Spanish Retail Investment

British Land Co PLC 12 March 2007 12 March 2007 LARGEST SPANISH OUT OF TOWN RETAIL INVESTMENT TRANSACTION AGREED British Land and the closed-end fund PREF have formed a joint venture to acquire a prime regional shopping centre and retail park in Murcia, Spain for circa €350 million from Deparcom (a joint venture between Eroski and Grupo Trusam). Completion of the transaction is anticipated before the summer following satisfactory due diligence. Known as Nueva Condomina and located in the city of Murcia, south eastern Spain, the 120,000m2 scheme encompasses a 60,200m2 two-storey enclosed shopping centre and a 44,400m2 retail park. The shopping centre includes a 15 screen multiplex and a 13,700m2 Hypermarket. There is dedicated parking for 6,500 cars. The shopping centre opened in September last year and the retail park completes during March. Both the centre and the park are 96 per cent let. Tenants include all the Inditex brands, Primark, FNAC, H&M, Leroy Merlin and Media Markt. Eroski will owner-occupy the hypermarket. Valentine Beresford, British Land said: "Prime out-of-town retail developments of this standard are becoming very rare in Spain and there is clear evidence that more international retailers are pushing into the country which will bode well for real rental growth. This scheme is well let and can be enhanced further by our asset management team. The investment delivers critical mass in the Spanish market when added to the Puerto Venecia, Zaragoza development and our other Iberian-based PREF assets. "With the completion of this transaction, PREF has more than achieved its mid 2007 target of acquiring or contracting on a portfolio in excess of €1 billion which makes PREF the largest owner of out-of-town retail parks in western Europe with a contracted or acquired portfolio of over 464,000 m2. We are very pleased with the quality and diversity provided by the locations of our 19 assets and we continue to actively seek further opportunities." Cushman Wakefield advised British Land and PREF Notes to editors: British Land's interests in Europe include retail parks in Spain, Italy, Portugal, Belgium, Switzerland and France through its property advisor role and 40 per cent holding in PREF. Assets owned and committed in PREF total some €744 million. Puerto Venecia, Zaragoza, is 2.1 million sq ft retail and leisure scheme being developed through a joint venture between British Land, a group of European private investors and the Spanish construction company Copcisa Corp. PREF (The Pillar Retail Europark Fund) is a seven year closed-end fund created in 2004 investing in out-of-town retail parks in the Eurozone. PREF is advised by British Land European Fund Management, a partnership between British Land and Doric Properties Ltd. PREF's Iberian based assets are: Portugal - Portimao Retail Park, Portimao; Aveiro Retail Park, Aveiro; Sintra Retail Park, Lisbon. Spain - Nassica Retail & Leisure Park, Madrid; PC City Unit, Madrid and Palma de Mallorca. The regional catchment for Nueva Condomina is circa 2.5 million people within 60 minutes. Nueva Condomina retailers include Zara, Massimo Dutti, Bershka, Primark, H&M as well as other notable brands, Benetton, Etam, and Cortefeil. The retail park has strong trading DIY, electrical and furniture stores including: Leroy Merlin, Media Markt, Conforama and Forum. Media Enquires: British Land: Laura De Vere, Tel: +44 20 7467 2920/Mobile: + 44 (0)7739 292920 PREF: Financial Dynamics Dido Laurimore, Tel: +44 20 7831 3113 This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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