Chineham Park Introduces New Coaches

Chineham Park, Basingstoke's leading business location, has introduced two new coaches to its onsite courtesy coach service.

The two coaches, which will replace the current Chineham Park fleet, have new livery and electronic registering onboard.

Rupert Batho, managing director for MEPC Chineham Park, said: “Our coaches were due a refresh. Instead of just replacing them, we decided to upgrade their design and improve the coach card system.

“The new coaches will provide users with a more efficient service and enable us to accurately measure the usage and its effectiveness as an amenity for our occupiers.”

The courtesy coach service is available to all occupiers and runs between Chineham Park and Basingstoke railway station every 15 minutes at peak hours.

Chineham Park Responds To Changing Commercial Conditions

Chineham Park, Basingstoke's leading business location, has responded positively to the changing commercial conditions by creating an enterprise hub for SMEs.

Rupert Batho, managing director for MEPC Chineham Park, said: “Last year we set ourselves a nine month target to create a small business campus in the Elmwood area of the Park. Nationally across the UK’s overall business community, 2009 saw more small businesses start than in the previous year and with Basingstoke offering all the requisite elements of an entrepreneurial economy we knew that there would be a requirement for a such a centre. As Chineham Park is the ideal place for local organisations to develop and strengthen their brand we decided to refurbish and refigure Elmwood into a hub for small to medium sized organisations. We have already let one suite and have strong interest in four others.”

To help companies further we created ‘Greenlite’ which is a simple and flexible way to lease office space for companies who employ between 10-50 employees. Spacious and modern interiors can be fitted to meet customer’s bespoke needs in respect of lay out design, furniture, meeting rooms, managerial offices and kitchens through a simple plain English contract.

All offices come with unlimited broadband capacity, access to NVQ training and onsite building support and facilities including secure parking, courtesy coach service, gym, restaurant, nursery and the opportunity to attend networking events.

For more information, please contact the Chineham Park team on 01256 486680 or the letting agents Hollis Hockley on 01256 489800 and Knight Frank on 0207 629 8171.

Chineham Park Creates Outdoor Rooms

Chineham Park, Basingstoke's leading business location, has created outdoor rooms as part of its natural place to work campaign.

Rupert Batho, managing director for MEPC Chineham Park, said: “From the results of our occupier survey last year, we identified a request for more benches around the park. We have developed this into our outdoor room’s concept, which provides prominent seating in locations which show off some of the park’s best features.

“As part of our role to provide our occupiers with the facilities they need and want for a comfortable working environment we have launched the outdoor rooms this spring with the hope of warmer weather giving all park occupiers the opportunity to spend some of their working day in our natural landscape.”

The outdoor rooms have been positioned around the park to encourage employees to sit outside to admire the view and enjoy the environment.

Chineham Park’s 95 acres is home to a wide variety of abundant wildlife. Occupier John Evemy, maintenance engineer for Arjo Wiggins Fine Papers Ltd, said: “I enjoy working on Chineham Park because it is like working in the countryside. When I go for a walk at lunchtime I see lots of wildlife including deer, woodpeckers and pheasants and it is like a breath of fresh air working within these surroundings.”

Cirrus Logistics Ltd move into offices at Chineham Park

Cirrus Logistics Ltd, a highly innovative leader in the application of simulation and optimisation solutions, is the latest technology company to join the thriving business community at MEPC Chineham Park. Cirrus Logistics has acquired an enviable record of applying advanced simulation and optimisation methods to providing decision support tools across a broad spectrum of applications and industry types, including the logistics, oil, retail, food, pharmaceutical, chemical and air sectors.

Cirrus Logistics has acquired a lease on a building totaling over 1,500 sqft in the Cedarwood area of the park, following their acquisition by a new holding company CentriQ Group Ltd. The CentriQ Group also own VoiteQ Ltd, the UK's leading supplier of voice-directed warehousing solutions to the retail, distribution and logistics industry, which also has a blue chip client base and is associated with many high profile company operations including Sainsbury’s, Gist, Next and John Lewis.

Frank Heald, chairman of all CentriQ Group companies, said: “We were looking for suitable accommodation to support recent growth and the future expansion of Cirrus Logistics. We believe that Chineham Park more than fulfils our business needs.

“The park is in a premier spot with state of the art facilities and is ideally placed as a location for the Cirrus headquarters and as a southern office for VoiteQ.”

Rupert Batho, managing director for MEPC Chineham Park, said: “We are delighted to welcome Cirrus Logistics, another top performing company, to Chineham Park where we wish them every success. Completing another letting this year reaffirms our position as Basingstoke’s leading business destination.”

Ray Mears Invites You To New Event

Ray Mears, survival and bushcraft expert, is encouraging Chineham Park companies to sign up for a new corporate event, the Great Escape Challenge in aid of Marie Curie Cancer Care.

The challenge takes 60 corporate teams of four on a head-to-head, multi-sport adventure designed to test the mind, challenge the body and build team spirit. Taking place over the weekend of 21 May 2010 entrants will camp in the stunning backdrop of the Brecon Beacons, the perfect office getaway.

