Canterbury is FOR business

There are challenging, but exciting times ahead. That’s the view of the new chairman of Canterbury 4 Business, seven months in to his new role.

Paul Barrett, managing director of the well-known local motor dealer group, Barretts of Canterbury, was elected as chairman of Canterbury 4 Business, the district level business and economic partnership for Canterbury, Whitstable and Herne Bay, in March this year.

Delighted to have been given the Chairman’s position, Paul says it is a privilege to follow on from the great work done by his predecessor, Michael Head, Managing Director of Crown Products in Herne Bay; however Paul hopes to build on these achievements and take the forum to the next level. His obvious dynamism will go a long way to helping develop the relationship between Kent and the Canterbury business community, one of Paul’s main objectives.

Canterbury 4 Business is a partnership between private sector businesses, the public sector and the City Council. The forum recognises the benefits that business growth can bring to a community and therefore supports and encourages developing businesses to realise their full potential, including working to remove any obstacles that hamper that process.

Individual project groups meet regularly and report back to the Canterbury 4 Business Board on issues such as employment and entrepreneurship, improving education and skills and the 2012 Olympic opportunities. Canterbury 4 Business then takes action based on the recommendations of the individual project groups.

As chairman, Paul hopes to put Canterbury on the county map as a vibrant business centre and make the local business community truly believe it is a ‘go ahead’ city. Canterbury is not just about tourism and visiting the cathedral and Paul is keen to emphasise this.

Whilst supporting a consistent approach to promoting Canterbury as a credible business location, in the short-term, Paul has a very clear game plan. He will ensure the forum builds on its local government lobbying initiatives and will be working in partnership with the City Council to ensure Canterbury receives its fair share of benefits from the 2012 Olympics.

As for the future, Paul would like to see Canterbury develop a ‘Kings Hill’ style development. A recent report by a government planning inspector on the Canterbury District Local Plan Inquiry recommended the council should allocate the Little Barton Farm site on the edge of Canterbury as a 20-hectare office, science and technology business park. Canterbury 4 Business has of course supported these ambitious plans. If the forum succeeds in convincing businesses that Canterbury is in fact a credible location then this could well be a future reality.

On 13 July, Canterbury 4 Business launched an online forum at www.canterbury4business.co.uk to enable local businesses to discuss their views and ideas about doing business in the Canterbury District. The interactive forum is one of several new and improved services for business provided by the C4B website including a business resource section with links to the Canterbury area business directory, a commercial property register, the South East England Development Agency website and other similar organisations.

Creative media in East Kent

East Kent is dominated by the engineering, retail and wholesale sectors plus manufacturing just to mention a few. However with new media premises available in and around Canterbury and designers relocating from the North, the area is fast becoming the place to locate for the creative media sector.

Turning things around

In Canterbury, a local entrepreneur hopes to help businesses with the launch of a brand new media centre. Adam Weston is calling on companies working in the digital, media and creative sectors to join him as part of an exciting and collaborative creative community in Kent.

The Canterbury Media Centre aims to provide low cost creative office space for start-ups, freelancers and small businesses that are looking for an opportunity for their businesses to grow. Space will be leased on an easy-in/out basis and prices start from as little as £225 plus vat per month. Also in Canterbury are the Red Dog Studios funded by Canterbury City Council, which are situated on the edge of Pound Lane car park. The studios are available to lease to creatives who have recently graduated and want to live and work in Canterbury. There are eight studios in varying sizes for £19 per square metre, inclusive of building insurance, maintenance, repairs and all utility bills excluding phone bills.

If you prefer the idea of working in the country but with easy access to Canterbury and Dover, the Denne Hill business centre in Womenswold is just the place. It comprises a set of traditional Victorian farmyard buildings which are being converted to provide approximately 7,000 ft² of modern business space with ample parking.

This flexible space could be occupied as single or multiple units with individual sizes ranging from 590 ft² to 1,800 ft² - ideal for creative businesses looking to expand and benefit from modern communication with broadband technology.

