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.

Industrial dominates

Judging from the Locate in Kent (LIK) figures, the market is holding up reasonably well, being on target for inward investment in the first half when it pulled in 40 occupiers. What was noticeable is that demand for industrial property
increased to 60% in 2010-2011 from 39% in the previous year.

Peter Symons of LIK said that a planning application for the Vestas wind turbine factory at Sheerness was going in before the end of the year and "the consultation process has been positive." But he suggested more government support was needed for the industry.

Persistence brings reward

Peter Symons of Locate in Kent, the inward investment agency, has been unwavering in his efforts to get a major wind turbine manufacturing facility in the county.

His arguments have always been that the Kent coast is a logical place to manufacture wind turbines for the growing number of turbine farms in the North Sea and around the coast of the UK.

This has paid off handsomely with the world leader in this technology, the Danish company Vestas, choosing Sheerness for its manufacturing plant. This follows the German company Siemens locating an £80 million turbine manufacturing factory in Hull.

Symons said: “The Vestas plant will build on the county’s already excellent credentials, its two existing wind farms and another under construction, (London Array) which, once complete, will be the world’s largest.”

He views the wind energy industry as a key growth sector for the UK and has been aware for some time that Kent has a particularly important role to play. This long term commitment meant Locate in Kent starting talking to London Array six years ago and Vestas in 2010. “The Kent coastline has several ports and harbours with excellent facilities to support both construction and operations and maintenance activities,“Symons said.

“Sheerness Port is part of the Medway Superhub, which offers more than 200 hectares of development land.” Other factors that help the arguments for Kent are its position between the English Channel and the North Sea and the good links to London, the rest of the UK and the continent. As part of this initiative, the Swale Skill Centre is being aligned to the offshore wind industry and DONG, which has a 50% stake in the London Array, is supporting 8 apprenticeships. Symons’ aim now is to attract other wind turbine manufacturers to the county as well as ancillary suppliers. The Vestas plant should be in full production by 2015.