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    Back to the office now!!

    Paul, that was an unfortunate slip - I am not the voice of David you know! Since he became political I have kept my distance (especially with people refering to him as wierd and creepy), I don't need to be tainted by his brush with all the other things I am trying to achieve!

    Anyway, I have lost potential letting applicants to DP that would not be appropriate to discuss, but I have directly lost tenants from Landlord clients - most recently Stirling Cross and NAG. These offices remain empty with no interest in them despite the Landlords spending money on them to make them even more attractive.

    All the while rent and rate incentives are being given places like DP will be a success and skew the real market in the surrounding towns. However, we must also recognise that we are in changing times. The electronic age means that the need for offices is changing and this is reflected in the Innovation Centre set up at Coombe Valley which is also somewhere we lose potential lettings because of the all-inclusive rentals available.

    Encouraging Landlords to further invest in their offer is not easy when they are without the income they once relied upon, and also being clobbered with empty rates costs. Government is unfortunately the architect of this situation and I doubt this or any successor regime will act to do anything about it. The pushing back of the revaluation from 2015 to 2017 so that this issue does not impact on the election is a pretty dishonest move to distract attention. The valuations will go significantly down which would mean that the rate itself will increase hugely in order to maintain or enhance the level of income required. A complete re-think is necessary, but it will take strong and decisive leadership to bring it forward. Unfortunately we are not over blessed with leaders or leaders-in-waiting in the corridors of Westminster and no one will particularly relish the potential for a "Heseltine" on the business rates.

    Will there be rent and rate incentives to get business in to the DTIZ sheds I wonder?

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