Prince Harry with the Chairman of Baha Mar, Sarkis Izmirlian

Baha Mar, the largest single-phase, luxury resort development in the history of the Caribbean rolled out the red carpet to welcome HRH Prince Henry of Wales during his visit to Nassau for the Diamond Jubilee Celebration of HRH Queen Elizabeth II, commemorating the 60^th anniversary of her coronation.

Prince Harry was attending the luncheon hosted by the Minister for Youth at Sheraton Nassau Beach Resort after a youth rally and cultural show at the newly developed Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium. Prince Harry is visiting Belize, Jamaica and The Bahamas on official business of the throne.

As a leader in the revitalization of the area, Sarkis Izmirlian, Chairman and CEO of Baha Mar was pleased to showcase the construction progress surrounding the mega resort, emphasizing Baha Mar’s vision for transforming the Cable Beach area into the new Bahamian Riviera.

“As Baha Mar helps to breathe new life into this great country, we are proud to showcase the developments that have occurred on the island within a very short time,” said Izmirlian. “We are honored Prince Harry will be paying witness to these great achievements while visiting the Commonwealth in celebration of the Diamond Jubilee.”

Within a short nine months, vital road works and infrastructure projects have been completed, making way for the unprecedented Baha Mar project, including the transformation of the entire Cable Beach area of Nassau with a new public roadway bordering 2.5 hectares of beautiful natural wetlands, lakes and parks, featuring walking trails, gazebos and boardwalks open for public enjoyment.

Other projects completed include the new Baha Mar Commercial Village with three financial institutions, a state-of-the-art Police and Fire Station and a highly successful Pompey Market straw and crafts marketplace.

In addition to the youth rally at the new national stadium, the Bahamian government prepared a full schedule of events for Prince Harry’s visit to Nassau, including a visit to Spanish Wells, North Eluthera and Harbour Island.

For more information, visit www.bahamar.com

About Baha Mar

An aerial image Baha Mar

Baha Mar, the 400-hectare, $3.5 billion resort, gaming and entertainment complex slated to open in late 2014, will comprise some of the world’s most famous luxury hotel brands, including Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, Mondrian and Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, as well as a Casino Hotel, creating more than 2,200 new rooms.

Within the hotels, Baha Mar plans to develop 300 highly exclusive, ultra-luxurious residential condominiums and villas, available for private ownership. Baha Mar’s stunning, new 9,000 square metre casino will be the largest in the Caribbean, and one of the most exciting gaming experiences in North America, comparable only to the best in Las Vegas.

Baha Mar will also feature the most advanced and versatile convention facilities in The Bahamas, with a combined 19,000 square metres of space, portions of which can also double as an entertainment and sports venue. Other amenities will include retail and entertainment, combining upscale shopping boutiques with Bahamian arts and crafts galleries, chef-branded restaurants and exciting nightclub and entertainment offerings.

An Eco Water Park, and three unique spas, including the most complete spa experience in the Caribbean, will be set along one kilometre of a pristine beach. The planned 18-hole Jack Nicklaus Signature Course will be one of a few such top-tier Nicklaus courses in the world, bringing a new, true championship course to The Bahamas.

Demand for homes in Detroit is high among property investors

The property investment market is ‘motoring’ in Motown following a pledge by President Barack Obama to provide massive financial support for the regeneration of the State of Michigan’s biggest city, Detroit.

A growing number of UK investors, disenchanted by the performance of the ailing stock market, are putting their money into buy-to-let bricks and mortar, snapping up distressed properties in Detroit.

“They are attracted by discounts as high as 70 per cent and net yields of up to 17 per cent,” according to Mike Coyle of international property investment specialist High Yield Bricks which is handling the sales.

Detroit, which has attracted more than half a million high tech workers, has suffered from a shift in urban sprawl to the suburbs. The resulting housing crash has left Motown, the heart of its motor industry area, short of affordable housing.

Investors are snapping-up newly-refurbished homes like these currently on offer in Detroit

Now, inspired by President Obama’s promise of billions of dollars to invest in industries which will create thousands of new jobs, property investors are cashing-in through ethical investment whereby foreclosed and uninhabitable properties are being converted into homes.

