Last week (14th March 2012) it was announced that little old Chelmsford was to become a city. The Queen awarded the honour to 3 towns across the UK and after many years of trying to achieve city status, Chelmsford finally succeeded.
As a business in the town (sorry City!) we have been wondering if there will be any positive impacts for us as a business. Owning property in the area has always been a good investment over the medium to long term and the announcement last week can only strengthen that case. In the short term it won’t really have any effect on property values but the status of the area changing will surely bring about more investment to new developments and properties in Chelmsford. This will only help to push up property values and that will then attract further investment on top. It shouldn’t make prices run away with themselves but will add weight to the case for investment in the area.
I can also see other businesses perhaps expanding within or moving to the city of Chelmsford in the next few years. This will create jobs and quite nicely mean that more people in the area will be looking for somewhere to live. Having a vibrant economic community is vital to any area and if businesses have confidence to invest in an area then it is surely a good sign that they can be confident of getting a return on that investment and that usually means creating jobs.
As with any new investment or development the infrastructure of the area needs to improve also. Chelmsford roads are often slow and gridlocked and the train network seems to have continual problems and delays. None of these issues can be solved quickly or cheaply but at a high level plans for investment, jobs and homes must be supported by the local infrastructure. At the moment the further development around Beaulieu Park seems to be facing these important issues and hopefully they can be resolved for everyone.
We continue to invest in the town, providing accommodation for local people and working with local businesses and suppliers. Being part of the city of Chelmsford is nothing but positive for us and I am sure there are many others that think the same also.
If you are a local business and are looking for an accommodation solution for your staff please look at the rooms and properties we have available in the area by clicking here.