Trafford , DTZ and Graftongate, c Richard Barber & Co

Trafford 150 will feature more than 13,000 sq ft of office space. Credit: Richard Barber & Co

Russell WBHO starts work on £14m Trafford Park industrial

7 December 2023 13:18 Sophie Rennie Comments (0)

Construction has begun on the site of the former Guardian printworks at Ashburton Point to deliver the 150,000 sq ft warehouse on behalf of development partners Graftongate and DTZ Investors.

Russell WBHO is speculatively building the industrial unit across seven acres off Ashburton Road at Trafford Park, with an expected 32-week delivery time.

Michael Sparks Associates has drawn up the plans for the £14m development, which will feature 13,200 sq ft of offices across two floors.

There will also be 137 car parking bays and 20 lorry spaces provided for visitors.

In June 2020, Trafford Council gave DTZ Investors the green light to start the demolition of the 238,000 sq ft unit formerly home to The Guardian to make way for the development. Razed the following year, the unit was constructed in 1986 and used by The Guardian until January 2018.

Known as Trafford 150, the new-build warehouse has been designed to achieve BREEAM Excellent and EPC A+ ratings following Trafford Council’s development of the Greening Trafford Park framework. This framework is aimed at reducing the carbon footprint of the 1,180-acre industrial complex.

Elliot Herbertson, director at DTZ Investors, said: “Sustainability and carbon reduction commitments have been incorporated into the project from the outset.

“These include a full PV provision, fourteen electric vehicle charging stations, plus capacity for a further twenty-eight, and a rainwater harvesting tank”, he continued.

“High specification insulation and air tightness standards, and a remediation strategy, will minimise the removal of as much waste off-site as possible to contribute towards the project targeting net zero carbon status.”

James Martyn-Smith, construction director at Graftongate, added: “Trafford 150 will provide a unique opportunity for an occupier to move straight into a high-specification facility in Trafford Park that remains one of the largest and most successful business parks in Europe.

“Ashburton Point is the ideal location for manufacturing, storage, and distribution use, with the M60 less than a mile from the front door and easy access to rail and export opportunities via the Port of Liverpool and Manchester Airport.”

Burrows Graham is the structural engineer for the scheme. Savills, JLL, and BNP Paribas are the agents.