South West and Midlands commercial property agents turned out in force to enjoy a guided tour of the reimagined Gloucestershire business campus Grange Park and hear first-hand from the investor behind the multi-million pound improvements.
Agents from the South West and West Midlands attended the briefing at the 185,000 sq ft campus which has already achieved a new letting to insurance business Polo Works and attracted the flexible workspace provider Regus.
The green site on the A435 at Bishop’s Cleeve, a short drive from GCHQ, is being reimagined as a ‘people first’ mixed use campus where staff and visitors can work, relax and exercise amid mature trees in 14 acres of parkland. Its main building, The Grange, has now achieved an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of A.
Birmingham-based financial services mutual Wesleyan owns Grange Park and is funding the ongoing project to create an attractive, green, modern destination for businesses and other organisations looking for a better environment for staff at a fraction of town centre rents.
Wesleyan head of property Joe Curlett, who manages the mutual’s commercial property investments, told the agents: “We are very excited about what we have already created at Grange Park and are pressing on with Phase 2 to bring more space to the market.
“When 200 business leaders were asked in a survey this year for the top four features they want in new offices, they were: modern office design; flexible lease terms; competitive rent; and staff wellbeing facilities.
“Grange Park ticks all those boxes and then some. Our new offices are modern, leases are flexible, the rent is very competitive and our ‘people first’ approach is everywhere inside and out in our tree-filled parkland.
“And the greenery is not just living all around us. Our major building The Grange has just been awarded an EPC ‘A’ rating, which is outstanding for a large office building and is a huge green tick for our environmental ethos.”
Ian Wills, from Grange Park joint agent JLL, said: “We were very proud to show the agents the newly refurbished reception, internal street and office space in The Grange and can confirm that Regus will open shortly in The Manor.
“Grange Park is now able to provide space from one desk to 1,000, for one month up to 15 years. Achieving an EPC ‘A’ is a fantastic achievement and makes this some of the most energy efficient office space in Gloucestershire.”
Richard Crabb, from THP, added: “Since Wesleyan started their investment in Grange Park, we have let more than 26,000 sq ft and have another 8,000 sq ft under offer.
“With the Phase 1 refurbishment just completed, including a great new reception and atrium areas and more investment to come, the site has quickly become a popular business destination.”
Grange Park is well connected by road to Cheltenham and the M5’s junction nine. Bus services stop on the site which is just three miles from Cheltenham town centre.
Rents at Grange Park are very attractive at up to 50 per cent less than equivalent space in the town centre. And The Grange’s 60,000 sq ft floor plates are some of the largest in the South West.
