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Transport giant Go-Ahead Group moves to new Newcastle city centre office

2025-08-16 21:40:26 By

The 55 Degrees North building in Newcastle

Transport giant the Go-Ahead Group is moving its head office after striking a deal for new city centre space.

The bus and rail business has signed a deal for the entire second floor of 55 Degrees North in Newcastle city centre. The company will relocate its headquarters from 41-51 Grey St in Newcastle, where it has been based for many years, to the prominent building which has floor-to-ceiling glazing and enjoy views of the Tyne Bridge.

Go-Ahead, which delisted from the London Stock Exchange in 2022 after it was acquired by Globalvia and its Australian partner Kinetic, has taken up 8,740 sqft on a 12-year term with a break in year seven. The building is now full having been comprehensively refurbished by landlord Taras Properties, a property investment vehicle owned by the real estate entrepreneurs the Reuben Brothers.

Investment in the building has transformed the space into contemporary offices with LED lighting, a new air conditioning system, raised access flooring, and refurbished WCs, shower facilities, and reception. There is also secure car parking onsite.

Nathan Douglas, senior surveyor at Knight Frank who brokered the deal, said: “Go-Ahead was keen to upgrade the standard of its offices but stay in a central location and 55 Degrees North ticked those boxes. The office is at the southern end of Pilgrim Street which is seeing transformational regeneration including a new public square, a destination food and beverage offering and a 5* boutique hotel – which of course will provide top-class amenities on their doorstep.

“This letting is another example of the flight to quality we are increasingly seeing when leases come to an end.”

The agreement comes as new figures from Knight Frank show there is currently only 350,000 sqft of newly built office space on the market outside of London – half the amount released in 2024 and 44% down on 2023 in an already constrained office market.

Sunderland building Maker & Faber makes up a large slice of the space available, with 156,938 sqft of space in two of only four new-build office schemes completing and available to let this year, across UK regional cities.

Partner at Knight Frank, Patrick Matheson, says demand for Grade A offices continues to outstrip supply as businesses prioritise ESG credentials, amenity and location and he believes Sunderland is well placed to take advantage of this.

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Hammerson adds Odeon cinema to Bristol Cabot Circus

Property giant Hammerson has announced plans to add an Odeon to its Bristol Cabot Circus shopping centre. The agreement will see the UK's largest cinema brand opening a big screen within the complex next year. It comes a year after the closure of Showcase Cinema de Lux which at the time was the city's biggest multiplex cinema with 14 screens. It had operated within Cabot Circus since the shopping centre's opening in 2008, but was shut last November. Hammerson said at the time they were "committed" to having a large cinema as part of the shopping centre. The firm carried out a customer survey earlier this year and found that a new cinema was the leisure experience most requested by visitors to Cabot Circus. Toby Tait, director of asset management at Hammerson, said: “Cabot Circus is proud of its record providing Bristol with a leading cinema which acts as a key draw to both our destination and the wider city centre. "This new partnership with Odeon is the culmination of months of hard work to select the best operator and bring the latest technology and experience into a completely renewed cinema venue. It adds to our growing line-up of restaurants and entertainment venues, specifically introduced to boost day and night experiences at Cabot Circus in the heart of Bristol.” The news follows a string of recent deals between Hammerson and leisure operators for Cabot Circus, including King Pins Bowl which will open its 16,500 sq ft gaming venue next year. Meanwhile, Treetop Golf - an immersive golfing experience - is opening in December. A number of food outlets are also set to open, including popular gastronomical concept Six by Nico and poke bowl chain Honi Poke, which chose Cabot Circus as one of its first sites outside London.

