Companies who are based in or near the Hertfordshire town of Welwyn Garden City and who are in need of an office design or fitout have an ideal solution close at hand – Thames Contracts.
We are based in Barnet, just 12 miles to the south via the A1(M). This means we’ll find it easy to ensure that you get all the benefits of our local expertise and contacts.
Here is our guide to the history of the town, why the prospects look good going forward and why, as a leading name in high-end office design in Welwyn Garden City, you should call us if you are thinking of moving there, or are already based in the town and want to refit or refurbish your existing workspace.
The History
Welwyn Garden City is both a new town and a garden city, making it unique in the UK. The garden city element came first. In 1920, it was one of the first settlements that was built with its own green belt which developers aren’t allowed to build on. The residential areas, which are effectively satellite communities, have a lot of tree-lined avenues and wide grass verges.
The new town element came second. Urban planners gave Welwyn Garden City this designation in 1948 as they looked to relocate families from London who were living in bomb-damaged or poor-quality housing.
The town, which currently has a population of around 50,000, owes the Welwyn part of its name to the Hertfordshire village which lies about a mile to the north.
The city has plenty of facilities including the new QEII hospital, which was completed in 2015. The Gosling Sports Park to the south of the town has a dry ski slope, golf driving range, indoor and outdoor tennis courts, squash courts, football pitches, an athletics track, velodrome, a gym, and bowls facilities, as well as a new trampoline park. And, if you have children, there are currently five secondary schools in and around the town.
The Commercial Picture
While its location, 20 miles north of London, means it’s always likely to be a popular choice for people who work in the capital, Welwyn Garden City isn’t just a commuter town. Major employers in and around the town include Tesco (the supermarket giant’s head office is in Shire Park), Ocado, HSBC and Paypoint.
The main shopping centre, the Howard Centre (pictured above), which opened in 1990, includes stores such as Boots, WHSmiths, Monsoon and H&M.
Welwyn Garden City was once known as the home of Shredded Wheat because Nabisco, who made the breakfast cereal, had a major factory there. Today the site, now known as the Wheat Quarter, has permission for homes, offices, retail and community uses. The newly refurbished Nabisco factory will also remain.
As well as the new homes in the Wheat Quarter, before the pandemic, it was predicted that the borough in which the town lies would have to accommodate at least 100,000 more people by 2031, and around 12,000 new homes.
The local authorities are also looking to the future. A project spearheaded by Hertfordshire County Council and Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council is looking to rejuvenate the town centre, starting with the Stonehills area and continuing in and around the Howard Centre with improved pedestrian areas (and crossing points) and a new 20mph speed limit that is aimed at making the area more attractive to shoppers.
Office Design in Welwyn Garden City from Thames Contracts
If you are moving to Welwyn Garden City, and want the very best in office design, then call Thames Contracts. We can also help if you are already there and would like to reconfigure your existing space and make it state-of-the-art.
We’ll visit your site, prepare an initial design (with 3D images if required) and come up with a mutually agreed final design and costings. We have an excellent reputation for completing projects on time and on budget.
Our expertise isn’t restricted to Welwyn Garden City – we can also offer office fitout and refurbishment services in Watford, Potters Bar, Stevenage and many other towns in the area.
If you have any questions or would like to know more, you can call us directly on 020 8368 0045. Alternatively, you can follow this link and fill in the contact form on the left-hand side of the page.
