Recently in Essex Category

Chelmsford

Analysis of market conditions and prospects.

Helen Hamilton, freelance writer, 01568 709155, hamiltonhelen7@gmail.com


Garden Cities

With David Cameron clamouring for more Garden Cities how have the original ones fared?

Mark Simmons, freelance writer, 07787 561032, msimmons@sourceform.co.uk


Infrastructure

Analysis of prospects and opportunities

David Thame, freelance writer, 01544 262 896

dthame@clara.co.uk


Market healthcheck

Number crunching and predictions for offices, industrial and retail across all three counties.

Please provide a soundbite by email answering: with figures for the first half of 2012 showing the market had a difficult start how has the second half panned out and what are the prospects for 2013, who will do well and who will suffer?

Please email to Stacey.meadwell@estatesgazette.com and nadia.elghamry@estatesgazette.com

New construction orders fell 20% in Cambridge in 2010 compared to the year before. That's a fifth wiped off some already pretty sick looking numbers.

Building data isn't something we usually analyse on the Focus blog but, at the moment, with construction all but halted in many regions it's providing a good early indicator of when things might properly start rolling again.

Bidwells has just published its first Building Trends report and it reckons that the outlook for the south east (stripping out London) is benign at best,  not helped by a 20-30% drop in property capital values in 2008.

For the east of England its says property is unlikely to rise rapidly in either the commercial or residential market for the next two to three years. There are a few exceptions (Oxford and Essex - click on read more below to see a breakdown by area) but Cambridge's science park market remains patchy and high property costs are inhibiting major new schemes. It says that colleges are foccusing on the volume and standard of student accommodation and ancillary projects such as kitchen refurbishements. When a report starts talking about putting in new cookers and fridges as the activity in the market is it time to worry?

Retail: Analysis of recent activity and future plans
Contact: Helen Hamilton, freelance writer, 07758 833 735 bluesomeh@gmail.com

Market in Numbers: Send up to date stats for offices, industrial and retail plus a soundbite (max 50 words) to Stacey.meadwell@estatesgazette.com


 

Estates Gazette Essex Focus synopsis
Published January 29, 2011

Regeneration
Examination of regeneration projects
Contact: David Quinn, freelance writer, 07841 115601, david@wordsdept.co.uk

Public sector
Analysis of public sector issues
Contact: Karen Day, freelance writer, 07971 671 369, karen.day@dsl.pipex.com

Market in numbers
Please contact regional editor Stacey.meadwell@estatesgazette.com or acting deputy regional editor daniel.cunningham@estatesgazette.com if you think you can supply up to date Essex market stats and predictions, and commentary from local market players

Please contact writers by Wednesday 5 January 2011

 

PUBLISHED 4th  September 2010

Development

What's in store for the property market across all three counties?

Simon Jack, freelance writer, 01225 444 780, simon@sdjack.freeserve.co.uk

 

Industrial

A look at key issues and trends

Simon Jack, freelance writer, 01225 444 780, simon@sdjack.freeserve.co.uk

 

Residential

An analysis of the local market including up to date stats

Graham Norwood, freelance writer, 01392 875415, graham.norwood@btinternet.com

 

Market in numbers

Figures and forecasts across all three counties covering offices, retail, industrial and investment

Please send up to date statistics and forecasts to Nadia Elghamry, deputy regional editor at nadia.elghamry@estatesgazette.com

Please contact writers by 10th August 2010

 

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.