26 February 2002
Hodgson Elkington help raise The Titanic

The former Titanic works, built in the same year and to the same dimensions as the famous ship of the same name has been raised to a new and productive life.

Once the home of early military tank building and then to automotive braking systems manufacturer, Clayton Dewandre, the building and associated offices were acquired by the Lincoln based Simons Group in the late 1980's, when American Standard Incorporated, owners of Clayton Dewandre ceased manufacturing in the city.

Simons Estates began the mammoth task of breathing new life into the empty shell and raising it to a productive status once again. This has involved embracing both the private and public sectors.

The refurbishment and conversion of the 200,000 sq ft building (over 4 1/2 acres) has been sustained and painstaking. Now, more than a decade later and following an investment of £10 million, the building is almost fully let. The site is Lincoln's largest office development, is now known as Witham Park and is home to a wide variety of businesses who between them employ almost 1,000 people. Only 25,000 sq ft remains available and that is generating serious interest from potential tenants.

"It was a brave purchase at the time and has been the largest refurbishment project carried out by Simons Estates" said Simons Estates' director, Luke Pickering, "The development has been entirely financed by Simons without any grant aid" he continued.

One of the first tasks carried out by Simons was to make the bridge over the River Witham near Stamp End a permanent road fixture. Up to that time the bridge was in private ownership and was drawn up and down, making it generally impassable to traffic from Waterside South and the Monks Road side of the river. Demolition of the frontage of Titanic Works followed and the raising of the Titanic was underway.

The first company to move into the former Titanic Works offices was the Simons Group itself, although its construction divisions remained on Monks Road. Simons Estates, group architects Simons Design and Simons Group have offices at Witham Park today.

The Royal Society for Nature Conservation followed and the former offices were transformed into a new home for the then Lincolnshire TEC, the government funded training and enterprise council, which has subsequently been transformed into the Learning and Skills Council and Small Business Service.

Lincolnshire County Council's Highway and Engineering departments, eager for more space, were next to follow. The Toy Library, another early tenant, has also expanded over the past two years.

Then Anglian Water moved their head office into what is now known as Enterprise House, a two storey headquarters building which includes Lincoln's first call centre and covers approximately half of the length of the former Titanic factory.

Ten years ago, Lincs FM plc, the county's first commercial radio station, decided to locate its offices and studios at Witham Park. "Lincs FM at that time were an unknown and unproven entity but they have gone on to succeed and expand and have added some 30 per cent more space to meet their requirements" explained Luke Pickering. This is now the headquarters for a group of commercial radio stations.

Adding to the diversification of private businesses within the complex, Dragon Health & Fitness were quick to see the advantages of the location and its extensive car parking and took 15,000 sq ft of space. The success of their business resulted in an expansion of 50 per cent last year for this popular facility.

"The fact that there are over 800 car parking spaces has been an important factor in the success of this development, together with the convenient central location", said Daniel Race, partner at Hodgson Elkington, the chartered surveyors who are responsible for the marketing of the development.

More recently high-tech internet and computer security consultancy - Centrinet Limited - relocated its expanding operation into new premises at Witham House. Demand for its services meant that Centrinet Limited had outgrown its small office suite off Doddington Road and the company and its 21 staff moved into a prestigious 4,600 sq ft, self contained suite at Witham Park House.

"We had spent several months looking for suitable premises and Witham Park offered us the accommodation and flexibility we require to run our 24 hour a day operation providing services to customers in thirty seven countries," said Centrinet director, Kelly Smith.

Work is about to begin on a new waterfront business centre at Oak House, adjacent to Witham Park House. Costing more than £1million, the project is the brainchild of Lincolnshire Development, the economic development arm of Lincolnshire County Council. It will be part funded Lincolnshire County Council but the project has also won £400,000 of European funding.

The building was the former headquarters of the Royal Society for Nature Conservation and will be transformed to provide 10,000 sq ft of space in 2l business units, which will be ready for use by late summer. The centre will help fledgling businesses to get off to a flying start and it is hoped they will quickly grow and create new business opportunities. The accommodation will be let on short-term leases and businesses will have access to secretarial and reception services.

"The scheme is in direct response to the demand seen from a variety of employment sectors for incubation and expansion space in the city", said project co-ordinator Paul Wheatley, "The new Lincolnshire University is helping to stimulate demand and there is the prospect a string of spin off businesses emerging from departments such as food science, forensic science and media production, including web site development" he added.

Mr Wheatley believes the Oak House centre will provide entrepreneurs with flexible space without forcing them to sign up to long term contracts. Demand is also coming from the service sector, information and communications technology and software businesses.

"What we now have here at Witham Park is a mix of established, small, medium, and large sized enterprises operating in both the private and public sectors, located in a stimulating environment. We now have little space left and feel confident that the remainder will soon be let," said Luke Pickering.

"Negotiations are progressing well on two other suites in Witham Park House and we expect to be in a position to announce new developments very soon," said Daniel Race of agents Hodgson Elkington. "The short distance from the city centre and good on site car parking make Witham Park House a very attractive commercial proposition," added Mr Race.

It is not only the former Titanic buildings that have been transformed, considerable environmental improvements have been made to the area including the banks of the river Witham. A recent project by Groundwork Lincolnshire has seen trees planted and a new public footpath constructed. "We are delighted with the work that has been done and pleased that we have been able to assist in making a contribution to the appearance of the area" said Luke Pickering.

The raising of the Titanic Works complex, a relic of Lincoln's early twentieth century industrial past, was a daunting task to contemplate back in the late 1980's. Now as we move into the opening years of the twenty first century, refurbished and streamlined, Lincoln's largest office park, is a growing, dynamic, centre of commercial activity and a significant contributor to the city economy.

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