Lord Alan Sugar's property firm recovers amid challenging market conditions

Lord Alan Sugar's property venture, Amshold, has reported a return to profit in its most recent fiscal year ending 30 June, 2024. After enduring a substantial pre-tax loss of £29.1 million in the previous year, the organisation disclosed a pre-tax profit of £932,000 despite a drop in turnover from £11.4 million to £8.7 million. The figures were outlined in recently submitted documents to Companies House. Amshold, known for holding Lord Sugar's property investments, chose not to distribute a dividend for another year—a pattern consistent with the preceding year, as reported by City AM. The last significant payout was a £90 million dividend issued in 2022. Addressing challenges in the capital's real estate market, the group stated: "The market for quality London freehold investment property is difficult with high interest rates, uncertainty and falling valuations." Nevertheless, the firm managed an operating profit before revaluations and disposals of £3.1 million, down from £6.7 million. These results follow on the heels of completing the sale of The Crosspoint, located at 117-121 Bishopgate, London, for a sum of £24 million on 1 October, 2024. Regarding its future strategy, the business commented: "The group remains committed to enhancing its current portfolio of real estate assets by means of diligent active management of stock whilst at the same time aggressively endeavouring to acquire new quality real estate asset opportunities that would complement our existing real estate portfolio strategy." They further added, "With fixed long-term funding we remain extremely well placed to do this." They are optimistic about their potential for growth with the statement, "With a strong and stable management team the group is extremely well positioned to continue to actively acquire viable real estate propositions that it feels with further enhance its portfolio."

Work starts on new business park in the Black Country

Work has started on transforming a derelict industrial site in the Black Country into a new business park which is expected to create more than 330 new jobs. Foundry Business Park is being built on 15 acres of land off Brook Street, in Bilston, and will offer a mix of accommodation for small and large companies. Oldbury-based developer Goold Estates has started work on site following confirmation of a £12.5 million investment by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) to help get the scheme under way. Goold Estates was selected by City of Wolverhampton Council as its chosen developer for the land which it has designated for employment use as part of its wider Bilston Urban Village regeneration project. Email newsletters BusinessLive is your home for business news from across the West Midlands including Birmingham, the Black Country, Solihull, Coventry and Staffordshire. Click through here to sign up for our email newsletter and also view the broad range of other bulletins we offer including weekly sector-specific updates. We will also send out 'Breaking News' emails for any stories which must be seen right away. LinkedIn For all the latest stories, views and polls, follow our BusinessLive West Midlands LinkedIn page here. The WMCA funding is being used in part to cover the cost of cleaning up the site and making it ready for the construction of 15 industrial and distribution units totaling 166,500 sq ft of accommodation to suit a variety of uses. West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker said: "Foundry Park will bring new life to this site and create over 300 much-needed jobs for local people. "This modern, environmentally sustainable development will give businesses room to grow and contribute to the community. It will also help tackle a shortage of high-quality workspaces for our region's smaller firms. "Investments like this strengthen our local economy and build a solid foundation for future growth that benefits everyone across the West Midlands." Dominic Goold, managing director of Goold Estates, added: "This brownfield site has a complex industrial legacy which has kept it vacant for more than 20 years. "It required consultation with a number of third parties to progress the site's development but we are excited to have begun remediation works. "Foundry Business Park has the potential to create hundreds of new jobs, secure the future of many firms in the region and attract inward investment." City of Wolverhampton Council leader Cllr Stephen Simkins said: "Bringing this strategically important site forward has been a long-term ambition for the council and I am delighted to see our chosen developer, Goold Estates, start work to create new industrial and distribution units that will deliver hundreds of jobs for our residents.

Grainger unveil plans for 400 apartment built-to-rent scheme in Cardiff city centre

Plans for a 400 build-to-rent apartment scheme, which will also see a string of railway arches revived in the centre of Cardiff, have been revealed. Newcastle-based and the UK’s largest listed residential landlord, Grainger, has acquired a development site at John Street in a £6.25m deal, which also includes the long leasehold interest in five railway arches. Following the acquisition, Grainger is now progressing plans to obtain planning consent for a build-to-rent led scheme for 400 apartments with resident amenities, whilst transforming five railway arches to provide commercial and publicly accessible open space. The arches, with are currently not occupied, each extend to around 1,000 sq ft. In a separate deal Grainger has also acquired a multi-storey car park at the nearby Capital Quarter scheme, which is adjacent to Grainger’s Copper Works residential scheme. Both the land site and car park have been acquired from Cardiff-based and family-owned developer JR Smart, which developed the Capital Quarter scheme and a new 107,000 sq ft office building at John Street, which is due to be completed next year. The Cardiff office of property advisory firm Knight Frank acted for JR Smart on its two disposal deals with Grainger. The multi-storey car park with 296 spaces was acquired as a going concern and will enable Grainger to lease car parking spaces to residents of the Copper Works, but also for any potential development on the John Street site. With 11,069 operational rental homes across the UK, and a further 4,730 homes in its £1.4bn pipeline, Grainger said its Cardiff acquisitions provide an opportunity to further strengthen its presence in the city. In January it unveiled its built-to-rent Copper Works scheme at Capital Quarter with its 307 apartments. Helen Gordon, chief executive of Grainger, said:“We are pleased to further invest in Cardiff, which is a key investment target for Grainger.