“With more than 9,000 low-income working families already on the waiting list, demand is high,” reports Mike. “Investors can be assured by the way Detroit’s city authorities are managing the newly-refurbished homes through their Housing and Urban Development scheme. It includes extensive checks on the financial security of would-be tenants and the underwriting of rental payments so that investors do not have to collect money from individual tenants.”

The prices of properties available depend on size and location. Typically a three-bedroom detached home with a monthly rental income in excess of US$850 can be purchased through High Yield Bricks for as little as US$32,000.

Purchases can be completed and annual capital growth is expected to average five per cent over the next five years.

For more details download a free investment guide at www.highyieldbricks.com

La Maison Caignac, in the beautiful south west region of France

Built in 1707 and renovated throughout in 2003 this luxurious Maison de Maître offers a spacious 655 square metres in 0.92 hectares of grounds. The house, situated in the centre of a small village and located within 100 metres of the bar/café/small shop, is equipped with six bedrooms (one en-suite), four bathrooms, three salons, three kitchens, dining room, games room and laundry.

The swimming pool at La Maison Caignac is located in the formal landscaped gardens

Outside, in formal landscaped gardens, is a heated 12 x 8 metre swimming pool, a tennis court, boules court, garden chess and a small acacia wood. The terrace features a vine-clad pergola, a barbeque and pizza oven and a formal dining area for 14 persons. There is a wine cave with a natural well to irrigate the garden. There is also covered parking for four cars.

The current habitable accommodation is split currently over two floors. In addition, there is a third floor (already equipped with power and water) of 325 square metres which is available for conversion into a minimum of eight additional en-suite bedrooms with extensions to the two existing stairwells.

The house is capable of being split into three separate areas by the locking of two doors, affording divided accommodation to larger family groupings. The current owners let the property during the months of May to September for short-term holiday lets and achieved a 4 per cent gross return in calendar 2010.

La Maison Caignac features:

• The house – renovated to luxury level in 2003 with 655 square metres on two floors (plus an additional 325 square meters of space suitable for future development on the third floor)
• Six double bedrooms – the master en-suite and with a dressing room
• Four additional bathrooms
• Three kitchens, each equipped with oven, fridge and dishwasher
• Three salons, two with open fireplaces, one with a wood burning stove
• Dining room and mezzanine space for a rest area, office or library
• Utility room and laundry room
• Cellar for use as a wine store which also houses a well
• Imposing entrance hall and lavatory
• All electric with three separate circuits

La Maison Caignac's tennis court

The garden

• Formal landscaped gardens and a small wood in 0.92 hectares (two acres)
• Tennis court
• 12 metre x 8 metre heated saltwater swimming pool
• Boules court, outdoor chess
• Covered parking for four vehicles
• Additional hard standing with vehicle gate access to the main street
• Vine-clad pergola, barbeque/pizza oven and dining area for 14 persons
• Stone outside shed for all garden machinery

The Area

• Caignac, in the department of the Haute Garonne, is some 35 kilometres south west of Toulouse (airport 40 minutes) and 55 kilometres north west of Carcassonne (airport 50 minutes) and is six kilometres from the Canal du Midi and the local town of Villefranche de Lauragais.
• The Mediterranean is just over one hour away as are the ski slopes of Ax Trois Domaines
• The Lauragais is an area of outstanding natural beauty, farmed for cereals and sunflowers, and is at the north end of Cathare Country giving a history trail back to the 13th century. The nearby towns of Carcassonne, Albi and Mirepoix are regular fixtures on the tourist trail.

Initial contact: e-mail Bob Lewis at bob@caignac.com or go on-line at: www.lamaisoncaignac.com

Commented Louise Reynolds of Property Venture®, ”As the only country in the European Union not to go into recession, when all the others did, Poland represents a safe-haven economy, which is politically stable and has a buoyant property market. So much so, that even China is investing in the country, with the leading firm in printing cylinders, Shanxi Yuncheng Plate Making Group, building premises there”.

Low labour costs and proximity to important markets are making Central and Eastern Europe an attractive manufacturing destination and Poland is key to this. In the major cities, English is widely spoken and there is a highly skilled workforce in the main conurbations working in white-collar industries, like IT, Accountancy and Law. Likewise, the building industry is in demand as the country gears up for the UEFA 2012 Football Championships and is building stadia and improving the infrastructure.

