Work starts on 18-acre strategic development site
Construction has started on site at East, an 18-acre strategic development site in Preston.
East is a joint venture between developers HBD and the Barnfield Group, located yards from junction 31A of the M6 and close to Preston city centre.
The first phase totals 69,394 sq ft with five individual units between 10,000 and 21,000 sq ft.
Barnfield Construction, the construction arm of the wider Barnfield Group, will take on all building works on the site, with the development expected to finish in the third quarter of 2021.
East also has outline planning for industrial and logistics use on the remaining 14 acres, accommodating up to 200,000 sq ft.
Steve Manifold, senior development surveyor at HBD, said: “East can accommodate a wide range of sizes for industrial and logistics use and we already have a lot of interest, which is very encouraging.
“The space is designed to appeal to local occupiers – many of which have struggled to find the right facilities in recent years – as well as larger corporates who can benefit from the site’s M6 location.”
He added: “It’s great to see work starting on site, and we look forward to seeing the scheme take shape.”
Tracy Clavell-Bate, head of development and acquisitions at the Barnfield Group, said: “It’s great to be in a strong position to start speculative construction on a site that has laid undeveloped for many years.
“We find many end users are often more interested in schemes once we start on the site and we’re confident this scheme will be pre-let/sold prior to completion.
“We are delighted to be working in the Preston area again following the success of Millennium City Park, our second project as a joint venture. Our construction team are very much looking forward to starting on site.”
The agents for East are Gerald Eve and Eckersley Property.
HBD has a diverse UK-wide portfolio, which includes office space and logistics, through to residential innovation and award winning heritage projects. In addition to its Manchester base, HBD also has offices in London, Leeds, Sheffield, Birmingham, Bristol and Glasgow.
Based in the North West the Barnfield Group are contractors, developers and investors active on more than 30 sites throughout the UK, predominantly in the North West.
