Having moved head office from Brixton in 2017, we were keen to find a home in Reading that truly reflected us and our business. Reading is not renowned for its engaging period buildings, so when we stumbled upon 150 Friar Street we moved quickly, not least as it is in the shadow of Reading Station and its Cross Rail link. After four days, we were the proud owners of the biggest pigeon cote in Berkshire. Never deterred by hard work and creative solutions, this will be TCN’s new HQ, as well as a business club for companies that are going places.

TCN secure planning for a 32 residential unit scheme in Charlotte Street, Birmingham and subsequently sell the site to a residential developer.

TCN secure planning for a 105 student bed scheme in Wilder Street, Bristol and subsequently sell the site to a specialist student developer.

Norwich holds a special place in our hearts and the fine folk of Norfolk have a Bristolian style outlook on life. That was good enough for us and we acquired the 80,000 sq ft Kiln House in the vibrant, creative heart of the city. Small spaces for the growing network of SME’s were created and new deals agreed with the larger occupiers, including commitment to invest heavily in the building.

Norwich has certainly not disappointed and we continue to enjoy operating in the city. Norwich to Liverpool Street in 90 minutes was a big factor for us.

Skanska were keen to get exposure to Bristol for a large office development and our site at Temple Gate ticked the boxes. We were happy to exit this part of the site to a responsible developer with a vision for the next generation of new build offices to complement our holdings.

Having completed refurbishments and lettings of The Exchange Building, it was time to focus our resources on core urban environments. Consequently, the building was sold to a South West property company who continue to operate the site as a serviced office environment including amenities for the wider Express Park site.

After eight years of partnership, our Dutch colleagues could no longer retain their interests in the UK business. The founders and shareholders in the UK, Richard Pearce and Toby Bidwell, agreed to buy their interests in the UK business, which resulted in TCN UK being 100% owned in the UK for the first time.

An opportunity to acquire the stunning piece of Birmingham history was too good to miss, although it took all our creativity and reserves of energy to haul it back from the brink. The results at newly revived Assay Studios speak for themselves and we are as proud as new parents to be the architects of its revival. It has attracted a range of inspirational companies who share our sense of pride in its history.

After some interesting discussions, those of you with an eye for the ups and downs of the retail world will know why, we handed the keys over to Tesco’s. At the same time, we sold the completed investment to Osprey Capital Partners which brought our involvement in Rotherham to an end.