Property round-up: Green light for units at Leyland truck site; Peel revives country houses; and more

THE redevelopment of Lancashire Business Park is continuing, with South Ribble Borough Council granting planning permission for three new buildings on the site.

The park is based on the site of the former Leyland DAF trucks factory in Chorley and is now owned by Lancashire County Developments Ltd (LCDL)- an arm of the county council charged with delivering Lancashire’s economic development strategy.

The new buildings will replace the unit that was destroyed in a major fire just before Christmas last year, which saw parts of the park shut for weeks. It was around 450,000 sq ft in size, though, while the new development will contain three separate buildings of around 390,000 sq ft each.

LCDL chairman Cllr Michael Welsh said: “We are now in a position to upgrade our offer to existing and potential tenants, by replacing the damaged building with three smaller blocks built to the highest standards and providing the adaptability and flexibility modern business requires.

“We have also taken the opportunity to improve the infrastructure to provide better traffic flows and easier access. This is an important step forward in the development of the business park as a strategic industrial site.”

Local firm Conlon Construction has been named as one of the contractors that will be carrying out the building work.

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PEEL has been granted planning approval to bring two 17th Century Grade II-listed halls back to life.

The firm is to redevelop Kempnough Hall in Worsley and Chaddock Hall at Astley, near Wigan into homes as the centrepiece of new housing schemes.

Kempnough Hall was subdivided into three separate residences in the early 20th Century. Peel’s planning application relates to the West Wing, the major part of the 17th Century H-plan Hall. Planning permission was received at the end of 2011.

The approved scheme consists of renovating and subdividing the existing black and white house to create two units, and extending the listed Hall to create two additional homes with two or three bedrooms, landscaped gardens and parking.

The original rooms are to be retained without alteration and the new wing is to be built with a number of similarities to the original plan of the Hall. The four units extend to 4,300 sq. ft. in total.

Chaddock Hall, meanwhile, was also built around an H-plan, although the east wing was demolished in 1878 when the building was used as a school.

Peel’s planning application for the redevelopment of Chaddock Hall (right) was approved in January 2012, and consists of converting the Hall into two houses and rebuilding the East Wing to create a third. The barn will also be converted into two new homes and eleven new mews houses will be created within the Hall’s grounds, giving 16 units which extend to 115,000 sq ft in total.

Ross Radclyffe of Peel described Chaddock Hall as “a 17th Century gated community brought bang up-to-date”.

“Residents will benefit from the truly stunning period setting within a secure walled garden but with state-of-the-art finishes and a commutable location.”

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PROPERTY investment company Jolivet Group of Guernsey has completed the purchase of Quay Business Centre – a 44,500 sq ft mixed office and business unit at Winwick Quay in Warrington. The price paid for the unit has not been disclosed.

Jolivet director Simon Storer said: “we are excited by the purchase of this attractive property and have plans to make Quay Business Centre a natural choice for businesses looking for excellent value, well-located office and business space in Warrington.”

Eileen Bilton Partnership has been retained as letting agent for the development.

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AUCTIONEER Pugh & Co’s residential arm, The Auction People, has signed up Reeds Rains as a client.

The firm will offer Reeds Rains clients the opportunity to sell homes through an auction as well as across its branch network.

Paul Thompson from The Auction People, which holds regular auctions throughout the north of England – including at Manchester United Football Club where the most recent auction netted £5.8m – said: “We are delighted Reeds Rains has joined our partner agent scheme and we look forward to working with the team.

“We have seen consistent growth in our residential auctions over the last 12 months and agents are seeing auctions as an important aspect of their business.  Our partnership benefits both the agent and its customers.”