Following the decision by Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council to approve 326 Build-to-Rent flats at Basing View, Vail Williams partner Guy Parkes looks at where this move fits into the new environment in which business parks now exist.

Business parks as we know them were conceived in the late 1980s and need to evolve and keep pace with modern working wants and needs.

Businesses are now looking beyond the physical environment to one that is a less rigid workplace and considers how we connect with work and each other, enabling workers to further unlock their human potential.

More than 20 per cent of remote workers are struggling to collaborate effectively and so we need to bridge the gap between remote and in-person experiences.

To achieve this, the physical environment needs to be more of an ‘event’. To quote Dolly Parton, the ‘working 9-5’ culture, which spawned the success of the business park, is now no more a driving factor.

The need for quick access from motorway junctions and the provision of generous amounts of car parking is now less important or relevant when you factor in the environmental impact.

We know that 69 per cent of employees want companies to invest in green solutions so workplace responsibility is no longer a trend amongst Gen Z but a responsibility.

The business parks that have adapted and changed their mix of uses quickest have continued to attract and retain companies. Green Park, Reading is a prime example where residential development was allocated within the business park, comprising 1,100 new homes.

Since the start of this year we have been involved in transacting 180,000 sq ft of office lettings on this business park, where occupiers were attracted to the 24/7 vibrancy that a mixed-use scheme brings.

Business parks that have not had the foresight to change and adapt are withering with very low occupancy and are ultimately being demolished to make way for the needs of the time including Watchmoor Park, just up the road in Camberley, which is being redeveloped for warehousing.

Basing View had the foresight in the early 2000s to start allocating land for retail amenities, namely John Lewis and Waitrose, as opposed to just offices. This helped bridge the gap between the business park and Festival Place shopping centre.

However, this ultimately failed and John Lewis closed, as it was solely reliant on visiting consumers rather than being supported as well by a local community. If people were able to live on Basing View this would create the critical mass required to support a more vibrant and viable community beyond the 9-5.

Basing View business park was conceived in the 1960s on a criteria of accessibility, parking and sharing knowledge as a business cluster.

These factors are not as important for businesses now as they were then. Social media channels and video meetings keep us more connected and accessibility is less of a consideration with no peak rush hour, meaning urban locations closer to amenities are now more viable.

However, Basing View was ahead of its time in this regard, being close to the urban centre and its retail and leisure amenities as well as having ease of access and parking.

To be relevant going forward it needs to embrace the live/work/play criteria being demanded by future workers, particularly by Gen Z.

And what better way than to provide residential apartments at the heart of the park to complement the office content.

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