Krakow Brewery conversion

Property prices have appreciated in stronger European countries like Poland, whose economic growth stands at 8.1%. Continued inward investment and international employers seeking to bring subsidiaries to Poland, recruiting more people in city centres and special economic zones, like Krakow and Łodz, creates rising demand for property. Property prices grew by over 8% in 2010 at a time when the UK was barely averaging 1% property price appreciation.

Poland is expecting GDP growth of over 3.5% in 2011. Property investors, seeking capital growth and promising rental prospects should think about Poland. Currently a city-centre development in Krakow offering pre-sale prices, offers yields of 8% and solid capital growth. Prices start at £64,000 for a 1-bed apartment.

“It is not your traditional second holiday home destination, but makes a great choice for an investment property. One of the main city centres such as Warsaw or Krakow, has a great deal to offer. Krakow, for example, is very popular as a city centre break, given all its historic connections.

“There is a complex property story within the European continent and within each country. So Europe is not an entirely low-growth property zone,” concludes Reynolds.

For more information contact Property Venture® at: http://www.property-venture.com

A Mapleridge home in Detroit

Detroit, Michigan is not alone in the United States as being a state that suffered in the economic downturn. The fact that it is also the eighth highest populated state and one famed for its automotive industry is not something to write off with the latest data from the FNC Residential Price Index reporting 2.9% positive year-on-year growth in house prices since January 2011.

Foreign investors have Detroit firmly in their sights as a lucrative destination in which to invest. They are attracted by the incredible rental returns and the values which also allows Detroit residents to have the opportunity to live in modernized, secure and affordable accommodation through government initiatives such as the HUD scheme.

It is the HUD scheme – Housing and Urban Development scheme – with which property investment experts Property Secrets are working, bringing foreign investors together with local housing bodies in Detroit to provide quality homes for residents.

When the automotive industry collapsed in Detroit there were significant redundancies and high levels of home foreclosures, forcing people into rented accommodation. Through HUD scheme initiatives including rent subsidies, grants and general assistance to private agencies or other bodies involved with housing, more and more people are able to stay in their homes.

These properties are subscribed to the HUD scheme meaning that owners purchase houses with tenants already in place, they are paid rents directly from the government

This in turn keeps rents stable and prevents communities from being blighted. But with over 9,000 people still on the waiting list to receive a rented home, more help is needed from investors to modernize existing run down properties and to offer the cash assistance to the government in order for them to subsidise rents.

Alan Forsyth, Director of Property Secrets, explans: “We are offering 3- and 4-bedroom, fully refurbished houses to investors from $40,500, (around £27,000) often at least 50% under market value. These were selling five to six years ago for over $100,000 and it is just a matter of time before they fully recover, allowing our clients to gain substantially, through our relationship with the banks in USA.

“These properties are subscribed to the HUD scheme meaning that owners purchase houses with tenants already in place, they are paid rents directly from the government plus we offer a 12-month rental and are provided with a maintenance guarantee so offering a safe and secure investment. And with a typical 3-bedroom home achieving rents of over $800 a month, an average investment through us will net yield a minimum of 13%, gross yields over 20%.

“Within three days of releasing the investment information to our clients we had 19 property reservations. Our clients can see that this is an excellent opportunity for a hands-free and profitable investment. I can understand why it has been met with a level of scepticism by some. When you consider the US property market today and relate to it these kind of rental yields, it seems too good to be true, but the fact is there is such high demand for property rentals and the market has already reached an all-time low that on a basic level of demand and supply these figures are not only achievable but are on the modest side.”

As with many regions in the US, there are now some glimmers of recovery and market regeneration in Detroit with the news that the Ford Motor Company has chosen to build its next-generation Ford Focus model in Wayne, a suburb of Detroit. Ford intends to invest around $550 million to retool the existing plant in Wayne giving it the capability to make the environmentally-friendly electric cars.

Ford Motor Company intends to invest around $550 million to retool the existing plant in Wayne, Detroit, giving it the capability to make environmentally-friendly electric cars

With plans to produce two million vehicles a year there will be a sustained input from the car manufacturer from 2011 onwards and an extra requirement for quality properties in the area to house the workers. With jobs and growth comes prosperity and a positive outlook for early investors.

