BUDDING entrepreneurs and small business owners will soon have the chance of occupying modern new premises at Shearway Business Park, just off Junction 13 of the M20.

Folkestone's Enterprise Centre is the first development on the Park and construction is progressing well. When complete in April the Enterprise Centre will have 66 units of accommodation ranging in size from 180 to 1,000 sq ft.

Each will be available on a flexible two weekly licence agreement, with all-inclusive rents paid weekly. Occupiers will have access to their units 24 hours a day, seven days per week.

The centre will also be home to Shepway Business Centre, offering on-site advice to occupiers and meeting rooms available for daily and hourly hire, as well as an on-site cafe, fax, photocopying and secretarial facilities.

The South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) has helped fund the Enterprise Centre in partnership with Basepoint plc, the property development and management company. It has successfully run six similar purpose built centres located in Weymouth, Dorset; High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire; and Romsey, Waterlooville, Basingstoke and Havant all in Hampshire. Jenners, of Park Farm, Folkestone, won the contract to build the centre.

Shepway council's district secretary for economic development, Cllr Robert Bliss, welcomed the development saying: "Fragile new and small businesses who are unsure of orders, have limited capital and are often inexperienced in managing a business, will now have the comfort of knowing exactly how much they will have to pay for their premises each week."

For further information contact Kim Duckett, director of centres, Basepoint Plc on 02392 449666.