Demand across the South East office market increased by 10% in the second quarter of 2014, according to Savills.

150 new requirements came to the market in the period, which together total 2.7m sq ft of wanted space.

Total demand for the first half of the year is up 15% on the previous half, totalling 4.5m sq ft.

Requirements include 100,000 sq ft for Dixons/Carphone Warehouse; 100,000 sq ft for Amadeus; 80,000 sq ft for FM Global; and 20-40,000 sq ft for Smeg.

Grade A availability is currently at 4.1m sq ft, said Savills, which when based on average take-up of 3.6m sq ft a year would provide 1.1 years of supply.

Currently 550,341 sq ft is under offer and a number of other companies are believed to be committing to new space, including Lidl, Pepsico, Robert Bosch, Gartner, Hyundai, Gilead Sciences, UCB and Haymarket.

However, take-up in the second quarter was 30% lower than in the first quarter at 352,000 sq ft.

Jon Gardiner, head of Savills’ South East office agency team, said: “It is an interesting time in the South East office market, if also quite frustrating, in that we are all reading positive economic news about growth, jobs and the general improving economy and yet occupational take up hasn’t quite caught up.

“However, the sheer volume of occupational demand, which has been increasing over the past 12 months, underpins our undoubted confidence in the South East office market, which is significantly undersupplied of grade A space and continues to experience increasing rents.

“We are in a new business climate where occupiers are doing more due diligence and undertaking more research to ensure they are able to make a fully informed property decision that is right for their business for the long term, even if it costs the business two to three pounds per sq ft more by taking longer to commit.”