Cardiff office market sees strong growth in letting deals and its headline rent level

Cardiff’s commercial office property sector has performed strongly this year with rising letting activity and its headline rent on an upwards trajectory after being stagnant for nearly a decade, shows new research from property consultancy Knight Frank. The firm’s Cardiff Report said the market has benefited for an increasing number of companies expecting employees to spend more time in the office, Its annual report also shows that those seeking office space are becoming more selective, with high-quality, amenity-rich office spaces that support health, well-being, and sustainability objectives foremost in demand. Matt Phillips, head of the Cardiff office of Knight Frank, said: “This occupational realignment is having a profound impact on the property landscape in Cardiff. While there is a plentiful supply of commercial spaces in Cardiff, there is a notable shortage of properties that meet this evolving criteria of active occupiers. “The market is polarising at pace, with new or recently refurbished buildings generating healthy occupier attention. Older buildings lacking significant capital improvements, however, are experiencing greater challenges. Herein lies both the challenge and opportunity for Cardiff.” Knight Frank’s said total office take-up in the city for the third quarter of this year topped 146,000 sq ft - the highest quarterly total since Q4 of 2020. For the year to date a total of 334,500 sq ft has been let - 56% ahead of the equivalent period in 2023 and the strongest first nine months to a year since 2017. So far this year three deals of more than 20,000 sq ft have been completed, the highest for three years, Notably, the average deal size for the year-to-date is 4,711 sq ft, the highest since 2020. The largest deal this year was the Welsh Government acquiring a 51,400 sq ft former Lloyds office building at Cardiff Gate Business Park to support the expansion of the compound semiconductor cluster in South Wales. The other two deals over 20,000 sq ft saw professional advisory firm, PwC taking 33,200 sq ft at One Central Square and Aldemore Bank (via Motonovo Finance)taking 28,100 sq ft at the adjacent Two Central Square. Motonovo has taken space being sublet by law firm Hugh James in the building. Motonovo is moving out of One Central Square, which provides the space for PwC. Mr Phillips said: “So far this year companies originating from the financial services and insurance sectors have been particularly active, accounting for 27% of the total office space take-up. Notably, four out of eight of leasing deals involving spaces over 10,000 sq ft were secured by firms from these sectors.” At the end of third quarter the overall vacancy rate in the core Cardiff city and Bay market was 9.9%, a slight fall compared to the peak of 11% earlier in the year. Inclusive of out-of-town areas, vacancy rates were 11.1 per cent in Q3. Mr Phillips said: “This elevated vacancy rate masks the complete picture. Grade A availability has steadily declined during the year to reach 324,000 sq ft at the end of the third quarter and this meant that the vacancy rate for new and grade A spaces dipped to 3.8%, meaning the gap between total availability and that of ‘best quality’ is now the widest for 10 years.” The report shows that the city’s development pipeline remains limited for those targeting new space. At the end of the quarter, John Street was the only new speculative office development under construction in Cardiff city centre. Being developed by JR Smart, the building is due for delivery by the end of 2025 and will provide 107,000 sq ft of office accommodation with floor plates of 13,000 sq ft. While rents increased in Cardiff during 2024 the gap compared to other regional markets also increased, the research reports. The headline (prime) rent in Cardiff increased to £28 per sq ft, The level was achieved through the letting deal at One Central Square with PwC. The previous headline rent was £25 per sq ft. The average market asking rents also experienced growth, rising to £18.50 per sq ft from £17.50 in 2023. Knight Frank said the upward trend in prime and average rents reflects Cardiff’s competitive market for better-quality spaces. However, despite this uplift, the disparity between Cardiff’s prime rents and those in other UK regional core cities expanded significantly. At the end of Q3 the average headline rent across core cities outside of London stood at £38.00 per sq ft, with the highest rent reaching £48.00 per sq ft in Bristol.

