An independent cycle store on the expansion route is the latest retailer to take up space at a new £64m shopping centre near Portsmouth.

Solent Cycles, run by 39-year-old founder Mike Paget, has signed a seven-year lease on a 139 sq m (1,500 sq ft) corner unit at Whitely Shopping Centre, Whiteley.

The 29,289 sq m (320,000 sq ft) leisure and retail destination, with 56 shops and reportedly 91% let by rent, officially opens on Thursday (May 23).

High street names at the landscaped site, with open spaces and public art, include Next, Topshop, M&S, H&M, Moss JD Sports, Boots and Body Shop.

Opposite Meadowside Leisure Centre, the Solent Cycles letting was handled by commercial law firm Graeme Quar & Co in a business relationship with Mike going back 17 years.

Graeme dealt with Mike’s first lease and subsequent renewals on the inaugural store at West Street, Portchester, in 1995, plus a second store at Marine Parade West, Lee-on-the-Solent, seven years ago and the third one in West Street, Fareham, three years ago.

Solent Cycles now employs 11 people overall, including manager Leon Topps, mechanic Craig Ponting and sales assistant Alex McDonald at Whiteley.

Mike said: “There is a clear business case for our products and services at Whiteley, both from the neighbouring residential communities and visitors coming to a destination shopping centre which could give Gunwharf Quays in Portsmouth and WestQuays in Southampton a run for their money.”

He added: “Graeme’s firm has been handling my legal paperwork for 17 years. Both Graeme and his team are approachable – they understand business.”

In a related development, the firm also carried out the lease work for another arrival at Whiteley, the Fabulous Bakers.

Led by bakery entrepreneur Mark Waite, from Denmead, and his brother Kevin, Fabulous Bakers is creating 12 jobs with a 93 sq m (1,000 sq ft) bakery and restaurant just a few doors along from Solent Cycles.

Fabulous Bakers has a store at Middle Road, Park Gate, and plans to rebrand The Village Baker in London Road, Purbrook, which is run by Kevin, as the Fabulous Bakers.

Graeme, the managing director of Graeme Quar & Co, said: “Longevity is a hallmark of mutual respect and trust in business.

“With that in mind, we’re pleased to see that both Solent Cycles and the Fabulous Bakers are punching above their weight and going for growth, generating valuable jobs as the economy starts to pick up.”

Paperwork was carried out by Robert Harris, the latest legal consultant to join 16-strong Graeme Quar & Co, which has offices in Fareham and Petersfield and has had a record year of growth and appointments.

Rent details were not disclosed.

Robert, who has 40 years’ experience in commercial property, previously worked for Mundays LLP in Surrey.

Other recent signings include Lorna Palmer, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives, and Michael Dalton, a senior commercial property and business solicitor.

Businesses could be missing out to the tune of tens of thousands of pounds by not claiming tax relief for their research and development (R&D) activities.

That’s the claim from chartered accountants and business advisers Princecroft Willis (PcW) after it successfully saved a Dorset company more than £30,000.

Upton-based Pambry Electronics designs, develops and supplies microphones, connectors and associated products to some of the world’s biggest manufacturers.

The family business, founded in 1972 by Brian Bicknell and now run by his son Nigel, has an annual turnover of £2.3 million and counts several UK blue chip companies among its customers.

It specialises in microphone development particularly for the mask and fighter aircraft fields and also distributes cable, connector and speaker systems.

The advanced facilities at its factory on the Upton Industrial Estate include a state-of-the-art acoustic chamber costing £50,000 and used for the accurate measurement of microphones and speakers.

“We operate in a very specialised area and R&D is a key part of the business,” said Mr Bicknell whose daughter, Gemma, has now joined Pambry Electronics as Sales Administrator.

He added: “We are looking to launch 12 new products in the next year as part of our expansion plans.

“Princecroft Willis looked in detail at our R&D activities and, as a result, we will be able to claim back £30,000 in tax relief. That pays for one guy and is very welcome.

