RCS - Scotch Corner Dsgnr. - Expected Intention to Float

Marks and SpencerAnnouncement

24/07/2025 08:15

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RNS Number : 2757S  Scotch Corner Designer Village Ltd  24 July 2025

This announcement is an advertisement and not an admission document or a
prospectus (or prospectus equivalent) and does not constitute or form part of
an offer or invitation to sell or issue or a solicitation of an offer to
subscribe for or buy any securities nor a recommendation to sell or buy
securities in any jurisdiction nor should it be relied upon in connection with
any contract or commitment whatsoever in any jurisdiction. Potential investors
should not purchase or subscribe for any transferable securities referred to
in this announcement except on the basis of the information in the final form
of an admission document (the "Admission Document") which may be published in
due course in connection with the admission of Scotch Corner Designer Village
Limited's (to be re-registered as a public limited company) issued and to be
issued ordinary shares in the capital of the Company ("Ordinary Shares") to
trading on Aquis Real Asset Market of the Aquis Stock Exchange plc. Upon any
such publication the Admission Document will supersede this announcement and
the information contained herein in its entirety and your investment decision,
if any, must be made only on the basis of the information contained therein.
Neither this announcement, nor anything contained or referred to herein shall
form the basis of, or be relied upon in connection with, any offer or
commitment whatsoever in any jurisdiction. Copies of the Admission Document
will, if published, be available during normal business hours on any day
(except Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays) at the registered office of
the Company and on the Company's website at
https://www.scotchcornerdesignervillage.com/
(https://www.scotchcornerdesignervillage.com/) . A copy of this announcement
will also be available from the Company's website.

 

24 July 2025

 

Scotch Corner Designer Village Limited

Potential Aquis Real Asset Market Opportunity

 

Scotch Corner Designer Village Limited ("Scotch Corner" or the "Company"), a
newly formed single asset real estate company to be re-registered as a public
limited company which is developing a retail outlet and leisure destination on
a prime motorway side location in the North of England (the "Development"),
announces it may consider an initial public offering (the "IPO") on the newly
launched Aquis Real Asset Market ("Aram") of the Aquis Stock Exchange
("AQSE").

Simon Waterfield, the sponsor behind Scotch Corner, has a 30 year track record
in delivering the successful renewal and redevelopment of key sites around the
UK, including Worcester Trade Park, Cotswold Business Park and Newton Business
Park in Nottingham.

Aram is the new real asset segment of AQSE. The segment creates a new liquid
market dedicated to the real estate and infrastructure sector. Former managing
director of Dow Jones Commercial EMEA and former rugby world cup winner,
Michael Lynagh, is responsible for the sourcing of assets to be listed on the
Aram market and is also involved in all strategic and decision-making aspects
of Aram.

Scotch Corner highlights:

·      The first phase of the Development involves the creation of a
designer outlet village comprising c.180,000 sq ft of retail stores,  cafés
and restaurants.

·      The Development enabling and infrastructure works are largely
complete and retail and leisure space has been pre-let to the following strong
fashion brands Calvin Klein, M&S, Tommy Hilfiger, Skechers and Five Guys.

·      Situated on a prime site adjacent to junction 53 of the A1(M)
motorway, the site has c. 4.5m residents within 60 minutes' drive (5% more
than the UK outlet average) and 9.6m within 90 minutes, a blend to make it a
strong contender as one of the UK's best located designer outlet locations.

·      Highly experienced team led by property developer Simon
Waterfield (who has owned and or developed 14 major properties and sites
across the UK comprising over 2 million sq ft of retail, offices, industrial
and leisure space), Sarah Hodkinson, Leasing Director, a Chartered Surveyor
who spent c. 8 years at McArthur Glen, then ran her own leasing consultancy,
before joining Multi-Realm Limited ("Multi-Realm"), and Patrick Hanson-Lowe,
Marketing Director, who previously ran the marketing for the Bicester Village
Collection's nine outlets across Europe and launched two villages in China,
and Land of Fashion's premium outlets.

·      The planned opening of Scotch Corner Designer Village is in
Spring 2027, at which time it is intended that Multi-Realm, one of the U.K.'s
leading Outlet operators, will be appointed operator and asset manager to
drive footfall, sales and rental income as this destination outlet matures.

·      Aram Advisors Ltd is acting as listing advisor in connection with
the Aram listing. Cairn Financial Advisers LLP is acting as AQSE Corporate
Adviser to the Company.

