London Bridge has existed in one form or another at the present site across the Thames since 50 AD. Situated between Cannon Street Railway Bridge and Tower Bridge, it forms the western end of the Pool of London. It was the only bridge to cross the Thames downstream from Kingston until Westminster opened in 1750, and it has held a prominent position in London’s skyline ever since. A long and chequered history has seen the bridge be pulled down and rebuilt numerous times. The modern London Bridge was designed by Mott, Hay and Anderson, constructed from 1967 to 1972, and opened by Queen Elizabeth on March 17th, 1973.
The majority of business centres in the area are based around Borough, with MLS dominating this part of the London serviced office market. This translates to the current rate per workstation being highly cost-effective, with serviced office space in the area offering an extremely attractive alternative to more expensive locations north of the river. Availability tends to be mixed; some centres have full occupation almost consistently, while others have considerable surplus space at various times of the year. The independent serviced office providers are often more expensive than the larger operators in the area, as they do not have the financial flexibility to drop prices dramatically to fill their centres at times of surplus serviced office space.
MLS offers anywhere between £300 to £450 per month per workstation and, on the larger deals, when the office space can be highly-densed (i.e. when the ratio of workstations to space is higher), the rate per workstation can decrease further. A serviced office located closer to the river, with panoramic views of the area views will obviously demand a higher rate per workstation (anything up to £650 at time of writing (August 2008)). Both Regus and MWB offer serviced offices in the London Bridge area, but it can be difficult to find space in the latter operator’s centre in particular. Lenta offers two serviced offices in the Waterloo area - the Chandlery and the Blackfriars Foundery – both of which have availability at different times of the year. The Waterloo Business Centre is the only business centre located just a stone’s throw from Waterloo Station with a price tag that hovers around the £450 per workstation mark. Otherwise, further towards Embankment, MLS offers business space in Vintage House. MWB offers a compelling alternative serviced office centre in Victoria, which is ideal when businesses prefer a higher-end property solution at a reasonable rate (£600 a workstation). MLS dominates the SE1 area with a portfolio of seven impressive buildings. Going towards Bermondsey and Southwark Park, there are few options that provide unit space and workshops at a cheaper rate.
The SE1 area, particularly Borough and London Bridge, attracts businesses that want to be close to the city, in an area with excellent transport links for those commuting outside London, while also ensuring a cost-effective serviced office solution. It is the combination of these factors that make the area such a popular choice for businesses looking to establish serviced offices in the vibrant, exciting financial and business centre that is the UK’s capital.