Work starts on Barrowfords premier new business park

Date: 25.03.2009

Today saw the Mayor of Pendle, Cllr Shelagh Derwent, present at the official sod cutting ceremony at what promises to be Barrowford's prestigious office park.

With the ground work now complete, construction has started on the site named Vantage Court, which is to be the first phase of office suites at Riverside Business Park, formally known as Barrowford Business Park.

The park is a joint development between local contractors and developers, Barnfield Construction Ltd and Peel Holdings Ltd, owners of the Trafford Centre. The 6 buildings will utilise high quality materials to fit in with local architecture and careful attention to detail has been given to surrounding landscaping, ensuring the safeguarding and wellbeing of the local wildlife surrounding the Park.

Ongoing discussions with a number of potential occupiers has taken place over the last few months, with the first occupier being the market leaders in providing affordable EPOS solutions to the hospitality and retails sectors, PRS ltd.

Planning permission was originally granted for a business park to be developed on the Greenfield site in 1993, but this expired before the plan came into fruition.

After years of resubmission and rejections, Barnfield entered the joint development in 2008 and have helped to ensure the business Park will encourage a lot of investment into the local economy.

The site is registered with the Considerate Constructors Scheme which operates a voluntary code of considerate practice, to which participating companies sign up their sites. The scheme is a non profit making, independent organisation funded by the industry to improve its image.

Dennis Mendoros Managing Director of Euravia Engineering and Chairman of Pendle Vision commented "We are thrilled about the investment opportunities and jobs the park will bring to the local economy. Barrowford is an affluent place to live and we feel the development will further compliment this perception, encouraging more people into the Borough"

The current climate is proving to be a positive time for Barnfield. They have just been awarded a £9 million redevelopment contract on their site next to Blackpool Airport for a new headquarters and manufacturing facility for Blackpool Illuminations and a Business Centre containing 44 office suites.

Hot on the heels of these developments, work has been secured for the design & build of a 60,000 sq ft cash & carry warehouse in Blackburn for a well known local company.

Barnfield Construction has this month seen the completion of the UK's first Hampton by Hilton Hotel in Corby which has witnessed Hilton bosses evolving future specification with Barnfield and they are now looking at more opportunities for the hotel industry leader in Coventry, Mansfield and Luton Airport.

Charlotte Rice, Marketing Manager at Barnfield said "We have exciting times ahead of us and after a slow start to the year in early January; we have now secured work up until 2010 and are progressing full steam into our work load"