It took a global pandemic to finish what Brexit started, with ‘the great reshuffle’ well underway. While it is well documented that homeowners and tenants have re-evaluated their lifestyles, swapping city bolt holes for countryside cottages, there is an equally important shift in the business sector.
News just after we voted to leave the EU focused on headquarters and staff relocating to other European destinations – Paris, Lisbon and Dublin were all mentioned – but as our last blog detailed, the Brexit mass exodus has not materialized. Incumbent businesses have pledged to remain in the UK and newcomers are still expressing a desire to open offices on our fair shores.
Relocation beyond London
It appears the great reshuffle is an internal one, with relocating businesses wrangling over whether to base themselves in London or elsewhere in the UK. As relocation specialists with agents working across the country, it doesn’t surprise us that the capital isn’t the be-all and end-all for business.
Survey results published in April 2021 revealed more than half of tech professionals thinking about moving to the UK would consider a city outside of London. The Frank Recruitment Group’s specialist salesforce recruitment arm, Mason Frank International, questioned more than 1,800 global IT professionals, gaining their thoughts on matters including the tech jobs market, salaries and benefits.
Cities that were under consideration by IT professionals included Newcastle, Liverpool and Leeds, with 54% of respondents saying they would be open to opportunities outside of London if they were to relocate to the UK. The results come as the Government remains committed to devolving power away from the capital city and developing its Northern Powerhouse strategy.
With IT hubs, business parks and attractive rental accommodation maturing in almost every major UK city, Klippa Relocation is well placed to help companies facilitate internal and international relocation. As a snapshot, here are five key cities to consider outside of the capital, with prospect details and average rents*:
Newcastle
At the heart of the Northern Powerhouse plan, Newcastle is the recipient of a number of multi-million-pound investments. The Quayside Arena, Pilgrim Street, Stephenson Quarter and the Helix science and innovation project are the tip of the redevelopment iceberg, with the latter hoping to create 4,000 jobs alone.
Average rent: £893 pcm
Liverpool
The city is home to one of the Chancellor’s pioneering regional freeports – a scheme to ‘level up’ the country, share prospects and create employment. This is in addition to Wirral Waters – one of the UK’s largest regeneration projects and Enterprise Zones – that is destined to create more than 20,000 permanent jobs for the Liverpool City Region.
Average rent: £817 pcm
Leeds
South Bank Leeds is one of Europe’s biggest regeneration projects – coming at a time when the city is already attracting corporate giants, including Asda, Sky, KPMG and Call Credit. Over 35,000 jobs will be created by 2028, joining the existing 10,000 professionals currently working in Leeds’ booming digital sector.
Average rent: £1,235 pcm
Birmingham
England’s second city continues to forge ahead, with a number of ambitious redevelopment projects backed by multi-billion-pound investments. The Big City Plan is an all-encompassing masterplan that encompasses Arena Central, St Martin’s Place, Paradise, Birmingham Smithfield and Curzon Street Station, among others – the latter yielding over 30,000 new jobs alone.
Average rent: £1,145 pcm
Manchester
Although MediaCityUK is one of the biggest redevelopments to take place in Manchester, it is not alone. Spinningfields, NOMA, Ardwick, St John’s, the Northern Gateway, Deansgate, Mayfield, the ID Manchester innovation hub, First Street and Didsbury Technology Park are also providing a boost to startups and established firms looking to relocate to the city.
Average rent: £1,091 pcm
If you require relocation advice, rental accommodation or orientation services in any UK city, please contact us using the form below to find out how we can support you.
*Average per calendar month rent figures from home.co.uk, 27th May 2021
