Miss Moneypenny, Q, M and 007 are not usually on my mind as I travel to development sites, but this was one with a difference.
Charles Church Developments (CCD), (a subsidiary of The Beazer Group plc) made a successful bid to purchase the old MI5 building in Vauxhall Bridge Road.
This was CCD's first landmark site in central London. The building had been disused for some years and planning consent had already been granted to demolish it and construct 101 residential flats.
As an ex-naval officer I had some knowledge of Commander Bond's world, particularly the rather dull and functional offices normally used by Ministry of Defence departments. I was intrigued by this opportunity to visit the 'real' MI5 HQ and see whether the Bond films' extravagant panelling of M's office, Q's laboratories and Miss Moneypenny's office was at all similar to the real thing.
The transaction comprised the proposed demolition of the existing building and the construction of a brand new luxury development. The relationship of the premises to the adjacent buildings was complex, with a variety of free-standing walls and some connected party structures. It was also necessary to pay careful heed to the adjacent window apertures to ensure that right of light infringements would not be created.
The building was a labyrinth of corridors and passages, which I inspected to get a feeling for the 'footprint' of the building in relation to the adjoining structures. The end of this inspection found me on the top of the building with views to the rear of the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben.
True to form, on the top (7th) floor, an imposing door opened out into a large room with walls still covered with wooden panelling. Being the only room of its kind in the building, it surely must have been M's room. After this encouraging sign, Miss Moneypenny's room next door was a distinct disappointment – a return to the rather sterilised look of a dilapidated government office.
As for Q's laboratory, we discovered a dingy set of stairs that seemed to go down into an abyss, but as there were only four of us we decided not to disturb whatever might have been down there.
While the legal documentation for the transaction was relatively straightforward, time was very short. Information was at a premium given that the vendor was an offshore company with very few practical details about the building and its history. We needed to ensure that the work was not only accurate, but also completed quickly and in the most flexible manner possible.
In construction terms, some elements of the new development are to be somewhat unusual. For instance, the concept behind the purpose- built underground car park is worthy of James Bond himself. You place your car in an elevator and park. You then leave the elevator and the car descends into the bowels of the building to be 'slotted' into a designated space deep below; a perfect spot for an Aston Martin DB5 Vantage – or perhaps the perfect location for a murder?
Negotiations were reaching a crescendo on the day before the deadline for exchange. As night fell I continued my mission under cover of darkness and terms were finally agreed at midnight.
The actual exchange was finally relayed to the client in the middle of his annual speech to the company, much to their delight.
Mission accomplished, I retired to a local bar for something 'shaken not stirred'.
Crispin Tomlinson is a commercial property partner at Davies Arnold Cooper.