It could be argued that what has been achieved in the past two years is a return to normality. It certainly looks that way in the three southern counties as development picks up and investment flows.
Another guide to this is the stronger performance by Locate in Kent in attracting companies, indicating a return to more positive corporate decisions about growth and expansion. From the national perspective, the growth of high technology and life science companies, helped by the intelligent management of Discovery Park and Kent Science Park, is taking the counties in the right direction.
Now there is a proposal for a medical research park in Sutton devoted to cancer.
Two major developments, in Tunbridge Wells and Maidstone, are occurring in the right places because both of them have advantages in terms of transport infrastructure and new projects will increase economic dynamism.
The star performer in the south has to be Croydon where the decision to unlock the large Westfield Shopping Centre has acted as a catalyst for the whole property market. The proposals for new schemes in Croydon are substantial and impressive with a willingness to invest in high rise buildings in mixed use schemes.
In the next few years Croydon is going to be transformed into a modern high-rise urban area with top transport links to London and elsewhere. It will mirror the transformation of much of London.