East Kent is also attracting companies from outside the area, like Studio Baum, a multidisciplinary design agency that moved to Ramsgate in March 2006 from Leeds, Yorkshire. Jessica Owide and Sam Baum, a young couple originally from London and Bristol respectively, established the design studio in January 2005.

Jessica studied photography and fine art at art school in London and Leeds, and Sam studied design in Leeds. The pair decided to merge their passion for good design and complimentary skills into a design studio that has proven to be a success since its founding. In the past year Studio Baum has worked with a variety of local, national and global clients that include MTV, Sony Pictures, Turner Contemporary, Yorkshire Forward, and NHS Partners.

Studio Baum along with others in the creative sector are committed to helping both their local community and East Kent blossom, as they believe the area promises to offer the rest of the UK and Europe a huge amount of opportunity. Thanet is brimming with creativity and its history demonstrates the wealth of resources the area has to offer creative industries.

For further details on the Canterbury Media Centre, contact Adam on 07967 672962
or visit www.canterburymediacentre.co.uk.

For more information about the Red Dog Studios please contact mitch.robertson@canterbury.gov.uk or jenny.bowmer@canterbury.gov.uk on 01227 862405 extension 2528.

For further information contact Strutt and Parker on 01227 45112 or email canterbury@struttandparker.co.uk.

For further information about Studio Baum or to have a chat about how they may be able to help you develop your business, please contact Jessica Owide on 0870 950 3084,
email jess@studiobaum.co.uk or visit www.studiobaum.com.

Round up of activity in East Kent

Following several ‘quiet’ years on the development front, a number of exciting schemes are coming forward which are set to create a large number of new jobs.

Manston

On 20 June the announcement was made that Kent County Council had purchased the business park close to Manston Airport. In a £5.3 million deal, the 35 acre business park has been bought from the administrators of Planestation, the company that previously owned Kent International Airport. Already based on the site are Cohline, a German automotive parts manufacturer, Cummins Power Generation who specialise in diesel generation, Aviaservices who deal with aviation maintenance and repair and Invicta Produce, a food processing company.

Kent County Council said it bought the park because it has potential to support regeneration in East Kent. KCC already owns Kings Hill, a key business park in West Malling, and it is committed to providing a quality development for East Kent.

Canterbury

Lakesview International Business Park is Canterbury district’s largest strategic employment site. It is located close to the villages of Westbere and Hersden on the A28, 7 miles from Canterbury City Centre and A2/M2. Companies already located on Lakesview include Blighline, Claremont & May and Cryoquip.

Start-up and small businesses in the Canterbury district may soon be able to access new serviced office facilities at the Lakesview Office Village. Planning permission has been granted for a 12,000 sqft office facility, which will incorporate a 4,000 sqft incubator space for knowledge based start-ups. The project is aimed at addressing the area's shortage of office space for start-up businesses, micro-firms and Canterbury businesses seeking to expand. The development has been funded by £250,000 from SEEDA and East Kent Partnership, together with funding from Canterbury City Council with the project being led by the council and local private sector developer, George Wilson Developments Ltd. The offices are expected to be available from February 2007.

Herne Bay

Kitewood Estates has obtained detailed planning consent for the first phase of a new business park at Blacksole Farm, Herne Bay. Work on the 37-acre (15-hectare) site at Blacksole Farm, adjacent to the A299 Thanet Way, is scheduled to commence later this year with the first industrial units available Summer 2007. The site has important investment and regeneration potential in the coastal planning area and is anticipated to generate over 500 jobs.

Broadstairs

Thanet Reach Business Park is a 35 acre site located off Northwood Road adjacent to the out of town retail area at Westwood Cross and is close to Ramsgate, Broadstairs and Margate.

From Spring/Summer 2007, the next phase of commercial space will be available when ½ and 1 acre serviced plots are offered to local businesses operating within Thanet. The proposed new development is adjacent to Tesco Extra and Wickes and will be fully serviced with consent for B1 and B8 businesses.

Ramsgate

Eurokent Business Park is a 145 acre mixed use development with 105 acres of business and commercial space and 40 acres of associated sport and leisure development land adjoining the edge of town retail and service core of Thanet.

