Voice Of The Region: Suffolk – Opportunity sails in on east wind

The market in Suffolk has remained buoyant despite – and in some cases because of – the pandemic, but investment in and around the port of Felixstowe could be about to take things to a new level, says Penn Commercial founder and managing director Vanessa Penn.

Penn Commercial is the highest-placed regional agent in the Radius On Demand Rankings for Suffolk, with 70,000 sq ft of space transacted across a greater number of deals than anyone. Penn says the logistics sector around the county’s three ports and the A14 corridor has remained robust, in part due to companies providing PPE and food deliveries in response to the pandemic.

Penn expects this demand for industrial units to accelerate with the creation of a recently-approved freeport at Felixstowe and Harwich which will offer tax incentives for businesses to locate in the area. At the same time, the county is pioneering research into alternative energy and this is likely to have spin-off benefits for companies looking to develop the technology further.

She also expects Suffolk to benefit from London-based firms realising the need for satellite offices located nearer to workers who live within commuting distance of the capital.