Helen Thomas Freelance
Property Week
Stories by this contributor.
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Capital intensive
International Supplement 1 October 2004
In the rush to build before the government’s Olympic deadline, huge schemes are going up all over Beijing. But many doubt their viability.
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Forever Chingland
International Supplement 1 October 2004
The rural, English-themed Thames Town in the Shanghai suburbs is a world away from its crammed, bustling downtown.
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Power of the people
International Supplement 1 October 2004
Suzhou, with its seven million inhabitants and 100 sq mile industrial park, is one of hundreds of secondary cities powering the Chinese economy.
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Red alert
International Supplement 1 October 2004
The Chinese government is taking action to stop the Chinese economy from overheating. Helen Thomas reports from Beijing
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Cultural resolution
16 July 2004
One year on from Liverpool’s selection as 2008 European Capital of Culture, the celebrations are over and developers are working on schemes that will be ready in time for the deadline.
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The money programme
16 July 2004
The Northwest Development Agency is under fire for overspending and causing uncertainty over funding for key projects. But as Helen Thomas reports, it claims it’s all part of the plan
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Uphill struggle
16 July 2004
After a site assembly process that included moving an entire cemetery, developer North West Estates is set to start on a redevelopment that promises to revive Manchester’s Cheetham Hill.
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The breeding ground
2 July 2004
Some of today's biggest and brightest names in property started out at Michael Laurie & Partners. Helen Thomas turns the clock back 20 years and finds out what made the practice tick
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Bridge over troubled quarters
18 June 2004
The view from Brentford's flyover is one of dereliction in the heart of west London, but Isis's waterside development could signal a mixed-use future for the area.
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Local knowledge
4 June 2004
Essential information, project updates and gossip.
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Shrewsbury's centre stage
4 June 2004
Shrewsbury is keen to increase the number of its shops – but only if they remain in the town centre.
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Up in smoke
4 June 2004
The demise of Stoke's famous potteries pushed the city into decline. Can a multi-agency approach to regeneration relight its fire?
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What's on InStaffs
4 June 2004
Helen Thomas reviews the latest biannual commercial property report from inward investment agency InStaffs
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From here to eternity
21 May 2004
Large-scale industrial development seems to take forever in Greater Manchester. At last, three long-awaited schemes seem to be making progress.
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Making moves
7 May 2004
Change was top of the agenda at last month's CoreNet Global UK summit. CoreNet's president said goodbye, while relocation plans for civil servants and proposals to legislate under the commercial lease code were among the topics discussed.
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Scientific progress
23 April 2004
A series of schemes are coming out of the ground in the areas designated 'technology corridors' by Advantage West Midlands – and beyond.
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The motor stalls
23 April 2004
Rover's rescue in 2000 looked set to continue Longbridge's long association with car making. But now the troubled firm has sold its land, and a £100m science park could change the site forever.
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Malmaison looks south for eight new hotels
16 April 2004
Hotel chain to double in size by 2008 as it targets Oxford and London
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RDA plans 2m sq ft Staffs business park
16 April 2004
Advantage West Midlands seeks consent for brownfield scheme
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Local knowledge
2 April 2004
Essential information, project updates and gossip.
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Clearing the pipeline
19 March 2004
Castlemore and SecondSite have big plans for the giant, long-neglected Southall Gas Works site.
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Local knowledge
19 March 2004
Essential information, project updates and gossip.
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American booty
6 February 2004
The small Newbury developer Highcross has exceeded all expectations by persuading US investors to back its £500m fund.
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Dare we predict an upturn?
6 February 2004
Berkshire's office agents start 2004 wondering if this will be the year the market picks up.
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Newbury’s new start
6 February 2004
Shoppers are overlooking Newbury in favour of larger and better-known retail centres, but it is planning to fight back.
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Local knowledge - Since our last visit ...
16 January 2004
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Road warriors
16 January 2004
Rival shed schemes around Gloucester's M5 junction 12 are set for a scrap over occupiers.
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In for the long haul
5 December 2003
The south-west is England's largest region, but its RDA is determined that neither economic imbalances or physical distances will restrict its development.
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D-Day for landlords
28 November 2003
Next week the government invites the property industry to a top-level meeting on the lease code, which could have serious repercussions
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Branching out
24 October 2003
Imminent reform of use classes will put banks where they want to be – in modern, glass-fronted units on the high street.
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The full Monte
10 October 2003
Martin Landau may live in Monte Carlo, but he is throwing his full weight behind his latest property venture in the UK. Helen Thomas talks to Dutch developer MAB's UK chairman
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Too much information
10 October 2003
Information provider Experian has outgrown its Nottingham headquarters and is investing £50m in a new HQ and data centre.
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Chainbow's pot of gold
19 September 2003
Standing in the shadow of Lakeside, the tiny Grays shopping centre is a vital part of the area's retail mix says its new owner Chainbow. But it will have a job convincing retailers.
