The consistency of the market performance along the South Coast has been an impressive feature of the economy for a number of years.
While this particularly applies to Southampton, Portsmouth and Bournemouth-the major urban centres-it is also true more widely in rural areas. A good example of this is Solstice Park on the A303 road to the west which after decades of indecision is at last due for a decent upgrade.
It may suit the politicians to consider the area going westwards as a place for holidaymakers and retired people but parts of it also have a vital economic function. In fact a number of country towns have significant commercial space, such as Petersfield and the industrial estates at Ferndown.
But it is the core urban areas around the M27 that are so successful with their mix of sizeable industrial and business parks in such places as Eastleigh, Totton and Segensworth. Here demand for space has been firm for years, providing a base for new development as rents have also risen.
Investors like this combination so funds are available for buying industrial property.
But it is not only industrial property that has thrived because the hotel market, particularly in Bournemouth but also in the rural areas, has also done well. Student accommodation is another strong market and of course a lot of buildings and sites have gone for residential use, currently the obsession of all politicians who want to prove their own existence.