Speculative developments boosting commercial sector in London and major regional centres

The latest Glenigan & JLL UK Commercial Construction Index reveals that London has reached the highest level of commercial construction since 2008, with activity totalling £7.4 billion in 2016 Q1.

The level of speculative office development under construction in Central London totalled 8.3 million sq ft at the end of Q1 2016, well ahead of the long term average (5 million sq ft) indicating that developers are continuing to respond to London’s burgeoning requirements for new office floor space. In the West End office market alone, construction started speculatively on nine schemes in Q1 totalling 596,997 sq ft; the highest level of commencements since Q4 2014. The largest starts were at Brunel, W2 at 241,000 sq ft, which is scheduled to complete in 2019 and The Foundry, W8, a refurbishment planned to complete by the end of this year totalling 110,000 sq ft.

Generally, the construction industry remains cautious. However a recent fall in costs has offered some rebound for the commercial sector. While total construction starts fell marginally this quarter, construction data on the whole remains volatile. Construction activity levels remain solid with London showing notable signs of resilience.