Cooke & Arkwright

The team at Cooke & Arkwright had a busy June this year, as they took part in the LionHeart RICS 125th Anniversary Challenge. Teams of three competed to run, walk or cycle their way through June and raise sponsorship for LionHeart RICS and we are delighted that our teams have raised £471 for the charity (and are all feeling a lot fitter as well).

Andrew West, director and head of the business rates team at Cooke & Arkwright , gave a talk to the Valuation Tribunal for Wales on 9th July explaining the radical changes to the business rate appeal process in Wales . Although this demanding appeal process has been operating in England for 7 years it has only recently been introduced in Wales. Known as Check, Challenge, Appeal the new process for appealing business rate assessments in Wales was introduced in April 2023. Andrew commented “The Valuation Tribunal for Wales remains the principal arbiter of business rate disputes . An understanding of the steps before the final appeal stage are important to contextualise the work and exchanges leading to the appeal in this fundamental change to the long-established appeal process and engagement with the Valuation Office Agency in Wales” https://lnkd.in/e7PrdZ6G #businessrates

Industrial Agents Society - Finalised statistics for Q2 2024 South Wales📊 Q2 South Wales Industrial take up of almost 2.5m sq ft has taken the year-to-date activity higher than last year already. Significantly the second quarter included the sale of the former Ford site in Bridgend to Vantage Data Centres which accounted for almost 1.8m sq ft alone. Within the quarter we are pleased to have competed two significant acquisitions projects for retained clients: Firstly, Aerfin who we secured a new lease on 110,000 sq ft at the newly constructed St Modwen Park Newport to facilitate their business growth. Secondly the purchase of 232,000 sq ft at Reevesland Industrial Estate for clients Kwan Yik to provide a long term home for their continued expansion. Ben Bolton #IAS #industrial #Q2 #statistics #southwales #industrialrealestate

Cardiff Office Market: Q2 by numbers 📊 Total office take-up totaled 74,611 sq.ft in Q2, a 34% reduction when compared to Q1, resulting from 11 fewer deals. It was encouraging to see two city center deals exceeding 10,000 sq.ft, with significant lettings recorded in Hodge House and Brunel House. With lots of deals slowly working their way through legals, we expect to see improved performance in Q3 and Q4, with a return to pre-Covid levels 📈

Cooke & Arkwright is proud to be part of CBI Wales Women's Leadership Group. We need your voice to help us shape the future of female leadership in Wales. Take this short, anonymous survey & make a difference:  Women's Leadership in Wales Survey.  #Diversity #Inclusion #WomenInLeadership #WLCymruSurvey24 https://lnkd.in/e33Uw9eH

Michael Lawley, Chairman of Cooke & Arkwright was awarded the Property Personality of the Year Award at the recent Insider Media Property Awards Wales 2024.     Mike has been working in Wales for over forty years with Cooke & Arkwright, and over that period has become a very well known and respected person on the Welsh property scene. In his long career he has dealt with a wide variety of major private, public and voluntary sector clients and has dealt with properties predominantly in South Wales but also across Wales more widely, and the UK. Much of the focus of his work over the years has been around development and especially on re-generation projects. He had a significant involvement in advising CBDC in the Cardiff Bay development from its formation through to its eventual wind up, and similarly has had a long involvement over 30 years in Barry Waterfront, and other major regeneration schemes on reclaimed land over the years such Nantgarw Colliery.     Mike was Managing Director of Cooke & Arkwright for over twelve years and has now been Chairman for almost ten years. He has also in a voluntary capacity been Vice Chairman of the University of South Wales, sat on the Board of CBI Wales and RICS UK, and various Welsh Government working groups. Mike currently Chairs the Llandaff Diocesan Board of Finance and sits on the Representative Body of the Church in Wales. In recent years the focus of Mike’s work has been on major residential development projects and in particularly as lead advisor to the Plymouth estate on the Plasdŵr development scheme which is now in the process of delivering up to 7,000 much needed houses and associated facilities for Cardiff.     Commenting on the Award (which had been kept secret until announced on the night), Mike said “I am delighted but yet humbled to be given this Insider Award. Working in the Wales property scene and its people over the years has been an exciting time. It was great for my small input to be recognised by this Award, and have the chance to reflect on everything that I have done over the years and the very tangible results that working in the property sector gives you. I couldn’t have done it without Cooke & Arkwright, a proudly independent firm which is prepared to back its people as well as its clients, in what often can be longer shots, but ones which come to fruition in most cases.”

A huge congratulations to Michael Lawley of Cooke & Arkwright on winning “Property Personality of the Year” at the Insider Property Awards Wales 2024! Insider Media #WPA24 #WalesPropertyAwards #walesprop #property #realestate #insider

Cooke & Arkwright have been donning their trainers this month to run, walk and cycle 125 miles for LionHeart RICS 125th birthday! We are half way though now and teams are really getting into it with big competitiveness talk going around the office! We have really thrown ourselves into this challenge as Lionheart is a charity that helps surveyors and their families with any hard times they face, whether that be in the workplace or at home. We would love if you would support us with our challenge this month and donating to such a worthy cause and we will share more as we go on! https://lnkd.in/eDCWknEd Ella Jefferies Sebastian Branfield Graham Davies Ben Bolton Mark Siddons Isaac Grant Elizabeth Hill Andrew West Jane Shankland Huw Jones Tomos Davies MRICS FAAV Philip Angell Abby O'Brien

Pleased to have completed the letting of Unit 24 Newport Business Centre. Excellent work throughout the letting by Max Wood. Neighboring units available on the estate please touch base if you have a requirement in the area. Caisson iO Jon Klass Joint Agents: Jenkins Best / Knight Frank #SouthWales #Sheds #Newport #Industrial