Pre-Annual General Meeting Information • Jul 2, 2015
Pre-Annual General Meeting Information
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If you are in any doubt as to the action you should take, you are recommended to seek advice from your stockbroker, bank manager, solicitor, accountant or other independent financial adviser authorised pursuant to the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. If you have sold or transferred all of your ordinary shares in Workspace Group PLC, please forward this document and the accompanying form of proxy to the purchaser or transferee or to the stockbroker, bank or other agent through or by whom the sale or transfer was effected for delivery to the purchaser or transferee. If you have sold or transferred part only of your ordinary shares in Workspace Group PLC, please consult the stockbroker, bank or other agent through whom the sale or transfer was effected.
(Incorporated and registered in England and Wales under number 2041612)
Notice of an Annual General Meeting of Workspace Group PLC to be held at Chester House, Kennington Park, 1-3 Brixton Road, London SW9 6DE at 11.00 a.m. on Wednesday 15 July 2015 is set out at the end of this document. Shareholders will find enclosed with this document a form of proxy for use in connection with the Annual General Meeting. To be valid, the form of proxy should be completed, signed and returned in accordance with the instructions printed thereon, as soon as possible and, in any event, so as to reach the Company's registrars, Computershare Investor Services PLC, The Pavilions, Bridgwater Road, Bristol BS99 6ZY, by no later than 48 hours (excluding weekends and any bank holiday) before the time of the Annual General Meeting. Completion and return of a form of proxy will not preclude Shareholders from attending and voting at the Annual General Meeting should they choose to do so.
In this document, except where the context otherwise requires, the following expressions shall have the following meanings:
| 2015 Annual Remuneration Report | the remuneration report contained on pages 80 to 99 of the Annual Report and Accounts; |
|---|---|
| IA | the Investment Association; |
| Act | the Companies Act 2006; |
| AGM or Annual General Meeting | the Annual General Meeting of the Company convened for Wednesday 15 July 2015, notice of which is set out at the end of this document, or any reconvened meeting following adjournment thereof; |
| Annual Report and Accounts | the Annual Report and Accounts of the Company for the financial year ended 31 March 2015 and the reports of the Directors and auditors thereon; |
| Articles | the Articles of Association of the Company currently in force; |
| Board or Directors | the Directors of the Company for the time being; |
| Code | the UK Corporate Governance Code; |
| Company | Workspace Group PLC; |
| Group | the Company and its subsidiary undertakings from time to time; |
| Ordinary Shares | the ordinary shares of £1.00 each in the capital of the Company; |
| Remuneration Policy | the Directors' Remuneration Policy found on pages 82 to 87 of the 2015 Annual Remuneration Report; |
| Shareholders | holders of ordinary shares in the capital of the Company; and |
| Shareholders' Rights Regulations | the Shareholders' Rights Regulations 2009. |
(Incorporated and registered in England and Wales under number 2041612)
Daniel Kitchen (Non-Executive Chairman) Jamie Hopkins (Chief Executive Officer) Graham Clemett (Chief Financial Officer) Chris Girling (Non-Executive Director) Stephen Hubbard (Non-Executive Director) Maria Moloney (Non-Executive Director) Damon Russell (Non-Executive Director)
To Shareholders and, for information only, to share option holders
15 June 2015
Chester House Kennington Park 1-3 Brixton Road London SW9 6DE
Dear Shareholder
I am pleased to invite you to the twenty-ninth Annual General Meeting of the Company, to be held at Chester House, Kennington Park, 1-3 Brixton Road, London SW9 6DE, at 11.00 a.m. on Wednesday 15 July 2015.
A formal notice convening the AGM is set out on pages 6 to 8 of this document and an explanation of each of the resolutions that the Directors will be proposing at the AGM is set out below.
The business of the AGM will begin with a resolution to receive and adopt the Annual Report and Accounts. Shareholders will have the opportunity to put any questions on the Annual Report and Accounts to the Board before the resolution is proposed at the AGM.
Resolution 2 seeks approval for the 2015 Annual Remuneration Report for the financial year ended 31 March 2015 (other than the Remuneration Policy which does not need to be approved by Shareholders this year). The vote is an advisory one (that is, the contents of the report will not change as a result of the vote).
A final dividend of 8.15 pence per ordinary share, to be paid as a REIT Property Income Distribution, has been recommended by the Board for the year ended 31 March 2015 and, if approved by Shareholders, will be paid on 7 August 2015 to all Shareholders on the register at the close of business on 10 July 2015.
