Burrough Court showcases new Home & Hub approach to working in the COVID era

• 89% of people believe physical office space is necessary for success (Savills)
• Just 13% of working parents want to return to fulltime office work (Bright Horizons)
• Majority, 55%, rooted for a blended home/office model (Bright Horizons)

The COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped thinking about office-based working in the UK on a scale never seen. As lockdown restrictions ease, yet the virus remains in circulation, we are seeing both practical changes and a psychological shift regarding the way in which we use traditional office space.

Leicestershire-based office and business space provider Burrough Court has seen this change first-hand over the past few months, as office workers shift towards a blended Home & Hub model of working.

“While it’s still early days, in terms of the lockdown measures easing, we’re seeing a definite shift in mindset when it comes to using office space. Many of our clients are working around a new Home & Hub hybrid model that blends home working with working from a hub that is outside of the big city but that still provides them with a professional environment. It’s a concept that we’ve seen growing gradually over the past 12 to 18 months, but the COVID pandemic has seriously accelerated the pace at which interest in the Home & Hub idea is growing.”

 Fred Wilson, Director, Burrough Court

The Home & Hub approach provides workers with the best of both worlds. In addition to time spent working from home, the hub element of the arrangement provides workers with all of the psychological and practical benefits of working from an office, just without the need to risk public transport when commuting into a city.

Burrough Court is perfectly placed to act as such a hub. Set in 22 acres of wooded farmland criss-crossed with walking trails, it is the ideal blend of rural yet accessible location. The high-class business units and contemporary office spaces are located near Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire. They are easily accessible from the M1 and A1, with facilities including Zoom Rooms, a co-working space, fully equipped gym, coffee shop and on-site services ranging from yoga and Pilates classes to car valeting.

All facilities respect the new social distancing requirements, with office space reworked in order to solve the productivity puzzle posed by COVID-19’s impact on the way that we work. Creativity and innovation lie at the heart of productivity and this needs to be addressed head-on in order for the UK, and the service sector in particular, to move forward effectively.

The Hub model has already been put through its paces in recent years. In 2018, the Ministry of Justice scooped a Top Employers for Working Families Award as a result of its hub-based approach to flexible working. Now, COVID-19 has dramatically accelerated the pace at which other companies are following suit. Indeed, Burrough Court even leased units mid-lockdown as companies seek to take a more creative approach to what office life looks like under the new normal.

Public opinion on the use of office space post-COVID shows some interesting results. Savills reports that 89% of the 65,000 people it surveyed believe that physical office space remains a necessity for successful business operations. A Bright Horizons survey, meanwhile, found that just 13% of working parents want to return to fulltime office work. The majority – 55% – rooted for a blended home/office model, with no more than three days spent in the office each week, while 14% preferred the idea of just one day a week in the office.

“These figures highlight the need for a new model of working that delivers the benefits of an office base but in a new way, while also facilitating working from home. The COVID pandemic has led to a large-scale psychological shift in terms of how we view going to the office, which is why the Home & Hub model has so much potential right now.”

Fred Wilson, Director, Burrough Court

Companies may also need to look to a hub-style model in order to facilitate social distancing. In order to comply with social distancing requirements, UK companies will need to reduce the capacity of their offices, as well as rethinking the use of communal areas. Well located regional hubs can absorb the staff misplaced by this need to reduce capacity.

With over 80,000 sq ft of space, 22 acres of land, Covid compliant on-site amenities and ample car and bicycle parking Burrough Court provides the ideal solution to meeting office working needs in the COVID era.

For more information, call 01664 454 690, email info@burroughcourt.com or visit www.burroughcourt.com