Nottingham City Council has secured the services of leading real estate adviser Bilfinger GVA, to provide advice on the next phase of development at Nottingham Science Park.
The agency’s Offices, Building Services, and Planning teams will collaborate on a demand study and conceptual scoping of the proposed 35,000 sq ft new building, No 2, which will further extend the science park, advising on the best space to provide in order to meet current and anticipated market requirements.
Owned and operated by Nottingham City Council, the science park currently provides 270 000 sq ft of business accommodation across its campus, adjacent to the University of Nottingham.
Outline planning consent is already in place for a much wider extension including the proposed No 2 Building, which can ultimately accommodate three additional buildings and will sit next to the existing Highfields Centre, Central College and No.1 Nottingham Science Park.
Carl Potter, National Head of Offices at Bilfinger GVA, said: “Part of our role is to advise Nottingham City Council on the best way of configuring the space within this proposed phase of the development, based on current markets.
“This could include advice on the physical layout of the building, from the number of floors to the individual size of suites and spaces, whether the proposed spatial planning will work effectively, and the level of internal fit-out. Following this, we will be providing some conceptual development advice and working with Nottingham City Council to advise on a brand for the new buildings.
“This is a great appointment which utilises our existing experience in the science park sector and assists in the ongoing expansion of our services into the East Midlands market. As has been well documented over the recent past the need to improve the variety of accommodation available to serve the wider science community, and to enable a full engagement of research, and knowledge sharing and dissemination is crucial to providing a well-rounded offering to the sector. ”
Situated two miles from the centre of Nottingham the science park campus fronts University Boulevard and is well served by transport links with junction 25 of the M1 six miles away via the nearby A52 and both Beeston and Nottingham railway stations within easy reach.
Carl Potter continued: “The existing buildings on the Park have already attracted a number of occupiers, predominantly from the cleantech and low carbon businesses, including a number of international companies and a number of SMEs.
“The combination of our experience in the science parks sector and collaboration of our building services and planning teams gave the Council the confidence that we would help them to advise upon the appropriate product to deliver the next exciting phase in the development of Nottingham Science Park.”
Nottingham Science Park benefits significantly from its location as part of the Nottingham Enterprise Zone, highlighting it as a strategic economic development priority for public sector partners.