Mr Hubbard, who was appointed to the Board on 16 July 2014 as a Non-Executive Director, will be offering himself for election as required by the Articles. Mr Hubbard does not have a service contract with the Company but his appointment is terminable on 3 months' notice. The Board consider that Mr Hubbard meets the independence criteria prescribed in the Code as he is independent in character and judgement and there are no relationships or circumstances which are likely to affect, or could appear to affect, his judgement, as set out in further detail on page 57 of the Annual Report and Accounts.
The Articles require one-third of the current Directors to retire by rotation at every Annual General Meeting. However, the Company is adopting the requirements of the Code in relation to Directors' appointments and in particular the annual re-election of all Directors. Therefore, in accordance with provision B.7.1 of the Code, all of the Directors will retire at the AGM and, being eligible, offer themselves for re-election. In relation to all of the Directors seeking re-election, I can confirm that, following formal performance evaluation, the Board has determined that their performance continues to be effective and they continue to demonstrate commitment to their roles as Directors, including commitment of the necessary time for Board and committee meetings and other duties. The Board is satisfied that each of the Non-Executive Directors offering themselves for re-election remains independent in character and judgement and that there are no relationships or circumstances which are likely to affect or could appear to affect their judgement.
Biographical details of each of the Directors are set out on pages 62 to 63 of the Annual Report and Accounts.
The Company is required at each general meeting at which accounts are presented to appoint auditors to hold office until the next such meeting. Accordingly, the Shareholders will be asked to re-appoint PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as the Company's auditors until the conclusion of the next Annual General Meeting in 2016 and to grant authority to the Directors to determine their remuneration.
The authority given to the Directors to allot further shares or to grant rights to subscribe for, or to convert securities into shares in the capital of the Company requires the prior authorisation of the Shareholders in general meeting under section 551 of the Act.
Upon the passing of Resolution 13 (pursuant to paragraph (a)(i) of Resolution 13), the Directors will have the necessary authority until the date of the next annual general meeting in 2016 or, if earlier, 30 September 2016 to allot and/or grant rights to subscribe for, or convert securities into, equity securities (as defined in section 560(1) of the Act), up to an aggregate nominal amount of £53,704,138 (which represents approximately one-third of the issued ordinary share capital of the Company as at 8 June 2015 (being the latest practicable date prior to publication of this document)).
In addition, in line with guidance issued by the IA on the expectations of institutional investors in relation to the authority of Directors to allot shares, upon the passing of Resolution 13 (pursuant to paragraph (a)(ii) of Resolution 13), the Directors will have authority, until the date of the next Annual General Meeting of the Company in 2016 (or, if earlier, 30 September 2016) to allot and/or grant rights to subscribe for, or convert securities into, equity securities (as defined in section 560(1) of the Act) in connection with a rights issue in favour of Shareholders up to an aggregate nominal amount equal to £107,408,275, as reduced by the aggregate nominal amount of any shares issued under paragraph (a)(i) of Resolution 13. This amount (before any reduction) represents approximately two-thirds of the issued ordinary share capital of the Company as at 8 June 2015 (being the latest practicable date prior to publication of this document).
In order to ensure that the maximum aggregate nominal amount of equity securities allotted and/or granted under Resolution 13 is never more than an amount equal to two-thirds of the issued ordinary share capital as at 8 June 2015, deductions will be made from paragraph (a)(i) or (a)(ii) to ensure that this remains the case, whether or not the Company issues shares under paragraph (a)(i) first or paragraph (a)(ii) first.
This limited authority will enable the Directors to issue shares when they believe it is in the interests of the Company to do so. It replaces the equivalent authority taken at the last Annual General Meeting of the Company in 2014, which will remain in force up until the conclusion of this year's AGM. While the Company would always consider from time to time the best manner of financing the Group, there is no present intention of issuing ordinary shares or other equity securities pursuant to Resolution 13.
The Directors will continue to seek to renew this authority at each Annual General Meeting in accordance with current best practice.
If the Directors wish to exercise the authority under Resolution 13 and offer shares (or wish to sell any shares which the Company may purchase and elect to hold as treasury shares) for cash, the Act requires that, unless Shareholders have given authority for the waiver of their statutory pre-emption rights, the new shares must be offered first to existing shareholders in proportion to their existing shareholdings. In certain circumstances, it may be in the best interests of the Company to allot new shares (or to grant rights over shares) for cash or to sell treasury shares for cash without first offering them to existing Shareholders in proportion to their holdings.
