Speculative office development planned for Longbridge

A 20,000 sq ft speculative office development is being brought forward at Longbridge after the completion of the latest phase of construction.

St Modwen sold Longbridge Shopping Park for £53.6m a few days ago as part of its strategy to reduce its exposure to retail.

It said the sale would allow it to reinvest the proceeds into the continued regeneration of Longbridge.

“We are incredibly proud of Longbridge – it is a special place,” said Guy Gusterson, St Modwen’s property director for the Midlands and North.

“We are only half way through the redevelopment of Longbridge and are committed to ensuring we deliver a legacy that we can all be proud of, recognising Longbridge’s unique heritage and bringing forward a vibrant destination for the use and enjoyment of future generations.”

A planning application has now been submitted for the Longbridge Technology Park development, 3 Devon Way, which will add to the existing 62,000 sq ft of space at the Innovation Centre and 2 Devon Way.

If approved, the proposed offices are scheduled to be ready for occupiers by October 2019. It is estimated the development has the potential to create around 80 jobs.

Chris Newsome, development director at St Modwen, added: “The swift take-up at 2 Devon Way and the Innovation Centre has proven that there’s a high demand for commercial space in this area and we’re pleased to be creating more jobs and attracting more businesses to an area that is very special to St Modwen.”