Schroder Real Estate has announced a further deal at No.1 Spinningfields with Global Investment Bank GCA Altium.

The financial company has agreed a deal to occupy 5,600 sq ft on the 9^th floor of the 19-storey building in Spinningfields. GCA will launch its new office and officially move in during June.

This latest deal follows the announcement that online price comparison platform and tech giant Moneysupermaket.com will occupy two floors in the building later this year.

GCA Altium is the European business of GCA, a global investment bank that provides strategic M&A and capital markets advisory services to growth companies and market leaders. The firm offers worldwide coverage with over 400 professionals in 20 offices across America, Asia and Europe.

GCA Altium is moving from Belvedere to take larger space in No 1 Spinningfields due to recent expansion of the business in Manchester.

Jourdan Rajwan, Investment Manager, Schroder Real Estate said: “We are delighted to add another brilliant tenant to complement the mix at No.1 Spinningfields, following hot on the heels of Moneysupermarket.com. The building is made up of a diverse tenant mix and continues to attract top talent form both outside the city and from within offering the best in class office space, amenity and connectivity. ”

The acquisition of No.1 Spinningfields by clients of Schroders in 2017 from Allied London was one of the largest single-asset trades recorded in the region, at c.£200m.

Schroders has continued to work with Allied on the transition from a development to a virtually fully let building offering the highest levels of occupational performance.

Currently, the building boasts a diverse tenant portfolio across professional services, legal, tech and leisure. The building also offers significant amenity including flagship restaurant and bar 20 Stories, independent coffee operator Pot Kettle Black, excellent connectivity with a Wired Score Platinum rating and one of the most sustainable buildings in Manchester.

Jourdan continued: “The lettings strategy for No.1 has proven very successful and in addition to the remaining vacancy on the part 3^rd floor we have recently taken a surrender of level 17. Level 17 is the highest office floor in the building and boasts panoramic views of the Manchester city scape.”

2018 set a record for office space take-up in Manchester at 1,750,276 sq ft over 314 transactions – driven largely by the tech sector, as global giants Amazon and Booking.com took up 89,449 and 225,000 sq ft respectively.

Phil Adams, CEO, GCA Altium said: “We are really excited about our forthcoming move into No 1 Spinningfields. Our business in Manchester has grown dramatically in recent years and we believe our new home will provide us with the perfect base to give our employees a contemporary, flexible working environment and our clients a superb facility to enjoy when they meet with us. We are delighted to make No 1 Spinningfields our latest office along with the other 20 offices we have globally and can’t wait to move in.”

Michael Ingall, chief executive of Allied London said: “We’re pleased to see No.1 Spinningfields reach near full occupancy, with GCA Altium becoming the latest occupier, a real testament to the design and vision Allied London had for this world class commercial building. With an almost full house of occupiers and successful retail & leisure offering now in place, No.1 has set a new standard for commercial workspace in Manchester”.

Will Lewis, transactions and asset management, OBI said: “We are delighted to have concluded this acquisition. It was a complex transaction as it involved assigning GCA Altium’s lease in Belvedere simultaneously with legally committing to the new lease at No 1 Spinningfields. The level of amenity within No 1 Spinningfields and the critical mass of high quality occupiers on the estate were stand out factors in the decision making process.”

Altrincham town centre is leading the revival of the UK’s high streets awarded the ‘Best High Street’ in England last year, it has now been selected as the pilot for National High Street Perfect Day.

The pilot follows the Government’s ‘High Street Report’ chaired by Sir John Timpson CBE, released in December, which recommended that local leaders must be at the forefront of the rejuvenation of town centres and improving the housekeeping of their high streets.

Now the idea of a ‘National High Street Perfect Day’ – one day in the year when every high street looks and feels the best it possibly can – is being trialled in Altrincham. The lessons will be shared with other town centres across the nation.

The idea is inspired by a similar approach used by Timpson, the high street retail services group familiar to UK shoppers thanks to its 1,325 units across the nation.

Sir John Timpson CBE, Chair of the Expert Advisory Panel on High Streets, and Chairman of retail services company Timpson, said: “Altrincham is where I served my first customer, and that’s one of the reasons I proposed it as the Pilot town for the ‘National High Street Perfect Day’.  It’s a town where the partnerships are working really hard in a challenging national high street environment to buck the trend.

“The ‘Perfect Day’ concept is one which we use in my shops throughout the country and it has worked for us for years.  On one day each year, in every part of the business, the whole team get involved to make sure they shine on the day!  Scaling it up to a whole town centre is an exciting proposition and I look forward to seeing the results in Altrincham.”

The whole community, including the businesses represented by Altrincham Unlimited (the Business Improvement District), schools, voluntary groups and Trafford Council will be working towards ‘one special day’ in many ways. The BID is coordinating a programme of jet washing and working with Trafford Council’s contractors to focus on the appearance of the town centre. The BID is also partnering with six local schools on the ‘Eco Schools’ education programme and with ‘Our Altrincham’ on voluntary litter picks.

Examples of how businesses can be involved include reviewing the look of their premises and ensuring their customer service is where they want it to be, through optional mystery shops.  They will also be offered support if they would like to spring clean their social media.

To celebrate all the hard work, the town’s great retail and business offer, and the community that is Altrincham, the BID will be producing the town’s first ‘High Street Festival’ which will also take place between 12-8pm in the town centre on Friday 17 May.  Everyone will be welcome to come along and have fun.

All town centres are challenged by the trends of out-of-town retail and online shopping.  Whilst visits to UK town centres are down 17% over the past decade and online shopping is rising 10% a year, Altrincham’s footfall has steadily increased over the last 5 years, and even visits for the first quarter of this year are up 10.7% on the same period last year.

Government research finds that 8 out of 10 people in the North-west believe ‘that the High Street is about people’ and that they would miss it if it was no longer there.

Elizabeth Faulkner, The BID Manager for Altrincham Unlimited, said:“We know Altrincham is not perfect and, like any other town, has its challenges. So many individuals and businesses have said they want to work together in partnership to try and make the town ‘look & feel’ the best it can for the 17 May and continue the initiative on a day-by-day basis in the future.  We’re thrilled to have been invited by Sir John Timpson to be the pilot town as it gives us all something to work towards.”

Richard Roe, Corporate Director for Place at Trafford Council said: “Building on the Great British High Street success, this is yet another national plaudit for the town which the Council fully supports. We will be working closely with Altrincham Unlimited to make the day a success, and a model that we can further develop going forward.”