Resolution 14 therefore empowers the Directors until the date of the next Annual General Meeting of the Company in 2016 or, if earlier, 30 September 2016, to allot and/or grant equity securities for cash (or transfer shares which are from time to time held by the Company in treasury for cash) (i) by way of a rights issue or an open offer or other offer of securities (not being a rights issue) in favour of existing Shareholders in proportion to their shareholdings (subject to certain exclusions); or (ii) otherwise than pursuant to (i) up to an aggregate nominal value of £8,055,621 which is equivalent to approximately 5% of the issued ordinary share capital of the Company on 8 June 2015, (being the latest practicable date prior to the publication of this document). Resolution 14 also covers the allotment of equity securities in connection with share option schemes.
This limited authority will enable the Directors to issue shares when they believe it is in the interests of the Company to do so. It replaces the similar authority granted at the last Annual General Meeting of the Company in 2014 which will remain in force up until the conclusion of the AGM. The Directors will seek to renew such authority and power at successive Annual General Meetings.
As at 8 June 2015 (being the last practicable date prior to publication of this document), the Company held no shares in treasury.
Resolution 15 authorises the Company to make market purchases (within the meaning of section 693 of the Act) on the London Stock Exchange of up to a maximum aggregate number of 16,111,241 Ordinary Shares (equivalent to approximately 10% of the current issued ordinary share capital of the Company as at 8 June 2015 (being the latest practicable date prior to publication of this document)), at a minimum price per Ordinary Share of its nominal value and a maximum price of the higher of (i) an amount equal to 105% of the average of the middle market quotations of the Ordinary Shares as derived from the London Stock Exchange Trading System for the five business days immediately preceding the day on which that Ordinary Share is contracted to be purchased and (ii) an amount equal to the higher of the last independent trade and the highest current independent bid on the London Stock Exchange Daily Official List at the time the purchase is carried out. Resolution 15 should not be taken as an indication that the Company will purchase Ordinary Shares at any particular price or indeed at all. The Directors would only consider making purchases if they believe that such purchases would result in an increase in earnings per share and are in the best interests of the Shareholders.
The authority will expire at the conclusion of the Annual General Meeting of the Company in 2016 or, if earlier, 18 months after the passing of Resolution 15. It is intended to renew such authority and power at successive Annual General Meetings.
Any Ordinary Shares purchased under the authority would either be cancelled, and the number of Ordinary Shares in issue would be reduced accordingly, or would be held in treasury. The Directors would consider holding as treasury shares any shares which the Company repurchases pursuant to the authority provided by this Resolution 15. To the extent that any shares repurchased by the Company are held in treasury, earnings per share will only be increased on a temporary basis until such time as the shares are sold or transferred out of treasury. Overall, the Directors believe that the ability of the Company to hold shares in treasury will provide the Company with greater flexibility in the management of its share capital.
The Company has options outstanding over 2,901,188 shares; the aggregate nominal amount of which represents approximately 1.8% of the Company's issued ordinary share capital as at 8 June 2015 (being the latest practicable date prior to publication of this document). If the Company bought back the maximum number of Ordinary Shares permitted pursuant to this Resolution, then the total number of options to subscribe for Ordinary Shares outstanding at 8 June 2015 would represent 2.0% of the reduced issued share capital of the Company.
Resolution 16 is a resolution to allow the Company to hold general meetings (other than Annual General Meetings) on 14 clear days' notice. Before the coming into force of the Shareholders' Rights Regulations on 3 August 2009, the Company was able to call general meetings (other than an Annual General Meeting) on 14 clear days' notice without obtaining shareholder approval. Changes made to the Act by the Shareholders' Rights Regulations increased the notice period required for general meetings of the Company to 21 days unless shareholders approve a shorter notice period (which cannot be less than 14 clear days). AGMs will continue to be held on at least 21 days' clear notice.
Accordingly, in order to preserve the Company's ability to call general meetings (other than an Annual General Meeting) on 14 clear days' notice, Resolution 16 seeks such approval from Shareholders. The flexibility offered by this Resolution will be used where, taking into account the circumstances, the Directors consider this appropriate in relation to the business to be considered at the general meeting. In making this determination, the Directors will take account of the provisions of the Code in relation to the notice for general meetings. If granted, the approval will be effective until the Company's next Annual General Meeting in 2016, when it is intended that a similar resolution will be proposed.
