‘Movement’ of UK workers to the coast pushing offices out of city centres

A “movement” of people wanting longer stays in places like Cornwall and Devon are pushing employers to open offices outside city centres, the boss of one of the world’s biggest workspace firms has said.

Mark Dixon, the founder and chief executive of IWG Group, said many businesses were spreading out across the country to meet where their staff are located.

He told the PA news agency that there was “lots of demand” coming from local communities, including around the coast.

“If you look at the UK, we’re focusing now on Dorset, Somerset, Cornwall. It’s about a nationwide network,” he said.

“British workers are not all in London, Manchester, Birmingham – they’re all over the country.

“If you take Cornwall, for example, that was an economy that previously was dead in the winter, but it’s got signs of life now.”

He said this was partly due to some people staying in holiday homes for longer, adding: “They’re not going any more for two weeks, they’re going for the whole summer, because they can.”

Mr Dixon said it was a “big movement” that “democratises the UK” because offices are not limited to city centres.

IWG, which operates in about 120 countries, said it made record high revenues over the first half of 2025 after opening nearly 500 new centres globally.

About 80% of new openings are in local communities including small towns, suburbs and rural areas, compared with 20% in big cities. Previously, the split was 60:40.

There were 24 new signings in coastal locations in the UK over the past year, including Margate in Kent, Dundee in Scotland, Hayle in Cornwall and Banff in Aberdeenshire.

The group, which owns brands including Regus, Spaces and Signature, is targeting a higher number of openings in 2026.

Mr Dixon also told PA that companies were utilising its brands’ online systems which show when employees were clocking in and out of rooms or work spaces.

“The overriding thing that British businesses are looking for is productivity,” he told PA.

Large companies like HSBC and PwC have reportedly been investing more in systems that track when their staff are coming into the office and verify attendance.