An investment firm has expanded its Bristol commercial property portfolio after securing a £2.3m funding package. The property arm of private equity group Autonomous Investments, which holds assets in and around the city including the Skyline Park estate in Brislington, said the money had helped it to acquire a grade-II listed former stable-block-turned-office-building on the Leigh Court estate at Abbots Leigh.
The company said it would also use the loan from Bristol-based bank Triodos to refinance an entire street of industrial spaces it already owns at Skyline Park, the centre piece of which is an upcycled Boeing 727 plane that now serves an office and events space.
Autonomous said it was planning “large-scale decarbonisation works” at a number of its properties including the installation of insulation and solar power assets, as it targets a move towards net zero operations for the buildings.
Johnny Palmer, the owner and director of Autonomous Investments Properties, said the firm would look to create spaces where “ethical businesses can grow”.
“The funding from Triodos will help us to demonstrate what can be done practically to improve standard commercial property and its impact on the net zero agenda," he said.
“For example, at Skyline Park we’ve already built Bristol’s largest off-grid power station and completely removed the gas supply from the largest facility there by investing in renewables including solar and air source heat pumps.”
Ethical bank Triodos said Autonomous was doing “great work” to improve energy efficiency and tackle decarbonisation in the commercial property sector.
Business banking team leader Phillip Bate added: “By showing what’s possible to achieve within the constraints of a building’s original construction, while remaining commercially viable, we hope Autonomous Property Investments will provide a strong example for others to follow.”
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