Over the last three months, commercial property deals have seen a surge in activity according to Hampshire consultants Holloway Iliffe & Mitchell.
Across the town, industrial, office and retail space have been snapped up as local occupiers review their requirements and in many cases have relocated to expand their businesses as the local economy continues to see improvements.
Industrial
The Directory Group has relocated to Viceroy Court on Bedford Road as the business expands its operations and increases its geographical reach. Established in Petersfield in 2005 with the initial Petersfield Directory, the business has flourished and now reaches an audience of over 89,500 homes through nine individual publications across Hampshire and West Sussex.
Commenting on the move, The Directory Group managing director Denise Lloyd said: “Moving to Viceroy Court was an enormous decision for the team. Having rented our premises at Heath Farm, we had outgrown these and took on additional space in Emsworth. Being able to combine our operations into one building, which is owned by the management, is a really exciting move for the business.
“We all wanted to stay in Petersfield and Viceroy Court has been the answer. The purposed built unit is much more efficient and will enable us to continue to grow the business without having to compromise on space.”
Rotherbrook Court on Bedford Road Business Park has also enjoyed increased activity with international medical device company, Alphatec Spine agreeing to take the whole of the ground floor at Unit 4 which leaves just three office units totalling 6,000 sq ft available.
Rotherbrook Court was built in 2005 and is made up of 10 units ranging from 1,250 sq ft to almost 6,000 sq ft. Its high specification offices and excellent location have made it a popular destination for local businesses.
Offices
Expert Peripheral Designs, a specialist supplier of mobile and data collection systems, has moved into modern town centre offices on Dragon Street. Originally located at Viceroy Court, the opportunity to relocate to the town centre was an easy decision says managing director Bob Fenton: “Having been at Viceroy Court for nearly 15 years, the opportunity to move closer into the town centre was perfect for us. The Dragon Street offices are exactly what we were after and having been recently refurbished to a very high standard, we were able to move straight in.”
Commenting on changes in the Petersfield market, Holloway Iliffe & Mitchell director Stuart Mitchell said: “Over the six months we have seen a dramatic increase both in genuine enquiries and transactions across the town. Significant deals have included the sale of Tilbrook House to InSync Technologies and Old College to a private investor who is looking to redevelop the Grade II building to numerous small industrial lettings that now see much of the available space occupied for the first time in the last five years.”