International consultancy RPS takes root at Caswell
An international company listed on the London Stock Exchange is the latest occupier at Caswell Science & Technology Park, the thriving new business hub near Towcester in Northamptonshire.
Environmental and planning consultancy RPS relocated one of its 43 offices in the UK to Caswell Science & Technology Park, run by regional technology parks specialist Fasset.
RPS signed a five-year lease on the ground floor of the 6,100sq ft Grafton Building and is the largest managed office space occupier to date since the park, near the A43, was launched last summer by Fasset.
Caswell now has nearly 210 people working at the park for 13 companies, which comprises 170,000 sq ft of mixed-used office, manufacturing and laboratory space.
Anchor occupier Oclaro, a multi-national specialising in hi-tech optical components, last year awarded Fasset a contract to breathe new life into the under-occupied site by creating and managing space at competitively-priced packages for outside businesses.
Fasset refurbished the Grafton building to exacting standards and reinforced the floor so heavyweight rolling shelf storage units could be installed.
Mitch Avis, Fasset’s account manager at Caswell, said: “The turnaround time was incredibly tight but we pulled out all the stops to deliver an operationally-ready office and ensure no disruption to RPS’s business.”
He added: “Caswell continues to gain momentum as a thriving business hub in the region, with the numbers of people on site rising to the 210 mark.
“What is being created here is a technological community of like-minded companies that can enjoy the operational and commercial benefits of the shared facilities and high standards of services provided by our on-site team.”
Jon Silversides, a business space agent at the Oxford office of Carter Jonas, which is the agent for Caswell, said: “Through involvement on behalf of RPS elsewhere we became aware of their need to relocate their Towcester office as close to their existing facility as possible.
“Caswell was the natural recommendation because of office availability, Fasset’s on-site facilities management team, which is customer focused, and corporate-grade facilities, which include a restaurant, main reception, 24/7 security and access control and ample parking.”
RPS’s local office was previously situated near Towcester.
RPS’s international work includes more than 250 onshore and offshore wind, wave and tidal energy projects. One is the world’s largest offshore wind project, the London Array, which will provide around a quarter of the capital city’s electricity supply.
The long-term economic regeneration aim of Fasset is to have up to 500 people working for large and small firms at the 25-acre park, with RPS the largest employer on site after Oclaro.
Other occupiers at Caswell include Diamond Hard Surfaces, Solutions Research, Nemisys, Web Control, Definition Media, Toddle About, Vycombe Arts, Fred Filer Bookkeeping and Finch Business Solutions.