First phase of 42-acre Cumbria industrial completes
James Industrial and Trentmore have brought the 154,000 sq ft former Alcan factory in Whitehaven back into use more than 15 years after it closed down.
Contractor Industrial Space Solutions has completed the project, located off the Distington Bypass, and Littler & Associates has been appointed to find occupiers.
Andrew Littler, director at Littler & Associates, said: “This is a major development for the west coast and Cumbria region with potential to create good employment opportunities and transform a site that has stood empty since the factory closed in 2007.
“This is currently the only property of this scale available in what is a strategic location for businesses in Cumbria.”
The former Alcan factory was built in the 1940s and used to manufacture parts for the aerospace industry including Concorde and the Space Shuttle.
It has been vacant since 2007 when the company relocated its operations to France.
The site stood vacant for seven years before being acquired by Whitehaven Developments, which planned to redevelop the 42-acre site into a scheme featuring homes, a hotel, petrol station, and offices.
The plans never progressed and Trentmore, part of James Industrial, acquired the site in 2020.
With the first space now complete and ready for occupation, attention turns to the next phases of the redevelopment, known as Discovery Park.
Once complete, the scheme will comprise 300,000 sq ft of industrial space across 14 buildings of various sizes, 20 acres of yards, and EV charging points.
The surrounding Lillyhall area is home to a number of automotive firms including Peugeot, Cupra, Volkswagen, KIA, and Toyota.
