Eshton confident on business park future

THE Yorkshire developers behind a new 70 acre business park insist they remain positive about its future despite a cut in regional development agency funding.

Leeds-based Eshton Group is confident that Burley-in-Wharfedale firm Findel will occupy a major new 210,000 sq ft distribution centre at the £48m Burnley Bridge business park which has lost single program funding from the North West Development Agency.

NWDA has pledged to work with Eshton to secure the development which has also received £4.2m in European Regional Development Fund money.

James Chapman, managing director of Eshton, said: “We remain very positive. There has been significant interest in the park from both national and local companies, with serious enquiries ranging from large 200,000 sq ft distribution centres to smaller industrial units.

“The message is very clear. We are open for business. Overall we hope to create 1,400 new jobs at Burnley Bridge.”

The business park is made up of 650,000 sq ft of mixed-use employment space including large industrial units of up to 400,000 sq ft. It is primarily seeking to attract light industrial and distribution-based occupiers. There will also be offices, a convenience retail store, crèche and hotel.
 
The agents for the development are Dove, Haigh Phillips of Leeds and Trevor Dawson of Blackburn and Burnley.

Mike Dove, of Dove, Haigh, Phillips, said: “Burnley Bridge Business Park, has unrivalled access to the M65 at the western gateway to Burnley town centre. 

“Up to 650,000 square feet of high quality business space will be provided, set within a carefully designed and managed environment.  Burnley Bridge offers a quantum leap in the quality of industrial and distribution space now available to the new economy of the M65 corridor.

“Burnley Bridge is a remarkable project where occupiers will benefit from bespoke solutions close to a labour pool with impeccable logistics connections.”