BOURNEMOUTH'S new Clarendon Enterprise Centre has secured 60 per cent occupancy within six weeks of opening.

The newly refurbished business centre, situated within Bristol & West House, Post Office Road, contains two floors of furnished and unfurnished offices of varying sizes.

The company also offers conference and training room facilities and virtual office services.

Clarendon has been providing serviced office accommodation in various locations around Oxford for at least five years. Bournemouth is now its newest and largest serviced office centre.

The move to the South Coast reflects the expansion of the business and the growing demand for flexible business premises in the region.

Managing director Julian Cooper said larger companies' investment in Bournemouth was fuelling an increase in the number of small businesses.

"At Clarendon we saw that there was a shortage of good quality, flexible office accommodation in Bournemouth to support this boom and obtained premises in the town centre to meet this demand," he said.

Business centre manager Vanessa George said: "We are delighted with the uptake of the new Bournemouth business centre.

"We believe that this immediate reaction reflects the need for such a service within the town centre, being close to both the Wessex Way and public transport hubs, shops, and other local amenities.

"A serviced office offers the perfect solution for a small business or new start up, as by minimising initial investment and offering a fully managed office solution, our client's time is free to focus on developing their own business," she added.