Taunton-based commercial property specialists Summerfield Developments have celebrated the completion of an extensive redevelopment project in the town, with Jeremy Browne MP officially opening the refurbished Victoria House at a ceremony last week.
Over 50 local business owners and community members were in attendance on Friday morning to see first-hand Summerfield’s work on the historic former headquarters of The British Van Heusen Co Ltd on Victoria Street.
Victoria House was originally constructed in 1962 and has now been managed by Summerfield as an office centre for close to twenty years. Over the past year, the company has invested in excess of £1 million into transforming the building, with work including the creation of a new entrance, the replacement of all of the windows and the installation of photovoltaic cells on the roof. These cells are designed to generate power in order to offset the carbon footprint of the building.
The large, open plan office space at Victoria House currently houses a range of local businesses, from sole traders through to large organisations such as Diabetes UK and the Community Council for Somerset.
James Holyday, Director of Property Management at Summerfield, says that the additions made to the building, including the upgraded heating system and new windows, will vastly improve the performance of the building, resulting in lower energy costs and an enhanced working environment:
“We are delighted with the transformation of the building which now provides efficient, contemporary office accommodation on the flexible terms that have proved so successful at Victoria House over the last 17 years.”
Jeremy Browne, the Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Taunton Deane, officially opened the building on Friday morning, and said:
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“It is highly encouraging to see such a strong level of investment in the local business community here in Taunton.
The refurbished Victoria House offers a fantastic chance for new and growing companies to benefit from working together in a positive environment, and the investment made by Summerfield Developments is yet another example of Taunton’s ongoing regeneration and growth as a thriving centre for business.”
James Holyday adds:
“Competitively priced office space, ranging in size from 100 sq ft up to 7,000 sq ft, is now available to rent from specialist property adviser Hatfield White” adds Summerfield’s James Holyday. “The newly-refurbished office space for companies offers facilities including on-site parking, a health club, wi-fi and a communal area.
Since 1995, more than 120 tenants have operated their businesses from Victoria House, including a number of business start-ups which have since grown considerably. Whether you are a new business looking for your first premises, or an established business wanting to benefit from the range of facilities on offer, we can be flexible in order to enable your business to grow.”