Office block above night time 'strip' set to be transformed into 14 flats

Plans have been put forward to convert the upper floors of the Victoria Buildings on Bury's bustling Silver Street into 14 new flats. Previously utilised as office space, the planning application reveals a stark decline in occupancy rates from 80 per cent in 2017 to a mere 10 per cent by 2019, with the building becoming entirely vacant in 2023. Silver Street is known for its nightlife, hosting an array of bars, restaurants and nightclubs, reports the Manchester Evening News. The proposed development aims to repurpose the commercial upper floors into residential units, offering 10 one-bedroom and four two-bedroom flats for market sale. Should the plans be approved, all existing windows will be replaced, although no other external alterations are expected as the redesign is intended to accommodate the current structure. A design and access statement submitted by the applicant, Mr R Sidebottom, highlights: "The site at Silver Street is located within a central, highly accessible urban area." The plans state: "The proposed density of 14 units is compatible with the surrounding urban context, where residential and commercial developments of similar scale are prevalent. Given the site's proximity to public transport links, shops, and local amenities, the proposed density is sustainable and aligns with the objectives of national and local policies that encourage higher densities in urban areas to reduce the need for outward expansion." A heritage statement on the Victoria Buildings, constructed in the late 19th century, describes it as 'a prominent example of Victorian commercial architecture in Bury'. It adds: "Each studio apartment has been designed to meet national space standards." "The development will make efficient use of the existing building, contributing positively to the local housing stock without negatively impacting the character or amenity of the surrounding area."

Games Workshop shares surge after positive trading update, driven by Warhammer sales

Shares in FTSE 250 listed Games Workshop leapt after the market opened, buoyed by a positive trading statement. The stock of the business behind Warhammer surged nearly 14% in the initial trading session, following an upbeat announcement to investors this morning. Games Workshop expressed contentment with its performance since the previous update in late September, reporting that it was "ahead of expectations", as reported by City AM. It specified: "The Board's estimate of the results for the six months to 1 December 2024, at actual rates, is core revenue of not less than £260m, compared to £235.6m, in 2022/23." Additionally, it expects "licensing revenue of not less than £30m", up from £13m recorded in 2023/24, and foresees a pre-tax profit "is estimated to be not less than £120 million, compared to £96.1m." These projections follow a significant shareholder backlash prompted by hefty bonuses handed out to senior executives. At its last trading update posted in September, the company headquartered in Nottingham faced substantial opposition at its AGM, with almost 21% dissenting against its remuneration report and close to 27% opposing its pay policy. Back in July, leadership celebrated the company's record-breaking results, branding them as heralds of "exciting times" ahead. In recent trading periods, Games Workshop's shares have risen 37.11% over the past half-year and 23% year-to-date. Russ Mould, the investment director at AJ Bell, said: "Shares in fantasy miniatures outfit Games Workshop traded at record highs as the company revealed trading is running notably ahead of expectations for the first half of its financial year." He highlighted a significant factor contributing to the robust figures: "A key feature of the strong numbers is a big uplift in licensing revenue driven by sales of the Space Marine 2 video game and before the company announces its half-year results in full in mid-January there may be news on its tie-up with Amazon. The agreement, to create a Warhammer 40K film and TV series, is close to a self-imposed deadline of 31 December to agree 'creative guidelines'. "The beauty of licensing income is it comes with negligible extra cost for the company and therefore is highly profitable." "Games Workshop looks to have significant untapped potential in its intellectual property and fantasy worlds. Globally, it has only just begun to explore market opportunities. "Having staff passionate about games, painting and collecting miniatures is a bonus for its store network. Rather than simply being run by people who just show up to work and perform tasks as requested, the stores are manned by individuals as keen about the subject matter as the customers. That enthusiasm can be infectious and keeps customers loyal and the tills ringing. "Being vertically integrated, Games Workshop controls everything from design to sales, allowing efficient cost optimisation and pricing control. It continues to be a unique business on the UK market and that has helped it attract a premium valuation."

