25/04/2012

Clients and business partners of Vail Williams LLP have taken part in a competitive clay pigeon shooting competition and found it was the perfect way to seal business relationships and discuss new opportunities. 

A group of guests and staff from Vail Williams, leading real estate advisers, took part in a clay pigeon shooting competition at the National Clay Shooting Centre in Bisley on 20 April 2012. Although the weather was wet, this didn’t dampen the competitive spirit and the three teams battled with each other to score points for each clay that they hit. The team with the highest score received gold medals! 

In the closely fought contest (the three teams being separated by only four clays) the winning team was made up of James King and Greg Sinclair from Absolutely Group, Nigel Marsden of Legal & General Investment Management, and from Vail Williams James Lacey, Partner in Planning, Charlie Nicholson, Senior Surveyor in Business Space and Adam Schofield, Senior Surveyor for Lease Advisory. 

Adam Schofield, who organised the competition, commented: “We had an excellent competition and lots of fun! It was very good to build business relationships with our guests and we look forward to returning to compete again next year!”

25/04/2012

Following the recent letting of 63,000 sq ft in Building C Watchmoor Park to Novatis F&C Commercial Property Trust, Vail Williams, leading real estate advisers, have secured a new ten year lease with Alliance One on the neighbouring building. A rent of £16.50 per sq ft was paid. Vail Williams and Hanover Green were joint agents for the Landlord. 

Alliance One is the leading independent leaf tobacco merchant with an extensive global business. 

The 7,033 sq ft (653.4 sq m) office is situated on the ground floor of Building A within the prime business park of Watchmoor Park, which is located half a mile from J4 of the M3. A further 15,090 sq ft (1402 sq m) of office space is still available in Building A in two self-contained floors. The building has been comprehensively refurbished to a very high standard consistent with modern requirements. 

David Bowen of Vail Williams commented: “Alliance One who have been located on the park for fifteen years are moving from Building B at Watchmoor Park and so further space, 34,104 sq ft (3,186 sq m), will also become available. We are able to offer competitive market deals on the refurbished accommodation which combined with the excellent location and working environment provides, what we believe to be one of the best value for money packages in the Camberley and Blackwater Valley area. ” 

Danile Plummer of F&C added” We are delighted at the great vote of confidence that these two lettings have given the park, despite the ongoing challenging market conditions. We are confident of being able to build on this momentum and of attracting other new occupiers in the not too distant future.”

Vail Williams LLP, leading real estate advisers, have appointed a new Partner, Graham Puddle, to head up the Building Consultancy business in the Solent region and Philip Holmes as an Associate in Business Space. Both roles will continue to expand the range of services offered in the Solent region. 

Graham will deliver a broad range of specialist building consultancy services to commercial clients across the region – with particular emphasis on construction and project consultancy, surveys and dilapidations. He has moved from Hughes Ellard. 

Also joining the Solent region as an Associate is Philip Holmes who will add strength to the Business Space team in the region and will be based in Vail Williams’ Portsmouth office. He joins from BNP Paribas. 

These two new appointments add to the recent expansion of the Solent region with David Ramsay, Associate in Planning Consultancy having responsibility for managing projects for clients that include the submission of site appraisals, planning applications, appeals, and representations to local authorities to promote sites or client interests. Mike Greenwood, Associate in Valuation and Lease Advisory carries out property valuation work for banks and private clients as well as rent reviews and lease renewals for both landlords and tenants. 

Martin Tice, Partner and senior executive for the Solent region commented: “We are continuing to expand the multi service real estate business that we can offer to clients across the Solent region and I am delighted to welcome Graham and Philip. They will add considerable expertise to the strong team that already exists in the area and broaden the range of services on offer to clients.”

17/04/2012

Vail Williams LLP, leading real estate advisers, have appointed a new surveyor, Sam Rickett, to their Birmingham office where she will help expand their business rates, Lease Advisory and Valuation work. 

