Sansaw Business Park's tenants have confidence in local economy despite Brexit turmoil

Sansaw Business Park has invested heavily in high-speed internet and fibre-optic communications, but its location has proved one of the most attractive factors – offices are set in walled gardens and woodland, with on-site parking, and yet it’s just five miles from the edge of Shrewsbury.

James Thompson, managing director of Sansaw Business Park, said: “We launched our RIBA-award winning Pavilions in 2008, just as the economy crashed, but thankfully the companies that had signed up were keen to make a long-term commitment to the area.

“Our offering has developed significantly over time and we now have every office in the Pavilions and the Stables fully let, with a continuous campaign of refurbishments ensuring our tenants want to be here for a long time to come.”

Veterinary pharmaceuticals firm Dechra now occupies the entire Pavilions development, an architecturally striking building which uses ground-source heat exchangers, passive ventilation, natural resources and rainwater harvesting to ensure the building has a low carbon footprint and a minimal impact on the environment.

Elsewhere across the business park, there is a diverse mix of tenants, from design consultancies to dentists. But each business has a story to tell and an impressive array of clients.

“We have some great anchor tenants such as Dechra, EDP, Esthetique and EGS. These businesses have created a real footprint here and that is good on both sides,” said James, a former Royal Marine.

“Over time we have changed from a light industrial base to customer-focused offices, and that is helping spread the word of what Sansaw is all about. We’re not only in a fantastic location for the county, we’re also perfectly located for the country as a whole.

“When we have units come up for rent there has been a lot of interest and that proves that firms are perhaps feeling more confident. In many respects the election and having a clear mandate has improved the outlook.”

Sansaw also has a portfolio of 120 residential properties, with an on-site maintenance team which is constantly trying to improve to ensure tenants are always priority number one.

“We have invested heavily in our staff to ensure we can offer the best service for tenants, both commercial and residential,” James added.