Largest Office Letting in Kent
In Kent’s largest commercial property letting so far this year Travel Insurance Facilities Group (TIF) is moving its headquarters to Liberty Property Trust’s Kings Hill development near Maidstone.
The company has taken the top floor of 17,110 sq ft in 1 Tower View, one of the most prestigious office buildings in Kings Hill.
This deal brings the total office space let in Kings Hill so far this year to 45,000 sq ft, demonstrating that the business park remains one of the most popular locations in the south east. This represents 35% of the first half of the year’s deals in the south east quadrant of the M25, excluding Croydon.
Recent research shows that 23% (over 200,000 sq ft) of Kings Hill is dedicated to amenities which is unparalleled in any business park anywhere else in the country. The next nearest has 13% and most have none.
These amenities include an 18 hole golf course, Waitrose and Asda stores plus other convenience retail, two schools with a third opening this September, Sports Park, cricket pitch and two gyms including David Lloyd, acres of woodland and open space and miles of foot and cycle paths.
Other recent property transactions in Kings Hill include half (18,000 sq ft) of a newly refurbished office building to Cancer Partners UK for a state-of-the-art private treatment centre; half a wing (4,582 sq ft) of another for UBM Shared Services Ltd which is moving from serviced offices in Kings Hill and a further 5,000 sq ft to a national housebuilding company.
“The improving economic climate is resulting in strong uptake at Kings Hill which continues to attract businesses to the South East and Kent because of the quality of the property solutions it provides, its amenities and doorstep pool of labour,” said Andrew Blevins, managing director of Liberty Property Trust, which is developing Kings Hill with Kent County Council.
Hanover Green, Altus Edwin Hill and Knight Frank act for Liberty.
There are around 200 businesses on site employing some 5,000 people and, with approximately 8,000 residents at Kings Hill too, there is a ready workforce on the doorstep.
