Build it and manufacturers will come, says Dove
SATISFYING a ‘pent-up demand’ from manufacturers looking for industrial land and buildings is key to helping the Yorkshire economy to recover, according to a property expert.
Mike Dove, partner at industrial property specialist Dove Haigh Phillips in Leeds, believes that satisfying increasing numbers of manufacturers in the region are searching for space and that unlocking deliverable land is vital for growth.
Mr Dove said his company was “being besieged” by manufacturers looking for quality new premises in the region.
“This isn’t just idle talk,” he said. “These manufacturers have instructed their engineers and architects to draw up detailed designs and their lawyers are already preparing draft documentation. They are raring to go.
“At the same time, the more forward-looking local councils in Yorkshire, emboldened by the Government’s relaxing of the planning laws, are pro-actively identifying sites for inward investment. All this adds up to a very bright future for the Yorkshire economy, provided the right land becomes available.”
Mr Dove said requirements for land ranged from 3,000 sq ft to 50 acres.
He added: “It is invidious to pick out particular councils, because most are doing their best to encourage investment, but Kirklees, with its pioneering Huddersfield – The Place To Make It campaign, has shown a tremendous lead.
“Kirklees aren’t just talking the talk, either. They are paying a major part in facilitating the relocation of David Brown Engineering from its historic, but increasingly unsuitable, premises in the centre of Huddersfield, to a purpose-built, state-of-the-art factory and office site in nearby Mirfield.
“The new David Brown site is a classic blueprint for what most manufacturers now require. They want quality premises close to their workforce, which provide modern and flexible manufacturing and office space. They want premises which reflect and represent the values of their business.”
Mr Dove said that enquiries were coming from across all manufacturing sectors, including precision medical and even nautical engineering, robotics, packaging, electrical controls and green fuel delivery.
“All this is potentially tremendously good news for Yorkshire, which is already a centre of excellence. The county’s workforce, with its can-do attitude, is our greatest asset, backed up by an improving transport network.
“To borrow that memorable phrase from Kevin Costner in the film Field of Dreams, Build it and they will come. And, when they do come, Yorkshire’s economy will take off, freeing itself from the shackles of the recession.”
