Liberty Property : Leading Finance Company Moves to Kings Hill

One of the UK's leading specialist mortgage brokers is moving its headquarters to Kings Hill, near Maidstone, to take advantage of its convenient location and amenities.

Mortgages for Business, an independent broker which advises on all aspects of property finance including buy-to-let, residential and commercial mortgages as well as bridging and development finance, is moving into an entire wing (8,572 sq ft) of 17 Kings Hill Avenue. The building has just been refurbished and is on the main business park thoroughfare next to David Lloyd Leisure and a short walk to the shops and cafes of Liberty Square.

The company is relocating 38 staff from its Sevenoaks office to Kings Hill and plans to expand by more than 50% over the next three to five years. It also has an office in Wilmslow.

'Relocating to Kings Hill is an exciting move for us because we are bursting at the seams in our current office,' said David Whittaker, managing director of Mortgages for Business. 'We chose the business park because it has the services, space and parking we need today and in the future.

'The new office will allow us to expand as the economy grows in the years ahead leading to greater opportunities for us all. It is also very convenient for many of our staff and will mean a shorter commute for those who live in Maidstone and Medway.

'The building has just been refurbished to a very high standard by Kings Hill developer Liberty Property Trust and we have chosen Grey Interiors to fit out the office as they have a reputation for delivering a high-quality finish, on budget and on time.'

Mortgages for Business will be moving into its new office after Easter. It will be joining a number of other financial services companies on the park, including Barclays, Cabot, Marsh, Arthur J Gallagher and Sterling Insurance.

Andrew Blevins, managing director of Kings Hill developer Liberty Property Trust said: 'We are delighted that Mortgages for Business is moving here in order to accommodate its projected expansion and will benefit from being able to source some of its new staff from our growing residential population.'

Altus Edwin Hill, Hanover Green and Knight Frank acted for Liberty and Savills for Mortgages for Business.

Kings Hill is a 24-hour live, work, play community, providing jobs, amenities, homes, schools and other community infrastructure all within walking distance. Amenities include an 18 hole golf course, Waitrose and Asda stores plus other convenience retail, three schools, Sports Park, cricket pitch and two gyms including David Lloyd, acres of woodland and open space and many miles of foot and cycle paths.

There are around 200 businesses on site employing some 5,000 people and, with more than 8,000 residents at Kings Hill too, there is a ready workforce on the doorstep.

The next phase of Kings Hill's residential development starts this year and will see the phased delivery of 635 much needed homes including affordable. A new primary school - the third at Kings Hill - opened last year and an extension to the community centre, additional allotments, trim trails and sports pitches for Kings Hill Sports Park are also in the pipeline. Land will also be provided for the development of a place of worship.

Land is also available for further office and business space development.

Ends

Picture caption: 17 Kings Hill Avenue

Notes to Editors:

Liberty Property Trust UK Ltdis a subsidiary of US-based Liberty Property Trust, a Real Estate Investment Trust, listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Liberty Property Trust (NYSE:LPT), headquartered in Malvern, Pennsylvania, is a leader in commercial real estate, serving customers in the United States and the United Kingdom, through the development, acquisition, ownership and management of superior office and industrial properties. Liberty Property Trust owns and manages 729 properties totaling more than 105 million sq ft, accommodating 1,700 occupiers and has a market capitalization (NYSE:LPT) of $8billion.

Liberty Property Trust UK Ltd is developing Kings Hill -www.kings-hill.com- as a rapidly growing sustainable community in line with the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), ensuring economic, environmental and social progress for this and future generations. Kings Hill combines commercial, residential, educational, retail, community, sports and leisure uses within 800 acres of highly landscaped low density parkland and aims to promote quality of life by providing a unique environment in which people can live, work, play and study. In addition to providing accommodation for SME's, Kings Hill also attracts significant international tenants such as Barclays, Voyages SNCF (formerly Rail Europe), Cabot Financial, Marsh, Arthur J Gallagher and Kimberly-Clark.

Liberty Property Trust UK and Kent County Council formed a collaborative public/private sector 'partnership' to develop Kings Hill as an exemplar mixed-use community. Kings Hill is the County's flagship development for attracting inward investment and promoting regional economic growth.

For further information, please contact:

Alison Hardy, Maxim on 01892 513033 / [e-mail]