Simon Waterfield, Developer & Owner of Scotch Corner Management, said: "We
believe that this potential transaction is an exceptional opportunity to
develop a first class, largely pre-let, and therefore derisked, development in
the highest growth retail subsector. Scotch Corner is perfectly located on the
'crossroads of the North' where it is passed by roughly 29 million vehicles
each year and enjoys a catchment of some 4.5 million consumers living within
an hour's drive, and the leasing success we've had to date proves the
desirability of the location. We are considering being the first company to
seek an IPO on the newly launched Aquis Real Asset Market, which we believe
can play an important role for developers such as us to access capital, while
allowing all investors the possibility of achieving private equity style
returns, usually reserved for professional investors and developers."

Michael Lynagh, Director at Aram Advisors, added: "London has achieved its
position as a global financial hub through innovation, but in recent years it
has struggled to maintain its competitive edge. Aram is exactly what the City
needs, creating a platform that democratises access to the real estate market,
a market valued at £1.3 trillion in the UK alone, and enabling people to
invest in opportunities typically reserved for professional investors. With a
strong management team and an internationally recognised host platform, the
launch of Aram represents a major step forward in UK real estate investment.
By enhancing investment transparency, limiting transaction costs and
leveraging Aquis' future-proofed software, Aram will revolutionise the public
real estate sector."

 

Enquiries

 

 Scotch Corner Designer Village Limited                         via FTI Consulting

 Cairn Financial Advisers LLP (AQSE Corporate Advisers)         +44 (0) 20 7213 0880

 Sandy Jamieson, Jo Turner

 FTI Consulting (Financial PR & IR Adviser to the Company)      +44 (0) 20 3727 1000

 Richard Sunderland, Ellie Sweeney, Oliver Parsons

 

 

Further information on Scotch Corner Designer Village is available on its
website: https://www.scotchcornerdesignervillage.com/
(https://www.scotchcornerdesignervillage.com/) .

IMPORTANT NOTICES:

This is a financial promotion and is not intended to be investment advice.

The contents of this announcement, which has been prepared by and is the sole
responsibility of the Company, has been approved by RetailBook Limited
("RetailBook") solely for the purposes of section 21(2)(b) of the Financial
Services and Markets Act 2000 (as amended).

This announcement is not for publication or distribution, directly or
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not an offer of securities for sale into the United States.  The securities
referred to herein have not been and will not be registered under the U.S.
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United States, except pursuant to an applicable exemption from registration.
No public offering of securities is being made in the United States

This announcement does not constitute or form part of any offer for sale or
subscription or any solicitation of any offer to buy or subscribe for any
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or may be relied on in connection with or act as an inducement to enter into
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fundraise should be made solely on the basis of information contained in the
final Admission Document ("Admission Document") which may be issued by the
Company in connection with the fundraise. The information in this announcement
is subject to change. Before purchasing any Ordinary Shares, persons viewing
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risks which will be set out in the Admission Document, if published. No
reliance may be placed for any purpose on the information contained in this
announcement or its accuracy, fairness or completeness.

The Company may decide not to go ahead with the possible fundraise or
Admission and there is therefore no guarantee that an Admission Document will
be published, the fundraise will be made or Admission will occur. Potential
investors should not base their financial decision on this announcement.
Acquiring investments to which this announcement relates may expose an
investor to a significant risk of losing all of the amount invested. Persons
considering making investments should consult an authorised person
specialising in advising on such investments. Neither this announcement, nor
the Admission Document, constitutes a recommendation concerning a possible
offer. The value of shares can decrease as well as increase. Potential
investors should consult a professional adviser as to the suitability of a
possible offer for the person concerned.

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The securities referred to herein have not been registered under the
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or Japan and, subject to certain exceptions, may not be offered or sold within
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This announcement is directed only at persons whose ordinary activities
involve them in acquiring, holding, managing and disposing of investments (as
principal or agent) for the purposes of their business and who have
professional experience in matters relating to investments and are: (i) if in
a member state of the European Economic Area ("EEA"), Qualified Investors as
defined in article 2(e) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 (the "EU Prospectus
Regulation"); (ii) if in the United Kingdom, are Qualified Investors as
defined in article 2(e) of the EU Prospectus Regulation as it forms part of
domestic law pursuant to the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 and (a) fall
within article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial
Promotion) Order 2005, as amended (the "Order") or (b) are persons who fall
within article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order, or (c) are other persons to whom
an invitation or inducement to engage in investment activity (within the
meaning of section 21 of FSMA (as amended)) in connection with the sale of any
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be communicated; or (d) intermediaries using the RetailBook portal for
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This announcement must not be acted on or relied on by persons who are not
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in only with such persons.

