1 Jun 2020 07:00
30 May 2020
Shaftesbury PLC
Response to announcement from Capital & Counties Properties PLC
The Board of Shaftesbury PLC ("Shaftesbury" or the "Company") notes the announcement this morning by Capital & Counties Properties PLC ("Capco") of the agreement to acquire a 26.3 per cent. shareholding in Shaftesbury from Veloqx (Jersey) Limited.
The Board looks forward to engaging with Capco as it would with any other shareholder in the Company.
For further information:
Shaftesbury PLC 020 7333 8118 Brian Bickell, Chief Executive Chris Ward, Finance Director | RMS Partners 020 3735 6551 Simon Courtenay |
MHP Communications 020 3128 8100 Oliver Hughes/Reg Hoare |
The person responsible for arranging the release of this announcement is Desna Martin, Company Secretary.
Notes for Editors
Shaftesbury is a Real Estate Investment Trust which invests exclusively in the liveliest parts of London's West End. Focused on food, beverage, retail and leisure, our portfolio is clustered mainly in Carnaby, Seven Dials and Chinatown, but also includes substantial ownerships in East and West Covent Garden, Soho and Fitzrovia.
Extending to 15.2 acres, the portfolio comprises 608 restaurants, cafés, pubs and shops, extending to 1.1 million sq. ft., 0.4 million sq. ft. of offices and 613 apartments. All our properties are close to the main West End Underground stations, which currently handle more than 225m passengers p.a., and within ten minutes' walk of the two West End transport hubs for the Elizabeth Line, at Tottenham Court Road and Bond Street, which long-term projections indicate could be handling 200 million passengers annually.
In addition, we have a 50% interest in the Longmartin joint venture, which has a long leasehold interest, extending to 1.9 acres, in St Martin's Courtyard in Covent Garden.
We have a strong balance sheet with conservative leverage.
Our purpose
Our purpose is to curate vibrant and thriving villages in the heart of London's West End. Our proven management strategy is to create and foster distinctive, attractive and prosperous locations. We have an experienced management team focused on delivering our long-term strategic objectives, ultimately to deliver a positive, long-lasting contribution to the West End.
Our Values
We have five core values that are fundamental to our behaviour, decision making and the delivery both of our purpose and strategic objectives: being human in how we operate, original in how we nurture talent and think, community minded in our approach to the West End, being responsible and long term in our approach to everything.
Since 2015, we have supported the UN Global Compact principles of sustainability and, in 2019, we integrated the UN Sustainable Development Goals into our sustainability strategy. We have long been committed to operating in a sustainable way. At the core of our sustainability strategy is reusing and improving, rather than redeveloping buildings. In doing so, we extend the useful economic lives of these buildings while preserving the West End's rich heritage for future generations.
Forward-looking statements
This document, the latest Annual Report and Shaftesbury's website may contain certain "forward-looking statements" with respect to Shaftesbury PLC (the Company) and the Group's financial condition, results of its operations and business, and certain plans, strategy, objectives, goals and expectations with respect to these items and the economies and markets in which the Group operates. Forward-looking statements are sometimes, but not always, identified by their use of a date in the future or such words as "anticipates", "aims", "due", "could", "may", "should", "expects", "believes", "intends", "plans", "targets", "goal" or "estimates" or, in each case, their negative or other variations or comparable terminology.
Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. By their very nature forward-looking statements are inherently unpredictable, speculative and involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that will occur in the future. Many of these assumptions, risks and uncertainties relate to factors that are beyond the Group's ability to control or estimate precisely. There are a number of such factors that could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements.
Any forward-looking statements made by, or on behalf of, Shaftesbury PLC speak only as of the date they are made and no representation or warranty is given in relation to them, including as to their completeness or accuracy or the basis on which they were prepared. Except as required by its legal or statutory obligations, Shaftesbury PLC does not undertake to update forward-looking statements to reflect any changes in its expectations with regard thereto or any changes in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.
Information contained in this document relating to Shaftesbury PLC or its share price, or the yield on its shares, should not be relied upon as an indicator of future performance. Nothing contained in this document, the latest Annual Report or Shaftesbury's website should be construed as a profit forecast or an invitation to deal in the securities of the Company.
Ends.