Business hotel near M4 in Swindon put up for sale

A popular business hotel just off the M4 in Swindon has been put up sale. The 171-bedroom DoubleTree by Hilton, on Great Western Way, reopened under the DoubleTree brand following a refurbishment in 2016. The freehold interest in the hotel is being jointly marketed by specialist property firm Christie & Co and real estate companhy Cushman & Wakefield. It is not known why the property is being sold but it is being advertised as a "rare opportunity" to revamp the hotel "free of management", including refurbishing rooms and updating conferencing facilities. There is also the potential to expand the number of beds to 181, subject to approval. The hotel, which is just off junction 16 of the the motorway, is often used for business meetings and events, and has two food and drink outlets, fitness facilities and space for conferences. Ed Fitch, head of hospitality UK & Ireland at Cushman & Wakefield, said: “Swindon is experiencing significant transformation with a depth of both private and public capital in deployment across a spectrum of projects from Panattoni’s redevelopment of the ex-Honda plant to investment into the town centre. "The hotel stands to benefit from this evolution, underpinned by its strategic location at the south-west side of the town on the M4, the preferred destination for local corporates. This, when combined with potential to extend the key count and execute a pre-designed room refurbishment programme (subject to brand review), presents a new owner the potential to drive significant NOI uplift and value-add returns.” The hotel is next to Lydiard Fields Business Park and nearby Windmill Hill Business Park, which is home to Regus, Nationwide and Vodafone. Jeremy Jones, head of brokerage at Christie & Co, added: “The joint agents are delighted to be launching this substantial hotel asset to the market. Offering a profitable track record and having undergone substantial investment, the hotel offers further asset management potential to grow profitability benefiting from the growing appeal of the business parks around Swindon."

Former Cardiff office building being turned into Wales' first co-living scheme

A project transforming a former office building in the centre of Cardiff into Wales’ first co-living scheme has secured a £30m-plus funding boost to ensure its completion . Developer Urban Centric has struck a £23.8m debt deal with Shawbrook for the project at the 60,000 sq ft Knox Court building alongside securing a £7.6m equity injection from Housing Growth Partnership, which is part of Lloyds Banking Group. The project is scheduled for completion in January 2026 and will provide 206 apartments for rent, alongside share areas. It will also have office units on the ground floor. The funding will finance the construction work, including the addition of two new floors, and assist with tenant acquisition. The building has been vacate since financial services firm L&G moved staff last year into its new Welsh HQ building at the Interchange scheme, which forms part of the wider Central Square development around Cardiff Central Station. Andrew Wood, director of Urban Centric, said: “Urban Centric are proud to be delivering the first co-living scheme in Wales with our partners, the Housing Growth Partnership and with the support of Shawbrook. “Following the successful completion of our first scheme with Shawbrook in Swansea in 2022, we were delighted to partner with them once again on this landmark project. Their flexible and tailored funding approach has been instrumental in helping us bring our vision to life and we look forward to working with them in the future.” John Hughes, senior relationship director at Shawbrook, said “We are pleased to support Urban Centric in launching Wales’s first co-living scheme. This partnership, alongside the Housing Growth Partnership, combines our financial expertise with their innovative vision, propelling the project forward. Co-living offers a flexible, community-focused living experience that resonates with today’s urban residents seeking affordability and connection. Working with Urban Centric again underscores our commitment at Shawbrook to fostering strong relationships with developers.” Mike Murphy, director of Housing Growth Partnership, said: “This first investment alongside Urban Centric highlights the ever-growing significance of equity funding in creating, regenerating and delivering vibrant communities and homes that meet an unmet demand for housing in key regional UK cities. It also underscores our team’s capability in executing complex equity transactions across the UK living sector. "Co-living in particular is a nascent but fast-growing product, as people prioritise city centre living and the infrastructure and social advantages it brings. It’s been great working with the team at Urban Centric to date and the collaboration with Shawbrook has given us the reliable financing and confidence needed to bring this project to life.

