Former church with planning for 25 new apartments comes to market

A former church in Weymouth with planning permission for conversion into apartments has come to the market through Savills.

The methodist church and adjoining minister’s house in the heart of Weymouth Old Town dates from the late 1860s and is Grade II* listed.

The site was damaged by a fire in 2002 and has fallen into a derelict state.

There is full planning permission in place for the reconstruction and change of use to create 25 apartments and for remedial works to the existing three bedroom house.

Another CGI of the converted methodist church.

Marja Wilding of Savills’ South Coast development team said: “This is a rare opportunity to restore a Grade II* listed building just 300m from the popular harbour.

“Following fire damage, the church is now a shell with the design philosophy to retain and repair the existing fabric and place a contemporary structure inside and on top of the shell to create the accommodation space.”

The site is being marketed by Savills’ South Coast development team.

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Impressive new names added to employment law firm’s client list

A new firm which launched on May 1, and specialises in advising companies on employment law matters, has added a number of impressive names to its client list.

New clients for Rayner Jones Employment Law include:

• Entia Ltd, based in London, develops and builds innovative healthcare products and devices.
• PCA Law, a global company, provides practical skills training to lawyers and business service professionals around the world.
• The ECO Group, based in southern Scotland, a family-owned group of companies operating in a number of sectors including design and build, communications and IT.
• The Lensbury, a resort, hotel, conference centre & leisure club in 25 acres of gardens and grounds on the banks of the River Thames.

Rayner Jones, pictured left, said his new practice had got off to a busy start, dealing with queries from clients on a whole range of issues.

He added: “As you would expect we have been advising on some fairly negative Covid-related work.

“Most of the work for these new clients has been more positive in nature.

“It includes bringing staff back from furlough, advising and providing training on recruitment processes, and drafting contracts for new employees.”

Rayner Jones Employment Law is based on the Aviation Business Park at Bournemouth Airport.

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Global market leader appoints international sales manager

Poole company BOFA International, a global leader in portable fume and dust extraction systems, has appointed Douglas Gray as International Sales Manager.

He will support the company’s growing success in overseas markets.

Douglas has more than 20 years’ experience in industrial sales, the last 15 with companies in Asia, Europe and the Americas.

In his new role, he will focus on developing sales to OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) in all BOFA markets worldwide, other than North America, where the company operates through its subsidiary business, BOFA Americas, Inc.

He will work closely with new customers to develop long-term relationships while also providing support to existing clients, particularly those with a focus on printing applications.

Douglas, pictured left, said: “The most striking thing about BOFA is the calibre of the team and the reputation of their products.

“These qualities provide a strong foundation in markets around the world.

“I am very much looking forward to meeting new and existing clients, whether that be remotely in the current circumstances or face-to-face as and when lockdowns start to ease around the world.”

BOFA is the acknowledged market leader in portable fume and dust extraction technology.

It currently exports 90 per cent of its systems to 120 countries around the world.

The company’s technologies remove potentially harmful airborne contaminants from workplace environments while simultaneously helping customers optimise productivity.