This outlook is backed up by figures recently released from the FNC Residential Price Index. February has been historically, a pivotal month in predicting prices for the rest of the year and so experts are now saying that the market is ready for a gradual rebound and the latest statistics released on existing home sales shows a modest increase.

General market conditions have improved in the last two months and of the markets tracked by the FNC 30-MSA Composite Price Index, Detroit has shown positive year-on-year growth in house prices of 2.9% since January 2011.

Forsyth concludes: “We are so confident with our investment opportunities in Detroit that we are the only company in the UK to offer 50% finance to our clients, adding a real incentive to buyers. This is at a fixed rate of just 3.95%, and has allowed our clients to increase their return on investment even further.”

For more information and a full investment pack, contact Property Secrets at: www.propertysecrets.net

Brazil is attracting growing interest for property investors

At the end of 2010, more than 9.1 million Brazilian families announced their intention to purchase a new home within the next year. Brazil cannot keep up with this demand and has a current deficit of six to seven million homes that experts say will take 10 to 15 years to meet.

uv10’s Property Fund takes advantage of this deficit and provides experienced, asset-rich developers with the finance they need in exchange for massive returns.

Samantha Gore, Sales Manager at uv10, comments: “The vast majority of Brazilians could once only dream of becoming a homeowner, but now with a sharp rise in credit, increased incomes, a vastly reduced unemployment rate of just 6.7% and the purchase terms offered under the Minha Casa, Minha Vida (My House, My Life) programme, that’s all changed.

The bulk of its efforts

Literally millions of Brazilians are now eligible for property purchasing and have made it their main short-term goal. The problem they have is that availability is chronically low. A PriceWaterhouseCoopers spokesperson recently said of the market in Brazil: “You can build housing forever and people will want it, and importantly, this demand comes from consumers, not speculators.”

The northeast of Brazil, where the uv10 Property Fund will be focussing the bulk of its efforts, is currently playing catch-up to the rest of the country having been historically far poorer and suffering over 50% of the national housing shortage – some four million homes. This region is enjoying a proportionally faster growth rate than elsewhere, with average salaries in Rio Grande do Norte increasing by 77% from 2002 to 2009 alone.

Typical affordable entry level property in Brazil (uv10.com)

Samantha continues: “Serious developers operating in Brazil’s key markets, in particular the northeast, do not have access to, or prefer not to use traditional forms of funding available in Brazil as they are both expensive and heavily bureaucratic.

“By working with the uv10 Property Fund, these carefully selected, successful, ‘hungry’ and reliable developers can turn around their construction projects very quickly and reinvest the capital early into the next opportunity – rewarding Fund investors as they do so. It really is one of the most profitable investment opportunities available in the world today.”

To maintain Brazilian social and economic growth, the Government has made it a priority to give higher mortgage subsidies to the population on the lowest incomes. Introduced in 2008, Minha Casa, Minha Vida attracted an initial Government investment of 64 billion Reais (28 billion euros) and will see the completion of one million new homes by the end of 2011. Phase Two has now been approved with a further 72 billion Reais (31.5 billion euros) pledged to the programme between 2011 to 2014, funding the construction and purchase of a further two million homes.

The maximum value of houses

It operates through a subsidy to buyers and developers, reduced mortgage rates, lower taxes and other legal expenses as well as a workers’ guarantee fund to mitigate delinquency risk for the banks involved. In February 2011 the Government raised the maximum value of houses eligible for the programme from 100,000 Reais (43,700 euros) to 150,000 Reais (65,500 euros) in order to further reduce the deficit (these figures vary region by region).

Entry level for investments in this lucrative sector tends to be prohibitively high for individual investors and comes with some challenging bureaucracy and the need for high levels of expertise. The uv10 Property Fund is designed to bridge this gap for foreign investors, offering them an opportunity for exposure to this growth area within an independently administered Fund

The Fund is targeting a minimum return on investment of 119%, after fees and expenses, at the end of a fixed three-year investment period and values are accurately reported to investors as the Fund is legally obliged to file annual audited accounts.

