Thames Valley: Howbery named Business Park of the Year

Howbery Business Park has been named Business Park of the Year in the 2017 Thames Valley Property Awards. To be recognised for this award, sponsored by chartered surveyors Kempton Carr Croft, the judges were looking for evidence of the ability of the park’s management team to market the business park using new initiatives, to maintain high occupancy levels, and to consistently receive positive feedback from tenants.

Dr Bruce Tomlinson, chief executive of HR Wallingford, which owns Howbery Business Park, said: “Since 1994 when we welcomed our first tenant, Howbery Park has grown, developing into a successful business park which is home today to many different types of businesses and organisations, and we have continued that expansion with a strong focus on sustainability, with all new builds designed to meet stringent environmental criteria.”

Set in a landscaped park, adjacent to the River Thames at Wallingford, Howbery Business Park is the UK’s first solar-powered business park, and generates about a quarter of its energy needs from the adjacent solar farm. With an historic Manor House at its heart, the park has a thriving business community, with a diverse range of tenants from small family-run enterprises to large corporate tenants such as the Environment Agency. Amenities include conference and catering facilities, restaurant, gym, an active sports and social club, and even the use of a Howbery-owned boat for trips along the River Thames. In recent years, the park has developed diverse habitats in its grounds, established two new bee colonies, and has created allotments for use by park staff.

Donna Bowles, estates manager at the business park in Crowmarsh Gifford, near Wallingford, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have been recognised as Business Park of the Year. The estates team works hard to create and maintain a sense of community with our tenants, and we are continuing to invest in the park’s amenities to provide a healthy work-life balance for staff on the park. I would like to thank our tenants for their continued support”.

Tomlinson added: “We are proud of the high occupancy levels that we have managed to maintain on the park. There is still plenty of potential for both HR Wallingford and Howbery Business Park to continue to grow and develop, with room for additional commercial and academic organisations to come and work with us at Howbery.”