HBD, Barnfield’s Preston industrial revs up
A 10-acre land deal between the developers and tile and flooring solutions manufacturer Kerakoll will enable the first phase of the 800,000 sq ft masterplan to start on site in February.
Kerakoll has acquired the land for an undisclosed sum from Barnfield Group and HBD. The company plans to build a 145,000 sq ft manufacturing and distribution facility on the premises, having secured planning permission for the scheme earlier this year. Campbell Driver Partnership designed the industrial unit.
The move will help Kerakoll expand its operations in the North West from beyond Leyland.
“We are delighted to have finalised the acquisition of this strategic site in partnership with HBD and Barnfield Group,” said Carl Gardner, managing director for Kerakoll’s UK division.
“This development is a crucial component of our growth strategy and will significantly enhance our presence in the UK and northern Europe,” he continued. “We look forward to collaborating with HBD and Barnfield as construction begins”.
HBD and Barnfield will now set about delivering infrastructure and enabling works to help facilitate the build. The main contractor for the Kerakoll project is Barnfield Construction.
Tracy Clavell-Bate, head of development and acquisition at Barnfield Group, said: “We look forward to getting started and working with [Kerakoll] to provide high-quality, sustainable space to facilitate their growth plans.”
When it completes around August 2026, the Kerakoll plant will be the first unit at the APTUS scheme, which sits on 62 acres by Junction 31A of the M6 and close to the Roman Way Industrial Estate. APTUS comprises 12 units of between 25,000 sq ft and 500,000 sq ft.
Barnfield and HBD estimate the project has the potential to create 1,500 jobs.
HBD managing director Ed Hutchinson teased that there may be more news to come from APTUS.
He said: “APTUS is very well located, which, coupled with the continued shortage of industrial and logistics space across the region, is driving strong interest from potential occupiers.”
APTUS’s agents are Gerald Eve, Young & Co, and Eckersley Property. Regarding the deal with Kerakoll, the manufacturer was represented by Danny Pinkus of Pinkus & Co.
Want to learn more about the plans for APTUS? Search 06/2022/0745 on Preston City Council’s planning portal.