Risk is spread over a number of projects and a professional team with a solid track record in Brazilian real estate and development is in place to manage all decisions. Although past performance can never guarantee future success, uv10 is confident of being able to achieve its objectives within this Fund and surpass investor expectations.

As this is an Experienced Investor Fund, the legal minimum entry level is 100,000 euros. The Fund is closed ended and will run for three years. The subscription period is time-limited to just three months so to take part in this Brazil Property Fund or for any other queries with regard to investing in Brazilian real estate, contact uv10 on info@uv10.com.

Alternatively, visit www.uv10.com or telephone UK local rate +44 (0)845 643 1036, Brazil office +55 21 395 808 25 or USA +1 888 839 7009. Skype: uv10-brazil.

Silvertree will be visually striking and wrapped with curved aluminum bands on two sides that will provide solar shading and electrical power from embedded photovoltaic panels and solar water heating.

STOP PRESS

Cross Thames cable car news drives ‘new Canary Wharf’

The announcement that constructor Mace has landed a £50.5m contract to build and operate a cable car across the Thames, from the O2 Arena in Greenwich to the Excel Centre in the Royal Docks, has further boosted the claims made for the Royal Docks as being a new Canary Wharf in the making.

The cable car is expected to be opened prior to the 2012 Olympic Games, whose main stadium is located within half a mile of the terminus at the Royal Docks. The cable car project is only one facet of the regeneration of the area. A new Crossrail Custom House station is being built, expansion plans for nearby London City Airport are underway, and a £30m Siemens Expo building is in development.

Silvertree, a landmark 24-storey ‘green’ apartment tower, is spearheading innovative residential development in the Royal Docks. Granted planning approval only last month, the £80m development will commence construction in summer 2011, and will be completed in late 2012.

Set on the waterfront overlooking the Royal Victoria Docks, the eye-catching eco tower will be home to 161 high quality, state-of-the-art one, two and three bedroom apartments, as well as retail, office and commercial units, and a café located on the ground floor. The tower will be the most significant new residential development yet in the London Borough of Newham. Apartment prices start from £250,000.

Richard Hywel Evans of Studio RHE, the award-winning architect who has designed Silvertree, said: “The tower is a super cool, post-crunch design that raises the benchmark for living and eco friendly architecture in Docklands. Silvertree’s solar PV panels, use of ground source and biomass to generate heat combined with high levels of thermal insulation mean not only will it feel comfortable to live in but it will also cost residents very little to run. It takes contemporary apartment living in London to new heights.”

Silvertree will also be directly connected with the City of London and beyond to Heathrow.

Silvertree will be situated just half a mile from the Olympic Stadium, and has excellent travel connectivity due to the implementation of several new transport projects. The project will be located near the point where the new Thames crossing cable car, which links Greenwich with the Royal Docks, and the new Crossrail Custom House station are being built. Silvertree will also be directly connected with the City of London and beyond to Heathrow. The existing Royal Victoria DLR station connects Silvertree to Canary Wharf, with Stratford main line station within 15 minutes by rail. London City Airport is two stops away on the DLR.

Set on the waterfront overlooking the Royal Victoria Docks, adjacent to the £35 million Siemens Expo building, Silvertree will have large roof terraces and communal gardens opening on to the dockside. To ensure residents will enjoy a high quality of life, Silvertree will be built to Design for Life standards, as well as to Code for Sustainable Homes level 4, well in advance of statutory requirements to do so.

London Mayor Boris Johnson’s office has endorsed Silvertree as a significant new development for London. John East, Director Planning and Development Services for the London Borough of Newman, said: “We are very positive about the scheme. Supported by CABE, it has the potential to set a new standard for residential design in the Royal Docks, which we welcome.”

When completed it will form one element of a cluster of new buildings, alongside the £30m Siemens Sustainability Centre and the new cable car access point linking The Royals and Greenwich.”

Enquiries: Knight Frank 020 7718 5220 www.KnightFrank.com

Argentina is home to a booming economy, a buoyant tourist industry and, of course, polo. It is also home to an expanding property market

Previously BA flights to the capital of Argentina involved a connection in Sao Paulo but due to passenger demand a new direct flight will be introduced making it even easier to reach South America’s second largest metropolitan area. In the decade since the economic crisis of 2001, Argentina has worked hard to establish economic prosperity, boasting five straight years of 9% GDP growth through 2007 and impressive GDP of 8% for 2010.

