Award-winning office takes sixth title

The regional title from the Estates Gazette Awards 2010 also comes at a time when the national firm with a team of 12 specialists based in Stockton-on-Tees, confirmed over 800,000 sq ft of space was successfully let or sold locally in the last year.

 

Partner at Sanderson Weatherall Tim Catterall, of Agency, Investment & Development, said: “Following our success in the Estates Gazette Awards over the last five years, it was with great delight to receive the news that we had once again taken the title.

 

“What a tremendous achievement, especially for the sixth year running and this is testament to the hard work of all my colleagues. It’s great to be recognised in this way.”

 

The office reported sustained profits in the last twelve months despite operating in a depressed market.

Partner, David Jackson, puts the firm’s successes down to its ability to work across a wide variety of areas within commercial property.

 

“Our involvement with projects in the region covers a number of specialisms and our strength lies in our ability to provide a one-stop shop through a multi-disciplinary team for instructions large and small,” he said.

 

“Clients might come to us to help them find new commercial spaces or in some instances, take their existing space and make it work harder for them through our re-design, architectural and asset management services.  We work with landlords to help them manage their property portfolio as efficiently as possible, to find them tenants, cut down their rates bills and help them tackle environmental and energy requirements.

 

“We’ve been fortunate to be involved and lead on the planning of key scheme developments such as the £30m regeneration project that revitalised Thornaby town centre.  During the five-year programme, we assisted the property developers, Thornfield Plc, with advice on Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPOs) through to the configuration and then marketing of the units to retailers in the final phases. Architects, valuers, surveyors, lease negotiators and our other divisions all worked together to transform the site and bring the project through to completion.

 

“In all the work we do, it’s imperative to have local market knowledge as well as a deep understanding of the national scene - it’s this knowledge that helps us to identify the right opportunities for our clients.”

 

The firm’s Teesside office has reported an increase in enquiries since the start of 2010 compared to this time last year. At present its books hold almost 500 properties but undersupply of prime stock is starting to push through a renewed call for development.

 

David added: “Growing levels of demand for office, industrial, retail and leisure spaces have led to something of a shortage for certain types of stock locally which came about when the recession halted a lot of would-be schemes. Thankfully, there are now a number of new projects in the pipeline following signs of market recovery such as Link 66 near Darlington, a 98-acre mixed-use scheme, Phase Two of Mandale Park adjacent to Junction 62 off the A1M and Queen Elizabeth Business Park in Stockton.

 

“Teesside and County Durham continue to develop as first-rate business locations, attracting a great deal of attention from occupiers keen to take advantage of their infrastructure as well as cost-effective and flexible property offerings.”