Sam’s role will focus on acting for commercial property occupiers to reduce their business rates liabilities and she will also be involved with Lease Advisory and Valuation work. Her objectives will be to build on the success of the Professional Services team over the last year and help to grow the business further. 

Sam graduated from Nottingham Trent University in Real Estate Management. Following a placement year with Chesterton Humberts she returned to them as a general practice graduate in 2010. She passed her RICS (Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors) APC (Assessment of Professional Competence) exam in Autumn 2011. 

In her own time, Sam has taken part in two car based adventures and is planning a third. In 2009 she did the Mongol Rally which was an eight week, 10,000 mile charity rally from Goodwood to Mongolia, raising £2,000 for charity. In the winter of 2010 she took part in the Rickshaw Run for three weeks which went from Jaisalmer to Cochin in India which raised £1,000 for charity. She hopes to take part in the next Mototaxi Junket in South America. 

Paul Arnell, Associate at Vail Williams and Head of Professional Services in Birmingham commented: “I am delighted that Sam is joining us during this exciting period of growth. Her experience in the field of business rates will prove invaluable to the clients she advises and I look forward to working with her as we continues our expansion.”

We have organised a breakfast seminar with two other leading advisers to provide practical guidance on the relevant key issues for occupiers, how to take advantage of opportunities that exist in the current market and how to minimise occupational costs.

The event is being held at the Guildford Ramada on Tuesday 1st May.  The morning begins with refreshments at 8am followed by presentations from the experts: Geraint Jones,Audit Partner at BDO LLP, Michael Laver, Partner from Stevens & Bolton LLP and Andrew Outterside, Partner at Vail Williams.

For more information on the seminar and to book your place view the invitation here. 

Alternatively contact Jenine Toms at jtoms@vailwilliams.com.

Vail Williams can provide you with a full business rates advice service to ensure you aren’t paying more than you need to.  By taking advice from us you can ensure that your liability is kept to a minimum.  We will take care not to expose you to the risk of an ill-considered appeal.  Not all rating advisors are so careful. There is only one right of appeal – use it wisely!

Beware of unsolicited approaches from companies offering their services; many have hidden costs and contracts.  They may not be what they seem and could cost you money.  

We make no charge for initial appraisals and our fees for subsequent work are usually based on the financial savings we can achieve on your behalf.  All you need to do is to provide us with the latest information about your premises and any changes to your situation and property. 

Help us to help you by ensuring you are not paying more than you should! 

You can find more information on how we can help and the pitfalls to watch out for in our Spring 2012 update.

Vail Williams LLP have welcomed this new policy and have summarised the key messages.

For further advice on how the NPPF may affect you please get in touch with one of the planning team.

03/04/2012

Dinner jointly organised by CEO of Vail Williams LLP 

A fundraising dinner, featuring a glittering array of Olympic stars, exceeded expectations by raising over £12,000 for the Sports Aid Trust, who will use the money to support future Olympic athletes. Ian Rudland, CEO of Vail Williams LLP, jointly organised the dinner with other local businessmen and the company were the main sponsor of the event. 

350 people from across the Thames Valley dug deeply into their pockets to bid for a stunning collection of prizes in a silent auction followed by a ‘live’ auction. The highest bid of the night was for a once in a lifetime prize to drive the worlds fastest car – a Bugatti Veyron – with a professional racing driver at top speeds. This sold for £1,600! A signed photo montage of Usain Bolt went for £900. 

The evening was organised by a group of local businessmen, the Longest Day Club, including Ian Rudland, CEO of Vail Williams LLP, leading real estate advisers. The dinner featured Roger Black MBE former 400m and 4x400m relay medallist at the Olympics in 1996 and Mike Golding OBE, one of the world’s most accomplished round the world offshore sailors. The BBC Sports commentator Paul Dickenson captured their past triumphs through emotive and witty interviews with the stars. 