The nation’s booming economy, primarily based on agricultural and natural resource exports, manufacturing and telecommunications has attracted significant levels of foreign direct investment. Labelled by the Financial Times as ‘China’s New Investment Frontier’, Argentina has seen levels of Chinese investment go from millions to US$ 2.45 billion in the last decade.

In addition the tourism sector is also rapidly expanding; the Argentine Ministry of Tourism expected more than five million foreigners to visit the country in 2010, 15.5% more than in 2009, generating revenue of US$470 billion.

This increase in tourism numbers is in turn having a positive effect on Argentina’s housing market. Identified as a: ‘future high growth luxury residential market’ by the Knight Frank Global Property Wealth Survey 2010 and one of the ‘most favourable destinations’ for hotel investment in 2011 by Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels, Argentina offers a wealth of opportunity both for domestic and international property buyers.

Demand for high quality accommodation around Buenos Aires is particularly high with country clubs proving popular, both as retreats for city workers but also permanent residences in their own right. Offering the best of both worlds, country clubs such as the 5-star Camino Real Polo & Country Club located just 35 minutes from Buenos Aires, allow residents to enjoy the true Argentinian countryside, first class on-site amenities and easy access to the city for work.

As Steven Worboys, MD of Experience International, which is exclusively marketing the hotel suites available at Camino Real, comments: “Investing in aparthotels remains a popular choice for investors due to the high returns available and hassle-free management. Combining this booming asset class with a growing economy such as Argentina is surely a recipe for success.”

Hotel suites at the 5-star Las Rosas Hotel at Camino Real are selling fast. Set within the 770 acre Polo & Country Club, lake view hotel suites are available from £87,500 with up to 18.8% projected NET rental yield. Sixty per cent, 10-year non-status developer finance is also available along with two weeks annual stay with free polo lessons.

For more information on investing in Argentina and the Las Rosas aparthotel contact the experts at Experience International on +44 (0) 207 321 5858 or visit www.experience-international.com

Las Rosas

Las Rosas also boasts a Club House with a further restaurant, swimming pool, concierge services, tennis courts, football pitches and spa

A 5-star boutique Apartment Hotel is set within 770 acres of beautiful Argentinean countryside, close to the cosmopolitan capital, Buenos Aires. The Hotel is set in a lakeside location and offers owners and visitors use of a swimming pool and spa, bar and restaurant, children’s playground, lounge and games room, water sports, gym ad conferencing facilities.

The Resort also boasts a Club House with further restaurant, swimming pool, concierge services, tennis courts, football pitches and spa and, of course, fabulous polo facilities including an equestrian school and livery stables, three polo fields and the Equestrian Club House.

With occupancy rates forecast at 90% by Year Four and up to 18.8% project net rental income, Lаs Rosas presents a high yielding, hassle-free property in Argentina with a viable exit strategy – the established local market. Part of the luxury lifestyle resort of the Camino Real Polo & Country Club, each Hotel Apartment is part of the 20-room luxury boutique hotel and will be delivered fully furnished to a very high standard. The apartments are priced from £87,500.

For more information contact Experience International on +44 (0)207 321 5858 or visit www.experience-international.com.

Owning a home abroad can transform your life

Buying a home can be complex. Which country, which region, which estate agent to talk to, where can you find the best legal and financial advice, how can you transfer your money abroad? Oh yes, and what about your pets, which removal company should you use, what about your pension and your health insurance?

Choosing to move abroad is something many of us want to do but knowing how to go about it can seem difficult. For those of us looking to retire to the sun, it can seem an even greater decision.

The best starting place can be an exhibition where, under one roof, you’ll find a wide range of stands that can provide answers to many of your questions.

And one of the best exhibitions is A Place in the Sun Live. Twice a year, A Place in the Sun Live plays host to hundreds of exhibitors, all providing visitors with the details to a huge range of properties in countries around the world.

