News

Worcestershire urgently needs a strategic plan to ensure that the right kind of office and logistics space is available for businesses according to one of the county’s leading commercial property experts. 

Speaking at a breakfast networking event held by industrial and logistics property company Potter Space in Droitwich on 27 April, John Dillon, Managing Director at GJS Dillon and Board member for the Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) said ‘No new speculative SME office space has been built in the county for the last 13 years. Yet the majority of businesses in Worcestershire employ 1-9 people who have nowhere to go if their business expands. They’re moving away from Worcestershire and I’m really keen to avoid that happening.’

John believes it is up to the LEP and Worcestershire County Council to take control of the situation: 

‘We need a strategic plan for the next 10-20 years that says ‘offices over here, more industrial space there. Mid-size industrial space here, larger warehouse space there.’ he added. ‘At the moment we are simply hoping that the market will deliver the new commercial space that the county needs. But the market will only deliver what is profitable to build. Bringing forward office space and business units for SME businesses is just not cost-effective currently.’

The event was held at the Potter Space Business Park in Droitwich where their newest industrial unit, which measures 28,000 sq ft, was unveiled. The new unit is the latest development in Potter Space’s £18 million investment programme to provide more industrial and logistics space to the market. 

‘There are now over 31,000 businesses in Worcestershire, representing an increase of 40% since 2010’ continued John ‘If I could say to business owners ‘Don’t worry, I know you can’t move now but according to the plan in 2-3 years’ time you will’ that would be great.’ 

‘It’s vital to avoid a situation where Worcestershire continues to be a lovely space to live but people go elsewhere to run their businesses.’ 

John was on the panel at the ‘Boosting Business in Worcestershire’ event alongside Jason Rockett, Managing Director at Potter Space, Mark Powney, Director at Savills’ Economic Team and Sharon Smith, CEO of the Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce. The guest of honour and keynote speaker was Midlands-based broadcaster Nick Owen. The wide-ranging discussion, which was chaired by Anna Cooper of The West Midlands Business Desk, covered skills shortages, rising business costs and Net Zero as well as the commercial property market.

Image shows from left to right front row: Mark Powney, Sharon Smith, Nick Owen, Anna Cooper. Back row: Derrick Potter, John Dillon and Jason Rockett

GJS Dillon’s Worcestershire Commercial Property Market Report 2023, which provides insights and data on the industrial and office markets in Worcestershire, is available to download here www.gjsdillon.co.uk/marketreport

For further details contact John Dillon at johndillon@gjsdillon.co.uk or call 01905 676169