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Boost for small businesses in east Kent
The project, on the former Chislet Colliery site now known as Lakesview International Business Park, will provide a perfect environment to foster new businesses and entrepreneurial initiatives. It will provide quality short and long term office space for individuals starting up their own business and existing businesses relocating from home offices, and is scheduled to be completed by the end of t he year. When completed, the office village will offer approximately 4,000 sq ft of office space, which hopes to deliver 30 new businesses and 70 jobs over the duration of the project. Importantly, this will provide employment opportunities for members of the Hersden community and surrounding villages. The site will also offer business advice and support through Business Link Kent, who will have desk space in the facility. The space will be the first of its kind in the Canterbury District, catering for a market that the private sector will not provide for without public sector support. It will bring together fledgling businesses and support agencies and maximise the effectiveness of site development for business start-ups, which is not currently provided on commercially developed sites. Canterbury City Council is contributing £100,000 and funding has also been secured from SEEDA, and the project is being led by the council's Local Economy team in partnership with George Wilson developments. Christopher Inwood, Economic Development Project Officer for Canterbury City Council's Local Economy Team, said: "The City Council's Local Economy Team currently has over 40 unsatisfied non-Canterbury City focussed investment enquiries for offices under 2000 sq ft. "This new purpose-built development provides an exciting opportunity to encourage small and start-up office-based businesses to grow and develop. "Each of the 14 office units measures between 18.5ms and 22.5ms and are offered on flexible easy-in, easy-out terms to meet business demands as well as offering the incentive of on site business support". Janet Waghorn, Executive Director of the East Kent Partnership, said: "This project will be self-sustaining through the rental income of businesses occupying the units, and will provide a practical means to encourage business growth in east Kent." The Lakesview Office Village is just one of a number of projects in east Kent being funded by the EKP in an effort to regenerate the area, help it reach its potential and contribute to Kent's future growth. For more details, please contact Christopher Inwood on 01227-862053 or email christopher.inwood@canterbury.gov.uk ENDS For more information please contact: |
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The Lakesview Office Village in Westbere is a large step closer to reality following an injection of £250,000 from the East Kent Partnership (EKP) into the £1million development.