The question arises constantly - what would the commercial property market be like without the spectre of Brexit hanging over it? It is constantly mentioned as a problem holding leasing and development decisions back in the Thames Valley yet the market is, perhaps, surprisingly stable.
That says something about the underlying strength of the region which has not been killed off by this uncertainty. There are, of course, some positive points to help sustain activity. Chief among these are the promise of the Oxford-Cambridge Knowledge Corridor bolstered by new transport links and also Crossrail for most of the region but sadly delayed.
As an act of faith, it is worth looking ahead to when these transport improvements will kick in and bolster commercial activity. The prospects of a range of new technologies, not least for the auto industry, do provide an underpinning for the optimists about future demand for space.
Another pointer to the strength of the market across the Thames Valley is that in the southern part, around Basingstoke, there has been an upswing in activity fostered by a pushy local authority. So the spread is important reaching up to Bicester and Banbury and east to such places as Uxbridge, where, for example, AVC Live has leased a 6,636 sq.metres (71,428 sq.ft.) warehouse through Vail Williams.