Recently in Essex Category

Overview
A look at regional offices and retail markets and their prospects.
Melanie Smith, Focus editorial assistant, 020 7911 1916, melanie.smith@rbi.co.uk

Chelmsford
An analysis of regeneration in the city.
Karen Day, freelance writer, 07971 671 369, karen.day@dsl.pipex.com

Regeneration - covering Basildon and Purfleet
A look at major development plans in the area.
Daniel Cunningham, senior features writer, 020 7911 1822, daniel.cunningham@rbi.co.uk

Industrial
A round up of local activity, looking at forecasts for the year ahead
Melanie Smith, Focus editorial assistant, 020 7911 1916, melanie.smith@rbi.co.uk

Focus makes its final stop at the home counties before heading further afield for a few weeks with tomorrows issue looking at Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Jamie Oliver's home county: Essex. And while the Naked Chef's home village of Clavering probably needs little regenerative attention there are other towns that do.

Daniel explores progress on some of the counties key regeneration projects examining the widening gap between ambition and achievement in these tough financial times. He also casts his eye over the general health of the property market and discovers that Hertfordshire is outdoing it's neighbours in office market lettings.

While Melanie turns her attention to the beleaguered housing market, discovering starkly contrasting strategies from the local authorities and with differing results.

Maybe Jamie Oliver could sprinkle some of his success gold dust a bit closer to home.

Picture by Really Short on Flickr and used under creative commons

 

The plot thickens regarding Ashwell Property Group's 1m sq ft LandMarc development in Chelmsford, Essex. I've written a news story in today's magazine about the fact that a handful of house-builders, including Barratt, are eyeing the 14.6-acre former Marconi factory site for a potential purchase.

The news adds to mounting speculation about the timetable for delivery of Ashwell's regeneration programme. LandMarc got the nod from the planners last November, and includes an ambitious 320,000 sq ft of offices, 715 homes and a hotel, but local agents are eager to know what the developer's next step will be. 

 

We've just released our Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire & Essex synopsis. Scroll down and you'll see all the features we are writing for that Focus. If you've got any thoughts, ideas or suggestions for the editorial, or would just like to know more about what the journalists are writing about, then please give them a call or drop them an email - their details are below.

Regeneration
What's the outlook for key projects across the three counties?
Daniel Cunningham, senior features writer, 020 7911 1822 daniel.cunningham@rbi.co.uk

Market round up
Analysis of the offices, retail and industrial market.
Daniel Cunningham, senior features writer, 020 7911 1822 daniel.cunningham@rbi.co.uk

Residential
How are developers and local authorities dealing with challenges in the local housing sector?
Melanie Smith, editorial assistant, 020 911 1916
melanie.smith@rbi.co.uk