Harrison Drury bag Cornerblock

Harrison Drury’s new Boardroom at Cornerblock, 11 Quay Street, Manchester.

TAG’s lack of conflicts of interest and its track record helped to secure this appointment.

TAG was appointed in September 2024 to identify and acquire a new Manchester office for regional law firm Harrison Drury. Its appointment was the result of a competitive pitch against a major national surveying firm.

The fact that members of Harrison Drury’s senior leadership team had previous experience of TAG’s service undoubtedly helped. It was also clear that TAG’s competitor already acted as a letting agent on several of the potential relocation options so had conflicts that would need managing, which is sometimes hard to do.

Once on board, we were able to take stock of the firm’s requirements. Its local team had grown from two to twenty-four in just 12 months and was now occupying three separate suites within Orega’s serviced office centre in the Tootal Buildings on Oxford Road. The time had come to move into more conventional space as staff were becoming fragmented in terms of their physical location and booking meeting rooms especially at short notice, was starting to become problematic. In addition, there were concerns over the density of the desk arrangement within the serviced space. This was being seen as a likely cause of regular transmissions of coughs and colds within teams in the office which could adversely impact client service.

Our priority was therefore to identify offices that struck a balance between lease flexibility and value for money. The ‘fully fitted and furnished’ suite at Cornerblock represented a halfway house between a fully serviced suite and a more traditional ‘CAT A’ leased office. This type of solution is ideal for occupiers like Harrison Drury that find serviced space too compromised but regard a conventional lease and handover specification as being too onerous.

It is quite possible that the convergence of leased and serviced office space will ultimately result in the office market resembling the branded hotel sector within a few years. Who knows, your next office might be managed by Mandarin Oriental. In my case, possibly Travelodge!

If you need help planning your next office relocation, please call Martyn Markland on 0161 817 5007 or email him at mm@tenantag.co.uk.

TAG has Kemper covered

Kemper Systems Ltd leases a 16,500 sq.ft. unit at Kingsland Grange, Warrington.

It took over 18 months to ensure that the terms of Kemper’s new lease were in line with the market and that its interests were properly safeguarded.

For over 65 years, Kemper System waterproofing, roofing and surfacing products have been protecting some of the world's most important landmarks and valuable properties including the Empire State Building and Buckingham Palace. With offices in 10 countries, Kemper System membranes protect over 2 billion square feet of surfaces under the most adverse conditions.

TAG’s Lease Advisory surveyor Chris Threlfall was instructed to handle the lease renewal negotiations on behalf of Kemper Systems Ltd back in April 2023.

 The industrial property market has witnessed unprecedented rental growth in recent years and no doubt Kemper’s landlord was expecting a significant uplift at lease renewal. According to the leading property market data provider Co-Star, industrial rents in Warrington rose by an average of 7.75% p.a. in the three years ending November 2023.

Lettings in the local market appeared to be achieving close to £10.00 per sq.ft., so the landlord was no doubt confident in its position. But there is a lot more to comparable evidence than just headline rents. In this case, account had to be taken of the ‘effective renewal date’ which was 6 November 2023. Another key consideration was the level of incentives that had been granted to the tenants that had agreed to pay those higher rents when moving into nearby properties. These and several other factors led to a figure of £8.70 per sq.ft. being agreed on Kemper’s unit. In the end, Kemper felt satisfied with the result and the new lease was finally completed in December 2024.

If you need help negotiating a lease renewal with a landlord, please call Martyn Markland on 0161 817 5007 or email him at mm@tenantag.co.uk.

Ai to the Rescue

TAG’s 2025 Christmas Card was created using ChatGPT.

If you are not using Ai one thing is for sure, your competitors will be!

Whether we like it or not, Ai is here to stay so it is important that we all understand its capabilities.

Recently I challenged ChatGPT to design a high-resolution image of a Manchester street in the middle of winter.

The image it produced was impressive albeit, not necessarily altogether accurate architecturally speaking. But it seemed to lack something. Oh yes, a tram. So, I asked it to add one to the scene. It duly obliged with a pretty good representation of one our Bombardier M5000 light rail vehicles. The image was so good I thought it was worth using in our corporate Christmas card this year. Maybe you received one. If not, get in touch and we will put you on the list for next year’s version.

If you would like help disposing of a lease on an office, retail or industrial property in Manchester or elsewhere in the UK, please call Martyn Markland on 0161 817 5007 or email him at mm@tenantag.co.uk.

HD to 4k

Harrison Drury’s existing offices at Tootal Buildings feature an impressive business lounge.

TAG’s brief includes finding an office that matches the sense of arrival that staff and visitors enjoy when entering the Tootal Buildings.

Harrison Drury & Co Limited (‘HD’) is a regional law firm based in the North West of England that can trace its roots back to 1901 when William Henry Coupe began trading as a solicitor from the upstairs floor of 12 Lune Street in Preston.

From 2007 to 2024, the firm has grown from one office to seven and from twelve people to over one hundred and fifty. The firm maintains its commitment to its presence in local markets, supporting clients from as far North as Cumbria and across Lancashire and into Manchester.

The headcount of the firm’s Manchester office is expected to grow from 18 to between 30-40 staff over the next five years.

TAG has been retained to identify and acquire an office of around 4,000 sq.ft. in Manchester City Centre which will be available for occupation in February 2025.

If you would like help with identifying a new office for your business whether it be in Manchester or elsewhere in the UK, please call Martyn Markland on 0161 817 5007 or email him at mm@tenantag.co.uk.