Firms are flocking to Witney say property agents

Published by

Nicky Godding

What is it about Witney? There is a growing demand for buildings from both large and small firms, in the town, which is creating hundreds of jobs.

The latest significant move agreed by VSL is the freehold sale of 4-5 Bromag Industrial Estate to D2P Autoparts for a car parts distribution facility.

The family business is relocating from the London borough of Hounslow to the 22,000 sq ft industrial building.

Vijay Patel, Managing Director of D2P Autoparts said: “We decided to relocate the business from West London to Witney as it is the motoring capital of the UK and we felt it was the best place to live in Oxfordshire, with a friendly and close community.

“We are investing significantly in our newly acquired premises and have appointed local contractors, Refurb Renovation Witney to lead the redevelopment, further highlighting our commitment to the local community.

“D2P Autoparts is a family owned business specialising in direct to consumer automotive parts. We are looking to recruit new technology, logistics and operations staff which would be ideal for a young apprentice.”

It follows the success of the new Stanley Court development in Richard Jones Road, which is now full with 35 industrial/warehouse units either under offer, let or sold by joint agents VSL and Carter Jonas acting for developer Glenmore. Despite the impact of Covid-19 and lockdown, the site was full within 18 months of work being completed.

Meanwhile, demand is also strong at Tungsten Park to the West of the town, a new 490,000 sq ft business park which marks the first new large unit commercial development in Witney for the last 15 years.

Deals to date at the site being developed by Tungsten Properties include pool and spa products supplier Certikin International, electronics manufacturer Meech International and motorsport fabricators Venture Engineering.

Other activity in the area includes a 6,000 sq ft industrial letting to long-established Witney café business Huffkins Bakery at Parkside.

Tom Barton of VSL said: “The Witney economy has been extremely buoyant in recent years as it continues to expand, and we are seeing growing demand for commercial space as firms look to move within or relocate to what is a very attractive area.

“Significantly, we are seeing a strong take-up of freehold properties which are rare in this area, a good example being Stanley Court. This all points to growing confidence in the local economy which has remained strong despite the impact of Covid-19.”

Nicky Godding

Nicky Godding is editor of The Business Magazine. Before her journalism career, she worked mainly in public relations moving into writing when she was invited to launch Retail Watch, a publication covering retail and real estate across Europe. After some years of constant travelling, she tucked away her passport and concentrated on business writing, co-founding a successful regional business magazine. She has interviewed some of the UK’s most successful entrepreneurs who have built multi-million-pound businesses and reported on many science and technology firsts. She reports on the region’s thriving business economy from start-ups, family businesses and multi-million-pound corporations, to the professionals that support their growth and the institutions that educate the next generation of business leaders.