insideKENT Magazine Issue 56 - November 2016 | Page 15

NEWS

SOUTH EAST OFFICE
OCCUPIERS SET TO
EXPAND AT FASTER RATE
THAN THOSE IN
LONDON OVER THE
NEXT FIVE YEARS
A fifth (20%) of UK property decision-makers expect
to increase, rather than decrease (7%) the amount of
office space they own or rent in the South East over
the next five years, according to the latest Royal
Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Annual
Occupier Survey, in association with EY and Savills.
In total, a net balance (percentage expecting to expand,
minus percentage expecting to downsize) of 13%
more respondents in the South East expect to increase
rather than decrease their portfolio, nearly double the
figure for London at 7%. The net balance figures
showed the lowest indication of growth was in the
South West of England, at 4%.
Julian Lyon, director of Worldwide Occupier Services
at Savills, said: “Given the potential increase in cost
pressures for office space in central London, we would
expect to see a greater level of occupational activity
and expansion in the outer London and South East
markets. The positive net balance of occupiers
expecting to expand across the South East over the
next five years is an encouraging market sentiment.
This is particularly poignant given the uncertainty that
the Brexit vote has generated.”
The survey also revealed that, notwithstanding Brexit,
41% of UK businesses expect to expand the amount
of UK property they own or rent over the next five
years, whilst 8% expect to downsize.

CANTERBURY AWARDED GOLD AT 2016 BRITAIN IN BLOOM AWARDS
Canterbury recently scooped a Gold
award in the Small City category at the
prestigious Royal Horticultural Society
(RHS) Britain in Bloom UK Finals
Awards Ceremony in Birmingham. The
event was hosted by TV Gardening
Expert Chris Beardshaw in October.
Canterbury, which represented the
South and South East regions, was
one of only seven areas from across
the UK chosen to compete in the Small
City category of the awards.
Canterbury’s medal, the highest
available, confirms its position as one
of the greenest and most beautiful
small cities in the country.
Speaking about the award, Bob Jones,
chief executive, Canterbury Connected
Business Improvement District (BID),
coordinator of Canterbury in
Bloom, said: “Canterbury is delighted
to have won a Gold award in Britain in
Bloom on the first occasion of being a
finalist in this prestigious competition.

“Across the city, a range of individuals
and organisations have all worked hard
and invested time and creativity in
making their park, garden, field,
campus, shopping centre, grounds
and streets special places in which to
live, work, study, play and visit and this
has been rewarded with this
achievement. We could not be more
proud of them all.”
The RHS Britain in Bloom Awards
ceremony celebrates the huge
contribution made by the 300,000
Bloom volunteers whose hard work
and dedication help transform what
are often grey and unloved areas into
greener, cleaner and more beautiful
spaces for everyone to enjoy.
The 72 Britain in Bloom finalists were
vying for Gold, Silver Gilt, Silver or
Bronze medals, category winner
awards and discretionary awards for
achieving excellence in particular fields.

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