SERVICES
Developing Ideas
Development * Project/Development Management * Joint Ventures * New Business Development * Refurbishment * Property Dealing
Please click on one of the above text links for further information
Redbourn Group provides a unique service in the field of property development and construction management. It centres on a dedicated group of people with a wealth of planning, development and construction experience that equips them to manage projects from site identification and appraisal, through land acquisition, to construction and ultimately, to the sale of the completed investment.
Our team has been responsible for the acquisition and construction activities for a wide range of town centre and out-of-town retail, industrial, commercial and office space. Its accumulated expertise enables the Redbourn team to work to demanding timescales and within tight financial parameters. Extensive use is made of modern technology, including software systems and electronic mail services which facilitate assessment, monitoring and reporting at any given project stage.
Redbourn works with its clients within a coherent and recognised framework. However, the team for each project is selected according to the skills required. In this way, Redbourn Group is able to provide a uniquely flexible approach to clients' needs.
Development
Retail
unit under construction
The Group's strength lies in its understanding of the Commercial Property Market. Key relationships have been established with companies which have extensive occupational requirements throughout the United Kingdom. As a developer in its own right, the Group is constantly seeking to acquire sites with development potential.
Often these are identified by agents, architects and other third parties, but in addition Redbourn has been able to create new opportunities by a unique lateral approach. The group's own headquarters can be cited as an example. The original building, a former Post Office Telecommunications Repeater Station, demanded imaginative foresight and a speculative bid at auction to bring it into a new era of occupation. At Redbourn we concentrate on the development of high quality property investments that are not only attractive to potential tenants or owner occupiers but to financial institutions likely to provide the essential funding.
This philosophy has ensured the successful completion of a variety of retail, office and commercial projects, including: retail warehouse parks, Headquarter office buildings for a number of major companies, distribution parks and centres, and significant industrial developments.
Examples of current and recent projects are set out in the 'Developments' section of this web site.
Project/Development Management
The success of any construction project is directly related to the ability and expertise of the project or development manager.
But why appoint an independent project or development manager? Because he is an interface between the professional team, the contractor and the client. He becomes the client's representative, thus allowing the client to concentrate on its core business.
What makes Redbourn different is that we have the ability to deliver a project through the development process with a proven, methodical, and economical approach, in the shortest possible timescale. Our services extend beyond pure project management to cover the wider aspects of development management, taking a far greater interest and hands on approach where this is required or where it is in the best interests of our client's and the construction project concerned.
We will advise on the choice of architect, quantity surveyor or engineer. We advise clients on the most appropriate form of construction contract, from traditional competitive tendering to design and build, construction management or negotiated contract.
Once work commences, the project manager will be in attendance on site, monitoring progress and ensuring that all criteria are being met. Clients receive regular reports on cash flow and programming, secure in the knowledge that their interests are at all times being protected.
In anticipation of the date of practical completion, we will co-ordinate the tenant's fitting-out with the main contract works to ensure complete integration. We are also able to offer further support to realise full value from the completed investment.
Our Project Management service also extends to monitoring third party developments where our clients are the prospective end tenant. As 'Tenants Agent' we monitor development progress and ensure that our clients' own requirements are accommodated within the development concerned. Keeping them regularly updated on progress and ensuring that target dates for Practical Completion are met, we can also ensure that a high standard of finished building is achieved through regular 'snagging' inspections of the development during all stages of its construction.
Joint Ventures
Redbourn offers a development service to land owners, investment funds and property developers using the group's expertise to maximise the returns on development opportunities.
Where a landowner may wish to enjoy enhanced value from his land or property, Redbourn will manage the redevelopment on his behalf to enable him to participate in profits arising not only from the sale of the land but also from the enhanced value as a result of development.
Development schemes may be project managed on behalf of investment funds, enabling the fund to use Redbourn's development and construction management skills to secure long term investments at attractive entry prices.
Redbourn's development and construction management teams have a wide experience in retail, office, industrial and distribution developments and can offer developers an attractive package for jointly carrying out development schemes. The group already has several well established schemes operating along these lines.
Redbourn has considerable experience in funding investment and development properties as well as general business needs, and these can be equally applied to joint venture developments.
New Business Development
With an unrivalled background of site identification and acquisition, the Redbourn team is able to offer a new service to clients wishing to develop new or existing businesses. This has proved particularly valuable both to companies who do not have their own in-house property service specialists and to those who have a rapid programme of expansion to be achieved within a relatively short period of time.
Typically we are retained to identify suitable edge of town centre and town centre sites of between 5-10,000 sq ft (460-930 sq m). This involves systematically searching the identified target towns for suitable sites.
Working in defined geographical areas benefits the client as new sites can be established in areas which can be serviced in an economical manner. This process is likely to identify sites which fulfill the client's brief in terms of location, but may require site assembly, change of use, refurbishment, demolition and new build. It may even be too large for the client's purpose, in which case we could arrange a disposal or sub-letting of part of the site. Inevitably we will also identify sites too small for our clients. We are then able to offer these to companies with matching requirements.
Throughout the business development programme, we work closely with the client, meeting regularly and acting promptly on instructions.
Refurbishment
Watling
House, formerly a Post Office Telecom Repeater Station
Watling House, the group's head office, is an excellent example of how a neglected utilitarian building can be transformed into a highly attractive office accommodation.
After securing detailed planning permission for office use, the building was refurbished from top to bottom. Now remodeled as a three-storey building the completed office provides spacious and comfortable accommodation, achieved with both cost-effectiveness and fast track programming.
Other refurbishments successfully completed include industrial, leisure and retail units, with finishes tailored to suit occupiers' particular requirements.
Property Dealing
To be a success in today's property market, a company needs to be creative. Redbourn prides itself on being able to recognise potential in diverse situations. We continually demonstrate our ability to identify opportunities where an innovative response to the challenges presented by the planning and development environments have resulted in the successful development of commercial or retail schemes.
As an example, we successfully re-located first generation retail warehouses from an edge of centre to an out of centre site where the relocation has achieved wider benefits notwithstanding National Planning Policy. Elsewhere, the relocation of retail floor space from a poorly located site on an industrial estate to one co-located with other retail floor space, albeit also on industrial land, has been actively supported by the Local Authority. In other cases, we have structured proposals for the relocation of an existing use to a new purpose-built site, to facilitate the development of a
- Copyright © 2004 Redbourn Group Plc
Last modified: 24 June, 2004