Maltings ticks all the boxes for modern businesses
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From a derelict nightclub to a state-of-the-art office complex, The Maltings in Ipswich has ticked all the boxes for its first tenant.
Insurance underwriter Lonham chose to set up its headquarters in the Grade II listed building near Ipswich Station after the £3.5m refurbishment was completed last year.
The development, which offers 24,000 square feet of office space, was made possible thanks to a loan of £600,000 from New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership’s Growing Places Fund. As well as bringing a prominent building back into use, it is hoped The Maltings will act as a catalyst for further investment in the area.
Lonham, a member of the Chaucer Group, has praised the “high-quality work environment” and location of the building, and other companies are in discussions with developer Pertwee Estates about letting out space.
Dawn Herbert, Facilities Manager at Chaucer, said: “After an extensive search around Ipswich, selecting The Maltings for our new Lonham headquarters was a stress-free decision to make.
“The build combines the best of the historic and the new – a great building to look at, and a spacious and high-quality work environment inside for staff and clients. There is ample parking, and the central location means that the station and many other useful amenities are within easy walking distance.
“Pertwee Estates were excellent to work with, enabling us to sign the lease and move in with minimum effort.”
Mark Pertwee and Iain Dunnett
Mark Pertwee, Managing Director of Pertwee Estates, said The Maltings offered Shoreditch-style office space at a much cheaper rate than London, but still within an hour of the capital.
Suites range from 1,600 square feet through to 24,000 in total, although these are divisible as the company had built in as much flexibility as possible. There is also full Fibre into the building and 35 allocated parking spaces.
“It is about two minutes from the train station, it’s in the prime business district of Princes Street and is an eye-catching and economic building with an unusual interior,” said Mr Pertwee.
“It’s not just a white box – it’s very different. Companies are looking for inspiring new offices to attract their employees; that makes a big difference these days.
“If you look outside of the M25, East Anglia is still much less expensive and we are only an hour from Liverpool Street, so it’s great value.”
Iain Dunnett, Senior Growing Places Fund Co-ordinator for New Anglia LEP, said: “To have been able to completely restore this historic but disused building is fantastic for Ipswich. The Maltings offers high-quality office space which is superbly positioned near the train station and is helping breathe new life into this part of the business district.”
Anyone interested in leasing space at The Maltings should contact Vanessa Penn at Penn Commercial 01473 211933 or vanessa@penncommercial.co.uk
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