SPOTLIGHT ON HATFIELD / ST ALBANS / WELWYN
INNOVATION
thrives in central Herts Central Hertfordshire certainly has a lot to offer. Places such as St Albans, Hatfield and Welwyn Garden City are thriving business hubs with a range of different attractions that support the local tourism industry.
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eakin-White, an independent family run boutique real estate agent, is well qualified to comment on the area, having established offices in Hatfield and St Albans. Founded in 2015 by mother and son team, Christine and Ed Harrison, the award-winning company has expertise in residential and commercial sales, lettings, auctions and mortgages and has built a strong presence in Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire.
Ed Harrison, Managing Director of The Deakin-White Group, says: “There are many advantages of doing business in the area. One is the uniqueness of each locality within the area. St Albans is markedly different to Hatfield which in turn is different to Aylesbury.” “The transport connections are another plus point, with airports on our doorstep and a regular fast train from St Albans into London. Although we’re close to the hustle and bustle of trade and industry, Hertfordshire has some beautiful countryside and offers a better, more cost-effective standard of living than London and other areas.” “Where possible we use local suppliers, such as insurance firms, accountants and printers, in a bid to keep trade local. We also support the community here through our CSR work. Our Hatfield office recently agreed a shirt sponsorship deal with Hatfield FC – not just the first team but also the youth teams. We’re a firm advocate of grassroots football and we want to encourage children and adults to keep fit and active.” Like many businesses, Deakin-White had to shut its offices for three months in the first lockdown but has bounced back strongly since then. Ed says: “The property market was one of the first to recover last year. It was helped by government incentives such as the stamp duty holiday and a state-backed mortgage scheme to help first-time buyers or current homeowners secure a mortgage with a 5% deposit. As a result, the residential market has been extremely buoyant and that side of our business has been very busy.” “The commercial market is more of a mixed picture. Some parts of it are doing well; a lot of small, independent traders are opening boutique ventures in small units, for example. However, some of the larger department stores are struggling, as we’ve seen with the closure of Debenhams and job losses at John Lewis. Also, although we haven’t seen any major adverse
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INSPIRE
effect on large office units yet, that market is likely to suffer as more people work from home.” “The good thing is that the government is looking to relax planning laws that will make it easier for property to be converted into other uses. Commercial units could be turned into muchneeded affordable housing and large empty retail stores could convert to offices.” “That will be good for the high street; the last thing that shops want is to see empty or boarded up properties nearby. It dissuades people from coming here and will reduce footfall and trade.” “Going forward, we’re feeling positive. I think that the country will have an economic boom like it did in the roaring 1920s. After such a miserable couple of years, people will want to buy property and spend their money on home improvements and going out again.” Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council (WHBC) has been busy helping businesses navigate their way through the COVID pandemic. To date the council has handed out 4,654 grants worth more than £29.5 million, and has provided free training and advice to help businesses get back on their feet and reopen safely – work that will continue as we enter the next phase of the pandemic. Lisa Devayya, Economic Development Officer at WHBC, says: “Welwyn Hatfield has enjoyed an economic boom recently thanks to some of the UK’s largest companies, as well as an increasing number of start-up businesses, making the borough their home. It has excellent transport links, easy access to international airports, good schools, lively shopping areas and beautiful parks and green spaces.” “Hatfield was listed as one of the Sunday Times’ top 20 UK ‘Turnaround Towns’ thanks to its impressive employment growth, which has soared 134% since 2009 – the highest of all the areas featured. But it’s not just Hatfield undergoing major regeneration. WHBC has also embarked on an ambitious programme to develop Welwyn Garden City town centre and take the world’s second garden city into its next 100 years.” Driving footfall to town centres is a key focus for WHBC over the coming months, with several family activities planned. Lisa says: “The weekend activities are part of a ‘welcome back’ drive to encourage people into town centres as COVID restrictions ease, using a government grant allocated to local authorities. Welwyn Hatfield will be turned into an unforgettable carnival atmosphere over consecutive weekends, with stilt walkers, clowns, games, refreshments and delicious world food.” “These events will form part of the planned summer of fun alongside the WelHat Sports Healthy Hub Festival and Big Summer.”
“The Council continues to invest millions in ambitious regeneration projects to drive positive change and boost the borough’s economy. On top of the town centre schemes, the regeneration of neighbourhood shopping centre, High View, is intended to give south Hatfield a new lease of life.” Lisa says: “The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the world and its effects will last. One area that has seen tremendous growth is digitization, which incorporates everything from online customer service, remote working and supply-chain reinvention to the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to improve operations. WHBC is working with partners including Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce to ensure businesses have the right skills to embrace all things digital.” “Businesses will also need to determine the role of the office itself, which is the traditional centre for creating culture and a sense of belonging. Companies will have to make decisions on whether they still need their commercial space in their building, office or floor, having to think about how much space there is between desks or about training and professional developments.” “The other challenge has to do with adapting the workforce to the requirements of automation, digitization and other technologies. This will be a challenge across the board, even in sectors not associated with remote work and employees will need to learn new skills.”
