Fears for the future of the West Midlands economy following the proposed sale of Rover are exaggerated, claims Fuller Peiser.
The surveyor said its research showed the West Midlands economy not to be as dependent on the automotive industry as most commentators assume.
Fuller Peiser research into new-build industrial and distribution space take-up showed that, between 1996 and 1999, only 3% of such space was taken by companies linked to Rover’s Longbridge plant.
The whole automotive sector in the area, excluding the BMW engine plant at Hams Hall, amounted to only 17% oftake-up over that period.
Tim Suffield of Fuller Peiser said: “We have established that more than 80% of all B1, B2, B8 transactions over the past four years had no connection to the automotive industry.”
But he admitted that there would be a considerable effect on the secondhand market.
