Hertfordshire business community boosted with opening of new centre
The £10m Theobalds Enterprise Centre, designed to support the economic growth of the Borough of Broxbourne, was officially opened on 7 November 2023.
The centre will focus on supporting existing small and medium sized enterprises and business start-ups to enable innovators and entrepreneurs to realise their business growth potential, generating high value jobs and opportunities for local people.
More than 80 invited guests attended the launch of Theobalds Enterprise Centre, which will become home to 54 businesses when it reaches capacity. Joining the event were the centre’s six existing tenants, which include CHEX, The UK Electric Vehicle Company and Vow Sports, with another two businesses due to move in at the start of 2024.
The centre was jointly funded by Broxbourne Borough Council and Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), with the LEP contributing £5m, part of which was secured from the Government’s Getting Building Fund.
The centre is one of two Broxbourne Enterprise Centres jointly funded by Broxbourne Council and Hertfordshire LEP - the first of which being the Hoddesdon Enterprise Centre, which opened in 2016 and is now home to more than 40 businesses. Both centres are managed by Oxford Innovation Space.
The Theobalds Enterprise Centre building was designed to an exceptionally high standard, with a number of environmentally sustainable features, including photovoltaic panels to help meet its energy needs, motion sensitive LED lights in communal spaces and daylight sensitive LED lights in each office to help reduce wastage. The centre has a BREEAM Very Good rating for sustainability and efficiency, and a Platinum WiredScore which indicates an exceptional standard of wired infrastructure and wireless network connectivity.
Councillor Lewis Cocking, Leader of Broxbourne Council said: “I am proud of what has been achieved here. This is an amazing space and has everything a company needs to start-up or grow their business.
“I would like to thank the Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership for its support and for providing funding through the Government’s Get Building Fund to enable this project to take place. The LEP’s continued support is helping this Council achieve its ambitious plans for a prosperous Borough”.
Adrian Hawkins OBE, Chair of Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “We’re delighted to partner with Broxbourne Council once again to bring to market a new destination for ambitious young businesses in Hertfordshire.
“This is a centre that is truly fit for the future: environmentally conscious with exceptional digital connectivity, in a prime location conveniently accessed by public transport, and just a stone’s throw from the upcoming multi-million-pound Sunset Studios and the development at Greater Brookfield, both of which present the biggest and most exciting opportunities for growth the borough has seen in recent years. We look forward to seeing our SMEs flourish here over years to come.”
Tim Smith, Oxford Innovation Space Deputy Managing Director, said: “The opening of this centre is the culmination of many months of hard work and years of planning. We are delighted to be operating two centres in Broxbourne and are looking forward to managing the development of one business community across the two buildings, where local entrepreneurs can work together to pursue their ambitions.”
The centre offers 3,209m² of fully managed workspaces including a mix of offices, studios and training facilities. Tenants can also benefit from a reception service, conference rooms, breakout areas, an onsite café, EV charging points, plentiful bicycle parking, and shower and changing facilities.
For more information on Broxbourne Enterprise Centres, visit https://www.broxbourneec.co.uk/
