Over the past 2 years, Montagu Evans has provided heritage advice to CIT on a scheme to repurpose the grade II listed former Whitbread brewery stables at Garrett St, Islington.

The building was constructed in 1897 to keep up to 100 dray horses across 3 levels, each accessed by ramps. The dray horses were used to pull carts laden with beer for delivery in the local area. The nearby brewery ceased in 1976, although the horses did not leave until 1991. A very different occupier, Travis Perkins, had resided in more recent times.

The engineering to create the ramps and structural integrity of each floor was not novel for the period, although the building is of special interest as a relatively rare example of a multi-storey stable, its architectural appearance, including the handsome frontage and vaulted ceilings and its historic association with Whitbread.

The proposals for CIT, designed by Horden Cherry Lee, comprised the repair and restoration of the listed building, plus extension at roof level and courtyard, and interior alterations for the use of the building as workspace. This would consist of 1,000 sqm (GIA) of relocated affordable workspace from Finsbury Tower (aka the HYLO building) as well as additional affordable workspace fitted out to Cat B. The reallocation of affordable workspace to the Garrett St site was driven by Islington’s Inclusive Economy Team, who considered the standalone industrial building to be both more suitable and attractive to prospective occupiers.

Our assessment identified harmful elements of the proposals but several countervailing benefits. Throughout the process, we tested various options to ensure that those harms were minimised or were absolutely necessary to deliver the workspace which all parties considered as the optimum use. The benefits included the removal of previous attritions and reinstatement of the original plan form arrangement, plus the reuse of the original horse ramp as an integral part of the circulation space. The rooftop and side extension to the listed building has been carefully considered. We went through a detailed pre-application process to reach the final design, including meeting with the LBI conservation officer and design review panel.

The scheme was recommended for approval by officers at the LBI. On Tuesday night, members went with that recommendation and unanimously approved the scheme. The scheme will provide much-needed fit-for-purpose affordable workspace to the borough whilst bringing this fantastic building back into use and enabling the public to appreciate its rich history.

Image by Horden Cherry Lee.

Montagu Evans will focus on enabling more development of housing, urban logistics and healthcare in 2023, according to Rob Bower, the managing partner at the firm. The property consultancy will also concentrate on repurposing and repositioning stranded assets and places, such as older offices, retail and town centres, he added. Bower spoke to Property Week after the firm revealed a rise in both revenue and profit for the year to the end of March 2022, despite challenging market conditions.

He said: “Turbulent times are when clients need us most – from bringing more resources to in-house teams to thinking differently when the market is moving quickly, and new approaches are needed. We didn’t shy away from investment in the business, even during the most challenging moments of Covid-19. People were our priority, not just their health and wellbeing, but making sure they could proactively support clients during long periods of uncertainty. And, like the rest of the sector, we benefited from post-pandemic tailwinds driving market activity, particularly in transactional areas.�?

Bower added that the company would continue to invest in its systems in 2023 (as data and insight grow in importance) as well as in training and development: �?Our focus remains on retaining talented people, and this will mean further investment, including in our early careers cohort, learning and development, and wider support networks. We also continue to focus on strategic senior lateral hires in areas such as sustainability, where our clients continue to face challenges.�?

In the annual report and accounts registered this week at Companies House, Montagu Evans has reported an increase in revenues and further investment in its business for the financial year running from April 2021 to March 2022.

Revenue was up to £64.1 million (a 22% year-on-year increase), with all fee-earning departments recording turnover increases of over 20%.

Statutory profit increased by £6.1 million to £23.2 million (although 2021 included one-off costs relating to the relocation to its new City of London headquarters the same year).

Distributable profit for partners also increased (up 19%), as did the non-partner bonus pool (up 26% to £6 million). The average distributable profit per partner was up 27% from the previous year to £529,000.

Staff investment increased by £5.2 million, including a continued focus on senior lateral hires in strategic growth areas that will continue into 2022/2023 and an increase in provision for its early careers cohort that includes both apprentices and graduates. The average number of staff increased by 58, excluding property management site staff.

Prudent financial management of resources has resulted in a £1 million growth in net assets to £17.2 million and a strong positive cash balance.

