Ask close to deals on next phases of St Petersfield

Ask Developments is in advanced discussions with a prospective occupier to pre-let a 20,000 sq ft office and with Tameside Council over a multi-storey car park as the next elements of the St Petersfield development in Ashton-under-Lyne.

Jamie Hills, development executive at Ask, said: "We are in talks with public and private sector occupiers for the remaining office plots. One set of talks is well advanced but no deal has been done yet."

The site in line for the 20,000 sq ft stand-alone office building is off Old Street and is one of six plots left to develop out at St Petersfield.

Occupiers in earlier phases of the scheme, favoured mostly by public sector organisations to date, include Pennine Care NHS Trust, a Primary Care Centre, charity the Shaw Trust, contractor Carillion and recruitment and training consultancy TNG. Tameside College started work this year on a 10,000 sq ft enterprise and incubation centre. New Charter Housing Trust is also on site with a residential phase at the scheme.

Hills also said a deal was close to being finalised between Ask and Tameside Council to build a 436-space, five-storey car park off Dale Street East. The car park will be partly funded by grant aid from the North West Development Agency.

Hills said: "The car park is intended to kick-start the scheme and was part of the original masterplan. We had intended to build 600 spaces but over time that has come down. The council will operate the car park on a free basis for businesses and occupiers at St Petersfield with other users paying on foot. Hopefully free parking provision will encourage occupiers to come to St Petersfield."

Both the pre-let office and car park could be completed by mid 2012, Hills said. That would leave four remaining plots which will be marketed for design-and-build pre-lets and pre-sales of between 10,000 sq ft and 65,000 sq ft.

Quoting office rents at St Petersfield are £15/sq ft.

Letting agents are Lambert Smith Hampton and Cushman & Wakefield. Reid Architects is advising Ask Developments.