THE BUILDING which used to house the headquarters of the Whitbread Round the World Race has been taken over by digital recording specialists Nice CTI Systems.

Tollbar House is a landmark office building situated opposite the Hedge End Retail Park occupied by Marks and Spencer and Sainsbury.

Goadsby acted as the agent for Nice in the deal involved restructuring lease agreements with three head landlords, including Thales Properties, InBev UK, and AXA Sun Life.

Simultaneously NICE CTI Systems have let 11,169 sq ft ( 1.038 sq m) first floor offices within the building, to Barratt Homes Ltd on a new lease until 2014 at a rent of £15 psf. This is subject to review in 2009 and is to be used as their Southampton headquarters covering Hampshire, Wiltshire, East Sussex and Dorset.

Goadsby and Gerald Eve acted for Nice in this letting with the Southampton office of Lambert Smith Hampton acting for Barratt.

The office building, which has 186 parking spaces, was refurbished in 2002 having previously been occupied by Whitbread.

Richard Pullen, Goadsby director, said: "This transaction was a bit like a round the world yacht race itself, as it involved so many interested parties and individuals all wanting to get to the finish line as quickly as possible but getting slowed down by the storm of the legal niceties involving five sets of solicitors.

"Despite being a very long race' it was definitely a race worth finishing for all parties involved."