Orbit plots 100,000 sq ft Knowsley investment

The developer has brought forward plans for a mixed-use scheme at Academy Business Park near Kirkby, featuring nearly 100,000 sq ft of retail, trade counter, and self-storage space.

Orbit is proposing to build a mix of uses at the site, which is currently vacant and sits off the County Road roundabout, with three different access points to the existing business park.

Advised by planner Nexus, the developer has put forward an outline application for this plot featuring a mix of uses. Orbit is proposing five business units totalling 23,000 sq ft; a 44,000 sq ft self-storage unit; 16,000 sq ft of retail showrooms across four units; 11,000 sq ft of trade counter space; a drive-thru, and a retail kiosk or food unit.

Nexus said that while small business units “are not typically viable in this location without grant funding”, the mixed-use nature of the site would allow these to be brought forward in response to market demand.

The planner added “the development will bring a high-profile part of Knowsley Industrial Park, which has long been vacant, back into positive, employment generating uses”, and said Orbit is “confident” it will attract future occupiers to the park.

Orbit have owned Academy Business Park for a number of years and last year completed a 110,000 sq ft speculative industrial unit at the site; the joint agents for the scheme are CBRE and B8 Real Estate. A further 110,000 sq ft of speculative distribution space will also be delivered at the site.

The developer previously put forward an application for a filling station, retail kiosk and coffee shop to be accessed off County Road’s roundabout in April last year.

Existing tenants at the park include Morrisons which operates a 20,000 sq ft distribution centre.

The team on Orbit’s latest planning application also includes WML Consulting; CBO Transport; and CES Consulting.