This announcement contains statements that are, or may be deemed to be,
"forward-looking statements". These forward-looking statements involve known
and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's
control and all of which are based on the Directors' current beliefs and
expectations about future events. In some cases, these forward-looking
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actual results, performance or achievements of the Company or developments in
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future results, performance or achievements or industry developments expressed
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These forward-looking statements and other statements contained in this
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achieved; actual events or results may differ materially as a result of risks
and uncertainties facing the Company. Such risks and uncertainties could cause
actual results to vary materially from the future results indicated, expressed
or implied in such forward-looking statements.

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disclaims any obligation or undertaking to update, review or revise any
forward-looking statements contained in this announcement and disclaims any
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or to publicly announce the results of any revisions to the forward-looking
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future developments or otherwise, except as required by law.

The anticipated timetable for Admission, including the publication of the
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of circumstances such as market conditions. There is no guarantee that the
Admission Document will be published or that Admission will occur. Acquiring
investments to which this announcement relates may expose an investor to a
significant risk of losing all or part of the amount invested. Persons
considering making such an investment should consult an authorised person
specialising in advising on such investments.

This announcement does not constitute a recommendation concerning Admission or
the Ordinary Shares. The value of Ordinary Shares and the income from them is
not guaranteed and can fall as well as rise due to stock market and currency
movements. On any sale of an investment an investor may get back less than he
or she originally invested. Potential investors should consult a professional
adviser as to the suitability of the Ordinary Shares for the person concerned
before making any investment decision. Past performance cannot be relied upon
as a guide to future performance.

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Cairn is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in the
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connection with the possible Admission and fundraise. Cairn will not regard
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fundraise and will not be responsible to anyone other than the Company for
providing the protections afforded to its clients, nor for providing advice in
relation to the possible Admission or fundraise, the contents of this
announcement or any transaction, arrangement or other matter referred to
herein.

RetailBook is a proprietary technology platform owned and operated by
RetailBook Limited (registered address at 10 Queen Street Place, London EC4R
1AG). RetailBook is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the
Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 994238).

For the avoidance of doubt, the contents of the Company's website and any
links available from the Company's website are not incorporated by reference
into, and do not form part of, this announcement.

Notice to Distributors

Solely for the purposes of the product governance requirements contained
within Chapter 3 of the FCA Handbook Production Intervention and Product
Governance Sourcebook (the "UK Product Governance Requirements"), and/or any
equivalent requirements elsewhere to the extent determined to be applicable,
and disclaiming all and any liability, whether arising in tort, contract or
otherwise, which any "manufacturer" (for the purposes of the UK Product
Governance Requirements) may otherwise have with respect thereto, the Ordinary
Shares have been subject to a product approval process, which has determined
that the Ordinary Shares are: (i) compatible with an end target market of
retail investors and investors who meet the criteria of professional clients
and eligible counterparties, each as defined in paragraph 3 of the FCA
Handbook Conduct of Business Sourcebook; and (ii) eligible for distribution
through all distribution channels as are permitted by MiFID II (the "Target
Market Assessment").

Notwithstanding the Target Market Assessment, distributors (for the purposes
of the UK Product Governance Requirements) should note that: (i) the price
of the Ordinary Shares may decline and investors could lose all or part of
their investment; (ii) the Ordinary Shares offer no guaranteed income and no
capital protection; and (iii) an investment in the Ordinary Shares is
compatible only with investors who do not need a guaranteed income or capital
protection, who (either alone or in conjunction with an appropriate financial
or other adviser) are capable of evaluating the merits and risks of such an
investment and who have sufficient resources to be able to bear any losses
that may result therefrom. The Target Market Assessment is without prejudice
to the requirements of any contractual, legal or regulatory selling
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notwithstanding the Target Market Assessment, only investors who meet the
criteria of professional clients and eligible counterparties will be procured.

For the avoidance of doubt, the Target Market Assessment does not
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purposes of Chapter 9A or 10A respectively of the FCA Handbook Conduct of
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Each distributor is responsible for undertaking its own Target Market
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distribution channels.

 

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