Search widened for Port Cheshire occupier

Peel Ports, with agents B8 Real Estate and JLL, has relaunched the 75-acre Port Cheshire site to occupiers across the industrial market, widening the search from solely tenants related to the port sector.

The site has planning permission for a single 1m sq ft unit, or could be divided into smaller warehouses of 100,000 sq ft.

Port Cheshire, sits between the Manchester Ship Canal and junction 7 on the M53. Peel Ports bought the site 10 years ago when Bridgewater Paper closed. Peel decommissioned the paper mill, cleared the site and began preparing it for port-related uses.

However, now the site has been relaunched to the market, occupiers could include tenants from manufacturing, distribution, e-commerce, or other industrial sectors.

Andy Martin, group land and property director, Peel Ports, said: “We originally expected that the site would be mainly of interest to logistics firms that required a close connection to the Manchester Ship Canal. However, in the last year it has become clear that there is more interest from general industrial occupiers, resulting in the decision to promote the site to a wider range of sectors.”

Richard Johnson, director, JLL, said: “There are very few sites of this scale, quality and flexibility available across the UK, let alone in the North West. Despite challenging circumstances, it’s clear the economy of the region is still thriving and Port Cheshire is an ideal location for businesses looking for a centrally-located opportunity.”

Peel said it is open to various options for occupiers, including design-and-build, plot sales, leasehold or freehold.

Other occupiers nearby include Vauxhall, Regatta, Honeywell and Johnson Controls.