One of Carlisle’s longest established chartered surveying practices is bringing vibrancy to the centre of Cumbria’s only city by attracting major national tenants to large vacant high street buildings.  

Carigiet Cowen, which has been operating in Carlisle for more than 30 years, has been instrumental in working with property investors to attract tenants to two prominent buildings on English Street, set right at the heart of the city centre. 

In October 2023 the company worked with the owners of the 6,000 square foot former Topshop property at 18 to 24 English Street to successfully let the space to Loungers UK Limited who signed a long lease and invested nearly £1m in the building to open the Bordo Lounge café, restaurant and bar. 

In June this year, the company also worked with the new owners of the former House of Fraser unit immediately next door at 26-40 English Street after it was vacated by Sports Direct. 

As a result current occupiers Caffe Nero have signed a new lease for approximately 2,000 square feet of space and are currently refurbishing the unit to add new customer seating and toilet facilities. Terms have also been agreed with Tesco Express to occupy approximately 4,000 square feet of space on the opposite side of the property, adjacent to Bordo Lounge, following the closure of its previous store on Victoria Viaduct. 

Ben Blain, director at Carigiet Cowen, says it is continuing to market the rest of the space in the building and has received offers from further high street retailers which currently do not have a presence in Carlisle.  

This includes requirements to take from 10,000 square feet up to 25,000 square feet and smaller requirements for the self-contained top floor accommodation and warehouse accommodation to the rear. 

“Our company’s reputation for knowing who is in the market at a given time, plus what their requirements are, are essential to fully allow us to advise our clients professionally on a regular basis. This is demonstrated by bringing the likes of Loungers and Tesco Express to the forefront of English Street,” says Ben. 

"These new lettings are a positive for the city centre and the area because you're not having shut down frontages along the high street. The types of operators we have concluded deals with, and the ones we are trying to get over the line, will help all businesses in the centre of Carlisle. Getting footfall up is key to improving on everyone’s success to date.” 

(Image: Newsquest)

Carigiet Cowen acts for a range of private landlords, large investment company landlords and potential commercial tenants on a local and national basis.  
On the tenant side, one of Carigiet Cowen’s clients includes bakery giant Greggs, where Ben regularly advises on their acquisitions and operations in Cumbria and North Lancashire. Recent success includes bringing the first Greggs drive thru in Cumbria to Beehive Business Park, in Ulverston. Others include the opening of national tenant Intelijet 360 touchless car wash at Caldewgate, Carlisle, and letting 7,000 square feet to trade giant Howdens Joinery at Miller Business Park, in Wigton.  

"I think given how long we have been operating from this area, people learn that they can get to know you, work with you and trust you on the advice and information that you give them,” says Ben. 
“Unfortunately, we do not have a crystal ball so that doesn't necessarily mean it will always be the advice or information that people want to hear.  
“We certainly work on a proviso of trying to be transparent and honest and telling people how it is, particularly in the current times because the sector for retail can be extremely difficult.” 

Ben says Carlisle’s relatively well-populated and diverse high street is partly down to landlords being flexible in the type of businesses they are prepared to have as tenants.  

“I think they should be credited for that,” he says. 

“We should be mindful that whilst times are difficult for businesses and tenants, it has been hard for landlords too. Rents and values have dropped and they too have faced the challenges of Covid-19.”  

He says Carlisle city centre is buoyed by new developments on the horizon, including the £4m regeneration of Market Square and Greenmarket, funded by the Future High Streets Fund, which is part of a total of £100m of public investment in the city centre.  

"If you think what Carlisle is going to look like in 10 or 15 years from now, it's going to look completely different to what it looks like today and I think things are improving for that reason,” says Ben.