Spec units planned at Rochdale estate

Capital & Centric and joint venture partner Barnfield Construction are considering a 100,000 sq ft speculative industrial phase on one of the last remaining plots at Crown Business Park in Rochdale.

In the past 18 months the pair have completed two speculative units at the park, one of 35,000 sq ft, and the other of 30,000 sq ft. Talks are advanced on a 20,000 sq ft pre-let office and warehouse unit. The JV is also building 15,000 sq ft of incubator business units.

Occupiers at Crown Business Park include British Gas, Wynsors World of Shoes, Floors 2 Go and Rutledge Integrated Systems.

The developers acquired the 18-acre site in 2009 from Fortis Bank and agreed a £3.2m gap funding deal with the European Regional Development Fund to contribute toward the initial £9m cost of the infrastructure and buildings.

Tracy Clavell Bate, head of commercial letting at Barnfield Construction, said: "We're keen to keep building on site; the demand seems to be there which gives the joint venture comfort to press on."

Letting agents are Nolan Redshaw and Jones Lang LaSalle.