Hurst signs first at 3 Stockport Exchange

The fast-growing independent accountancy firm has agreed a prelet for the 11,000 sq ft top floor in the latest building at Stockport Exchange by partners Muse and Stockport Council.

After 25 years based at Tiviot Dale, also in Stockport town centre, Hurst will move its head office next April. The Tiviot Dale office is owned by Hurst founder Malcolm Hurst and the business has been looking to move for several years. The 120 staff at head office are currently split over several floors totalling around 7,000 sq ft.

Muse’s latest office building at the £145m Stockport Exchange will provide 64,000 sq ft and is due to reach practical completion in December.

Hurst will occupy the fifth floor, having agreed a 10-year lease. The quoting rent is £25/sq ft. The new base gives Hurst room to expand to 170 staff, which it expects to do within three years.

Tim Potter, managing partner of Hurst, said: “Although we looked at various sites in Manchester city centre, Stockport has always worked very well for us from a client and team perspective.

“It’s a great place to be and is firmly on the map for business and leisure, reinforced by its status as Greater Manchester’s Town of Culture for 2023.”

Potter continued: “When it came to looking at locations in the town, 3 Stockport Exchange stood out because of its environmental credentials and its superb public transport links, which offer easier access to staff and thereby will broaden our recruitment appeal even further as we look to expand the firm.”

Cllr Colin MacAllister, cabinet member for economy and regeneration at Stockport Council, is confident that Hurst “will not only reap the benefits of a high-quality office development with fantastic accessibility, but also our ambitious plans for the town centre like the new transport interchange, improvements to Merseyway and our growing retail offer.”

Tom Webber, senior development manager at Muse, said the Hurst deal was “another significant step forwards in our efforts to create a vibrant, thriving business community at the heart of the development.”

Tim Potter will take Hurst to 3 Stockport Exchange next spring. Credit: via Kevin Feddy Media

The main contractor at 3 Stockport Exchange is Galliford Try. The building will feature 38 cycle racks and is being designed to achieve a BREEAM ‘excellent’ rating. There will also be a 399-space multi-storey car park with 26 charging points for electric vehicles, solar photovoltaics and a green ‘living’ wall.

The wider Stockport Exchange development covers 375,000 sq ft of office space and 28,000 sq ft of retail and leisure amenities. Existing occupiers include Stagecoach, musicMagpie, Holiday Inn and BASF.

Hurst has a dozen desks at 125 Deansgate in Manchester city centre where its corporate advisory team is based. The city centre presence is also being reviewed with an eye on growth.

Hurst was founded in 1982 and targets owner-managed companies with turnover of £5m and above across all sectors. Clients include Kinaxia Logistics, M&I Materials, Beechfield Brands, Duerr’s, Oliver Valves, Lancashire County Cricket Club, Krones UK, Creamline Dairies, Arighi Bianchi, Scapa Group and Hyde Group.

Andrew Timms of Edwards & Co represented Hurst. Simon Maddox of JMW Solicitors provided legal advice. Atul Bansal of Sheila Bird Studio is the design and fit-out adviser for the new office.

Cushman & Wakefield and CBRE are joint agents for Stockport Exchange.