ANDOVER

AXA Real Estate Investment Managers has agreed a re-letting of the former MVC store to Caversham Trading (t/a BrightHouse). The unit provides 3,964 sq ft of ground floor sales space and 3,393 sq ft of first floor ancillary space and it has been let on a new 10-year lease at a rent stepped from £55,000 pax in year one to £60,000 pax in year five. There is a tenant-only break clause at the end of year five. Smith Price was letting agent.

BOLTON

Scottish Widows Investment Partnership has negotiated a surrender of DSG’s lease on the 9,615-sq ft Unit 3 on the Astley Bridge Retail Park, followed by a re-letting to Topps Tiles at £80,500 pa equating to £8.37 per sq ft. Edgerley Simpson Howe advised the landlord while Wilkinson Williams represented DSG and Curson Sowerby Topps Tiles.

BELFAST

Virgin Media has acquired the 1,200-sq ft Unit 25, Castle Court Shopping Centre on a new 10-year lease incorporating a review and tenant-only option to break at year five. The initial rent is £145,000 pax. Williams Gunter Hardwick and GVA Grimley represented Virgin Media while the lessor, Westfield, was represented by Osborne King.

COWLEY

Magan’s hairdressers has taken 35A Upper Bar, in the Templars Square Shopping Centre, comprising 614 sq ft. The length of the term is three years with a four-week rent-free period. The rent is at £8,550 pa. Megan’s joins a number of other new tenants to the shopping centre including B&M Bargains, Immy’s Stop’n’Shop and Cowley Express Convenience Store. Hicks Baker and Jones Lang LaSalle are letting agents.

LEEDS

TCS Holdings has let unit 82 at the Merrion Centre, totalling 974 sq ft, to Cheque Centres Properties on a new 10-year lease at £25,000 pa. And the 700-sq ft Unit 46 has been leased to Vidya Skin Clinics, trading as Depicool, on a new five-year lease at £11,000 pa. Landlord TCS Holdings was represented by Savills and Brassington Rowan, while the incoming tenant Cheque Centre Properties was represented by Whitelaw Blakie Figies.

SCARBOROUGH

GB & BM Walker, trading as Toymaster, has taken Unit 28 in the Brunswick Centre, totalling 2,073 sq ft. The toy retailer has agreed a new 10-year lease will pay £47,500 pa. Putting on the Glitz has agreed a new five-year lease on Unit 17, totalling 617 sq ft. The fashion accessories retailer will pay £27,500 pa. And Oakham Trading, trading as Jonathan James, has taken Unit 11, totalling 2,524 sq ft, on a 12-month lease. The footwear retailer will pay £22,000 pa. Savills was letting agent on behalf of Prudential Property Investment Management. Oakham Trading and GB & BM Walker were both represented by Lambert Smith Hampton, and Putting on the Glitz was represented by Fisher Hargreaves Proctor.

Thomas Cook takes second store at St David’s

Thomas Cook has taken a new unit on the ground floor at St David’s, Cardiff. The travel company already has an existing store at the shopping centre.

The new 1,882-sq ft unit is adjacent to Pandora on the lower level of Grand Arcade which hosts retailers including Cult, Coast, Karen Millen, Quiksilver, Oasis, Warehouse and Fenchurch.

Joanne Skilton of Capital Shopping Centres, on behalf of St David’s Partnership, the joint venture between CSC and Land Securities, said: “Thomas Cook is opening its second location within St David’s. As a key retail destination in the centre of the city of Cardiff it is important that we offer a range of services as well as an exemplary fashion offer. The retail mix continues to go from strength to strength and we are very excited about future announcements.”

Lunson Mitchenall, Cushman & Wakefield and EJ Hales advised Capital Shopping Centres and Land Securities, the joint landlords; King Sturge advised the tenant, Thomas Cook.