Category: Finance News

Mera Investment Management Supports Self-Storage Project With £7.5 Million Bridging Loan in Southeast England [United Kingdom]

Mera Investment Management has completed a £7.5m bridging loan secured against an industrial warehousing and self-storage project located in Southeast England. The 18-month facility will allow the borrower time to complete sales and pre-lets across the site, which has attracted several large new occupiers. Plans include the expansion of the prominent lorry park in addition to the creation of self-storage facilities and warehousing. Edward Matthews, CEO of Mera Investment Management, said: “It is exciting to close this deal with a valued developer partner who I have had the opportunity to…

HESTA to Invest in European Alternative Property Types with Heitman

Investment solidifies Heitman as one of HESTA’s largest international property managers Heitman LLC (“Heitman”), a global real estate investment management firm, today announced an allocation from HESTA to invest in European alternative property types, including self-storage, student housing, residential, and health care. With over 1 million members and approximately AUD 93 billion of funds under management, HESTA is one of Australia’s largest superannuation funds dedicated to health and community services. This investment establishes Heitman as one of HESTA’s largest international property investment managers. “The new allocation with Heitman will support…

Padlock Euro Storage Fund I Completes the Acquisition of the Ashford Property in Ashford, London [England]

Padlock Euro Storage Fund I (the “Trust”) announced today that it has successfully completed the acquisition of a freehold property located in Ashford, London, United Kingdom (the “Ashford Property”) for a purchase price of £7,250,000 excluding costs. The transaction was satisfied by way of cash from the proceeds of the Trust’s recently upsized debt facility. The Ashford Property consists of a freehold interest in an undeveloped parcel of land on which a purpose-built self-storage facility will be constructed, netting approximately 70,000 rentable square feet of self-storage units. With in-place planning…

Wynnstay Self Storage Ltd Secures Loan to Transform a Site into a Fully Operational Storage Facility in Wrexham [Wales, UK]

A Wrexham-based self-storage business is celebrating rapid growth after securing a £40,000 loan from BCRS Business Loans – part of a record-breaking year for the community lender. Wynnstay Self Storage Ltd used the funding to transform a two-acre site into a fully operational storage facility, now home to 60 units and space to house 80 caravans and motorhomes. Owner Matt Pritchard said the financing helped turn underused land into a thriving business. “I own the land, so deciding to put it to good use made a lot of business sense,”…

WUKPG Aims to Make a Splash in Growing Self-Storage Sector in the UK

Plans for a 51,000 sq ft scheme in Lancaster are in the works with another two developments in Horwich and Northwich also planned as the developer eyes a £150m self-storage portfolio by 2030. WUKPG has submitted plans to deliver 475 drive-up self-storage units on a former Travis Perkins site off New Quay Road in Lancaster. The developer acquired the site from the builders’ merchant for £1.1m last year. The scheme is WUKPG’s first foray into the self-storage sector and will provide units ranging from 50 sq ft to 300 sq…

Investment Fund for Wales Announces £40,000 Loan to Wrexham-Based Wynnstay Self Storage and Two Other Businesses

The first smaller loan deals from the British Business Bank’s £130m Investment Fund for Wales have been unveiled. The inaugural three deals from the Smaller Loans fund, managed by appointed fund managers BCRS, add up to a total of £95,000. The Investment Fund for Wales was launched by the Government-backed British Business Bank in November 2023 to boost the supply of early-stage finance to small and medium-sized businesses across Wales. The Fund offers a range of commercial finance options, with smaller loans from £25,000 to £100,000, debt finance from £100,000…

Aldar Partners With Carlyle to Invest in European and UK Self-Storage and Logistics

Aldar Properties, a real estate developer, investor and manager in the United Arab Emirates, is partnering with global private-equity firm The Carlyle Group to invest in self-storage and logistics in Europe and the United Kingdom. Aldar has committed AED 407 million to Carlyle Europe Realty, a pan-European real estate strategy, according to a press release. The initiative also includes other stakeholders, with the goal of investing in a portfolio of self-storage facilities and development sites in Western Europe. In addition, Aldar will have a majority stake in a Caryle-managed portfolio…

Storage World Given Consent for £8 Million Manchester Scheme (UK)

Located off Ambrose Street in Ashburys, the 125,000 sq ft facility would replace existing 1970s industrial warehouses. Storage World, which operates three sites across Greater Manchester, submitted proposals for the Ardwick scheme in 2022. The £8m development would be constructed on a 1.2-acre site and comprise between 800 and 1,000 storage units. Now, Manchester City Council has approved the five-storey project. The scheme would be Storage World’s second in Manchester, the first being less than a mile away on Ashton Old Road. The two other sites are in Middleton and…

Seven-figure HSBC Funding Boosts Expansion of My Lockup Storage Sites in the UK

A storage company is targeting expansion after securing a seven-figure funding package from HSBC UK. My Lockup provides private storage rooms for more than 2,000 customers to rent for business and household use across Yorkshire, the North East and Lincolnshire. With support from HSBC UK, My Lockup is set to make a significant expansion to its 11 sites, increasing lettable space capacity and, in turn, enabling a larger provision of storage facilities in rural areas across the North. As a result of the expansion, the business is expecting a 25…

Safestore Self Storage (UK) Reports Steady Revenue Growth Amid Occupancy Challenges

Self-storage company Safestore Holdings PLC has reported a modest increase in its fourth-quarter revenues, despite facing some headwinds in occupancy rates and revenue per available foot. The FTSE-250 listed firm saw its total revenues rise by 1.4% to £57.6 million. However, when adjusted for constant exchange rates, the quarter-on-quarter figures experienced a slight decline of 0.4%. In a more positive light, the company’s annual like-for-like revenues improved by 1.7%. This growth comes even as Safestore grapples with a decrease in closing occupancy, which fell by 1.4%, and a dip in…