“The government should be congratulated on supporting research and development. We’d like to see more initiatives like this,” Mr Bicknell added.

Mark Johns, PcW’s Managing Partner, said Pambry Electronics was a “classic example” of a company involved in research and development which was entitled to claim tax relief on its activities.

“Many firms may be unaware of the considerable tax incentives available to them which may run into tens of thousands of pounds. It’s very satisfying when our actions lead to clients such as Pambry Electronics being able to achieve significant savings,” added Mr Johns.

The regeneration of Bournemouth town centre passed a significant milestone today as an official turf cutting heralded the formal start of building work on a five-storey apartment block overlooking Horseshoe Common.

The £12 million development, on the former council-owned surface car park at Leyton Mount, will house 64 flats and a 290 sq m (3,120 sq ft) commercial unit suitable for a café or restaurant.

Businesses, council leaders and project partners all welcomed the plan during its public consultation stages as a way of improving safety in and around the Common and rejuvenating nearby Old Christchurch Road.

The project is being led by The Bournemouth Development Company (BDC), Bournemouth Council’s delivery partner for its 20-year Town Centre Master Vision.

BDC, a public-private partnership between the Council and Morgan Sindall Investments, secured planning permission in 2012.

Duncan Johnston, BDC Development Director, said: “The redevelopment of the Leyton Mount car park will be a catalyst for improvement at Horseshoe Common and the streets, paths and open spaces that lead to and from it.”

The start of work has been welcomed by Councillor John Beesley, Leader of Bournemouth Council. He said: “Leyton Mount is a central part of our co-ordinated approach to improving the town centre. The development will help increase the vitality of the area, make it a more pleasant place for people to visit, and stimulate economic activity and employment.”

Funding for the scheme includes a £5 million investment from the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA)’s Get Britain Building programme.

Elizabeth Wright, HCA Area Manager, said: “This is an important project for Bournemouth and the wider economy because of its focus on creating a better, more successful town centre.
“The new jobs and investment it will create will help give a boost to the local economy which our funding will support. It is great news that work is starting and that we can look forward to seeing the vision for this project being turned into reality.”

Building work will be carried out by teams from the Poole office of Morgan Sindall Construction, with sub-contractors sourced from the local supply chain as far as possible.

Paul Gale, area director for Morgan Sindall, said: “This regeneration project is an important investment in the future of Bournemouth and will increase the town’s commercial infrastructure and residential provisions, providing a vital boost to the town in a variety of ways.”

Other companies involved in the scheme include the Bournemouth planning consultancy Terence O’Rourke and the Ferndown office of building services engineers, Hoare Lea.

Mandy Payne, President of Bournemouth Chamber of Trade & Commerce, said: “This is the start of a co-ordinated series of improvements to breathe new life into the town centre in the midst of still challenging economic conditions. Making better use of car park sites will help to generate vibrancy and economic prosperity by increasing the number of people living and working here.”

The start of work at Leyton Mount comes just weeks after site clearance and construction began on two other BDC projects, both at neighbouring Madeira Road.

Also a former council-owned car park, part of the Madeira Road site will be redeveloped into three blocks of accommodation for 378 students at the Arts University Bournemouth.

Alongside will be a 382-space multi-storey car park, specifically designed to ensure the permanent provision of public parking in the area.

The combined development value of the Leyton Mount and Madeira Road projects is £40 million

Keeping your staff engaged and motivated in tough times is one of the topics being discussed in the latest business breakfast briefing by the South Coast office of accountancy and investment management firm Smith & Williamson.

The complimentary event, being held at the Portsmouth Marriott Hotel, Southampton Road, Portsmouth, also looks at the impact of the Chancellor’s recent Budget on local businesses and fundamental changes to financial reporting.

From 7.30am to 9am, including full English breakfast, the briefing takes place this Tuesday (May 21).

