Accountancy boss calls on public sector to ‘prime pump’ office development

The Nottingham head of one of the Big Four accountancy firms says the public sector needs to do more to bring forward Grade A office space in the city.

Ian Borley, East Midlands Senior Partner at KPMG, says his firm is looking for new Nottingham offices, but that it difficult to find quality stock.

KPMG’s lease at its Park Row offices is up at the end of 2017.

Borley told TheBusinessDesk.com: “We want to commit to Nottingham city centre – and we will stay there.

“However, there is a lack of real, good quality office stock on the market. I don’t think this is particularly just Nottingham’s fault – it’s the same for all East Midlands cities.

“There is a role for the public sector to play here from an intervention perspective. The public sector needs to prime pump office stock and take a stake in it.

“For our cities to work, there needs to be suits on the streets.”

KPMG recently signed a five year lease on its Leicester city centre offices. It will move out of its Park Row, Nottingham offices late next year.