Its energy and carbon report demonstrates a significant improvement in emissions (from 228 to 148 tCO2e) and a significant reduction in carbon footprint since the prior year, halving the intensity ratio from 0.6 to 0.3.

Diversity, equity and inclusion remain a priority, and the partnership is continuing to make progress against its 5-year commitment started in 2019, including the appointment of a new responsible business manager for this area. New programmes in the past year include partnering with Disability Connect and becoming Disability Confident Committed; joining the Menopause Workplace Pledge and Social Mobility Pledge; setting up the Reach Acade:ME designed to provide dedicated support to students from Years 10 to 13, including an annual bursary; and adopting market-leading parenthood policies. The firm also offers a cost of living contribution to support staff who need it. A full report is available here.

Managing Partner Rob Bower said: “Above all, this success comes from the great work our people do every day, especially their ability to provide high-quality advice tailored to each client and its challenges. Everyone should be proud of the part they have played.

“Clearly, this current year is different. Our central core of planning and development may not be affected to the same extent as transactional markets, but we will be working hard to support clients as they navigate these changing circumstances. We also have some major projects at the Royal Albert Docks, at Stansted and in Shepherds Bush to focus on, as well as supporting public and private sector organisations UK-wide.

“At the same time, we remain focussed on investing in the business, continuing to make it more sustainable, inclusive and diverse, and protecting the qualities that make this a fulfilling and rewarding partnership.”

Linkcity

, advised by planning and development consultancy Montagu Evans, has been granted planning permission by the London Borough of Newham for Phase 4 of its Hallsville Quarter development masterplan in Canning Town.

This latest phase proposes a new mixed-use city block which will deliver 377 purpose-built student accommodation rooms, a wide range of student amenity spaces including a first-floor garden and 7th-floor roof terrace and 566 sq m of new ground floor, flexible commercial floorspace and landscaped public realm.

Phase 4 marks the penultimate phase of the Hallsville Quarter Masterplan, which, when complete, will deliver 1,148 new homes with a variety of tenures, over 30,000 sq m of leisure and retail space, a new health centre and community facilities close to Canning Town underground station. New pedestrian links and cyclist provisions are also included as part of the six-hectare development.

Montagu Evans provided planning, townscape/heritage and viability advice.

Phillippa Prongue

, Managing Director of Linkcity, said: “Linkcity is excited to be completing the main part of the Hallsville Quarter new town centre working in conjunction with the London Borough of Newham as part of the wider Canning Town and Custom House urban regeneration programme. This phase will provide much-needed student accommodation in close proximity to some of London’s world-leading education institutions, and this will add vitality and diversity to the local community and businesses.”

Simon Marks

, Partner at Montagu Evans, said: “This approval facilitates the next stage in unlocking this vital development for Canning Town. Hallsville Quarter will help meet local needs with more and a greater variety of homes, many of which will be affordable, in a well-planned development close to public transport, shops, health and leisure facilities.”

The project is expected to be completed in June 2025.

Image credit: PRP Architects

More coverage on EG here.

Croydon developer Freshwater, advised by Montagu Evans, has been given the go-ahead for the development of a new 175,000 sq ft office scheme opposite East Croydon station.

Plans for the new building on 96-98 George Street, designed by architecture practice Orms, extend to 11 storeys, with a café and office space on the ground and mezzanine floors and offices on the basement and upper floors.

They will deliver a significant increase in office floor space and new retail space, in a highly sustainable and distinctive new building that will help reinforce central Croydon as a key business destination.

A high-level landscape design has been developed to improve College Square and provide an area of the public realm that is accessible to all and provides a welcoming environment for students, office workers, shoppers and the area’s other users. There is also public art provision in partnership with Croydon College.

At the same time, this building will be a highly sustainable development – an energy-efficient building that minimises water and energy usage and incorporates measures to ensure low carbon emissions.

Guy Bransby, Partner at Montagu Evans, said: “Our planning case focused on the need for new, flexible, Grade A office space that is lacking in Croydon, the economic boost to the town centre through the creation of 1,600 jobs, the associated spend on local goods and services, and the creation of a number of apprenticeships.”

