Aitchison Developments are sponsoring the Sailing Sophies on their mission to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.  Sophie Ainsworth and Sophie Weguelin have been teamed since March 2018 and already have a world ranking of 6th in their class.  They are sailing the 49erFX, the fastest ladies boat in the Olympics.

We are holding a public exhibition on the 6th November and we welcome local residents to come along and hear about the redevelopment plans for the former Thyssen Krupp site in Bourn. We will be at the Caldecote Village Hall between 3pm and 8pm. All information displayed during that exhibition will be made live on the website on the 6th November.

We have recently acquired this 4 unit trade counter development site in conjunction with Wynnstay Properties. The development has existing planning consent and is adjacent to other trade counter occupiers such as Howdens, City Plumbing, The Fascia Place and Travis Perkins.

Aitchison Developments has recently been appointed by Corporate Clients of Savills Investment Management to assess future asset management and redevelopment opportunities on their recently acquired site in Eastleigh. The majority of the 47-acre site is made up of railway sidings and associated engine sheds that are currently used by businesses that restores and repairs rolling stock. The remainder of the site consists of 7 older industrial warehouses, 2 office blocks and several acres of open storage. The property adjoins Southampton Airport and is close to both the M27 and M3.

On the 1st of February Aitchison Developments celebrated its first anniversary at Brindisa in Soho where Tapas, beer, wine, sherry and cocktails were enjoyed by all. 90 guests attended including fund managers, agents, architects, lawyers and contractors who are currently involved in the 8 developments that Aitchison Developments are working on. Eleven graduates also attended the event, from both Reading and Oxford Brookes, so that they could meet prospective employers in the industry. Balloons from the party were spotted the next day flying from the top of The Royal Thames Yacht Club flagstaff! Jeremy Aitchison commented ‘We really wanted to thank those that have helped us through very busy first year so we invited everyone from the site foreman through to the fund manager – I think everyone appreciated the mix and the grads added a certain amount of ‘youth’ to the occasion. We will do this again’.

Link to Flickr for images of the party: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmeggSRE

Work has just begun on phase 3 of this 30-unit trade park. Recent lettings to Screwfix. The Facia Place, Tool Station and clients of JLL have completed the line-up of phase 3 which is now 100% pre let. Jeremy Aitchison commented ‘This estate has been remarkably successful is attracting most of the trade park operators even though it has no main road frontage, reflecting the scarcity of suitable sites in this area of London and the added value enjoyed by these businesses co-locating’

The roof is nearly complete on the new 35,000 sq ft unit which has been pre let to Bunzl. Strong winds in January presented Harmonix the contractor with a challenge to get the roof on and cladding complete – however they managed it well and have done a great job in keeping to the program. Practical completion is targeted for June with work on the 6 remaining units starting in July.

Corporate pension fund clients of Savills Investment Management advised by Aitchison Developments and Savills have acquired strategic development land at Bourn Airfield on St Neots Road, Cambridge.

Comprising 25 acres (10 hectares), the cleared site, which was previously made up of aircraft hangars and a manufacturing facility, is immediately adjacent to the proposed new settlement at Bourn Airfield that forms a major part of South Cambridgeshire’s Local Plan for increased residential development around the city of Cambridge.

Graham Brown, director in the industrial & logistics team at Savills, comments: This plot at Bourn Airfield provided an excellent opportunity to acquire space that is likely to satisfy both strong demand, whilst also helping to tackle the current shortage of employment land in the local area.”

Lucy Winterburn, Director of Investment at Savills IM comments ‘Bourn is set to see considerable change in the short term as plans to develop a new settlement work their way through the planning system. Our site is primed to offer a new commercial location complimentary to that wider scheme which will appeal to a variety of occupiers’.

Aitchison Developments have been appointed to undertake an assessment of the asset management opportunities at Shrub Hill Retail Park in Worcester, for corporate clients of Savills Investment Management. This is an exciting project to revitalise this edge of town centre retail park where units are currently let to Wickes, Just for Pet’s, Home Bargains, Majestic Wine, Pizza Hut, Subway and Carphone Warehouse.