Commercial and industrial meltdown? - not so in the world's first Garden City

If there is a nationwide recession going on, then nobody has told the industrial and commercial heartlands of the world's first Garden City.

Over the last 12 months, Letchworth Garden City has bucked the perceived trend with the creation of 350,000 sq ft of new industrial and commercial space - with many of the new developments either pre-let, let, or the subject of advanced negotiations.

The completed 35,600 sq ft Nexus Building (pictured), overlooking Kennedy Gardens, (formerly a 1960's eyesore development, housing the former ICL offices), has made a major visual impact, with its signature green glass panels and distinctive domed tower. Nexus - with its cutting edge technology services - is already half let with a lot of interest in the remaining high quality office space.

This high quality development follows on from the regeneration in the last few years of the old College and Broadway car park sites to create the thriving Morrisons supermarket and North Hertfordshire College's Goldsmith Centre. And the completion of this key window to the town centre takes place with the major transformation of Kennedy Gardens itself, by the town's Centenary in 2003.

Away from the town centre, the demand for business space is strong on Letchworth Business Park and other major industrial and commercial bases. Over the last year, Wheatley, developers of the new Royal Mail Sorting Office, completed a major distribution centre for Masons Paper. 'Campus Seven', a 12,000 sq ft development of prestigious office space, is currently being built.

Sackville Properties have also finished work on its 62,000 sq ft industrial and warehousing development, 'Fourth Dimension' on land purchased from Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation.

Next door, the Heritage Foundation completed Focus 4 - a 35,000 sq ft development of three, high quality buildings offering office and business space. The first of these has been let to a specialist manufacturing business moving its operation to the Garden City. The other two buildings - totalling 22,500 sq ft in total, are currently being marketed.

Wheatley completed its redevelopment of the former Shelvoke and Drewery Offices in Icknield Way. The 10,500 sq ft Icon House is now home to Oakley Ltd, world leaders in the sunglasses and leisure clothing markets. Also on Icknield Way, Redchip Ltd and London Orbital Development completed their 36,202 sq ft industrial and warehousing space.

On land purchased from the Heritage Foundation, next to the custom-built facilities created for Crystal Windows, Fermark and Siac Construction, Jarvis Developments built nine new industrial/warehouse units and Landlink created a new facility for City Electrical Factors Ltd... the success story goes on and on...

While appreciating the national slowdown within the manufacturing sector - like everywhere else Letchworth has had a few casualties - there is no doubt that the town has a great deal to be positive about.

Stuart Kenny, Director General of the Heritage Foundation explains: "The key to the continuing well-being of Letchworth as a business location is the provision of top quality premises which meet the needs and future aspirations of businesses, which have real potential to grow.

"I am delighted that the Heritage Foundation has been and remains at the forefront of such development but is hugely encouraging that other developers now feel likewise. That can only ensure that Letchworth goes from strength to strength as a business location."