Servus is believed to be the main company in the frame to buy £450m-£500m of property from Abbey National.
Servus is a company spearheaded by Nomura and Mapeley – a consortium backed by Soros Real Estate Partners and Fortress Investment. It is up against several other parties over the bank’s plans to sell and lease back all its property assets.
The sale, which includes its branch network, is likely to be followed by similar moves from other high street banks. The sell-off also includes its Baker Street headquarters in London and other main offices in Bradford, Glasgow, and Milton Keynes.
The Daily Telegraph 17/07/00 page 29 (The City Checklist)
The Times 17/07/00 page 25
The Guardian 17/07/00 page 19