Planning and development consultancy Montagu Evans has welcomed a new generation of talent with its 2022 early careers cohort joining the partnership.

The 22 new recruits, made up of graduates and apprentices, will work across all the business’s key services, from planning and historic environments to advisory and agency roles, and sit on the firm’s sector-focussed teams providing clients with specialist multidisciplinary advice.

They have dedicated support in the form of managers, mentors and ongoing training as they embark on their careers with the firm. All are continuing a qualification pathway, and the firm has a robust and market-leading programme in place to help them in their ongoing development and growth as young professionals.

The new early careers recruits are Cameron Aitchison, Edouard Barrois, William Chadd, Dylan Chaplin, Bridget Crossley, Sahil Dave, Louis Earle-Davis, Euan Humphery, Camille Lizama, Niamh Lydon, Charlie Major, Anna Mido, Lulu Moakes, Beth O’Sullivan, Justin Parker, Simran Shah, Emily Sheldon, Aaron Singh, Rachel Slater, Ellie Smith, Sam Stratton and Ben Wikeley.

Victoria Thompson, HR Director at Montagu Evans, said: “This is a very talented group of budding real estate professionals who have impressed us from the start with their energy, focus and commitment. We’re delighted to welcome you to the partnership and are looking forward to supporting and challenging them during this next stage of their careers.”

 

Planning and development consultancy Montagu Evans has appointed Tom Fothergill as a Partner in its Rating Advisory team. He will be based in the partnership’s Glasgow office and specialise in providing advice to its occupier and landlord clients in Scotland and in the North of England.

Fothergill has over 12 years of rating experience, most recently at JLL, where he spent the last five years, prior to which he worked at GL Hearn.

The appointment follows on from further recent hires for Montagu Evans’ Rating Advisory team. Chris Morrow and Kathleen Marsland have joined the team in London, focussing on occupiers and landlords, respectively, while Fionn Hunter has joined the team in Glasgow.

Josh Myerson, Head of Rating Advisory at Montagu Evans, commented:  “This is another key strategic hire as we continue to build our strength and depth across the UK. In Tom, we have a senior rating surveyor with wide-ranging experience and significant technical expertise who can operate in both Scottish and English jurisdictions. His appointment will allow us to continue to provide best-in-class advice to our clients, helping them successfully navigate the ever-changing rating landscape. We are delighted to welcome him to the team.

Tom Fothergill, Partner at Montagu Evans, added: “Montagu Evans has an impressive reputation in the world of rating, and their strong focus on client-led, collaborative working was very appealing. The current rating system is in a state of flux, leading to a lot of uncertainty for businesses. I am looking forward to working alongside my new colleagues to  ensure all our clients are fully equipped to deal with whatever rating changes occur in the coming months.

Planning permission secured for Tulchan Developments’ 353,000 sq ft, Orchard Park, Eurocentral industrial development

Colliers and Montagu Evans have been instructed to let the scheme (Scotland – November 2022)

Orchard Park at Eurocentral, Scotland’s premier distribution hub in North Lanarkshire, has just received planning permission for a new industrial and logistics development totalling 353,000 sq ft, with five buildings on this prime site of just under 24 acres.

Glasgow-based Tulchan Developments and its partners, logistics specialist Lumonics Developments LLP, are working towards being on-site next year. Units, which will range in size from 42,500 to 122,500 sq ft, will be to a high specification, each with a dedicated secure yard. The units will have a BREEAM “Very Good” rating and EPC target “A” and will be suitable for a wide range of industrial and logistics occupiers. Specific occupier requirements can be accommodated.

Iain Davidson, Director Industrial & Logistics at Colliers, commented: “Obtaining planning consent is a major milestone for Orchard Park. The development has been carefully considered to ensure it will appeal to as wide an occupier audience as possible. Given the shortage of industrial property availability, we expect Orchard Park to be well received by the occupier market and indeed are already in discussions with several potential tenants.”

Bryce Stewart, Partner at Montagu Evans, added: “The development will deliver much-needed stock in a range of unit sizes to market-leading specifications. North Lanarkshire is one of Scotland’s fastest-growing economies, its transport links are first rate and set for further improvement, and this is an important step forward in the growth of Scotland’s principal logistics park, which is currently 100% let.”

