Ground breaks on £14m Lancaster manufacturing facility
GVS Filter Technology UK is moving to a six-acre vacant riverside site off Caton Road, Quernmore, with completion expected in spring 2025.
Conlon Construction and Cassidy + Ashton are heading up the project for the Italian firm which makes technical filtration systems for the healthcare, life science, safety, and automotive sectors.
Planning approval for the project was granted by Lancaster City Council earlier this year.
Around 200 employees from GVS’s current office in Morecambe will make the move to the two-storey, low carbon waterside development at the former Sofidel site in Lancaster, as the company pushes towards achieving net zero.
In a bid to achieve this, Bamber Bridge-based Conlon is incorporating renewable energy and heat transfer management systems into the build.
Plans also feature a drainage system to channel surface water through grass swales within the car park, coursing through a wildlife pond along the way, before being released into the nearby River Lune.
Conlon is also delivering warehousing, storage space, a reception, office, and an administration area.
Darren Lee, commercial director at Conlon Construction, said: “This project suits our skills and experience at Conlon to a tee.
“We’ve delivered net zero builds for multiple clients, from the education sector to industrial units, and we’re thrilled to be involved in transforming this site into an inspiring and efficient workplace.
“As a Lancashire business, we’ve a rich history of bringing spaces across the county, and beyond, to life – whether that’s through transforming areas with untapped potential or restoring historically significant buildings.
“The plans by Cassidy + Ashton are spectacular. GVS will soon have a UK base reflective of its Italian roots and manufacturing prowess.”
Miguel Aranda, managing director at GVS Filter Technology UK, said: “I am very impressed with the progress of the new building and am looking forward to the move next year in 2025.
“I can’t wait to start afresh in a new location where there will be improvements in our main drivers like safety, quality, delivery, productivity and cost, sustainability, inventory and the most important one, an improved working environment for our people.”
Alistair Baines, chairman of Cassidy + Ashton, added: “After several years in the making, it’s great to finally see the works progressing on site.
“We know how important this project is for GVS as a company and I’m sure it will help strengthen their operations both regionally and globally.”
As well as Conlon Construction and Cassidy + Ashton, the project team includes GVS, Sleater & Watson, DRB Environmental Design, Ryder Landscape Consultants, Hydrock, RSK, Red Acoustics, and Bowland Tree Consultancy.
To find out more about the project, search for application reference number 23/00063/FUL on Lancaster City Council’s planning portal.
