Retail revival boosts companies' interest

12/05/2010

Beverley’s retail revival is now adding to the town’s appeal for office occupiers.

Garness Jones has secured occupants for two modern office developments, and agency director Dave Garness is confident further activity will follow.

The latest moves have seen Oamec Consulting take more than 600 sq ft in Morton House, with another business planning to occupy other areas of the building in June. Meanwhile, the Wilf Ward Family Trust has taken space at Reed House, in Annie Reed Road.

Oamec Consulting was established last year by Steve Coates, who is well known in the fields of renewable energy and building design.

Steve had previously been working from home, but invested the proceeds from the sale of other successful businesses to make the move into dedicated premises.

Steve says the decision to stop working from home is already proving beneficial.

“It’s brilliant to be able to separate work from home, he says.

“It suits me much beter - I like to get up in the morning and know that I’m on the way to the office. It was a businessman’s dream really. It was an offer I couldn’t refuse.”

The Wilf Ward Family Trust, which provides a range of services to help disabled people and their carers, has taken around 3.000 sq ft of space at Reed House, following a decision to relocate from Saturday Market.

“It’s a new development so these are very modern offices and the Trust has taken a six-year lease,” said Paul White, the office specialist with the Garness Jones agency team.

“The deal was completed just before Easter. We have also got parties interested in the remaining space on the ground floor and the second floor, and this all amounts to evidence that the demand for offices is increasing after a difficult period in 2009.

“One thing we’re seeing is that people who have been working from home are gaining the resources and the confidence to move into business premises, and the Oamec investment is an example of that.”

Dave Garness added: “The improvement in Beverley as a retail centre makes it a popular place for offices, as well and I think the market there has a lot more to offer.”

The company is currently marketing two new sites which have planning permission for high-specification office developments.

Saxon Court, in Annie Reed Road, offers four offices up to 6,000 sq ft with the flexibility to combine individual units if required.

Riverside Works in, Grovehill Road, offers eight units to a total of more than 9,000 sq ft.

“Both sites have planning consent and work is ready to start, said Dave.

“As new buildings they will have the sort of modern features that business owners and their employees want to see – easy disabled access, high car-parking ratio, good communications and utilities and an excellent location,”

Links

Garness Jones

 www.garnessjones.co.uk