We are pleased to announce the letting of a prominent corner unit in Greenwich Town Centre (Previously Nauticalia) to popular bakery Gail’s, on behalf of our clients the Greenwich Hospital Estate. They were an instant success and  hot cakes were flying out like er well you know as soon as they opened.

Contact Kevin Bright or Charlene Nicholls for details of similar properties.

‘Its like a person being awarded an honour – but far more exclusive’

Greenwich joined an exclusive group as the fourth local authority to become a royal borough and the first to be afforded this status for more than 80 years as one of the first actions to mark the year of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012.

The new legal status was made official with a Royal Charter signed by the Queen, which recognises the close links between Greenwich and royalty since the Middle Ages. Greenwich has several buildings with royal status including the Old Royal Naval College, built on the site of the old Greenwich Palace where Elizabeth I, Mary I and Henry VIII were born.

Being awarded ‘Royal ‘ status for a borough is often compared to a person being awarded an honour – but is much more exclusive with only three others – Kensington & Chelsea, Windsor & Maidenhead and Kingston upon Thames – in existence.

The new royal coat of arms can already be seen on some signs on the streets of the south-east London borough and it features a Tudor rose, for which special dispensation was granted. Look out for the emblem on the new streets signs as they replace the old street signs as they wear out.

If you fancy taking the kids for a walk on Peckham Rye then having a relaxing coffee while they play safely (but  slightly out of earshot)  then this recent letting may be for you. Apple Tree Children’s Café https://appletreelondon.com/ offers parents the chance to chat whilst their brood enjoy organised play close by -they also do fully catered kids’ parties.

Another example of an innovative retail business which has opened since the Pandemic struck.

Sir David Attenborough, 95, and the RRS Sir David Attenborough aka ‘Boaty McBoatFace’ docked in Greenwich on Thursday giving Hindwoods staff a great view from our offices here in New Capital Quay.

A public vote to name the ship settled on Boaty McBoatface, however, officials intervened to sensibly name the ship the RRS Sir David Attenborough. A research submarine carried on the ship has taken the name Boaty McBoatFace as a nod to the public vote instead.

The ship docked in Greenwich for a few days to mark the start of the Cop26 summit before the ship embarks on its first Antarctic mission to complete ground-breaking research later this year. Sir David Attenborough’s message was positive, stating ‘The key message is 1.5C is both important and achievable, but it requires urgent action – evidence-based, science-based action,’ he said and a ‘lot needs to happen this decade’. He said there is also a need to make a big investment in technology, and to ‘make the green choice the easy choice’ for individuals.

Enderby House on the Greenwich water front!

Among other commercial space on Barratt Homes prestigious Enderby Wharf development Hindwoods were tasked with selling the Grade II listed Enderby House which had fallen into disrepair over the years but had significant potential for a new use.

Their was enormous local interest in the next use of the property, largely due to the history attached to the building. Samuel Enderby & Sons operated from here as the largest whalers in Great Britain and were also noted as pioneers of Antarctic exploration. In 1857 submarine cable manufacturers Glass, Elliot & Co took over the property and their ship laid the first functioning transatlantic telecommunications cable connection.

Barratt had already brought the wider area to life through their mixed use development but this building stood alone and was made commercially viable due to their expertise and commitment to salvage the property before it became too late through extensive works followed by a sympathetic new extension.

Built around 1830 the building has great character including an unusual octagonal room with great views over the Thames. It was a complex deal which involved patient input from all stakeholders and included significant investment from Youngs the purchaser of the freehold interest.

It was great to see the pub open to the public in April of this year in the latest stage of the building’s life and witness customers enjoying lunch and a pint on the external deck looking across to Canary Wharf.

The Greenwich Millennium Village scheme has transformed a lot of the landscape in Greenwich so far and continues to expand. The scheme is situated on the Greenwich Peninsula just one stop from Canary Wharf and close to the world famous O2.

Recently, Hindwoods successfully let three commercial units that sit within Trathen Square, part of the fourth phase of Greenwich Millennium Village. The square forms a mix of apartments, mews houses, retail units and a paved outdoor space that will eventually host markets at the weekends.

The commercial occupiers will provide services to the many new and existing residents in the area. GoodWill Pharmacy is up and running, offering a wide range of patient services including prescriptions and aesthetics. Coming soon are Image & Styling Lounge – a trendy hairdressers and Co-op Food, who will both be welcomed additions to the area.

We are pleased to announce the completion of the sale of this prominent mixed- use investment in Lewisham High Street. It comprises 9 flats, two retail units and a light industrial unit and sits on a 0,4 acre site. The main tenant – Supreme Animal Foods  – sells all usual pet supplies but also lizards, snakes and exotic spiders.

Even under very difficult conditions there was tremendous interest which led to an informal tender, ultimately achieving a sale price in excess of the £2.75 Million guide. If you have any similar properties or are looking for this type of investment please contact Edward Dent (link to email). It’s a sin not to.

2020 was a challenging year for many businesses with the hospitality industry, which saw widespread closures throughout March-December brought on by Government guidelines and nationwide lockdowns. Therefore many businesses had to find new and innovate ways to keep their operations running throughout the Pandemic, with many relying on delivery service only in order to survive.

With a large proportion of the general public now working from home, last year saw a sharp increase in takeaways being ordered, with online orders and deliveries now accounting for around 30% of sales in the food industry. Many companies including Deliveroo, Uber Eats and Just Eat, have greatly benefited from this shift in consumer habits by transitioning their production into ‘Dark Kitchens’ in order to fulfil orders. By adopting this model they have been able to successfully increase their output and overall reach across the UK.

Whilst not a new concept, Dark Kitchens have allowed many businesses to continue trade by setting up  small production kitchens in warehouses or industrial units, often at a more affordable rent than conventional retail locations.  Dark Kitchens have multiple advantages, as they can be set up to cater for several restaurants,  often come with reduced overheads and can also be adapted to suit seasonal changes. They also offer great expansion opportunities for restaurants or smaller business, with no upfront costs to the operator. The delivery company will fit out the units to their specification, and the operators can have their orders completed from multiple sites whilst paying the company a commission.

Signs show that this may be a new way forward for the restaurant and delivery industry, with Deliveroo announcing that they plan to expand to 100 new towns and cities across the UK in 2021. However this is not just limited to restaurants. There has been a recent surge in grocery delivery apps including Gorillas, Getir and Fame now offering groceries to your door in under 10 minutes. A great feat that beats your local supermarket!

We all know that the devil is in the detail– but in todays times of information overload it’s sometimes easier said than done.
For example, recently we were advising a client on the development potential of their three-storey mixed use property in Woolwich. It seemed that it was a perfect candidate to benefit from the new permitted development changes to add a couple of additional floors.
Most developers know that there are certain constraints – listed buildings, SSSI’s, maximum heights etc – but how many saw the one at the bottom of the list?
‘Land within 3 kilometers of an aerodrome’?
The term aerodrome covers many different types of aviation infrastructure – airports, heliports and even grass airstrips. This potentially extends to about 400 sites within England alone – an area of over 11,000 km2!
Although the exact definitions of what constitutes the ‘perimeter’ is a grey one and varies from site to site, in our case the property falls withing that of London City Airport ( on the other side of the river) so the Permitted Development rules would not apply, and a full planning application would be necessary for upward extension.
To illustrate below is a diagram of the relevant area excluded by City Airport courtesy of planning experts Lichfields:

Those looking at potential sites in and around London will need to bear in mind Heathrow Airport, London City, Gatwick and London City Heliport. So if you are considering upward extensions via PD, be sure to take expert advice – and always read the small print!