The Thames Valley cannot be identified as one specific city or location, as it spans a vast area which begins on the very outskirts of West London, runs due west following the route of the River Thames, and out towards Oxford. Major towns and cities covered by the Thames Valley include Slough, Maidenhead, Windsor, Staines, High Wycombe, Aylesbury, Wokingham, Reading, Oxford and Banbury.
The local economies in the Thames Valley vary as much as the towns and cities which are found there. That aside, IT, telecommunication, pharmaceutical and modern knowledge-based technology industries dominate the area. Telco giants such as Vodafone, O2, 3-Mobile, and Orange as well as global brands including SAP and GlaxoSmithKlein all have major bases and headquarters in the Thames Valley.
Office space in the Thames Valley is to be found in abundance whether it is serviced offices or conventional offices. Following from the dotcom boom, the Thames Valley has been one of the fastest-growing areas and economies in the UK. The influx of new business start-ups which fuelled the dotcom boom led to the development of much new office space. Once the bubble burst and the surviving start-up companies had matured or been sold, significant amounts of office space became available. By taking a look at the following major towns in the Thames Valley, a good insight can be gained into the industry and economy in the area.
The town of Slough is now recognised as a major industrial hub in the UK. Located on the outskirts of London with excellent transport links into the country’s capital and out to the heart of the south west of England, it houses the headquarters of Telco giant, O2 and Mars, the confectionary kings. There are a large number of serviced office options available in the area with all the major players, such as Regus and Abbey, having bases in the town centre, while the likes of MWB have established a presence in the nearby Maidenhead area. There are also a number of more cost-effective operators in the area catering for companies on a more challenging budget. This plethora of choice has lead to a somewhat saturated office space market where large supply and low demand translates to low workstation prices and many opportunities for deals. A client could expect as little as £199 per workstation per month in some cases.
Reading
Often referred to as the 'Silicon Valley' of England, Reading like Slough is identified as another major industrial and economic hub in the UK. It too has excellent rail and road links to London and its location in the heart of south west England makes it a focal point for a number of other towns in the Thames Valley, as well as further afield. Recognisable brands and industry giants such as Dell, SAGE, Faiser and Boehringer Ingleheim are located in the area, adding to the trend that most IT, modern-based technology and pharmaceutical companies have large bases or headquarters in the Thames Valley. Reading itself has office space options peppered across the town as well as in the centre of the city, both of which offer excellent transport links. In the centre, you have the recently redeveloped train station while, on the outskirts, the business parks are close to Junctions 10-12, with J11 being particularly densely populated with options. Due to the abundance of options, workstation prices are not what they once were, with clients being able to pick up deals for as little as £300 per workstation.