Showing the way

As politicians struggle with the closure of the massive Pfizer research base at Sandwich, now renamed Discovery Park, they will surely take a long look at the examples of Kent Science Park (KSP) and Kings Hill.

Each of these is a model of intensive and focused management together with the benefits of long term investors, La Salle Investment Management at KSP and Liberty Property Trust at Kings Hill. The problem at Sandwich is the sheer scale of the site with 278,700 sq.m. of laboratory, storage and office space. Enterprise Zone status will help but CBRE still faces a mammoth task.

In the case of KSP, the former Shell facility has been turned into a science park with a range of high technology companies in 55 acres of landscaped grounds serviced by a range of amenities such as a café and shop, gym and swimming pool together with meeting rooms and a lecture theatre. There is planning permission to expand on an adjoining site which will allow for future growth. That is the focus of Site Director, James Speck, and his experienced staff. "The expansion of Sheerness and the location of the Vestas wind turbine factory there will put pressure on the infrastructure, as will the regeneration of Sittingbourne town centre."

That will lead to upgrading of the transport and power supplies, he says, including the vital link to the M2 motorway which will become more important as Sheerness and KSP grow. That link could come from the northern relief road for Sittingbourne. Speck says simply: "The future is bright. Never forget that we have some big businesses in this area and we are a jumping off point for continental Europe."

Another important pointer to the future is that Speck has fostered relationships with universities, including Greenwich, Imperial, University College London (UCL) and Kent. Another peg for the future plans is closer ties with France to foster cross channel business activity.

Given the nature of the occupiers, such as the recently arrived Toximet, a product of the University of Greenwich, it is not surprising that KSP has an advanced broadband network. "We are looking at the idea of clustering that would link small operators and we have the facilities to foster that, including speculatively built laboratories to suit individual needs," said Speck. His success shows with the steady rise of the occupancy rate which is 77% now and will reach 82% by the year’s end.