Business premises

Property available

Medway Council's Economic Development Unit works in close partnership with Locate in Kent (www.locateinkent.com), an inward investment agency that operates an online commercial property search facility.

Council-managed business and industrial units

Medway Council has developed three light industrial and business units: Hopewell Business Centre; Pier Road Industrial Estate; and Twydall Enterprise Centre.

The units cater to the needs of new and recently established small businesses. The range of unit sizes is designed to provide opportunities for the gradual expansion of businesses.

There is no VAT on rentals. Uniform Business Rates vary according to size and type of unit.

Workspace specifications are:

• Hopewell Business Centre, Chatham: 22 units, 370 - 670ft² (34.4 - 62.2 m²);
• Pier Road Industrial Estate, Gillingham: 30 units 97 - 737ft² (9 - 68m²);
• Twydall Enterprise Centre, Gillingham: 29 units 100 - 869ft² (9.3 - 80.7m²).

Download their detailed workspace specifications (pdf 98KB). To use this and other pdf files on this page, you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you do not have this on your computer, please use our advice page.

All three sites are managed by Lorraine Evans, the council's Managed Workspace Co-ordinator. She is based at Hopewell Drive and makes regular visits to the other two sites to deal with tenant enquiries.

Tenants are offered internal repairs only, three-year leases with easy in/easy out terms, such as fixed legal costs, monthly rental and only one month's notice to quit. All prospective tenants are given free business planning assistance from workspace advisors provided through Enterprise First (www.enterprisefirst.co.uk/).

Tenants receive free regular visits from their advisor, who can guide them to other business support services, such as Business Link Kent and Thames Gateway Chambers of Commerce.

Hopewell Drive opened in May 1996 with a survival rate of 78 per cent after the first six years. The Wired Medway project also provided full broadband facilities at Hopewell Drive.

How to apply

For further information or to arrange a viewing, please contact the Managed Workspace Co-ordinator..

Please forward a completed application form (pdf 23KB), a cashflow forecast (pdf 12KB), and, if available, a business plan, to:

Lorraine Evans
Managed Workspace Co-ordinator
Medway Council
Hopewell Business Centre
105 Hopewell Drive
Chatham
Kent ME5 7DX
Phone: 01634 309500
Email: lorraine.evans@medway.gov.uk

For further information about current property and land availability, please contact the Economic Development and Business Support team using the contact details at the foot of this page.

Other useful property links

• Commercial Property Register (www.compropregister.co.uk)
• Land Registry (www.landregistry.gov.uk)
• EG PropertyLink (www.egpropertylink.com)

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