Following a decision by SEGRO to rationalise their agency arrangements on their holdings in both Hemel Hempstead and Radlett, Doherty Baines and Brasier Freeth are to become   joint agents on the Maylands Wood Estate in Hemel Hempstead.

Hemel Hempstead offers a 7,000sq.ft industrial unit and pre-let opportunities on the 3.1acre Vision site, whilst in Radlett there is 75,000sq.ft of refurbished distribution units, as well as a 5 acre development site available for design and build projects.

For further information on each of these developments, please contact Trevor Church lead Partner for Brasier Freeth on these schemes.

In practice, this has not happened as intended; it is not unusual for an EPC to be provided at the last minute just before exchange of contracts. This gives no information to the prospective purchaser or tenant, to influence their property decision making process.

To address this issue, new legislation will be implemented on 6th April 2012 that includes three major changes:
1.    An EPC must be commissioned before the property is marketed
2.    The onus is firmly placed with the  ‘relevant person’, either the seller or the landlord
3.    The EPC should be secured within 7 days (not 28 days as previously stated) of the commencement of the marketing process, if the EPC is not produced within 7 days, an extra 21 days may be granted to produce the document

Trading Standards Officers will check that EPCs are included in property particulars, with the penalties for non conformity ultimately leading to prosecution and fines.

The amendments to the legislation are clear, and Brasier Freeth recommends that all properties marketed include the EPC, and that it is also deposited with the Land Registry.

If you require further assistance or advice please contact Paul Raitt BSc MRICS

In 2011 stores were opened in Liverpool, Croydon, Westfield London and Stratford, plus Glasgow.

In addition to expansion, Footlocker is currently developing a new concept store ‘The Locker Room’, which will have a larger format (circa 6,000 sq ft) and will be a specialist sports-led store. Footlocker plan to open 3 of these stores initially in the UK, the  first of these opened at the end of last year in Brent Cross, with a further two planned to open in April in Lakeside and Bullring.

This case involved a commercial Tenant with a 10 year lease on a property with a clause stating that the lease could be terminated upon three months notice at the fifth year if all due payments were met. Despite rent payments being met, the High Court ruled in favour of the Landlord and the break clause was invalidated. Consequently, the Tenant was committed to pay rent for a further 5 years.

The Landlord contended that the Tenant had not complied with it’s covenant to meet all outstanding obligations (by not paying interest on previously overdue rent, despite interest not having been claimed by the Landlord) which was a condition of the break clause. The Tenant argued that, when they issued a break notice along with a letter stating how they were unaware of any breach of their conditions, a cheque for six months rent and the keys to the property, they were not met with a demand from the Landlord for any interest payments on rent or other charges.

The High Court stated that the Tenant should have had the ability to review their interest payments without receiving a demand from the Landlord. The break clause was annulled.  This judgement seems harsh on the Tenant and demonstrates the need for professional advice from surveyors and lawyers in drafting leases to ensure the clients’ ( Landlords or Tenants) interests are protected.

Landlord and Tenant negotiations require specialist expertise and knowledge of current legislation. At Brasier Freeth, we have the up-to-date “know how” to position our clients to best advantage in such negotiations. If you could benefit from speaking to an expert please contact Jeremy Hunting FRICS MCI Arb

We pride ourselves on managing a diverse range of projects; with no project deemed too difficult. In fact, we embrace a challenge: a recent example includes the repairs on a fantastic brick built mid 19th Century office building located in the City of London. We identified and remedied a number of key defects both internally and externally arising from long term neglect.

After a successful tender process Brasier Freeth was commissioned to produce a Specification of Works to include the external repairs of brickwork, joinery, external redecoration, internal damp proofing and basement tanking at the property.

With the neighbouring owners refusing access to erect scaffolding, we were responsible for negotiating access rights with the neighbours Solicitors and Managing Agents after resolving their concerns and objections.

The external works have now been successfully completed and subsequently the scope of work has been extended to include internal electrical rewiring of the common parts, boiler replacement and internal drainage repairs.

This project typifies the range of skills employed by the Building Consultancy team at Brasier Freeth, who undertake the design, construction, maintenance and repair of all types of buildings; we are well-versed on all the legislative requirements and obligations that relate to property so the project is managed seamlessly.

To see how our team can add value to your business, please contact Paul Raitt.

Travelodge is the fastest growing and most recognised budget hotel chain in the UK. The hotel in Wembley will become their second hotel in the area. This secures the final piece in the jigsaw for St Modwen’s £90m Wembley Central regeneration project, which has seen Wembley town centre transform, with the addition of 240 apartments, retail space and a new public square, which the Travelodge hotel will overlook.

Neil Saunders from Brasier Freeth, who is retained by Travelodge across NW London, said:

“With much of the existing hotel offering in Wembley being focused on the immediate area around the Stadium and Arena, we feel there is real demand for town centre accommodation to service not only events orientated customers, but also trips relating to local community and businesses.

The development transforms what was a dated shopping centre, into a modern and inviting public space with first rate facilities which, together with the convenience of the mainline station, makes this an ideal location for Travelodge customers”.

Brasier Freeth’s success acting for Travelodge is set to continue this year, with construction also planned to commence in the summer for a new 101 bedroom hotel in Harrow town centre.

This win comes after our award for ‘Property Advisor of The Year’ for the South East region, demonstrating that our commitment to delivering a first class service to our clients is being recognised and long may the successes continue.

To find out what this means for Brasier Freeth call James Oliver on 01707 396733