Cooke & Arkwright has been named ‘Most Active Regional Agent – South Wales’ by Estates Gazette in its EGi Deals Competition 2011. This is the second year running that the firm has won one of the Estates Gazette’s top regional awards – it was named ‘Most Active Agent in Wales’ in 2010.
“This is a great achievement in an extremely difficult market and in a competition in which we were pitted against many national firms,” said Chairman Roger Thomas. “Our Industrial, Investment, Office and Retail agencies have risen to the challenge and together with the support and teamwork of all members of the firm have produced commendable results for the current climate. The Investment agency for example, completed close to £100m worth of transactions during the financial year, across a whole spectrum of clients. This hard work continues to deliver results as demonstrated by some of our most recent deals.”
The firm’s Industrial agency advised LAS Holdings of Lampeter on the purchase of Dairygold House, the 70,000 sq ft former Dairygold premises in 7.3 acres in Felinfach, which were vacated when the company moved production to Staffordshire in 2006 with the loss of 115 jobs. The purchase is anticipated to create new jobs and breathe new life into the area. At Cardiff Business Park, three new lettings to Tenovus, Great Bear and Greggs, with a fourth under negotiation, have brought the site to near full occupancy, while the sale of 1.5 acres at Rover Way on behalf of Tarmac has doubled the presence of the purchaser, Generation UK in Cardiff.
The Office agency has just won a major instruction to acquire modern new headquarters of 35,000 sq ft for top law firm Morgan Cole in Cardiff and is looking at a number of options. At Trinity Court in Newport Road, over 10,500 sq ft on all five floors of has been let to Cardiff 6th Form College, which has doubled its staff numbers. The ground floor at Copse Walk, Cardiff Gate, has been let to the Welsh Conservatives and 15 Windsor Place to the London Women’s’ Clinic.
In Queen Street, Cardiff, premises which were vacated when Monsoon moved to St David’s shopping centre, have been let on behalf of Hermes Real Estate Investment Management Limited (HREIML) by the Retail agency to Phones 4 U on a ten year lease. The transaction involved an early exchange followed by agreed landlord’s works. The agency also structured a new lease to B&M Retail comprising 26,750 sq ft on the former Woolworths property in Carmarthen. The location is an edge of prime position on Guildhall Square close to British Home Stores and B&M agreed to a new 15 year lease without any break options.
Cooke & Arkwright is the largest independent firm of chartered surveyors in Wales and one of the longest established.