Pictured above:  left to right are Richard Scriven,  Robert Hurst, Fisher German, Dan Race, Tim Shaw, Hodgson Elkington

An expanding national firm of chartered surveyors and property consultants is the first business to move into a new £13 million high-specification office development adjacent the A1 at Fernwood, near Newark currently being developed by Cheshire based commercial developer Gladman Developments.

Fisher German LLP, who have offices throughout the UK and employ 200 staff, has bought Unit 12, a two-storey 2,250 sq ft building at Halifax Court on phase one of the development. Staff are relocating from their existing office in Alverton, some 9 miles south of Newark and are joined by a new appointment, Robert Hurst, who joins the partnership from Savills.

"Fernwood is an ideal location both in terms of providing state-of-the-art office accommodation for our staff following our recent merger with John Hopkinson and Co and for expansion into Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and north Leicestershire areas with its good, quick access to the road network" said Richard Scriven, partner with Fisher German LLP

"We are delighted to welcome Fisher German as the first occupants to  Fernwood and wish them well. We do also have strong interest from two other potential occupiers at Halifax Court and feel optimistic of having two further buildings under offer in the very near future," said Dan Race, partner with Hodgson Elkington, the Lincoln based Chartered Surveyors who are marketing the development.

Fisher German LLP specialises in rural property advice including estate and farm management, property sales and lettings, auctions, equestrian establishments, valuations, planning and development and building design with nationally recognised teams dealing with wind farms, pipelines/utilities and telecoms sites. Its client base is made up of private, institutional and corporate clients throughout the UK and it manages in excess of half a million acres of property with a rental income of more than £30 million per annum.

"Halifax Court will total some 43,000 sq ft representing a very substantial investment in the Newark area. The planned second phase will take the development up to 90,000 sq ft in total," said Paul Roberts of Gladman.

The site is clearly visible from the A1, just to the South of Balderton and offers easy access onto both the north bound and south bound carriageways. The buildings provide modern, open plan, air-conditioned office accommodation with good on site car parking in a very accessible location.

This is the first development in the Newark area by Gladman Developments, who have created more than 60 of their business park concepts across the country and many blue chip companies and government agencies have occupied Gladman offices. Occupiers include County and Borough Councils, the British Red Cross Society, BAE Systems, Gloucestershire Police Authority, NHS Trusts, Capita Plc and London Scottish Bank.

Directly opposite the site is the former Balderton hospital, which has been redeveloped into a new village of 1,150 homes. The remaining land at Fernwood Business Park is expected to attract a variety of commercial uses, which will be drawn to the accessible, trunk road position.

Chartered Surveyors Hodgson Elkington are handling the scheme as joint agents with Innes England.