Boost for local businesses as Camden unveils first flexible workspace under flagship CIP programme
500 job opportunities are set to be created as a brand-new flexible workspace opens in West Hampstead.
Brand new flexible and affordable workspaces have opened as part of the Liddell Place redevelopment in West Hampstead, creating 3,780sqm of new space for local businesses and entrepreneurs.
The new office space has been designed with local small businesses in mind, catering to a wide range of industries – from advertising, software and app development, accounting and more – with the goal of supporting local businesses to thrive.
In the couple of months the workspace has been open for, there are already 11 companies employing a total of 44 people on the site – with up to 500 new job opportunities set to be created alongside various apprenticeship and skills training opportunities. 20% of desks in the building are affordable workspaces to be let at 50% of the market desk cost to help boost local start-ups.
The workspace will be operated by International Workplace Group (IWG), the world’s leading workspace operator.
These workspaces mark the completion of the wider redevelopment of the area by developers Gracie Group, who transformed a former industrial estate into more than 100 new homes, improved public open spaces and walking routes, as well as the expansion of the award-winning local school, Kingsgate Primary.
As part of this development, 102 private and 4 affordable homes were built on the former estate space. The development also included some landscaping work and improvement of access for residents to the Maygrove Peace Park and Kingsgate Primary.
To celebrate the opening of the Liddell Place workspaces, Cllr Nasrine Djemai, Cabinet Member for New Homes and Community Investment and Cllr Sabrina Francis, Cabinet Member for Jobs, Young People and Culture joined the Leader of the Council, local councillors, and partners to unveil the new workspaces which are the first of its kind the Council has built under Camden’s Community Investment Programme (CIP).
These new workspaces will support local businesses and small enterprises to succeed, in a space that’s fit for purpose and affordable. Alongside these flexible workspaces – the first we’ve built under our Community Investment programme – the wider development has also provided much needed housing for the local community and expanded the local school. This shows the huge benefits our Community Investment Programme can bring for local communities.
This is our first ever flexible workspace that we’ve built under our Community Investment Programme which will not only support small local businesses to thrive but also boost employment and training opportunities for local people. It’s fantastic that we’ve now completed this redevelopment in the heart of West Hampstead, which also delivered a new building providing 420 extra school spaces and extra facilities at Kingsgate Primary School - as well as over 100 homes, with affordable homes prioritised for local people on our housing waiting list.
We’re incredibly proud to see the vision for Liddell Place come to life. From the outset, our goal was to create a development that delivers long-term value for West Hampstead not only through high-quality homes and improved public spaces, but by providing a modern, flexible workspace that supports the local economy.
This new hub will give small businesses, start-ups and independent professionals the kind of adaptable, affordable environment they need to grow and we’re delighted that it will generate hundreds of new job and training opportunities.
At the opening, Councillor Sabrina Francis, Cabinet Member for Jobs, Young People and Culture took the opportunity to sign the Federation of Small Businesses Local Leadership Pledge to commit to delivering a resilient and inclusive local businesses environment in Camden.
I’m proud to sign this pledge and be Camden’s Small Business Champion. Camden is a great place to start and grow a business, and through the pledge we’ll continue listening to businesses and providing the practical support they need to thrive and succeed. Our brilliant small businesses will be the drivers of our efforts to build a strong and inclusive economy in our borough.