Developer and asset manager FI Real Estate Management has received planning permission for the £100m second phase of its redevelopment of Botany Bay in Chorley, Lancashire.
Chorley Council approved the plans to create Botany Hill Business Park, comprising 309,060 sq ft of industrial space on the hill adjacent to the site’s historic cotton mill.
FIREM said more than 250 enquiries had been received to date from businesses keen to be based at the business park, which is located just off the M61.
Construction of phase two will start next year on 68 units ranging from 1,500 sq ft to 32,234 sq ft, which will bring £1.9m in business rates for the local authority.
FIREM’s redevelopment of phase one is continuing with 403,000 sq ft of commercial space set to be constructed by the end of 2024, of which 65% is already under offer.
FIREM said the completed scheme would create a combined value of £143m in permanent jobs in the first 10 years of the development’s life.
Tim Knowles, founder and managing director of FIREM, which employs more than 400 people at its Chorley headquarters, said: “Chorley has been our home for more than 40 years, and we want to use our presence here to transform the area into a strategic employment site, catering for both expanding and relocating businesses.”
Botany Business Park comprises the transformation of the historic Canal Mill building and the creation of Botany Bay Business Park and Botany Hill Business Park. The wider scheme represents a £220m investment by FIREM into the creation of almost 1m sq ft of prime commercial and industrial space, creating more than 1,000 jobs.
The development is being delivered by FIREM’s construction division, FI Construction. FIREM has committed to delivering a wider programme of local economic and social benefits as part of development to ensure it has a positive impact upon the area and creates a lasting legacy in Chorley.
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