3rd May 2007 13:44
British Land Co PLC03 May 2007 ROPEMAKER GETS GO-AHEAD British Land's newest addition to its City office development programme,Ropemaker, London EC2, has received planning approval from Islington Council fora revised design and development of the 1.2 acre site. The Company acquired the site in March 2006 for £130 million with planningconsent for a 505,000 sq ft development. British Land chose to revise theexisting design to maximise the floor space and efficiency of the building. Nigel Webb, Head of Developments, British Land said: "In acquiring Ropemaker wesaw the opportunity to secure an improved consent for a bigger and betterbuilding. Having secured planning consent we are committed to building out thedevelopment speculatively and will deliver it to the market in 2009. We arealready on site having received planning consent for basement works last year." The revised consent is for a building of 593,000 sq ft of office and retailspace within a 20 storey building. The building will offer a variety offloorplate sizes including 42,500 sq ft dealing floors at the lower level. Ropemaker has been designed with specialist environmental sustainabilityexpertise and will achieve an "Excellent" BREEAM rating through a range ofmeasures. The design has also focused on reducing carbon by extensive use of heatrecovery, highly efficient plant and an external elevation treatment whichminimises solar gain. The use of biofuel boilers, solar water heating andphotovoltaic panels will displace 10% of carbon emissions and 20% of energy usedin the building. Extensive Green Roofs which are a feature of the design will provide an outdooramenity area for occupiers, as well as new ecological habitats for animal andplant life. Rainwater will be recovered from the roof areas reducing the demandfor water from the mains. The building has also been developed to maximise thescope for recycling of materials and provides excellent facilities for cyclists.Recycled and sustainable materials are being used wherever possible. Images can be found at www.britishland.com/press releases. Notes to Editors: •Ropemaker is an island site close to Moorgate and Liverpool Street Stations. •Arup Associates are the architect and engineers for the revised design consent. • British Land has a carefully timed 4 million sq ft development pipeline coming to fruition between now and 2010. • Of the 4 million sq ft programme, British Land is on site building nearly 2.6 million sq ft. •London Offices represent 36 per cent of the company's £16.4 billion property portfolio. •British Land's other developments include: 201 Bishopsgate and the 35 storey Broadgate Tower, EC2; The Landmark Willis Building EC3; Ludgate West, EC4; York House, W1 (British Land's new head office); Regent's Place NW1 and the 47 storey Leadenhall Building, EC3. Date: 3 May, 2007 Media contact: Laura De Vere: Tel: 0207 467 2920/mobile: 0773 929 2920 This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock ExchangeRelated Shares:
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