Work starts at Blackpool enterprise zone
Eric Wright Construction has started building a 40,000 sq ft facility for carbon fibre products manufacturer Multi-Ply Components at Blackpool Airport Enterprise Zone.
Blackpool Council is to let the unit to Multi-Ply on a 25-year lease once complete. An additional plot, next to the proposed factory, has been set aside so that Multi-Ply can expand at a later date if necessary.
The development, which was designed by architect Cassidy + Ashton and will see Multi-Ply consolidate its three existing sites in Lancashire, forms part of the 81-acre first phase of the enterprise zone scheme.
Other projects in phase one of the 
Blackpool Airport Enterprise Zone, located at the eastern end of the airport site, include around 1m sq ft of industrial space, a 35-acre sports village and a gateway access road. Overall, 356 acres are to be developed over time.
The construction of Multi-Ply’s headquarters is expected to take around nine months, according to the company’s director Sue Bourne.
She added: “We have been falling over ourselves in our current units and all the staff are eagerly anticipating working in purpose-built new premises. This will have a major impact on all aspects of our business. As well as increasing our productivity and efficiency, it will improve the overall wellbeing of our staff.”
Luke Hall, minister for regional growth and local government, said Blackpool Airport Enterprise Zone is part of the Government’s wider plan to “level up” towns across the country, while Cllr Mark Smith, cabinet member for business at Blackpool Council, said Multi-Ply’s relocation to Blackpool would bring a “significant boost to the local economy”.