Land Securities has recently confirmed that they have received consent for a new 96,000 sqft scheme adjacent to the Westwood Cross shopping centre. The £20 million leisure and entertainment scheme will include a hotel, multi-screen cinema complex, casino, bingo hall, restaurants and 530 car spaces. The scheme will support Thanet District Council’s long term vision for the area which started with the Westwood Cross shopping centre.

Dover

A major investment at the White Cliffs Business Park has been given the go ahead by the government and approved by Dover District Council planners. Proposals for the £100 million investment in phase 2 of the business park could bring around 1,800 full and part time jobs to the site. Development of phase 2 of the business park could create the potential to increase the employment land with phase 3, which could generate another 1,200 jobs.

Plans were also approved for the development of the former Channel Tunnel workers site at Farthingloe Technology Village, with 40,000 sqft of high quality offices and research and development opportunities proposed, which are set to bring further jobs to the area.

Betteshanger Business Park is due to open soon, which will create up to 22,300 sqm of high quality employment space within a landscaped environment. The site is expected to provide up to 500 jobs and will play an important role in the economic regeneration of Dover.

George Wilson Holdings goes from strength to strength

250,000 m² over five sites in East Kent. That’s the achievement to date of the local high-quality commercial property developer, George Wilson Holdings.

A further two sites in Faversham and Whitstable are currently being developed and one other in East Kent will come on stream in the near future.

A well known figure within the Kent business community, George Wilson, managing director of the company, puts its success in East Kent down to providing exactly what is required by customers, rather than providing just what is available.

To date, the company has created approximately 5,000 jobs in East Kent and this figure is set to rise considerably, when the remaining units at the Lakesview site in Westbere and the new development sites are occupied.

In particular, at the 50 acre Lakesview site at Westbere in Canterbury, there are ten units still available with more under construction. The business park is available for a variety of employment uses including B1/B2 (office and light industrial) and B8 (warehousing and distribution). There are currently around 80 businesses located in the 100 m² business growth units and at capacity, the site could accommodate in excess of 59,000 m² of B1/B2/B8 floor space, generating over 1,700 jobs.

This site is a perfect example of one that has provided local businesses with growth requirements and ideal affordable solutions close to Canterbury. Lakesview’s strategic position in East Kent is reflected by its direct connection to the A28, which lies just 14 miles from the M2 motorway, 23 miles from the port of Dover and 23 miles from the Channel Tunnel terminal at Folkestone.

George Wilson believes that it won’t be long before the remaining units are filled at any one of the three available sites. Their proximity to city/town centres, in particular Canterbury and the impressive design of the business parks give an overall impression of a quality business location.

Also the offer of a ‘new for old’ service from George Wilson Holdings, where companies can trade in their old unit for a brand new one, is likely to attract even more businesses to its parks, rectifying the problem of the disposal of existing premises.

For more information on available units, please contact George Wilson Holdings on 01227 263077, or visit the website www.georgewilsonholdings.com

European flights get off the ground

Kent International Airport welcomed its first passengers in almost a year on 25th May, when holiday makers arrived for the inaugural Kent Escapes flight from Manston. The flight to Faro in Portugal’s popular Algarve region took off with 160 passengers on board just before 11am and the second flight left for Barcelona later that day. Flights are now departing to these two destinations on a weekly basis.

Phil Vann, general manager of Kent International Airport spoke to guests attending the launch event. He said that it was fantastic to see passengers back using the airport and that there was a real buzz among the staff. He pointed out that the Seguro Travel Group, under which Kent Escapes operates, has an excellent reputation and that he hoped it would be the first of many operators to use the facilities in the future. He also revealed that the airport would soon be announcing the Kent Escapes programme for the summer of 2007.

As reported in the previous issue of East Kent News, the airport hopes to be offering internal UK flights, particularly for business travellers in the near future.

It has also been announced that weekly air links between Kent International Airport and Virginia, USA, will take off next spring in time for the 400th anniversary celebrations of the first settlement.

Weekly charter flights will be operated by Bromley-based independent tour company Cosmos and its sister airline Monarch.

Kent County Council is injecting £150,000 into the project, with a further £250,000 coming from the other Kent partners.