During the course of the evening, a young local athlete, Imogen Collins was presented with a cheque by the Chairman of the SE Sports Aid Trust, Ian Braid. Imogen is the U18 National Sprint Champion in 1,000m and 200m in kayaking and she commented: “The funding is very valuable to me to allow me to develop my career further and I am very pleased to have received a cheque. The money will be used for equipment, travel and entering competitions.” 

Ian Braid also commented: “At the Beijing Olympics in 2008, eighteen of the nineteen medallists in Team GB had received Sports Aid funding at the start of their careers. Sports Aid awards are typically made to young people aged 12-18 who have the potential but not necessarily the resources to commit to a future in elite sport. The support that we can give is often crucial to these promising young athletes.” 

Other Olympic athletes also attended the dinner and were interviewed by Paul Dickenson including Simone Jacobs (Olympics 1984, Relay), Sarah Winkless (Olympics 2004, rowing), Georgina Harland (World Cup finalist 2008), Kate Walsh (Olympics 2000 & 2008, hockey) and Helen Richards (Olympics 2000 & 2008, hockey). 

Ian Rudland commented: “We had an excellent evening and I am delighted that the auctions raised so much money. The Olympic athletes that spoke were very moving and inspirational. Our involvement with the Sports Aid Trust, which does such valuable work in supporting young athletes, has been a fantastic experience for all of us and I am so pleased that we have been able to help the work they do.”

Accountants BDO

The event is being held to raise money for The Rainbow Centre, which helps children with cerebral palsy and adults with MS or Parkinson’s disease, or those recovering from a stroke. Spectators can cheer on their Dragon Boat team, enjoy food, entertainment and plenty of fun for all the family. Already signed up are a number of notable local companies, banks and other professional services firms.

Malcolm Thixton, Lead Partner at BDO Southampton says: ‘There is a strong business community in the region and a number of professional services firms who both work together and compete in the local market. We want to harness some of that competitive spirit for a very good cause – we hope they are up for the challenge!’

Clare Acklam, Fundraising Manager at The Rainbow Centre added ‘Everyone is really looking forward to the challenge which should be a great day with lots of fun and plenty to keep both children and adults amused throughout the day. We hope with the support of BDO and the other local firms and organisations who are taking part, the day will raise lots of money for The Centre.’

Dragon Boat racing is an ancient Chinese tradition. Up to ten people paddle each boat with a drummer at the front beating time and a helm at the tail steering a straight course. There is no previous experience needed, just plenty of team spirit.

Vail Williams LLP, will be entering a team and hope to be competitive enough to reach the finals. Andy Gibbs, Vail Williams Associate, commented “We have competed in several Dragon Boat races as a firm before, both in the Solent area and in Birmingham. Our team will be keen to keep up there winning steak after winning the Portsmouth event a few years ago.”

If you are interested in taking part please contact Emma Macnaghten on 01329 289500 or email emmam@rainbowcentre.org.

30/03/2012

Over 120 business people from across Surrey gathered at the Guildhall in Guildford for a reception hosted by leading real estate advisers, Vail Williams LLP on Wednesday 28 March 2012. 

Welcoming their guests to the evening, Ashley Bell a Partner in the Valuation team at Vail Williams said: “We are delighted to welcome so many of our clients and partner companies to such a historic building for our annual reception. As a well established business in Guildford and across the Surrey area, we have many strong relationships with companies in the area and it is good to be able to recognise and endorse those relationships in a social context over a drink.” 

The Guildford office for Vail Williams delivers the full service offering for the company including acquisition, disposal, management and consultancy services. The office also has a strong Planning Department which manages projects for clients including the preparation of site appraisals (in conjunction with the development team), prepare and submit planning applications, submit appeals following the refusal of planning permission, and representations to local authorities to promote sites on behalf of freehold land owners or, developers. The event coincided with the release of the new Planning Legislation which heralds a new chapter in the planning world, which Vail Williams believes will lead to more planning appeals in the short term.