Disposal

Great Portland Estates PLC 21 June 2006 21 June 2006 Great Portland Estates forward sells Tooley Street development for £94.3 million Great Portland Estates plc ('GPE') announces it has agreed to forward sell its proposed 200,000 sq ft office development at 154/172 Tooley Street, London, SE1 to UBS Global Asset Management (UK) Ltd ('UBS') for £94.3 million. Purchased in four separate transactions from June to September 2004 for £20.0 million including costs, the Group obtained a resolution to grant planning permission for the site in November 2005 and completed a Section 106 agreement in March. Construction is scheduled to start later this year with completion of the development due in early 2008. UBS will pay £36.2 million for the site, generating a surplus for the Group of £7.7 million on the March 2006 book value. Of this, £33.8 million is payable in July 2006 with two further payments totaling £2.4 million to be paid over the next two years. Construction works will be completed by GPE under a development agreement, with all associated costs, estimated at £48.3 million, immediately reimbursed by the purchaser. A construction profit estimated by the Group to be £9.8 million will be paid by UBS on practical completion bringing total net proceeds (excluding reimbursed construction costs) to £46.0 million. This represents a surplus of £17.5 million to the March 2006 book value, equivalent to a post tax NAV uplift of 8 pence per share and a return on the Group's capital employed of 78%. Whilst construction cost risk remains with GPE, all other risks, including void and letting risk have been transferred to the purchaser. A further profit payment of up to £2 million is available to GPE subject to certain letting targets being achieved by UBS. Commenting on the transaction, Toby Courtauld, GPE's Chief Executive said, 'This is further good business for GPE. Tooley Street is the single largest scheme in our remaining near term development programme of 575,000 sq ft and we have now realized our forecast profit, in an accelerated timeframe and at a much reduced risk. Having recently made further acquisitions on Southbank at Blackfriars Road and St Thomas Street, we look forward to developing our ideas on this next pipeline of projects as well as delivering a first class product for UBS.' Contacts: Great Portland Estates plc Toby Courtauld Chief Executive 020 7647 3042 Robert Noel Property Director 020 7647 3043 Finsbury James Murgatroyd 020 7251 3801 This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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