The hi-tech town, surrounded by picturesque Hampshire countryside, is within a 45 minute train journey of London Waterloo, has fast access to the M3 and the south coast ports, and four international airports within an easy hour's reach. All essential transport links to help make doing business feel easy, whether here or abroad.
Already home to a community of global brands including the AA, ENI, Fujitsu and Sony, it's not just Basingstoke's locational advantage that makes it an attractive business destination. As London's commercial property market starts to overheat, businesses are seriously rethinking their geographical location looking outward along the M4 and down the M3. With occupancy costs for new prime office space at £37 per sq ft compared to nearby neighbours, Reading at £52 per sq ft and London's West End core from £170 per sq ft, Basingstoke offers competitive office space that's good value.
In fact, demand for prime office space has prompted the first speculative town centre office development in Basingstoke for 15 years. Work to deliver a new 60,535 sq ft office building is moving forward with property developer Abstract Securities with completion scheduled for 2018. This new speculative office - the Florence Building - is an exciting step forward and will provide new ‘Grade A' accommodation offering uncompromising value to occupiers and BREEAM ‘excellent' premises.
The new office development is just one deliverable in an ambitious £4 billion investment programme, that will see Basingstoke growing and changing shape over the coming decades. Massive public and private sector investment will see major commercial regeneration, thousands of new homes to support a population growth of up to 18% by 2029 and a new and revitalised leisure offer - all creating a sustainable future where residents and businesses can thrive. This will be supported by a £40 million programme of major road schemes to improve key routes into the borough and includes the recent major improvements at junction 6 of the M3 and the Black Dam roundabout.
Other modern tangible changes include the arrival of the largest combined John Lewis at home and Waitrose store in the country, a new £50m Network Rail regional operating and national training centre at Basing View, and AEW Europe's recent £290m acquisition of Festival Place, with its plans to improve tenant mix and enhance the shopping experience including the recent expansion of Next into a new 49,424sq ft concept store.
Basingstoke's future is bright and residents here think life's good with 96% agreeing that the area is a great place to live. With an extensive retail offer, exciting leisure facilities, a summer festival that brings together the best of arts and culture nationally, a world-class concert hall and beautiful countryside all around - it's easy to see why.
With its highly-skilled workforce, resilient infrastructure, renowned value for money, fantastic quality of life and 21st century regeneration agenda, Basingstoke is a compelling business location.