Manchester office investment 'paying dividends' as international businesses head to city, agents say

Property leaders say the massive investment in Manchester City Centre is paying dividends in attracting national and international businesses to the city – and they hope there’s more to come. The latest figures from the Manchester Office Agents Forum (MOAF) showed that in the third quarter, 432,619 sq ft of city centre office space was let across 51 transactions, giving a big boost to the annual total. Almost 1m sq ft has been let in the year so far – with 46% of take up coming in Q3. The quarter also saw the two largest transactions in the year, with the letting of 4 Angel Square (196,443 sq ft) to BNY Mellon and ARM’s deal for three floors in 1 St Michaels (68,860 sq ft). MOAF has predicted a “strong take-up” for the rest of the year and expected the annual total to top 1.3m – eclipsing the five and 10-year average figures of 1.1m and 1.2m respectively. Steve Brittle, partner at property consultancy Fisher German’s Manchester office, said: “The increase of 100,000 sq ft in deals compared to the previous quarter was predominantly due to the major letting to the Bank of New York Mellon Corporation which is the largest regional ‘big six’ letting recorded over the last four years. “This highlights the attraction and pull of Manchester as a city to corporate occupiers wanting to consolidate and expand their presence in the city along with the high-quality space that is available. “The massive amount of investment in Manchester city centre in recent years in terms of re-development, refurbishment of office buildings and inward investment from the private and public sector is paying huge dividends in the calibre of businesses and organisations that now want to make the city their home or expand here." Mr Brittle said occupiers were also looking more at Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) requirements when it came to office space. He added: "Acquiring office space that supports health, sustainability and transparency helps attract and retain top talent and is now considered to be a crucial factor when moving into a new base. “We expect the final quarter of 2024 to be positive with the deals that are currently in the pipeline, and the office market in Manchester City Centre has demonstrated a robust performance to date and the evidence of larger footprint transactions is encouraging.” In South Manchester, the market has witnessed a take up of 81,910 sq ft over 59 deals during Q3 which was a slight increase on the Q2 figure. The Q3 figure brings the transactions to date to 254,021 sq ft for 2024. Steve said: “The South Manchester market has been consistent throughout the year with levels and number of transactions being similar in each quarter. We expect that to continue for the remainder of the year and into 2025.” Announcing the Q3 survey results last month, Rob Yates, head of office agency at Cushman & Wakefield and MOAF chairman said: “Manchester’s office market continued to perform robustly, the return of larger lettings is particularly pleasing. The letting of 4 Angel Square is the largest regional ‘big six’ transaction recorded in the last 4 years. This illustrates the pull of Manchester to major occupiers seeking to consolidate and expand their footprint in Manchester. “We continue to see a diminishing supply of readily available Grade A space and robust demand for the best space. Given the lack of speculative development we expect to see a supply and demand imbalance in 2025. This issue will be further magnified when a number of high-profile transactions completed in Q4.” MOAF also discussed the out-of-town market in Q3, where Salford Quays and Old Trafford saw 15 completed transactions totalling 35,134 sq ft. John Nash, Canning O’Neill, said: “The out of town markets have been incredibly consistent through 2024 with similar transaction numbers and take up throughout each quarter of the year. Take up remains down on historic 5 year averages for these markets with larger lettings proving more difficult to secure. However, with reduced void and increasing rental levels in the city centre, the argument to look out of town is likely to become even more compelling.” MOAF is made up of Avison Young, BE Group, CBRE, Colliers International, Canning O’Neill, Cushman & Wakefield, Edwards, Fisher German, Hallam Property Consultants, JLL, Knight Frank, LSH, OBI, Savills and Sixteen. Earlier this month, Avison Young reported that the big cities of the North saw a boost in office take-up levels in Q3 as appetite for “best in class” space continues to grow – though there were still fears about levels of Grade A stock. Also this month, investment bank Cavendish announced its Manchester expansion with a new office at No.1 St Michaels.