Tulchan Director Gavin Robertson commented: ‘’Logistics and distribution occupier demand remains strong, and we are confident that the location and quality of product at Orchard Park will attract occupiers to allow a start of works on site going into 2023.’’

With over 3m sq ft of production and logistics facilities, Eurocentral is the established location in the central belt of Scotland for many national and local occupiers; it has an on-site rail freight terminal and is located 11 miles to the east of Glasgow and 31 miles west of Edinburgh with a dedicated interchange (Junction 7) of the M8 motorway, the main motorway linking the two cities. It is also ideally located close to both Glasgow and Edinburgh airports and Junction 5 of the M74 (Raith Interchange) via the A725, providing unrivalled connectivity to the M6 and the South.

Occupiers within Eurocentral currently include DPD; XPO Logistics; Sheffield Insulation Group; Amazon; Evri (Hermes); Brewdog; News International; GIST; Wincanton; Scottish and Southern Energy; Morrisons; Warburtons; Lidl; Next; Mentholatum; Scania and NHS.

Colliers and Montagu Evans are joint letting agents for Tulchan and Lumonics at Orchard Park, Eurocentral.

Montagu Evans has been appointed by Transport for London (TfL) to help provide agency and strategy advice for its strategic industrial and arches properties across the capital.

TfL owns and manages more than 800 arches across London, with more than 93% of TfL’s tenants being small and medium businesses. It is continuing to invest in restoring its commercial assets to support existing tenants as well as attract new businesses, including plans to rejuvenate sites in the centre of Kilburn and East London.

By providing agency and strategic advice on arches, commercial land and development sites, Montagu Evans will help identify new occupiers and areas that can drive TfL’s wider objectives such as connecting diverse communities, supporting sustainability and breathing new life into these historic structures.

Jo Fisher, Head of Arches at TfL, said: “Our arch estate is a glowing example of the work we are doing to bring new, exciting options to London. Across London, we manage more than 800 railway arches, many of which have been converted into unique modern spaces that house everything from candle-making and food production to garages, artists’ studios and nurseries. Our arch tenants work hard every day to support each other and their local communities, and we are keen to support them, as well as encourage new business that can flourish in the unique environment of our estate.”

John Percy, Partner at Montagu Evans, said: “These railway arches and commercial spaces are such an important part of London’s communities and streetscapes, with enormous potential both for placemaking and business growth. With this new appointment, we will be taking a strategic approach and identifying opportunities for TfL to breathe new life into underused and overlooked properties as well as ensuring the day-to-day running of the portfolio continues effectively.”

Click here to see the full TFL arches list on our website.

 

Planning and development consultancy Montagu Evans has appointed Chris Morrow as a partner within its Rating team. He will specialise in providing advice to Montagu Evans’ occupier clients, with a particular focus on Central London.

Chris joins from Matthews & Goodman, where he was a partner and head of Rating. Prior to this, he worked as a rating surveyor at Newton Perkins and SMPA. He is a Rating Surveyors’ Association member and has also been awarded the RICS Rating Diploma.

Chris’s appointment follows on from two recent hires for Montagu Evans’ Rating team, Kathleen Marsland in the Landlord team in London and Fionn Hunter in Glasgow.

Josh Myerson, Head of Rating at Montagu Evans, commented:  “We continue to bolster our team, making key strategic hires across the UK to ensure we are in the best possible position to continue to provide expert advice to our clients in advance of the 2023 revaluation. In Chris, we have a senior rating surveyor with extensive occupier experience, especially in London, who has a high level of technical expertise. We are delighted to welcome him to the team.

Chris Morrow, Partner at Montagu Evans, added: “Montagu Evans’ ethos for putting the client at the centre of everything it does is something I strongly believe in. This, alongside its focus on collaborative working and the team’s impressive reputation, made joining the firm a very attractive proposition. With significant changes to the business rates system on the horizon, I am looking forward to working alongside my new colleagues to navigate these issues and bring the greatest benefits to our clients.