Speakers from the firm will be Trevor Hayman, associate director, tax, Julie Mutton, partner, assurance and business services, and Andrew Edmonds, head of Southampton assurance and business services.

For more details contact abigail.rudge@smith.williamson.co.uk

Hotels in Southampton reported a subdued performance in March, according to preliminary hotel figures released by business and advisory accountancy firm BDO LLP [data previously compiled by PKF Accountants & business advisers, which merged with BDO LLP at the end of March 2013].

Southampton hoteliers saw a 0.6% drop in room rate to £51.52, compared with £51.84 in March 2012, and a 3.1% decline in occupancy from 69.5% to 67.4%, which resulted in a room yield reduction of 3.7% from £36.04 to £34.72.

In Portsmouth, by contrast, although hotels saw the price paid for hotel rooms drop 1.5% to £63.14, occupancy levels rose from 74.1% to 75.5% and room yields increased 0.4% from £46.48 to £46.67 across Portsmouth.

London’s hotels also face a difficult time as rooms yield declined by 5.4% from £101.83 to £96.32, with a drop of room rates by 4.5% to £122.53, compared with £128.30 a year ago and a reduction in occupancy from 79.3% to 78.6%.

Chris Driver, Audit Director at BDO LLP commented: “This is the fifth consecutive month in which regional hotels have outperformed their London counterparts, which is the opposite of what we have seen for much of the past few years.

“It has been a tough market for many hoteliers in Southampton but as we enter the bank holiday season, we should hopefully see improved visitor numbers across the south coast to enjoy some sunshine and long weekends away.”

Commercial property developer Jansons Property has appointed joint agents to find a potential occupier for its site on the Basingstoke Road in Reading.

Locally based Haslams and London agent Rapleys have been instructed to find tenants for the site, which is immediately next to the Morrison’s supermarket, at the junction with Rose Kiln Lane.

The site is currently a 60,000 sq ft office centre but Jansons is considering redevelopment options to build a food store on the site, or space for drive-thru restaurants and other shops or restaurants.

There may be only one candle on the cake, but there’s a significant number of deals to celebrate as Carter Jonas celebrates the first anniversary of its return to the commercial property market in Winchester.

Managed by chartered surveyor Paul Russell and assistant surveyor Keith Enters, the division actually brought a wealth of experience in the Hampshire commercial property field to the Jewry Street office, Paul having spent 30 years in practice in Southampton and Keith fresh from running a Carter Jonas commercial office covering north Hampshire.

“We are very active in lease renewals and rent reviews but there is less consistency than there used to be,” comments Paul. “It takes years of skill and experience to interpret limited comparable evidence when setting or agreeing terms but my many years in the area before joining Carter Jonas has given me a good library of knowledge.

“The strength of the market is shown by limited good stock available in Winchester as the city continues to be popular, although some property types are more in demand than others.”

Keith Enters points to the variety of deals done during the year, from finding a home for a language school in Southgate Street to helping the internationally known Moss Bros move to a larger store in the High Street. He and Paul have also taken time to find a new home for the Carter Jonas residential lettings team in Winchester, luckily next door to the current Jewry Street office.

Along the way, he has also moved Utopia Wines into a redundant Stockbridge bank and let a storage compound at Belbins in Romsey as well as making his own contribution to keeping Winchester’s retail units occupied.

“When compared with other urban centres, Winchester has a far lower ratio of empty retail premises – good for landlords and owners wishing to sell but harder to negotiate strong terms in favour of tenants when the boot is on the other foot,” comments Keith.

A Dorset businessman is celebrating after being shortlisted for two prestigious awards just a year after taking on the managing director’s role.

Paul Fox, 42, is in line to win the Institute of Directors’ Director of the Year for a small or medium-sized business, and also the Corporate Responsibility award, both in the South West region.

Mr Fox, from Ferndown, Dorset, heads Merryhill Envirotec, the Romsey-based asbestos removal company.

He was shortlisted for both awards and the winners will be announced at the IoD ‘Entrepreneurs’ Dinner’ on June 6 in Bristol. The victors will then go through to a national final.

