But despite their fears, businesses are doing little in practice to improve security. Only 11% are actively improving security in their building, while only 22% of companies have risk management or risk assessment systems in place, and just 48% have some form of back-up or disaster recovery system at another site.
John Higginbotham, office agency partner at GVA Grimley, said: 'Although the events of 11 September have made companies think more carefully about the safety and security of their HQ buildings, many appear to be adopting a complacent approach to shoring up their security arrangements.'
And it is not just security fears that could drive companies out of central London. Three-quarters of the property managers surveyed said cost pressures were causing them to reappraise their HQ location. Higginbotham forecast: 'We believe that, over the next few years, more companies will relocate at least some, if not all, their HQ functions away from central business districts to less high-profile or provincial locations.'
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