Piccadilly partner Drivers Jonas LLP (DJ) recently conducted a Manchester Occupier Survey for businesses within the city centre. 70 out of 100 businesses interviewed by DJ said they had been affected by the recession, but 34 per cent said they still plan to increase their workforce within a year. Some good news (at last!) for Manchester businesses!

Just three per cent of businesses are considering making further redundancies over the next twelve months, which - DJ says - indicates that the worst of the economic downturn has passed and that Manchester’s crucial office market will see welcome increase in demand in 2010.

The report reveals that the city centre has a loyal occupier base with over 70 per cent of those interviewed being based in Manchester for over a decade, and a quarter for more than 25 years.

DJ, one of the city’s leading property consultancies, highlights that the expected growth of Manchester’s existing businesses will provide much-needed churn to the city’s office market as occupiers look to take advantage of the over-supply in Grade A space and the reduced headline rents.

The survey highlighted that the city’s transport infrastructure is one of the biggest issues for companies, with good public transport links being ranked among the best aspects of a city centre location and traffic congestion and lack of parking being the worst.

John Walley, partner from Drivers Jonas Manchester, said: “While the city centre office market is expected to see some oversupply in the short term, it’s encouraging to see so many loyal occupiers looking to move to larger premises in the next five years.
“It is clear that Manchester remains, as it has done for many years, the region’s primary business location and it will continue to do so. Although, in order to maintain this status, our report indicates that more needs to be done to help relieve traffic congestion in the city centre or else there is a risk businesses could one day be driven out.”