TO LET/MAY SELL Premier Business Park, Ferry Beach Road, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria LA14 2PP

LOCATION

Barrow-in-Furness is the principal town of South Cumbria and is situated at the south of the county boundary, bordered to the southeast by Morecambe Bay, the Irish Sea to the west and the Duddon Channel to the north. Barrow is connected by the A590 which leads to Junction 36 of the M6 motorway some 30 miles east providing links to the north and south.

The town has a resident population of 69,100 (2011 Census) and whilst it is very much known for its industrial and shipbuilding heritage, it lies just 12 miles south of The Lake District National Park. The town has a weighted retail catchment in excess of 70,000 people and a greater district catchment in excess of 108,000 being one of South Cumbria's main retail destinations. Barrow has benefited from substantial inward investment in recent years to improve the Port and Marina facilities and the waterfront in general. Major employers include BAE Systems, Siemens, Kimberley Clark as well as Sellafield at Seascale, which is around 45 miles up the northwest coast.

Premier Business Park is situated on the A590 Ferry Beach Road in a high profile position adjacent to BAE Systems and Devonshire Dock and immediately south of Channel Side Business Park and Hollywood Retail Park. The A590 is the main arterial route providing direct access in and out of Barrow-in-Furness and also leads to the A5087 Hindpool Road, approximately 500m to the north that travels into the town centre, a 5 minute drive away.

The surrounding area provides a mixture of uses including trade counter, retail warehouse, residential and commercial with BAE Systems operating a number of the buildings and docks in the immediate vicinity. Other surrounding users include Premier Inn, Furness College, Tesco and The Dock Museum.



LOCAL MARKET

In recent years, a number of large employment projects, primarily dominated by BAE Systems and associated sub-contractors ignited by the renewal of the UK's Nuclear Weapons Programme which is being carried out in Barrow's Shipyard and further projects are in the process of being secured which will see BAE Systems provided valuable employment and expansion plans to 2040 and beyond.

In October 2023, BAE Systems announced that the Ministry of Defence had awarded a £3.95bn of funding for the next phase of the UK's next-generation nuclear-powered submarine programme, known as SSN-AUKUS which is to be the largest, most powerful and advanced attack submarines the Royal Navy has ever operated. This award will also fund significant infrastructure investment at BAE Systems' site in Barrow-in-Furness providing investment in a supply chain and recruitment of more than 5,000 people, growing its workforce to more than 12,500 including around 900 new apprentices and graduates (Source: BAE Systems).



LEARNING QUARTER SCHEME

Alongside the development of Barrow's state of the art Central Yard facility, the largest shipyard in the UK adjacent to Premier Business Park, a partnership between the University of Cumbria, BAE Systems, Lancaster University, Furness College and Westmorland & Furness Council is developing a 7-acre educational campus adjacent to the main shipyard and is expected to be completed by Autumn 2024.

The Barrow Learning Quarter will create a full university presence to attract and retain talented graduates in areas such as advanced manufacturing, business, computing, education and health, offering specialist teaching spaces (Source: University of Cumbria).



BAE SYSTEMS TRAINING CENTRE

In early 2023, BAE Systems purchased the vacant retail unit formerly occupied by Debenhams, WH Smith and The Body Shop in Portland Walk which forms part of the Barrow-in-Furness town centre and is refurbishing the buildings to create an educational and training hub for new recruits and recent graduates, also offering an interactive submarine experience and the role Barrow has in the UK's defence industry. Work has already begun on Phase I, developing a multi-agency recruitment office and this will attract trainees from all over the UK. Phase I commenced in September 2023 (Source: BAE Systems).



THE OPPORTUNITY

Premier Business Park provides a modern trade counter property with associated warehousing, offices, car parking and loading area and adjacent development land that has outline planning permission for commercial, motel and holiday let accommodation use. The land and property are available as a whole or to let in part with some of the site recently used as a 100-space car park.

