Acquisition and Disposals

Workspace Group PLC 05 May 2004 WORKSPACE ANNOUNCES £10M PROFIT ON DISPOSALS AND £4.6M FULHAM ACQUISITION Workspace Group PLC ('Workspace'), the leading provider of flexible business accommodation to SMEs in London and the South East, has completed the disposal of three sites for development for a consideration of £14.73 million. It has also acquired a business centre in Fulham, London SW6 for £4.64 million. Land at Hooley Lane, Redhill Workspace has completed the sale of its nine-acre open storage unit at Hooley Lane, in Redhill to housebuilder Wimpey Homes for £10 million. Hooley Lane was acquired at auction in 1997 for £0.96 million. A further £1.3 million was spent subsequently on acquiring interests to facilitate the development. The site is being sold with the benefit of an outline planning consent for residential development which has been obtained by Workspace. The site is being sold with full vacant possession. The site was valued at 31 March 2003 at £9.5 million showing a £0.5 million profit on disposal. Site at Union Street, London, SE1 Workspace has also sold three adjoining sites between 112-140 Union Street to Union Street Limited for £1.88 million. The sites were acquired originally in 1998 for £0.7 million as part of the No.1 Union Street acquisition. No.1 Union Street was let to Sainburys PLC and sold subsequently to Chelsfield PLC in December 2000. Land at Kensal Road, London, W10 This 0.3 acre site, purchased in January 2003 at a cost of £1.5 million with payment deferred to January 2004, has been sold for £2.85 million to Octavia Housing Association. Acquisition of The Quadrangle, Fulham, SW6 Workspace has also completed the acquisition of The Quadrangle, Atalanta Street, Fulham, London, SW6 for £4.64 million. The Quadrangle is a former multi-storey Victorian warehouse that was converted in the late 1980s to provide 25,566 sq. ft. of office and studio space in 29 units around a central courtyard. The building is currently 74% let, producing an income of £329,600 per annum. It shows a net initial yield of 6.7% rising in June this year to 7.1% as a result of fixed rental increases. At current rents, once the vacant units have been let, the investment will be capable of generating an income yield based on the purchase price nearer to 9%. Harry Platt, Chief Executive commented, ' We are delighted to announce these disposals. This is another classic example of the ability of the Workspace team to add significant value to many of our sites. We have a number of initiatives under consideration where we are confident that over the medium term, we can continue to realise the 'added value' that we have created. These disposals show a surplus of £10 million over the combined original costs of £4.65 million. ' The acquisition of The Quadrangle in Fulham is an excellent example of our acquisition strategy for the coming financial year. The property is well located and has very good potential for continued income growth. We know this part of London well and The Quadrangle will compliment our other properties in the area to extend the range of accommodation that we can offer to our SME customers.' -ends- Date: 5 May 2004 For further information contact: Workspace Group PLC City Profile Harry Platt, Chief Executive Simon Courtenay Mark Taylor, Finance Director Chris Lane 020-7247-7614 020-7448-3244 e-mail: info@workspacegroup.co.uk Web: www.workspacegroup.co.uk This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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