Whether or not you intend to be present at the AGM you are requested to complete and sign the enclosed form of proxy and return it as soon as possible to the Company's registrars, Computershare Investor Services PLC, The Pavilions, Bridgwater Road, Bristol BS99 6ZY. Members may also register the appointment of a proxy electronically by accessing the website www.investorcentre.co.uk/eproxy, which is operated by Computershare Investor Services PLC. In either case, the proxy appointment must be received by Computershare Investor Services PLC by no later than 48 hours (excluding weekends and any bank holiday) before the time of the AGM.
Alternatively, CREST members who wish to appoint a proxy or proxies through the CREST electronic proxy appointment service may do so by using the procedures described in the CREST Manual. CREST messages must be received by the issuer's agent not later than 48 hours (excluding weekends and any bank holiday) before the time appointed for holding the Annual General Meeting. Completion and return of a form of proxy will not preclude Shareholders from attending and voting at the Annual General Meeting should they choose to do so.
Your Board considers that the resolutions to be proposed at the AGM are in the best interests of the Company and the Shareholders as a whole, and the Board unanimously recommends that you vote in favour of the proposed resolutions. The Directors intend to vote in favour of the resolutions in respect of their own beneficial shareholdings in the Company.
Yours sincerely
Daniel Kitchen
Chairman
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the twenty-ninth Annual General Meeting of the Company will be held at Chester House, Kennington Park, 1-3 Brixton Road, London SW9 6DE at 11.00 a.m. on Wednesday 15 July 2015 to consider and, if thought fit, to pass the following resolutions, of which numbers 1 to 13 will be proposed as ordinary resolutions and numbers 14 to 16 as special resolutions:
To consider and, if thought fit, to pass each of the following Resolutions 1 to 13 inclusive as a ordinary resolutions:
and so that the Board may, in either case, impose any limits or restrictions and make any arrangements which it considers necessary or expedient to deal with treasury shares, fractional entitlements, record dates or with legal, regulatory or practical problems in, or under the laws, or the requirements of any regulatory body or any stock exchange in any territory or otherwise howsoever, provided that the authority conferred on the Directors under paragraphs (i) and (ii) above shall expire at the conclusion of the next Annual General Meeting of the Company in 2016 or, if earlier, 30 September 2016, but so that this authority shall allow the Company to make offers or agreements before the expiry of this authority which would or might require equity securities (as defined in section 560(1) of the Act) to be allotted and/or granted after such expiry and notwithstanding such expiry the Directors may allot and/or grant such equity securities in pursuance of such offers or agreements; and
(b) words and expressions defined in or for the purposes of Part 17 of the Act shall bear the same meanings in this resolution.
THAT in substitution for all subsisting authorities to the extent unused:
(a) the Directors be and they are hereby empowered pursuant to section 570 and section 573 of the Act:
as if section 561(1) of the Act did not apply to any such allotment, grant and/or transfer, provided that this power shall be limited to the allotment, grant and/or transfer of equity securities:
(b) words and expressions defined in or for the purposes of Part 17 of the Act shall bear the same meanings in this resolution.
THAT the Company be and is hereby generally and unconditionally authorised, pursuant to and in accordance with section 701 of the Act, to make market purchases (within the meaning of section 693(4) of the Act) of ordinary shares in the capital of the Company on such terms and in such manner as the Directors may from time to time determine, provided that:
(f) the Company may make a contract to purchase ordinary shares under the authority hereby conferred prior to the expiry of such authority which will or may be completed wholly or partly after the expiration of such authority, and the Company may purchase ordinary shares in pursuance of any such contract as if the authority conferred hereby had not expired.
THAT a general meeting other than an Annual General Meeting of the Company may be called on not less than 14 clear days' notice.
By order of the Board
Company Secretary Dated: 15 June 2015
Chester House Kennington Park 1-3 Brixton Road London SW9 6DE
The Company may not require the members requesting any such website publication to pay its expenses in complying with sections 527 or 528 of the Act. Where the Company is required to place a statement on a website under section 527 of the Act, it must forward the statement to the Company's auditor not later than the time when it makes the statement available on the website. The business which may be dealt with at the meeting includes any statement that the Company has been required under section 527 of the Act to publish on a website.
(c) if it is undesirable in the interests in the Company or the good order of the meeting that the question be answered.
Chester House Kennington Park 1-3 Brixton Road London SW9 6DE
Chester House Kennington Park 1-3 Brixton Road London SW9 6DE
T +44 (0)20 7138 3300
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