IWG adds 15 offices in London suburbs

IWG is to expand its franchised office presence in the suburbs of London with 15 new centres, as it reports a rise in demand from people wanting to work closer to home. The flexible office provider has struck a 10-year deal with landlord WG1 Offices which would see five new flexible workspaces open in areas including Bethnal Green and Camden. It follows a similar deal with Pluto Workspace to open five offices in south London, stretching from Wandsworth to Greenwich, as well as an agreement with Seedspace to open five more across east London suburbs from Canning Town to Dagenham. IWG’s franchise model allows partner businesses to use its brands – such as Regus and Spaces – and office services, without IWG taking on a lease. That allows franchisees to take on more financial reward – and more of the risk – of running their own IWG office. Manjit Singh, managing director of Seedspace, said: “Demand is there for high-quality office space closer to where people live. I am excited to share what we have planned for east London and Essex over the next few years.” IWG has claimed that demand for its workspaces in suburban hotspots such as Ealing and Chiswick surged by as much as 200% in the first quarter of this year compared to the same period in 2020. It said this shows the majority of people now want a commute shorter than 30 minutes, a shift which directors have dubbed the “remote working revolution”. Julian Chambers, head of UK franchising at IWG, added: “Gone are the days when professionals wouldn’t bat an eyelid at a two-hour commute during rush hour. What we are seeing is a permanent shift in how and where we work.” To send feedback, e-mail alex.daniel@eg.co.uk or tweet @alexmdaniel or @EGPropertyNews Photo from IWG