowley Projects serves a community in western Kenya, working in partnership with the local people to transform their everyday lives by providing Clean Water, Health Care and Education. These schemes will later provide a pattern that can be replicated in neighbouring areas.

After visiting their friend Ayugi and his family in Nyandiwa, western Kenya in 2000, Stephen and Angela Rowley discovered that the greatest need in this extremely poor area of Kenya, was clean drinking water. The following year they began visiting the area on a regular basis, 2 or 3 times each year and their first project was to establish a bio-sand water filter project.

Through fundraising efforts over the past ten years the primary and secondary schools, Kingsway Kolweny at Nyanadiwa have been rebuilt and classroom blocks at neighbouring schools have been established.

A disused dispensary has been reopened, is kept fully stocked with medical supplies and a health professional employed.

A sponsorship scheme has been extremely successful, enabling even the poorest families to send their children to school.

During the January trip John inspected all buildings constructed with charity money over the past 4-6 years. The aim being to establish a repair and maintenance programme. This is a little known concept in rural Kenya, in fact there isn’t even a word for it! Alison a former teacher, spent time visiting some of the schools supported by the charity. She enjoyed teaching again, offering encouragement to some staff qualifying in special educational needs and observing the way the Kenyan education system operates.

John and Alison have a particular interest in the small businesses being set up in the area and how entrepreneurship is encouraged and rewarded. They visited a local lady who has set up a successful sewing business and supplies very high quality school uniforms to several local schools. The business studies students at Kolweny Kingway have been left a challenge in the form of a small solar powered light. They are being encouraged to put together a business plan to offer a rental service for the solar lights and a re charge service……… Remember there isn’t electricity in this area and the cost of kerosene for the lamps commonly used is expensive!

For further information about Rowley Projects visit the website at www.rowleyprojects.com

Take a look at the varied ways charity money is spent:-

£10 for a “Mooncup”. (Sanitary protection to enable girls to attend school all month.)
£10 to vaccinate 50 children
£5 for a treated mosquito net
£15 for a secondary school uniform
£10 for a primary school unifom
£5 for weekly medical technician’s visits
£80 for one year’s secondary school fees
Donation towards a new water filter workshop
Donation towards the dispensary
£30 for a month’s salary for a teacher
£20 to paint one classroom externally
Donation to “Hope beyond Form 4”
University/College Scholarship Fund (Average costs £200 per term)
£10 for one month’s internet connection at the school

Coming Soon – Rotherham – Tradeworld -Rotherham Road S62 6EZ

Fairhurst Estates — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 10:19:12 +0000

A Litton Properties Development

Fairhurst Estates are delighted to have been appointed joint agents at this exciting new scheme.

21,500 A1 Bulky Goods Retail Space
21,000 sq ft Trade Counter
New Development
Prominent, High Profile location on Rotherham Road
17-18,000 two way vehicle trips daily
10 minute drive time catchment 124,361
20 minute drive time catchment 631,102
See pdf for preliminary information

All enquiries

Nigel Blyth 0161 476 9478 nigel.blyth@fairhurst-estates.co.uk

Howard Elliot-Jones 0161 476 9481 hej@fairhurst-estates.co.uk

Pat Christian 0161 476 9425 pat.christian@fairhurst-estates.co.uk

Rotherham Trade World

RICS Annual Review -The year from a macro-economic perspective

Fairhurst Estates — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 15:49:57 +0000

The economist’s view

The year from a macro-economic perspective

The past year has been one to forget. The start of 2011 promised a robust and sustained recovery. That was laid to rest with a number of shocks to the global economy. The tragedy in Japan in March, which severely disrupted supply chains around the world, was followed by political brinksmanship in the US regarding the attempt to put in place a credible medium-term strategy to bring down the national debt. Finally, the eurozone crisis has caused high volatility in the financial market since August. These events have battered confidence in the global recovery. Even emerging markets, responsible for most of the global growth in the past 12 months now seem to be losing momentum. Latin American growth has eased, on the back of Brazilian supply bottlenecks and rising interest rates. Meanwhile, emerging markets in Asia also seem to be softening albeit at a pace consistent with a soft landing with falling global demand and earlier policy tightening being the primary reasons.

Developments in property markets broadly reflected the underlying economic fundamentals. Previous fears of emerging ‘bubbles’ in real estate markets in Asia and Latin America eased on the back of slowing growth in those markets and macro-prudential measures put in place to restrict the flow of credit into the property sector. This was particularly in the case in China where the authorities put in place a series of measures designed to curb speculative activity. On the other hand, in many advanced economies the on-going shortfall in bank finance continued to shape the behaviour of real estate.

The outlook for land, property and construction

Emerging markets will continue to drive construction output over the coming year. Both China and Brazil are aiming to meet ambitious affordable housing targets while India, alongside a focus on a similar programme, will also continue to address the need for a much higher level of infrastructure investment.

