NAI Fuller Peiser - Leisure Development - London, Bonnington Submits Plan for Gillette Corner
Date: 02 Aug 2006
The Bonnington Group has submitted planning and listed building consent applications in support of their Masterplan for the redevelopment of the Gillette Company's former European Headquarters in Isleworth (known as 'Gillette Corner').
The proposal will create a landmark business-led mixed-use development centred on the Grade II Listed Gillette Building and will include 505,904 sq ft (47,000 sq m) of modern flexible business space and a new 505 bed high quality hotel (to be known as Bonnington@Gillette Corner).
Justin Meredith, partner at agents NAI Fuller Peiser who has been retained to advise and market the business campus scheme, comments 'The site is an excellent location for a mixed use scheme. The Bonnington Hotel and facilities will embrace the iconic stature of the landmark building and will act as a valuable amenity to local businesses, the proposed business campus as well as the local economy and will be an important trigger to the regeneration of the area as a whole. The Hotel and business campus will become a destination point being strategically located midway between Central London and Heathrow Airport.'
The Gillette Company (Gillette) took the decision in 2003 to close their office and production facility at Gillette Corner and relocate their manufacturing operations to Eastern Europe. Since then, Gillette has been progressively down-scaling their operation and relocating staff and equipment. All production activity ceased at the facility in April 2006 and Gillette will completely vacate the site by December 2006. The Bonnington Group acquired the Gillette Corner site at the end of 2005 after an extensive tendering process and will take vacant possession of the site in early 2007.
Alan Bostock of the Bonnington Group commented: "we see the Gillette Corner site as a fantastic opportunity to deliver a truly landmark development which will totally transform and regenerate the site following Gillette's relocation."
"Our overall vision is to create a fully integrated world class 'business campus', containing flexible business floorspace contained within a high quality landscaped environment and fully serviced by a number of ancillary uses. We also plan to renovate the impressive Gillette Building and convert it into a signature hotel with conferencing and business facilities designed principally to cater for the business tourism market.
We believe that our masterplan will deliver significant benefits for the Isleworth and Brentford area, creating new jobs and stimulating the much needed regeneration of the Golden Mile area."
The masterplan has been widely consulted upon and has received significant support, particularly for the local business community who believe the inclusion of a new hotel will have significant benefits for their own businesses. Furthermore, they view the proposed business space as a hugely beneficial development, which will strengthen the depth of employment uses in the area and raise the profile of the Great West Road.
The overall masterplan for the site has been developed by HOK with Rolfe Judd Planning and Motion Transport Consultants. The Bonnington Group has also been advised by NAI Fuller Peiser and Buro Happold.
Model of the new Bonnington development at Gillette Corner
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