Development manager appointed for new eco business park

A development manager has been appointed to a new eco business park planned for Cheadle.

Network Space Developments was selected as the preferred development manager for the Bird Hall Lane site.

The Newton-le-Willows based company was established in 1982 and specialises in industrial warehouse property.

A new Eco Business Park at Bird Hall Lane in Cheadle is a long-held ambition of the Cheadle Towns Fund Board. It is central to the aims of the Town Investment Plan, which seeks to unlock Cheadle’s economic potential and drive clean growth.

The light industrial Eco Park will promote sustainable growth and jobs through offering much needed world class employment space, adopting the latest low carbon design and technology solutions.

Following the Investment Plan, a full business case was prepared and approved by government last year. This secured £4.44m of Town Fund support towards the scheme.

NSD has created and modernised nearly 10 million sq ft of multi-unit industrial workspace for SME occupiers across the North of England. Recent projects include Glass Futures, a 165,000 sqft industrial and research and development scheme in St Helens working with the council and Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.

It is also currently on site at Broadheath Network Centre, a 206,000 sq ft multi-unit let industrial estate in Altrincham, which will create up to 400 jobs and is due for completion in autumn 2023.

The company has also delivered leisure, city centre, out-of-town offices and stadium developments.

NSD provides a strong in-house team with a range of key commercial skills, including a technical director with responsibility for the key objectives of low carbon and sustainability within the commercial setting.

The innovative park will provide more than 100,000 sq ft of high quality, light industrial, employment space that will act as an exemplar for low carbon technologies and clean energy production on an industrial park.

It will accelerate the green business sector, providing quality jobs for the future. Initial stakeholder engagement and market research has been positive, and has shown strong demand for such space, where there is currently very little provision.

Environmental enhancements and low carbon in both construction and operation will be designed in with the scheme, targeting BREEAM Excellent or Outstanding.

The next steps will be for NSD to develop the initial designs leading up to a planning submission later in the summer.

Cllr Mark Hunter, leader of Stockport Council, said: “This is an exciting opportunity to provide a new employment zone which will bring new jobs to the area with a core focus on the environment, sustainability and opportunities for clean energy generation.

“This project will be an important aspect of our Economic Plan and in our work on CAN (Climate Action Now). Working alongside NSD will enable us to pursue an exemplar design in an industrial market which has typically lagged behind other sectors regarding sustainability.”

Catherine Chilvers, development director at Network Space Developments, said: “We look forward to forging a successful partnership with Stockport Council and the Cheadle Town Board to bring forward a transformational new scheme for the borough that is market leading in terms of low carbon and sustainability credentials. The commercial expertise and development experience of Network Space Developments alongside the ambition and commitment of the council provides an exciting and unique opportunity to deliver an environmentally exemplar development for the borough.”

Local Conservative MP, Mary Robinson, said: “Through the support of the Government’s Town Fund this exciting project can now be brought forward to deliver a game changing business park to help businesses grow and prosper.”

Brian Bradley, Cheadle Town Board chair, said: “We are really pleased that the eco business park has reached yet another milestone. The appointment of a development manager will accelerate the project and ensure that the design and offer are a perfect fit to current and future market demand. The jobs created will be a major boost to the area for generations to come and we can’t wait to see the scheme on site.”