Given the past 12 months it has been fantastic to see operators like Mowgli continue to expand nationally, including in Brewery Quarter, Cheltenham.

The Indian street food operator will be transforming the ex-Babel site and is due to open late Summer. Mowgli is a unique offer for Cheltenham and will be a brilliant addition to the scheme.

Victoria Broadhead acted on behalf of the landlord.

We just wanted to thank our amazing team, clients, the retailers and restaurateurs we work with every day for their continued support and trust.

The BGP team has demonstrated determination and resilience, and our strong sense of team work has been more apparent than ever.  Whilst we have all experienced challenges and sleepless nights, 2020 has also witnessed initiative, creativity and collaborations, so we remain positive for the forthcoming year. We are lucky to work in an exciting industry with entrepreneurial characters, which will ensure evolution and opportunities for both us and our clients.

2021 will be a big year for Bruce Gillingham Pollard as we hit a milestone double digits birthday and boy are we planning one hell of a party! More news on that in the New Year, but for the meantime from all at BGP we would like to send our best wishes to you all, for a happy and healthy Christmas and New Year!

Here’s to 2021!

We are delighted to announce the promotion of Thea Rowe to Senior Surveyor. Thea joined BGP over 6 years ago in a different guise and over the last few years has taken on a very hands on approach to joining the agency world.

Thea works across both the leasing and tenant representation team which has gained her some invaluable knowledge and an ability to advise her clients in quite a unique way. With a focus on restaurants, leisure and wellness sector across London and major regional cities, her meticulous approach to leasing and this teamed with unrivalled relationships and knowledge of the newest trends and brands means she is a great asset to clients. Some key clients include Atis, Oowee Vegan, Tattu, The Soke, Stanhope, Fore Partnership & GPE.

Tracey Pollard Bruce Gillingham Pollard MD comments “We have always believed in the importance of training and mentoring our team, so they can develop within the business. We are therefore delighted to have watched Thea’s experience and knowledge grow. It’s clear she has developed a valuable understanding of her clients businesses and can offer insights into both Landlords and Tenants decision making  processes, which ensures she offers well rounded and professional advice to her clients”.

So, is this the vision of future shopping habits? What might have been a 5/10 year vision 12 months ago, COVID 19 has accelerated the move to a more “omni-channel” experience. The Issa Brothers and TDR’s acquisition of ASDA came with this idea – no longer a behemoth store with a vast car park, but a hive of activity including “click and collect” drive through channels; fleets of vans on electric charge ready to deliver to the local community and complementary brands within the store, perhaps offering “high street” services (laundry, hairdressing, café etc).

The shift to online business is now the “genie out of the bottle”. Internet food sales now account for >13% of the total cake, and OCADO, the pure online grocery retailer, now has a market cap higher than Tesco. Despite this, the big 4 have an enormous physical store presence which they can better use to fulfil the customer needs. Supermarket Income REIT and their investors certainly think so, being close to raising c£200m of fresh equity, and London Metric, who we helped acquire 5 Waitrose food stores for £63 million during the summer.

Bruce Gillingham Pollard are delighted to announce the promotion of Dominic Tixerant to Associate Director and the appointment of Nick Goodman as Consultant.

Dominic joined in 2016 as part of the annual graduate intake, passed his APC in 2019 and subsequently has risen to become a key member of the team. Dominic works within the London leasing team, and advises some of BGP’s most established clients including Canary Wharf Group, The Crown Estate, Hondo Enterprises and The Dulwich Estate. He has as instinctive awareness of the elements required to create a dynamic tenant line up whilst being commercial minded.

Nick Goodman has over 20 years’ experience in the retail and leisure sector, advising both occupiers and landlords throughout London and the South East. Nick brings with him a wealth of experience, knowledge and relationships including the Cooperative Group Food Ltd, Gymbox and Hollywood Bowl.

Nick Goodman said “I am delighted to have joined BGP with their great market coverage, sector expertise and experience”.

Woody Bruce, Founding Director at Bruce Gillingham Pollard said:

“We are always so proud to see our team flourish and grow within the business. Dom has made a massive contribution to the business in recent years and we are excited to see his career develop. As well as developing new talent, we know it is so important to balance our team, with experience and knowledge, particularly in a time when clients need us to think more creatively. Nick offers experience in both London and National projects, whilst also providing further insight into how retailers operate, which will add real value to our business”.

Looking at traditional methods of development appraisal, the viability of a scheme is determined by financial models that evaluate schemes based on quantifiable information. With the drive in brownfield regeneration, cities are seeing unprecedented change with profits for residential developers are soaring.

Many developers would acknowledge that the relationship between nightlife and residential property is not necessarily a straightforward one. However, forward thinking developers are beginning to see the non-tangible benefits of night-time venues and live music spaces. These venues can add community value and create a positive image for developments.

Residential development is no longer just a case of building flats and achieving certain values. To make places worth living in developers must carefully consider the amenities that go into place-making and one of these is night-time venues. Delivering this cultural provision is easier said than done, and developers must be proactive rather than reactive to ensure all buildings are fit for purpose. They must consider physical and planning issues early in the development process to enable residential areas to co-exist with night-time venues.

But what about the noise? Modern sound proofing technologies can be implemented if buildings are earmarked for music venues and placement of buildings should be considered so that night-time venues are shielded by office space and public realm to nullify the impacts of excessive noise. Planning also offers possible solutions. Made famous by its ground breaking use by the Ministry of Sound, developers must consider using the Deed of Easement of Noise when developing residential housing near existing music venues. These deeds mean that developers must ensure future residents are aware of the nightclub, helping to prohibit complaints as long as venues are operating within their license conditions.

Of course, these issues are just the top layer of an complex issue, but I am confident if the various parties begin to adapt, we can all reap the benefits of nightlife establishments and provide a model that offers long term sustainability to the institutions that keep cities like London incredibly exciting and diverse.

The acquired asset comprises 83,000 sq ft of retail, restaurant and cultural space across 13 units with tenants including The Ivy, Vapiano, Sainsburys and The Bridge Theatre. The scheme was developed by vendors Berkeley Group and occupies a prime location on the south bank of the Thames with views of Tower Bridge, the Tower of London and across to The City of London.

Andrew Vaughan, CEO at Redevco, said:

“Redevco is constantly on the lookout for opportunities aligned with changing consumer spending patterns and a growing focus on leisure such as mixed-use and F&B-led investments. London ranks as a leading global destination in this respect and this location, adjacent to Tower Bridge, encapsulates the key elements we are looking for in our experience-led investments. It is situated next to a world-class tourist attraction, which is a magnet for large numbers of visitors. The location also benefits from the footfall from offices and local high-end residential developments in the area.”

Woody Bruce, head of investment at BGP, said

“We were delighted to advise Redevco on this trophy purchase. Having been involved with the leasing of the development and with our lease consultancy team highly active within the vicinity, we were uniquely placed to advise on this iconically-located asset.”

For more information on this purchase, please contact Woody Bruce or Jack Barratt.

Law firm Osborne Clarke also advised Redevco on the purchase and JLL acted for the vendor Berkeley Group.