A TELEVISION series has recently been screened by BBC 4 about Edwardian Britain, highlighting the many similarities between then and now.

Anyone watching will have noticed some marked differences between the world just out of living memory and that which we live in now. Viewers wouldn't have failed to notice factories, vast chimneys, mills and warehouses.

In the 1960s and 1970s many of these commercial premises were swept away to be replaced a decade later by shopping centres, out-of-town retail parks and service industries with not a smokestack in sight. You can see this just as well in Worcester as anywhere else in the county and country.

So, commercial property changes as the needs of business change and depends upon a company's business size, sector and budget.

For instance, the sole trader looking to move out of his garage, spare bedroom or loft space has very different needs from a multi-national manufacturing firm looking to locate somewhere in the UK with good infrastructure, housing and schooling for workers.

Let's start with the smaller, service-type business and look at what's important to it.

Serviced offices are a good starter for many businesses, offering shared reception, secretarial, and meeting rooms. This can help to give the impression that the firm is bigger and more established than it really is and provides a professional face for its business.

One such office scheme has opened up in Bromsgrove with high-speed broadband and a range of other ancillary services including car parking, CCTV, 24-hour access and an easy-in and easy-out contract - very important when cash flow is at a trickle rather than a flood.

For the manufacturing sector there are very different issues. In the past, access to raw materials was the key to location of many manufacturing firms, whereas now it will be more likely to be access to skilled labour, motorways and flexible suppliers. For smaller manufacturing companies or spin-off enterprises, especially those in the high-technology sectors, so-called incubator units are an attractive proposition.

These incubators do just as they say on the tin - that is, they allow a business to grow from scratch to develop a new product or adapt an existing product for a particular market.

These units vary widely in their specifications, but tend to be compact. Locally, the situation with commercial property is varied. It is true to say that service industries are better catered for than those in manufacturing. There are fewer planning issues; they can be smaller and fitted into existing flexible spaces without the need for specifications tailored for just one industry. There is a shortage of commercial property for manufacturing in Worcestershire, particularly for workshop-type facilities.

Chamber member Roger Wilkins of Wilkins Chartered Surveyors, which provides searches and advice in the commercial property market, said: "Small, starter-style units are available in north Worcestershire towns as well as some in the east of county. However it's a different story in Worcester city itself where there is a very little on offer. As part of the local plan review Worcester city is examining land supply for business space to rectify the problem.

"Warehousing is also extremely limited in Worcester and we're hopeful the planners will address this problem quickly."