According to the latest RICS Global Property Survey, the outlook for the commercial real estate sector is brightest in China, Brazil and Russia, with all three markets expecting to see robust rental and capital value growth. The property sector in many emerging markets will also benefit from the now quite widespread pause in the monetary tightening cycle. Indeed Brazil has started to cut rates on the back of weakening external demand and it could be followed by other countries in due course.

In advanced economies, financing from banks continues to hold back transaction levels, while the deleveraging process in both households and financial institutions’ balance sheets looks likely to continue to dampen demand in the real estate sector. Central banks will in all probability continue to further ease already loose monetary conditions, with the Bank of England’s latest round of quantitative easing unlikely to be the last. In addition, the US Federal Reserve looks set for its own ‘QE3’ in the coming months. The situation in Europe is highly fluid, with a disorderly default in Greece a very real possibility. If such an outcome were to materialise it would have widespread ramifications, straining an already vulnerable financial sector, increasing the borrowing costs of other eurozone countries and further hurting confidence.

However, a more positive outcome is still a possibility if recent policy initiatives addressing the euro zone are implemented promptly and forcefully. This would help restore confidence in financial markets, and start a positive feedback loop that could trigger stronger than anticipated growth in the coming year.

Simon Rubinsohn

RICS Chief Economist

RICS Global

As the mark of property professionalism worldwide, RICS has members in 146 countries delivering knowledge and services at a local level around the world.

Chartered Building Surveyors join the Fairhurst Team

Fairhurst Estates — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 15:45:44 +0000

Elaine Clark and Alan Hardman have joined Fairhurst Estates Building Consultancy department during recent months. They bring with them an enormous amount of experience and are being kept busy by FEL’s nationwide clients.

Elaine became a member of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) in 2004 and has a wealth of building related experience mainly in the North West. During her employment in Manchester with CMP she worked in Banks and Funds, managed general project schemes and pre acquisition surveys. She worked with a wide variety of industrial and commercial clients, including such occupiers as Costa Coffee. Elaine also has experience dealing with dilapidations and schedules of conditions.

Alan is a Chartered Member of the British Institute of Architectural Technologists (CIAT) and also has a wealth of building related experience around the North West. He has recently worked as a Senior Building Surveyor with Hewden Stewart and also Ashstead Plant Hire Company Ltd. He designed and refurbished existing and new units within the company property portfolios, preparing feasibility studies, costings, tenders and working in accordance with related legislation.

Act Now to Save UK towns, Regeneration Projects and Jobs:

Fairhurst Estates — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 10:55:50 +0000

“A petition is being signed by thousands to get Empty Property Rates Tax debated in Parliament”

The property sector urgently needs your help to fight the Government’s unfair Empty Property Rates (EPR) tax.

The Business Centre Association, whose members serve more than 40,000 start ups and SMEs in the UK, has launched a petition to get the Empty Property Rates threshold debated in Parliament.

We’ve been tirelessly lobbying MPs of all parties, this past week British Property Federation is backing our campaign, but there’s still a huge amount to do. We urgently need 100,000 signatures if we are to trigger Parliamentary debate before the autumn budget statement.

Property owners have been placed under extreme financial pressure since April 2011 when the Government dramatically lowered the Empty Property Rate threshold from £18,000 to £2,600.

When the EPR threshold was first introduced it led to the tax being dubbed ‘Bombsite Britain’, once again landlords and flexible space providers are being forced to consider demolishing perfectly good buildings with nothing to replace them as the current EPR threshold makes them financially unviable.

The current Empty Property Rates tax threshold is stifling regeneration, it is inhibiting economic growth. It is threatening jobs and the supply of flexible work space when it is most needed to aid the UK’s economic recovery.

Join our campaign to raise the EPR threshold to its previous £18,000 level before it’s too late.

Click here http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/318 to find out more or sign the petition.”

The Business Association Ltd Reg No 3636769

Team Fairhurst successfully smash £1,000.00 target for local charity.

Fairhurst Estates — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 13:22:46 +0000

Four daring members of “Team Fairhurst” successfully completed a Zip Wire event at Salford Quays on Sunday 17th July for local charity Beechwood Cancer Care Centre, Stockport. Team Fairhurst have already smashed their target of raising over £1,000.00 for the charity. The current total stands at an amazing £1,255.00 with more money promised.

Team Fairhurst braved strong winds and torrential rain to leap from a 30 metre high platform at the Imperial War Museum and whizz a distance of 250 metres across the Manchester ship Canal to The Lowry.

A huge thank you to everyone who generously sponsored the Team and helped make their fundraising effort so successful.

“>http://www.justgiving.com/TeamFairhurst

BEECHWOOD CANCER CARE INFORMATION
Beechwood is a local Stockport day centre openedin 1990 to help anyone whose life has been affected by the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.

A cancer diagnosis can come as an enormous shock to patients, their families and carers. They can feel anxious, fearful and often alone.

Within their welcoming surroundings they offer a range of free support, including 1 to 1 talk time, complementary therapies, group sessions, a Family Therapist and Bereavement to help patients, family members and carers cope with all the problems they may have to face.