Featuring a series of unique group challenges in a fun and competitive environment, the winning team will depend not simply on fitness levels, but on making smart decisions, thinking laterally and communicating effectively.

The Great Escape Challenge brings a variety of benefits back to the workplace including delegation and team working skills. As an exclusively corporate event, it also presents some serious networking opportunities with companies from across the UK.

Ray Mears said: “I’m urging companies to sign up for Marie Curie Cancer Care’s Great Escape Challenge. It will test teams on a variety of skills and strengths as well as bringing them together. I believe the wilderness is also a great leveller, making this an ideal adventure for companies to go head-to-head on.

“Following the death of my wife to breast cancer, I have seen first hand the wonderful work that Marie Curie Nurses do and the money raised from the Great Escape Challenge will help them to provide free care to patients with terminal cancer and other illnesses in their own homes.”

Companies can enter the Great Escape Challenge in teams of four, with at least two people from the same company. Entry costs just £600 + VAT per team with a minimum fundraising amount of £2,000.

For more information about the Great Escape Challenge or to register your entry, please call 08450 504321 or visit: www.greatescapechallenge.com

Business Park Responds To Survey Results

We had nearly 400 responses to the occupier’s survey that was issued earlier this year and we would like to thank those of you who completed it. From this questionnaire a number of points were raised and we have responded to these by taking the following actions.

Overall, 73% of you thought Chineham Park was a good or great place to work and 82% of you believed the landscaping was good to excellent.

However, a few of you commented about the limited number of benches around the estate. Chineham Park is now intending to create a variety of “outdoor rooms” by the spring of next year so that the environment can be enjoyed more fully when the sun returns!

Several of you noted the approach to the park was only average. Chineham Park is now looking at ways to improve this and you will start to see the results before Christmas.

98% of you mentioned the courtesy coach service ran on time, but despite over 50% of you living within ten miles of the park, the number of you regularly using the courtesy coach has fallen. Therefore Chineham Park will now be upgrading the coaches in early 2010 to encourage more usage.

Those of you who walk to work expressed concern over safety, especially on the public footpath into the park from Hanmore Road via the railway underpass. Chineham Park has now raised this issue with the Chineham Village Security Forum and budgeted for enhanced lighting and a security camera to cover the footpath from the estates boundary.

Finally, 88% of you said the food selection at Dayer’s Fine Foods was good to excellent, but there was room for improvement with the speed of delivery. Chineham Park has been working closely with Dayer’s Fine Foods to undertake a range of measures to improve this and you may already be benefitting from some of the changes.

Congratulations to Jo Hartshorn from Gist who won the £150 gift voucher for Festival Place in the prize draw.

For more information, please email Wendy Fletcher at wfletcher@mepc.com

UKN Group Ltd Relocates to Chineham Park

UKN Group Ltd, a global IT services provider and experts in the innovative use of IT and service management, has relocated to MEPC Chineham Park.

UKN has acquired a lease on a building totaling over 4,000 sqft in the Lindenwood area of the park, following continued business growth and expansion.

Michael Eaton, chief executive officer for UKN Group Limited, said: “We were looking for prestigious accommodation in a business park with excellent transport links and amenities to enable us to grow our business.

“The relocation of our head office to Chineham Park has provided us with the positive business environment that will facilitate further success for our business and its people.”

Rupert Batho, managing director for MEPC Chineham Park, said: “It is a pleasure to welcome UKN Group Limited to Chineham Park, where we wish them every success.

“To date we have welcomed more new businesses to the park than we did in the whole of 2008 and we are on track to achieve more key lettings before the end of the year.”

Picture shows from left to right: Michael Eaton, chief executive officer for UKN Group Limited and Paul Foster, sales manager for UKN Group Limited.

Chineham Park Celebrates Summer Party Success

Chineham Park is celebrating the success of its Mexican themed summer party held on Friday 31 July 2009 between 12h00 and 14h00.

The annual fun day, in the Spindlewood area of the park, was free to attend for all those working on Chineham Park.

Jo Szegota, asset manager for MEPC Chineham Park, said: “Chineham Park is home to over 40 organisations and the summer party is a great opportunity for occupiers to interact with neighbouring businesses.

“It is our way of giving something back to these organisations to thank them for making Chineham Park such a great place to work.”

Party-goers tucked into Tex-Mex inspired cuisine including chilli, fajitas and burritos and took part in a competition to see who could stay on a bucking bronco the longest.

Here’s what a few of the guests said about this year’s event:
“The Tex-Mex lunch was lovely, I can only imagine the amount of organisation that goes into making such events happen.”
Julie Andrews, supply management administrator for Gist Ltd.

Sue Keen, head of corporate services for UKN Group Ltd, said: “On behalf of all our staff, I would like to thank the Chineham Park team for the Lunch and entertainment on Friday.

“It was very well received and there were lots of compliments on the organisation and the food.”

More photographs from the event are available on Parklife.

Park Life - Business Park Hampshire

Chineham Park, MEPC's business park located in Hampshire has recently launched a new extranet site offering their customers/tenants news and information on all the latest events and happenings on the basingstoke business park.
Take a look here - PARK LIFE