One in 10 businesses in the North West said they will be looking for larger premises in the next 12 months, according to a survey by law firm Irwin Mitchell.

Irwin Mitchell’s third Business Occupancy survey found that out of the organisations with active requirements for larger premises, 30% thought that city centre locations were the most appealing option. A similar proportion said they were looking at space near strategic transport hubs as they looked to expand.

Out of those that said they were not looking to take on more space or relocate, 30% still said that they were introducing flexible working and hot desks to cope with the increasing demand.

The proportion of companies that were looking to expand in the region was broadly in line with the national figure (15%).

The report surveyed the opinion of 250 business decision-makers nationwide and found that in the North West, where the sample was 55, just under half (45.8%) predicted that rents would increase during the next 12 months.

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