CHORLEY’S £1.3BN ECONOMIC GAME-CHANGER
FIREM’S TWIN DEVELOPMENTS ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF CHORLEY WILL DELIVER 2.2M MILLION SQ FT OF SPACE AND 3,800 JOBS
With its unrivalled motorway and rail links, Chorley is at the geographical centre of Lancashire.
The town, which was once at the forefront of the UK cotton industry, today boasts a vibrant business community, busy retail centre and is home to a mix of fast-growing tech firms in Strawberry Fields Digital Hub.
However, the best is yet to come for Chorley with two game-changing developments by FI Real Estate Management (FIREM), with an estimated economic value of £1.3bn.
The first is the transformation of one of Lancashire’s most iconic sites at Botany Bay next to J8 of the M61, with the creation of nearly one million sq ft of space.
The second is for a strategic logistics site at J3 of M65 which will create an additional 1.2m sq ft of logistics space. Plans have been submitted for two giant commercial units providing up to 533,500 sq ft and 752,700 sq ft.
Between them the two sites will create an estimated 3,800 jobs and have a combined economic value of £1.3bn. The combined gross development value of the two sites is £450m.
FIREM is a giant in the UK property sector, boasting a country-wide portfolio of commercial property that now exceeds 15 million sq ft.
The company’s approach starts with people, not properties, with the aim of providing tenants with the right space that allows them to reach their full potential.
FIREM’s burgeoning property interests stretch from London to Hull; from Watford to Wrexham; from Peterborough to Peterlee; from Coventry to Caernarfon; from Basildon to Barnsley; from Newcastle to Northwich – and everything in between.
Construction work is well underway of Botany Bay Business Park, which is taking place on land either side of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal near FIREM’s head office.
Phase one consists of 590,386 sq ft of space, including 33 units totalling 405,386 sq ft.
James Donaldson Timber has already signed a lease for 110,000 sq ft of industrial space, which will allow the company to retain jobs in Chorley.
Costa Coffee, Greggs and Central Co-Op have also committed to taking an additional of 7,222 sq ft, with all three brands set to open their new premises to the public by early 2025.
Botany Bay Business Park will provide premium industrial space for the North West market, which has a lack of available supply.
With a range of flexible modern and high-spec warehousing and industrial units to let, it will become a major employment centre for Chorley and help the town deliver its economic development objectives.
The development recently hit a significant construction milestone as the site’s largest industrial unit, Unit E, which totals 158,360 sq ft, is now ready for enquiries and viewings.
In December 2023, FIREM secured planning approval for an additional 310,000 sq ft of industrial space on the hill on the opposite side of the canal. Phase two of the development will eventually be home to a mix of 75 units.
As part of the planning requirements for the site, FIREM has funded transport and infrastructure enhancements around the site, J8 of the M61 and the Hartwood Hall roundabout.
FIREM’s founder and managing director, Tim Knowles, was born and bred in Lancashire and said:
“As a long-established Chorley business we recognise we have an important part to play in helping Chorley Council deliver its economic strategy.
“Chorley has been our home for more than 40 years and we want to use our presence here to transform the area into a strategic employment site, catering for both expanding and relocating businesses.
“A key part of the strategy is providing sufficient space for businesses and by signing a lease for 110,000 sq ft of industrial space Botany Bay Business Park, James Donaldson Timber have been able to retain jobs in Chorley. That’s incredibly important.
“Our redevelopment of Botany Bay sees us realise our vision to create a scheme built by the people of Lancashire for the people of Lancashire.
“Botany Bay Business Park is a modern and future-proofed facility, including the work on The Podium and The Mill, and the development will create nearly one million sq ft of space.
“The site is ideally located for national distribution next to the M61 and close to the M6 and M65 motorways.
“We’re attracting a huge amount of interest, including from local Chorley companies seeking more space, to national brands looking for a convenient location to reach the North West.
“Botany Bay’s iconic Canal Mill was at the heart of the 19th century cotton industry and as a local lad it makes me very proud to know it will remain at the centre of a diverse community of ambitious companies for many more years to come.
“The planned strategic logistics site at J3 of the M65 will create an additional 1.2m sq ft of much-needed logistics space.”
The developments are being delivered by FI Construction, FIREM’s construction division, which is working with local supply chain partners to ensure the building works create additional opportunities for local employment and training.
FI Real Estate Management (FIREM) is headquartered at Canal Mill, Botany Brow, Chorley, and employs more than 400 people.
For more information, please contact:
FI Real Estate Management
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