Property briefs: Engineering firm buys Blackburn site; Green light for Widnes retail scheme
ENGINEERING business WEC Group has bought a 30,000 sq ft Blackburn shed for £1.4m.
It is the second of two speculative builds constructed by developer PPG Land in phase one of its Point Five scheme at Walker Park.
WEC is a welding and fabrication specialist based in Darwen.
Workwear supplier LH Safety occupies the adjacent 26,000 sq ft unit one. Six acres are still free at phase two.
Jones Lang LaSalle, Knight Frank and Taylor Weaver the retained agents for PPG and Marshall Construction.
Occupiers at Walker Park, next to junction five of the M65 motorway, include Sally Hair and Beauty, Bibby Distribution and Wincanton.
Daniel Burn, director in the Manchester industrial and logistics team at Jones Lang LaSalle, said: “This is a significant deal for the area which demonstrates the strong underlying demand for high quality, modern stock in the North West market.
“Manufacturing and engineering businesses like WEC in particular are behind many active requirements in the region and the supply of suitable space is limited.”
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PLANS to transform a brownfield site on the edge of Widnes Town Centre have been granted outline planning consent by Halton Borough Council.
Vector Investments, part of Istithmar P&O Estates, wants to develop a new, retail warehouse scheme at the former Tanhouse Yard site – alongside the A557 Watkinson Way.
The site, now named Mersey Retail Park, is opposite Widnes Shopping Park, Widnes Town Centre and Morrsions supermarket. The consent is for 165,700 sq ft A1 retail with units ranging from 13,000-35,000 sq ft.
Tom Powell of Jones Lang LaSalle, sole letting agents for Istithmar P&O Estates, said: “Mersey Retail Park will provide Widnes with a new, much needed retail offer. Our aim is to bring new retailers into Widnes to complement the town’s existing offer and strengthen the range and diversity of retailing in Widnes.
“By delivering a high quality shopping environment we aim to encourage shoppers to spend their money locally, reduce journeys to adjacent centres and thereby boost the local economy.”