Free tickets

And if you are thinking of retiring abroad? The International Retirement Directory, from Millfield Publishing, answers almost every one of your questions. Within this one book there’s a huge amount of information on individual countries, how to take your first steps to finding a home abroad and, quite literally, the Directory guides you in the why, where and what of finding a home in the sun.

This could be the view from your front window

Now The International Retirement Directory is making it possible for you to visit, free, A Place in the Sun Live Exhibition (11/13 March 2011) at London’s Earls Court Exhibition Centre.

Simply visit www.internationalretirement.co.uk and click on the APITS banner on the home page to get your free ticket (normally £10). For multiple tickets you need to register for each ticket separately.

In addition, this is the ideal chance to obtain a copy of the International Retirement Directory, either as a hard copy or as an eBook.

Visit the Buy A Copy section of the Directory’s website and place your order.

• At check-out you will need to quote code ER100 to obtain the paper version of the Directory at the discount price of £11.99 including p&p in the UK (normal price: £18.99).
• At check-out, you will need to quote code ER101 to purchase the eBook version use. The discount price is £6.95 (normal price: £7.95)

Alternatively, you can order either by telephoning 01273 648909

"There is an obligation on UK suppliers of electricity to source an increasing proportion of their electricity from renewable rather than from conventional sources"

Savills has been operating within the Renewables and Conventional energy sectors for over 15 years, and during that time has been both an adviser to the industry and a developer in its own right.

Savills Energy has been formed to build on this extensive, practical experience, providing a focussed service for its property and energy industry clients. Savills’ focus on the sector is illustrated by a number of recent successes:

RWE npower – Cotton Farm Wind Farm, Huntingdonshire

Following a public inquiry in 2010, planning permission has been granted for RWE npower’s Cotton Farm wind farm in Huntingdonshire. The wind farm will comprise eight turbines and will have a generating capacity of up to 24 MW.

Planning director Peter Dixon, Savills Leeds office, gave expert planning evidence at the public inquiry in support of the scheme. He commented: “This decision shows that despite the uncertainties surrounding RSS and the role of regional energy targets in the planning process, the Government remains willing to support properly conceived and properly presented wind energy schemes.”

Enviroparks, Hirwaun

Savills has secured full planning permission for the Enviroparks energy and waste resource recovery plant at Hirwaun in South Wales. This 21-acre development will convert 240,000 tonnes per year of waste into recyclable materials whilst recovering sufficient energy to support 20MW of electricity generation and the supply of heat to new factory units on the same site.

The environmental impact assessment and planning application were prepared by the Wimborne planning team, with the Southampton office’s landscape architects undertaking the visual assessment. According to planning director Karl Cradick, Savills Wimborne office: “We are delighted to have secured planning permission for what will be Europe’s most advanced energy-from-waste facility. This is the latest in a series of cutting-edge, energy-from-waste projects in which Savills has been involved.”

Embrace energy

Property companies, developers and occupiers alike are being heavily incentivised to embrace energy in order to meet increasingly onerous standards and targets, whether through their own Corporate & Social Responsibility (CSR) policies or driven by statutory pressures, through the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme and the planning system. These factors aside, the sector can also represent an important additional source of revenue and value creation for these companies, whether through the Feed in Tariff (FiT), the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) or the end-user market.

Energy companies are aggressively expanding their operations to take advantage of the incentives available in the renewables arena, whether FiTs or Renewables Obligation (RO), which places an obligation on UK suppliers of electricity to source an increasing proportion of their electricity from renewable rather than from conventional sources.

Miles Thomas

In both cases, a looming gap in the UK’s generating capacity and increasingly stringent demands on existing and new plants in the context of an evolving locally focussed planning and consenting regime is pointing to a need for sophisticated advice that has its roots in both the property and energy markets, which Savills Energy provides.

Miles Thomas, Head of Operations for Savills Energy said: “The energy market has, and will continue to experience, huge growth in what is a changing regulatory environment. Integrated advice at the earliest possible opportunity is therefore imperative in ensuring a project’s viability, whatever its scale and application – Savills Energy brings together sector-leading property expertise with a practical understanding of the energy market to deliver this. We are delighted with these early successes and look forward to continuing to perform for our clients.”

For more information, go online at: www.savills.co.uk