LAST year was an excellent year for Gorell Barnes (GB) who have been trading now for five years, but John has been celebrating his involvement in commercial property in North Northamptonshire for 30 years.
LAST year was an excellent year for Gorell Barnes (GB) who have been trading now for five years, but John has been celebrating his involvement in commercial property in North Northamptonshire for 30 years. GB’s turnover has more than tripled, which is helped by the improvement in the commercial market throughout North Northamptonshire. In Corby, GB are pleased to have been involved with two of the largest deals in the town including taking a lease for clients on 66,000 square feet at Oakley Hay Industrial Estate on the previous Peavey building (I remember it from when it was occupied many many years ago by Pilkington Glass). GB were also responsible for bringing 1 Darwin Road to the market which was both let and sold to an occupier on the same estate and comprised 25,400 square feet and sold at a record freehold price since the downturn in 2008. GB are also pleased to act for Pall Mall Investments, a national property company where we brought an innovative leisure use to 3 Pasture Courtyard being a golf simulator company which involved a change of use from industrial. We are now marketing 5 and 6 Pasture Courtyard which comprises of a total of 16,000 square foot which also has leisure or quasi-retail/trade counter use potential , subject to planning. In Wellingborough, GB have also been very active; for example in assigning a complicated lease at Baird Court on Park Farm on behalf of Winslow Ford. Also on Park Farm, GB have helped obtain planning consent on 3.28 acres at Park Farm Way for 52 houses and also a commercial element of retail and leisure including opportunities for a local convenience store and restaurants. Next year in this town, GB will be bringing a 52,000 square foot building into the market on Denington Industrial Estate. In Kettering, GB assisted a landlord dispose of in excess of 42,000 square foot at Pytchley Lodge Industrial Estate. In the town centre, The Yards development has come on in Market Street and Gorell Barnes have been pleased to assist both the council and the developer to realise this excellent new retail facility. We will now be letting the gateway property at the front of the scheme, at number 11 Market Street, for offices or retail to include an extension. The rural market has also been very active where Gorell Barnes have let a number of units at Hill Farm Estate near Irthlingborough amounting to over 20,000 square feet and also yardage in excess of two acres all at record rents. In a year of anniversaries, I have been very involved with the Waterloo 200 Committee celebrating the success of the Battle of Waterloo which gave Europe all but 100 years of peace with the defeat of Napoleon; my ancestor, General Picton, being instrumental in the Peninsula Campaign prior to Waterloo and the final battle.