the North West Market Report - Cumbria Duncan Young


At Mere Commercial we deal with a range of property types from town centre shops to industrial units and businesses from pubs to guest houses across the whole of Cumbria writes company director, Duncan Young. Being situated at the heart of Cumbria near the intersection of Junction 40 of the M6 and the A66 gives our office easy access to all corners of the county. Many individuals aspire to re-locate to this part of the country seeking a change in lifestyle and to enjoy rural outdoor activities and scenic landscapes.


As there are limited opportunities for new professional and skilled jobs with the nearest large conurbations being some distance away, people will often realise their dreams by buying an existing business or starting a new business from existing commercial premises.


During the last 12 months or so we have witnessed an upsurge in enquiries from other parts of the country and particularly London and the south east as more people seek to escape the rat race and urban conurbations.


Pubs, restaurants, guest houses, retail businesses and takeaways have all been in good demand with many sales agreed or in the pipeline. Most interest and highest prices are within the Lake District National Park but there are many hidden gems outside the Lake District.


The Yorkshire Dales National Park has now been extended to include a large area of the Eden Valley in east Cumbria.


The market for companies coming into the area has also seen an increased demand and the availability of vacant industrial units in


towns outside Carlisle and west Cumbria is very limited, so rents and in the 3-4,000 square foot range are now £7-£8 per square foot in many locations.


In west Cumbria all eyes are on the outcome of the proposed Moorside nuclear power station which is in the hands of South Korean companies.


If it does eventually go ahead it will bring a boost to an area which does suffer deprivation, and there would be positive knock on effects through the whole local economy.


Offices out of town continue to attract good interest as firms look to move away from town centre locations and seek buildings with modern open plan layouts and ease of parking.


High streets in towns inside the Lake District generally benefit from a strong and growing tourist trade with a lengthening season. Although mid-winter months are still quiet, traders make up their turnover through the rest of the year.


Other market towns show many of the effects of a decline in trade across all high streets and more shops occupied by charity and service businesses as online shopping becomes the norm.


Local authorities and government as usual are slow to respond to changing markets and further initiatives on business rates and parking provision are desperately needed to encourage new businesses and shoppers into town centres.


Mere Commercial has a well used website which lists property and businesses available through the agency in Cumbria and the firm also offers a range of other professional services including formal valuations, business rates advice, lease and rental advice and property management.


For further information you can contact Mere Commercial via the firms website www.merecommercial.co.uk


Design and Build harmony


TJM are a business where design and build work in harmony. They understand the dynamics of build with the finesse of interior design and the practicalities of manufacturing.


They call this process ‘build+create’ and their vision is to be considered the ‘go to’ contractor for anything up to a complete turnkey service, chosen not just on price but for the comprehensive solutions we can provide.


Established in 2004 TJM have gained a reputation for quality and reliability, completing projects on time and on budget and have grown from 5 to 70+ full time employees with a current turnover of £14m.


Their original core business of interior fit-outs has now expanded to 3 divisions – Interiors, Construction and Manufacturing.


Construction was established as the natural progression to add value and flexibility to their Interiors contracts and now


undertakes stand-alone contracts up to £4m in the commercial and education sectors.


Manufacturing followed on from Construction, as TJM sought to gain further control over the supply chain for both divisions by acquiring two of its key manufacturing suppliers and establishing a new 18000sq. ft. facility in Atherton, near Manchester.


This is fitted out with the latest computer-controlled specialist machinery and continues to expand.


The result is all the core professional and trade disciplines are together in-house and overseen by a team of Project Managers and Quantity Surveyors.


They are supported by our CAD designers and admin staff, with a fleet of branded vehicles providing full national coverage.


They offer a range of services to suit any construction and interiors undertaking from £5k to £5m.


COMMERCIAL PROPERTY MONTHLY 2018


71


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85