Warrington to start on £8.5m business incubator
WARRINGTON Borough Council has lined up the £8.5m required to build a centre for business start-ups in the town centre.
The 50,000 sq ft five-storey building will occupy the site of the former Dallam Centre in Dallam Lane at the heart of the £190m Stadium Quarter project – 90 acres of offices, leisure and residential space between the Warrington Wolves stadium and Warrington Central railway station.
There will also be a university technical college (UTC) focusing on nuclear and energy engineering which was given the green light by the Government in January.
The council is committing £6.7m from its capital programme and has secured £1.7m from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Work is due to start later in the year.
The start-up building has been designed by Liverpool-based Falconer Chester Hall Architects and will include office and research space to a range of new businesses.
Council leader Terry O’Neill said: “Warrington is recognised as the number one location outside of London for Business start-up companies and this new facility is being built in response to demand. It will provide a first class base in which new businesses can develop and grow. Significantly by autumn of next year Stadium Quarter will be home to two top class facilities; the business incubator that will help new businesses grow and the University Technical College which will train and equip our young people in nuclear and engineering skills.”
Steve Park, managing director, of the town’s economic development company Warrington & Co, said: “This is great news for Warrington and a great start for Stadium Quarter. The business incubator is exactly what start-up businesses need.”
