Bristol’s traffic jams and RPZs pushing more firms out of town

Appetite for out of town offices is being sharpened by the increasingly difficult traffic and parking situation in and around the city centre.

That’s according to sector specialist Paul Williams at Bruton Knowles’ Bristol office, who says daily traffic gridlock – exacerbated  by ever expanding residential parking areas – risks turning the city into a no-go area as companies and individuals vote with their feet and look towards fringe locations to house their businesses in order to avoid the traffic problems.

He said: “With easier road access and plentiful parking, out of town offices are definitely in vogue again.

“This is partly fuelled by a combination of increased levels of demand in the city centre and the increasing scarcity of quality accommodation resulting from recent changes to legislation which have made it far easier to convert empty offices into residential accommodation.

“But clients are also reporting widespread dissatisfaction with Bristol’s congestion and parking problems and are looking to make their lives easier by basing themselves on the popular north Bristol fringe.

“Speaking from experience, commuting into Bristol from outlying areas has become more and more difficult over the past few years, and I’m sure that this is contributing to the recent increase in demand for out of town locations.”

Bruton Knowles is marketing a number of offices in the immediate area including  Unit A3 Vantage Park on the Old Gloucester Road.

Close to Bristol Parkway Station and ideally located for the M32 and M4/M5 motorway network, the modern two-storey office building has  eight designated parking spaces on-site and offers almost 2,000 sq ft of accommodation in total.

Open plan accommodation on each floor can either be let as a self-contained building or on a floor by floor basis, and the building is already fully fitted out internally making it an attractive option for a company looking to move fast.

Paul Williams said: “Although demand for out of town accommodation is increasing in all size and price brackets, these smaller units offer the sort of flexibility many firms are looking for.”