Central London offices 'not the only option for big business'

Office design news from Morgan Lovell

Published on 13-06-2011

Large companies operating in the UK do not have to have large central London offices in order to work effectively, as in fact, this can be extremely expensive in the present market, a sector e4xpert has claimed.

Philip Papenfus, member of the British Council for Offices (BCO) Urban Group, director of Colliers and head of its south-east offices division, said the rental difference between central London and even other parts of the capital can be massive, ranging from £42 per sq ft to just £6.

He commented: "I have met with at least two to three occupiers in the last few weeks who have been saying that they are very likely to be moving non-essential staff out to cheaper locations."

Mr Papenfus added that a lot of companies that have grown in the capital will now have departments that could be moved to cheaper areas of the country.

The BCO was founded in 1990 and is a forum in which the pressing issues of the UK office sector can be discussed. The group also lobbies government on behalf of the industry and aims to help to deliver more effective use of office interior space in the UK.

Posted by Adrian Norman