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The great leap forward
5 September 2003
The 2003 Expo Real conference in Munich is broadening its horizons away from Germany with a day devoted to property investment in China
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Twilight of the god
5 September 2003
Wagnerian overtones would provide a fitting backdrop to the German economy, which is showing little sign of improving
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Home economics
29 August 2003
Gloucestershire's office market is coming to the realisation that small occupiers are just as important as larger ones
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Hi-tech money belt
29 August 2003
Worcestershire council and Advantage West Midlands are rebranding a stretch of the A38 in a bid to attract hi-tech occupiers
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Losing momentum
29 August 2003
Plans to redevelop Causeway Farm in Hereford and continue the regeneration that began with the Left Bank are in danger of foundering
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Cracking the bank code
1 August 2003
The lengthy, jargon-ridden New Basel Capital Accord categorises property as a high-risk sector and will encourage banks to take a far more cautious approach to property lending
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RICS objects to bank valuation standard
1 August 2003
New Basel Capital Accord methodology leaves banks overexposed, says institution
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Phoenix from the ashes
25 July 2003
It survived assaults by Henry VIII and wartime bombs. Now Coventry is out to reclaim its place as a vibrant regional centre
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In the ring
25 July 2003
Ahead of its opening in September, Property Week takes a tour of Birmingham's Bullring
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What a difference a decade makes
25 July 2003
Birmingham's office market is vowing not to repeat the mistakes of the 1990s recession
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Landscape's Western front
11 July 2003
Developer Landscape Estates is fighting Bath council to realise its vision for Western Riverside. But the odds appear stacked against it
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Bristol's change of art
11 July 2003
The Bristol Alliance is to unveil radical new designs for its Broadmead retail scheme
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Now we are 5
11 July 2003
Prudential's Mall at Cribbs Causeway faces its first round of rent reviews after five years at the top of the Bristol retail sector
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Red hot Redcliffe
11 July 2003
Office development in Bristol is focusing on the district of Redcliffe. It has more than location to attract investment
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Swindon swings into action
11 July 2003
The pressure is on for the New Swindon Company to turn its regeneration promises into reality
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Trading places
11 July 2003
The exodus of manufacturers from Swindon led to a slump in the industrial market. But changes of use to trade counters could bring it back to life
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Cape crusader
20 June 2003
Wealthy South African developer Venter Odendaal has arrived in Surrey to create a hi-tech business park with a little bit extra
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Peace dividends
6 June 2003
Agents hope engineering firms based in west London will secure large contracts to help rebuild Iraq – and in the process rebuild the local office market
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Great flight hope
6 June 2003
The construction of Terminal 5 is giving the Heathrow industrial scene a new lease of life. Property Week finds developers queuing up for a slice of the increased warehousing action
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Taking the rough with the smooth
6 June 2003
West London offices guru Alistair Elliott, from Knight Frank, has seen the good times and the bad. And he can even find a silver lining in today's gloomy market
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Welcome to the concrete jungle
6 June 2003
A run-down town centre and a reputation for crime and concrete – Feltham is a challenge for any developer
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Laboratory experiment
23 May 2003
Cambridge-based Wrenbridge is taking a leap into the unknown by speculatively developing laboratories with DevSecs
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Crisis of identity
23 May 2003
After failed attempts to improve its image, Ipswich is a town that is still trying to find itself
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Insult to industry
23 May 2003
Industrial occupiers are no longer welcome in Cambridgeshire as the county woos fashionable hi-tech business
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Kingston upon Hull: Deep impact
2 May 2003
The aquatic leisure attraction the Deep continues to have a profound effect on Kingston upon Hull's property market.
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Smaller businesses fail to tackle terrorism threat
Property Direct April 2003
Business continuity measures come under the spotlight as small to medium-sized businesses back away from the cost of back-up procedures.
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Agents: Shropshire lads
17 April 2003
We gauge agent opinion in a county where beautiful surroundings vie for attention with much-needed commercial development
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Self-assured
17 April 2003
As news emerges of a bid approach for Selfridges from entrepreneur Tom Hunter, Peter Williams, the group's new chief executive, explains how the retailer has reinvented itself.
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Industrial: Hub culture
11 April 2003
After delays to two schemes Birmingham’s industrial market finally has something to smile about in the form of the Hub.
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Profile: Mr Blue Sky
11 April 2003
Birmingham City Council's economic development director Paul Spooner has far-reaching and ambitious aims for the city. As we find out, enthusiasm and a positive outlook are the keys to success
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Regeneration: Rough around the edges
11 April 2003
Birmingham has been successful in transforming its city core but the surrounding areas remain in need of regeneration.
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B&Q launches huge Midlands shed hunt
28 March 2003
Insignia Richard Ellis instructed to find 850,000 sq ft for distribution hub
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Derby regeneration:
28 March 2003
How to incorporate a 19th century site within plans to regenerate the city centre is the problem facing Urban Catalyst.
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Industrial: Into the fast lane
28 March 2003
As the golden triangle feels the pressure of rising wages and rents it is full speed ahead for eastern areas close to the A1.
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Leicester retail: Centre of attention
28 March 2003
The Shires shopping centre revamp is at the centre of Hammerson and Hermes' Leicester masterplan.
