The existing People Building is located on Maylands Avenue, within the Maylands Business Park. Maylands Business Park is an established employment location and is designated as a General Employment Area in Dacorum Borough Council’s Adopted Local Plan.

 

The Site forms part of the Maylands Opportunity Area. Dacorum Borough Council’s Emerging Local Plan states that Maylands Business Park is the main employment site for the Borough, and sets out a strategy for the Maylands Opportunity Area to regenerate employment land and draw in new employers to create more jobs locally.

 

By redeveloping this site, Kier Property is supporting Dacorum Borough Council in its vision for the area – supporting a broader, more aspirational range of economic activities, and making more effective use of the available land. The site is situated in a predominantly commercial and industrial use area. It is a sustainable location and is well-connected by both walking and cycling infrastructure as well as public transport.

 

Constructed in the early 2000s, the existing four-storey People Building was most recently used as an office. However, the People Building is now out of date and vacant. Despite extensive marketing, it has never been fully occupied since it was constructed and has been vacant entirely since its previous tenants left around four years ago, with no tenant interest or any viewings in the last twelve months. Although the previous owner has attempted to find an occupier for the site over the last four years they have been unsuccessful. The Southwest Herts Economic Study (December 2024) clearly outlines that there is an oversupply of office space in this location and very little demand.

 

In contrast, as a result of rapid growth in the industrial and logistics industry, there is significant demand for industrial sites in the area. Kier Property is therefore proposing to demolish the existing People Building and redevelop the site – bringing further economic activity and employment into the area on an established brownfield site.