Lloyds Bank provides financing for Aker pre-let at Chiswick Park

Lloyds Bank Wholesale Banking & Markets agreed to fund the construction of a new London office building to be occupied by the Scandinavian energy company Aker Solutions. Aker recently signed a 20 year lease with a landowning company managed by Blackstone Real Estate Partners that will see the business create a new engineering hub at the Chiswick Park estate in West London attracting further interest from global engineering and technology businesses alongside the existing media hub at the park. The agreement represents the largest UK office letting in almost a year (220,000 ft2) and it is expected to lead to the area attracting further interest from global engineering and technology businesses. Lloyds were advised by Mayer Brown.

In confirming the new leasing agreement Aker have advised they intend to deliver a 1,700 person strong presence in central London - thereby creating 1,300 new jobs by 2015. The announcement comes in the wake of a recent agreement between the UK and Norwegian governments promising stronger energy links. A £53m loan facility has been agreed between Lloyds Bank and the landowner to provide the funding for the construction of the new London office building.