The trade counter premises provide a detached building of part brick/part profile clad construction with a pitched profile roof. The property incorporates a two-storey showroom and office to the front and large warehouse to the rear. The showroom is well fitted with plaster painted walls and ceilings and suspended recessed fluorescent defused lighting at ground floor and with suspended ceilings with recessed fluorescent lighting at first floor and UPVC double glazed windows throughout. The first-floor benefits from attractive views to Channelside and Walney Island.

The interconnected rear warehouse is of steel portal frame construction with solid concrete floors and has a minimum eaves height of 5m rising to approximately 7m. The premises benefit from translucent roof lights, sodium downlighting, a side roller shutter entrance (4.25m high x 4.21m wide) and a rear roller shutter (5.12m high x 4.15m wide). The generous eaves height opens up the potential of adding substantial mezzanine accommodation.

Externally, there is a large tarmacadam car park and rear hardcore storage land.

The adjacent development land comprises approximately 0.56 acres and has the benefit of outline planning permission for 8 commercial units with associated car parking, 16 bed motel at first and second floors above and 5 separate detached self-catering holiday units with car parking. Further details can be viewed on the Barrow Borough Council Planning Portal, Application Reference B14/2014/0504.

The land may offer the potential for development to other uses, subject to planning.  Prospective tenants or purchasers should contact Westmorland & Furness Planning Department with their enquiries.




ACCOMMODATION

The land and property provide the following approximate gross areas:

Trade Counter Unit

Ground Floor Showroom                    170.85m2                     (1,839 sq ft)

First Floor Showroom/Office              165.62m2                     (1,783 sq ft)

Warehouse                                          338.76m2                     (3,646 sq ft)

Total Approximate GIA                       675.23m2                     (7,268 sq ft)

Development Land                              0.23 hectares              (0.56 acres)

Total Site Area                                    0.43 hectares              (1.50 acres)




SERVICES

It is advised that mains services are available on or adjacent to the site.  It is the responsibility of the tenant/purchaser to determine the exact position of existing services and to arrange for any modification/connection of these to the land and property in consultation with the relevant services providers.

The trade counter premises are connected to mains electricity, water, and the mains drainage system.

 

SITE CONDITIONS

It is understood that a Site Investigation has been carried out in conjunction with the planning consents granted at the subject land.

The purchaser/developer/tenant will be responsible for any necessary assessment of ground conditions and will need to satisfy themselves that development can take place safety.




RATEABLE VALUE

The property has a Rateable Value of £27,750 with estimated rates payable of £14,208 per annum for the year 2023/24.

Prospective tenants should check the exact rates payable with Westmorland & Furness Council.

 

ENERGY PERFORMANCE CERTIFICATE

The property has an Energy Rating Assessment of B49 and a copy of the Energy Performance Certificate is available to download from the Edwin Thompson website or upon application.




LEASE TERMS

The land and property are available to let as a whole or in parts, further details upon application.

Alternatively, the site may be available for sale and can be discussed with the selling agents.

 

VAT

All figures quoted are exclusive of VAT where applicable.




LEGAL COSTS

Each party to bear their own legal costs in the preparation and settlement of the letting/sale documentation together with any VAT thereon.

 

VIEWING

The property is available to view by prior appointment with the Kendal Office of Edwin Thompson LLP.  Contact:

John Haley or Ellie Oakley




IMPORTANT NOTICE

Edwin Thompson for themselves and for the Vendor of this property, whose Agents they are, give notice that:

The particulars are set out as a general outline only for the guidance of intending purchasers and do not constitute, nor constitute part of, any offer or contract.
All descriptions, dimensions, plans, reference to condition and necessary conditions for use and occupation and other details are given in good faith and are believed to be correct, but any intending purchasers should not rely on them as statements or representations of fact, but must satisfy themselves by inspection or otherwise as to their correctness.
No person in the employment of Edwin Thompson has any authority to make or give any representation or warranty whatsoever in relation to this property or these particulars, nor to enter into any contract relating to the property on behalf of the Agents, nor into any contract on behalf of the Vendor.
No responsibility can be accepted for loss or expense incurred in viewing the property or in any other way in the event of the property being sold or withdrawn.
These particulars were prepared in April 2024.