Property agent Savills has been appointed to market and develop the publicly owned Manston Business Park. The decision to bring in the Kent and London-based firm has been taken by East Kent Opportunities (EKO), a partnership founded by Kent county and Thanet district councils. The partnership, which includes Thanet council chief executive Richard Samuel among its directors, has this year needed to ask for more money from the public purse to keep running.
Mark Flemington, director in the South East development and commercial team of Savills, said the firm would be taking the business park "to the marketplace", and working with Locate in Kent (Kent and Medway's investment promotion agency) to market the site to potential industrial, warehousing and office tenants. EKO executive director David Evans said of the appointment:
"It is now the right time to use their knowledge of the area and their property expertise to help market the site on a national basis. EKO views Manston Business Park as a tremendous employment opportunity for the local area, and a key part of Thanet's regeneration strategy."
The business park covers 27 hectares next to Manston airport. Avia Services, Cohline (UK) Cummins Power Generation and Invicta Produce are based there.