Spring 2016 proving very active for Cooke & Arkwright’s Investment team

Volume of properties disposed of or being marketed highest for 12 months

3 May 2016

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Cooke & Arkwright’s investment team is being kept busy with the volume of office and retail property it has disposed of or is marketing for sale at its highest volume for 12 months. Nick Lawley, Investment Director comments, “The team is always very active in the South Wales market, and spring 2016 is no exception with a growing number of vendors approaching us to help them maximise their assets through a sale. As investors continue to look beyond London to the regions, the increasing opportunities to acquire high yielding properties presents opportunities for vendors. They come to us because they appreciate our knowledge of the occupational market, our access to a pool of Welsh investors, excellent connections via our London office, and our long experience in the disposal and acquisition of investment properties.

“We have just sold a 100% prime retail investment comprising six retail units in Red Street, Carmarthen, where 90% of the income is secured against well-known national tenants including Boots Pharmacy, Bright House, Boots Opticians, Body Shop and O2. The site was also attractive because it offered future development potential in a town which is the dominant retail destination in Carmarthenshire. There are very few vacant retail units in the vicinity and tenant demand is strong. The disposal attracted strong interest from institutional investors and has just been sold to a UK pension fund.

“Currently attracting strong interest is an 8,000 sq ft retail unit in Abergavenny, let to Argos, and a prime site in Neath let to Greggs Bakery Plc. Both properties are under offer and we hope to close both deals in the next few weeks. We are also currently marketing Severnside House in Cardiff, which is a 30,230 sq ft office building single let to Lloyds Bank Plc, and anticipate good interest from investors in this.”

For further details of all our current investment opportunities please visit our property search page

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I have worked with Jeremy Symons over the past three years successfully leasing and buying property in support of my business. I continue to be very pleased with his knowledge of the market and expertise. Our relationship over this time has resulted in acquiring 20,000 sq ft at Capital Business Park in Cardiff, leasing 11,000 sq ft at Southpoint, and subsequently leasing an initial 42,000 sq ft at Parc Bedwas, followed by a succession of expansions of a further 11,000 and then 47,000 sq ft, enabling us to centralise all of our operations at Parc Bedwas in a single 100,000 sq ft facility. The acquisitions were completed at the perfect time for tenant purposes and the rent fixed throughout the term at very economical rates. A job well done.

Bob James, Aerfin