Despite difficult economic conditions in the construction sector Mr Fox oversaw a rise in net profit before tax of an astonishing 79 per cent compared with the year before he took the reins.

And sales shot up by 7.5 per cent, which enabled the firm to take on more staff and traineeships.

Mr Fox also gained the rare Chartered Director status, the first ever person in his industry to do so.

The company is involved in dangerous work, which is one of the reasons why Mr Fox was so pleased to be shortlisted for the Corporate Responsibility award.

Merryhill is at the forefront of many ethical and sustainability initiatives and secured funding to look at ‘sustainability best practice’, the results of which it shares with other firms.

The company has also implemented a more flexible working environment with two members of staff able to work from home, saving 12,000 miles of travel each year and reducing Merryhill’s carbon footprint.

It has joined the Supply Chain Sustainability School, a virtual learning environment set up some major UK companies to help construction sub-contractors further develop their sustainability competencies.

Mr Fox, who also gives his time free to Dormen – a business mentoring scheme in Dorset – said: “It is a great honour to be short-listed for these awards.

“It reflects well on everybody at Merryhill who have worked incredibly hard during tough economic times.

“We are determined as a company to act in a responsible way at all times, with regard to our staff, the environment and society as a whole.

“We have joined numerous schemes to help us achieve this and to have our efforts recognised through me being short-listed is very pleasing.”

MAJOR expansion is on the cards for a Dorset company after planners gave the go-ahead to a £7 million biogas plant.

Work on building the facility, which will convert 45,000 tonnes of food waste and locally sourced maize into gas, is due to start this month at Eco Sustainable Solutions’ Parley site. Completion is expected in 2015.

The anaerobic digester (AD) plant will produce about 4.4 million cubic metres of gas annually which Eco estimates will provide 3,000 homes with energy.

It will form part of a renewable energy park covering 25 acres at Eco’s Chapel Lane site. Currently 17 acres of land is used for organics recycling.

The company has already received planning permission for a £14 million biomass generating station at Parley.

The station, which will be fuelled by 25,000 tonnes of waste wood, is expected to be operational next year. It will provide approximately 2.3 megawatts (MW) of electricity per annum.

The final part of the renewable energy park is a solar energy farm which will use photovoltaic panels capable of directly converting sunlight into electrical current.

Christchurch planners approved the £15 million farm in March and work is now underway on the scheme.

It will cover an area the equivalent of 65 football pitches and generate approximately 20 MW of low carbon ‘green’ electrical power, meeting the electricity needs of about 5,000 homes.

The AD plant was given the green light by Dorset County Council’s planning committee after officers recommended the scheme for approval.

Trelawney Dampney, Eco’s Managing Director, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to have cleared this final hurdle. It’s now full steam ahead on creating one of the UK’s largest renewable energy parks on a purpose-built site.”

He added: “This represents a major expansion for Eco and we’re very excited to finally be able to put our plans into action.”

Founded in 1994, Eco employs 50 people and has an annual turnover of £10 million.

The company owns and operates the UK’s leading purpose-built site for organics recycling and renewable energy generation, currently processing 250,000 tonnes of organic material each year across four facilities.

The £36 million renewable energy park is expected to create up to ten new jobs.

Acting on behalf of a private landlord, Goadsby have let the 5th floor of Dean Park House to Decoded Solutions Ltd on a new 5 year lease. The 5th floor of this six storey office building extends to approximately 2,629 sq ft and the landlord was offering a rental incentive of only £7.50 per sq ft exclusive, subject to overall lease terms.

Tom Chapman, Goadsby Business Space commented “Decoded Solutions were previously located in smaller premises in Bournemouth and were looking for an open plan office of between 2,500 and 3,000 sq ft to enable them to expand their business operation. Parking was also important to Decoded Solutions so Dean Park House was ideal for them as it benefits from good visitor parking along with allocated parking.”