Voice of the Region: Kent – White cliffs and forklifts

The industrial market in Kent is enjoying its strongest ever year thanks to ease of access and hugely competitive rental values, according to Caxtons Commercial director and head of commercial agency Mark Coxon.

The Radius On-Demand Rankings for Kent reveal Caxtons Commercial has transacted almost 220,000 sq ft across 20 deals so far this year. Chief among these have been two 70,000+ sq ft lettings to Argos and DHL.

Coxon says M25 industrial rents in Kent are 50% the level seen at prime sites to the north and west of London, despite journey times to the city centre being the same. Some 3.5m sq ft of industrial space was let across the county this year compared to just 850,000 sq ft last year. The biggest challenge is finding development land, something not helped by some potential sites being bought by the government for use as lorry parks.