A professional services office hub could be built at the Eden Forty One Business Park on the outskirts of Penrith, in-Cumbria can exclusively reveal.
According to PFK, the company behind the plans for the flagship development, there has already been strong interest from office developers, lawyers and accountancy firms to have a base at the site just off junction 41 of the M6.
The company was given outline planning permission for a major distribution logistics facility, large scale industrial or manufacturing operation or a high-tech office development at the 18.65-acre site by Eden District Council last year.
And while there is flexibility over what happens at the site, Stephen Lancaster, managing director of PFK says there is a strong appetite for an office development hosting professional services businesses who are looking to expand their presence in a location that offers strong transport connections by road, rail and, later this Spring, air.
“From the contacts that we’ve made that there’s a very real opportunity for a profession services hub at junction 41,” he told in-Cumbria.
“We’ve had some interest from spec office builders, contact from law and accountancy firms that want to expand. And you can’t rule out opportunities for PFK to be based at that site. When you look at something in isolation for yourself you think, maybe not, but when you go as a collective, as a team, it works well.
“And there’s clearly opportunities to host nuclear supply chain companies given the connection to national transport links but still close to West Cumbria. Decommissioning is still a massive opportunity even if new build is off the table for now.
“Nothing is set up yet, it is in the melting pot at this moment in time. It is exciting. That’s really for me to drive. I would encourage businesses to come and talk to us because it’s a great place to do business.”
Mr Lancaster said that market demand would ultimately drive development at the site – which is being offered for either land sales or design and build opportunities – and that there was the potential for mixed use development.
“At the moment, there’s no employment land left in Penrith and Eden,” he said.
“Gilwilly Industrial Estate has its challenges with access, so we see this as a place where people can expand and we can also capitalise on giving businesses that are maybe looking at Carlisle, the opportunity to be in Eden. We know there are indigenous businesses looking to expand.
“When you go to the market, you have a vision of what you might achieve, but ultimately it has to be market driven. I think we have to look at high value uses, such as offices, because that is a hell of a lot of jobs which doesn’t necessarily take a lot of space.
“But it is possible to have a manufacturing unit or logistics facility, designed correctly, alongside an office. It comes down to good design and I know the council is tuned in to that. We want to explore every opportunity.”
Mr Lancaster praised the support given to the development by Eden District Council, whose planning committee unanimously voted the application through last year, describing it as “a massive vote of confidence”.
The site is a key flagship development by the council, which is eager to bring more businesses and employment opportunities to the district.
Its chief executive, Rose Rouse, said the strong location coupled with the fact that Penrith was running out of employment land because of new businesses moving to the area and existing ones expanding, made E41 an attractive proposition.
“With its strategic location and potential to grow the economy, this is a significant new development site in the Eden District, in terms of the jobs it will create, the opportunities it will provide for existing Eden businesses to expand and the inward investment it will attract,” she said.
“Eden and Penrith are already popular with businesses thanks to our unique position at the centre of a major transport hub. It’s encouraging to see that a local business has taken this positive step to bring their land to the market and we will be providing support to help market the land to bring higher paid jobs to Penrith and Eden.”
As well as connections to the road network via the M6, the site is also close to the West Coast Mainline, which could, in the future be connected to both the Northern Powerhouse Rail Network, which links major cities across the north, and HS2.
It is also within close reach of Carlisle Lake District Airport, which will have links to London Southend, Belfast and Dublin and the onward connections they offer, when commercial flights take off sometime in the spring.