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Leicester retail: Centre of attention
28 March 2003
The Shires shopping centre revamp is at the centre of Hammerson and Hermes' Leicester masterplan.
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It's gym life, but not as we know it
Property Direct March 2003
Keeping your employees happy demands perks that extend beyond the salary, among them a company gym membership. Now even small firms can fit them in.
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Waking up with a hangover
28 February 2003
In the 1990s it was Europe's Celtic tiger, but the downturn in Ireland's economy has caused problems for property. We report on the state of market in Northern Ireland and the Republic
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Maidenhead regeneration: Streets ahead
14 February 2003
While the Thames Valley market bottoms out, Maidenhead marches on with ambitious plans to regenerate the town centre. But, as we report, there are doubts over the timing
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Bristol agents: Cracking the inner sanctum
7 February 2003
Insignia Richard Ellis has set a course for Bristol to take on the city's four entrenched firms. We preview the coming battle for West Country clients
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Capital of culture: Small is beautiful
7 February 2003
Locals hope Bristol's diminutive size will not harm its chances of being European Capital of Culture 2008.
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Industrial: Prize possessions
7 February 2003
It's not the most likely of situations, but Bristol investors are developing a taste for old, derelict industrial buildings.
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Regeneration: Saving Swindon
7 February 2003
Swindon's regeneration company plans an ambitious overhaul of the town's crumbling architecture and its run-down 1970s image.
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Retail: Bath goes modern
7 February 2003
That Bath is old and pretty is beyond doubt, but two developments are aiming to bring in visitors looking for something a bit more contemporary.
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Castlemore hits snag at £200m Bristol site
31 January 2003
Irish developer buys small site within Castlemore's Temple Quay North scheme
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Holding Fort
31 January 2003
It may be miles away from town and in a run-down area, but a huge redevelopment is set to turn the old Fort Dunlop into the new Brindleyplace.
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Industrial: Tough times ahead
31 January 2003
Industrial agents are not looking forward to 2003.
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Investment: Foreign legions
31 January 2003
Good buildings, a crowded centre and an excellent location account for Birmingham's popularity with overseas investors. More and more are pouring in to get a piece of the Heart of England.
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Second nature
31 January 2003
The final decision on Europe's capital of culture 2008 is due this spring. In our second focus on the six shortlisted cities, we visit Birmingham, where the worry is that its perennial 'second place' tag will undermine its bid.
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Herefordshire agents: The agents' guide to Herefordshire
10 January 2003
Commercial agents in Herefordshire? Despite its rustic image and inward-looking community, the county has a busy property market.
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Industrial: Sweet taste of success
10 January 2003
Worcestershire's reinvention as a distribution hub for the Midlands has attracted a doughnut manufacturer, BUPA and a kitchen supplier.
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A matter of convenience
6 December 2002
Supermarkets are embroiled in a battle for urban space as the concept of convenience stores takes off. We find out what it means for landlords and the high street
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Industrial: Taking its toll
29 November 2002
The new M6 Toll will open in 2004, and will slash journey times around Birmingham. But will it convince developers that Staffordshire is right for distribution hubs?
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Regeneration: Rogers' revelation
29 November 2002
Today we reveal Lord Rogers' vision for the new Library of Birmingham, the centrepiece of the massive Eastside regeneration project that will transform the city centre.
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Retail: Through the Mill
29 November 2002
Walsall's Shannons Mill may be ideally located to attract trade, but many think retail in the area will suffer because of poor transport links.
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Office/industrial round-up: A word of caution
22 November 2002
Faltering business confidence is making Sussex-based office and industrial occupiers extremely cautious when considering their accommodation needs.
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Leisure: Exclusive
15 November 2002
Private members clubs use exclusivity to lure the rich and famous, but a series of tabloid scandals have cast a spotlight on an increasingly crowded market.
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Leisure: Much ado about Stratford
1 November 2002
A plan to recreate a slice of Shakespeare's Stratford has sparked vociferous opposition among those who think Disney is coming to town.
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Oxford retail: Oxford blues
1 November 2002
The failure of Capital Shopping Centre's £220m plan to expand the Westgate Centre in Oxford has exposed bitter divisions within the city of spires.
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Round-up: Land locked
1 November 2002
Worcestershire's property fortunes are being blighted by one simple fact: a lack of suitable development land.
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Regeneration: A guide to good design
25 October 2002
Commercial advantage can be best achieved through good design, says George Ferguson (pictured). We talk to the president-elect of the Royal Institute of British Architects
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Retail: Comer challenges Broadmead
25 October 2002
Comer Homes' plans for Bristol's Tollgate House pose a threat to the Bristol Alliance's Broadmead scheme.
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Transport: Trains, planes, no automobiles
18 October 2002
The government has challenged the regions to get their transport policy sorted. We find out how the east Midlands has responded
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The insider
11 October 2002
Investment banks are among the most powerful forces in UK property. They are the biggest office occupiers and their fortunes dictate City sentiment towards companies like Canary Wharf and British Land. Here, Helen Thomas, who worked for an American investment bank, reveals some of the sector's secrets
