Independent property advisor, GVA, has been instructed to market the Zenith Control Portfolio, five purpose-built, high speed specification control centres-on behalf of the Department for Communities and Local Government.
Situated in Castle Donington, Cambridge, Wakefield, Taunton and Wolverhampton, each Zenith Control Centre covers some 30,000 sq. ft. and benefits from a fully safe-guarded environment in accessible out-of-town, business park locations.
Each of the self-contained three storey buildings combines commercial office space and a double height control room suitable for a range of uses. Other accommodation includes, storage space, plant rooms, specialist equipment and full catering facilities.
Available for immediate use, the commercial properties are accessed through gate-houses, fitted with multifaceted CCTV, and have various routeing of critical power and diesel powered standby generators built-in as standard. Other amenities include fire suppression systems, air-conditioning and rain water harvesting.
The large control rooms could be used as operations rooms, call/control centres, emergency response spaces or high-tech teaching spaces and are well-suited to any tenant in search of well-specified, secure accommodation for immediate occupation.
Andrew Venables, Director National Markets with GVA is handling the lettings said: “These five buildings provide a virtually oven-ready solution for a wide range of potential occupiers looking for a high specification finish, in-built technology and a resilient, extremely secure environment. I anticipate significant interest from organisations seeking some or all of these characteristics.”
Of the nine control centre buildings originally developed, four have been leased to emergency services, one of which, in Fareham, Hampshire is used by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) as their new national Maritime Operations Hub.
One of the nine regional Zenith Control Centre’s set up by the previous Labour Government is located in Wolverhampton; the £9.7m fire control centre has never been used and is being offered for rent at a cost of £450,000 a year.
Last year the National Audit Office revealed the commercial property, which has been vacant since it was built in 2007, was costing taxpayers £1.4m a year in rates and rents.
