‘Live and Work’ units popular in Southam

And demand is blossoming for the second phase ‘Live and Work’ units for budding stay at home entrepreneurs, according to commercial property consultants ehB Commercial.

All 21 units on the 22,500 sq ft light industrial development have now been sold or let and some companies have already moved in. Meanwhile, three of the nine ‘Live and Work’ units under construction on the commercial/residential part of the park are now in solicitors’ hands and there is strong interest in a further two units, said Scott Blake, a director of ehB Commercial. “Insight Park has been a great success, especially when you consider the economic conditions over the last few years,” he said.

The commercial park on Welsh Road East has been developed by local building company Tompkins Construction Ltd, which has introduced the first ‘Live and Work’ units in the area, an idea borrowed from retro-build schemes in other parts of the country.

Andy Tompkins, whose company negotiated the minimum 30 per cent live and 30 per cent commercial usage with planners at Stratford District Council, said: “The council has been very supportive of this enterprising idea because it encourages entrepreneurs who want to work from home and avoid the grind of a daily commute – they could be a one-man-band potter who wants a workshop or an accountant employing a small staff. They are extremely flexible developments.”