Acting on behalf of Carlton Holdings, chartered surveyor and commercial estate agent Legat Owen has relet Hurleston Business Park in Nantwich, Cheshire, to two major occupiers.
Located on the A51 north west of Nantwich, the five and a half acre site was formerly occupied by Synetiq before the company relocated to Winsford in the summer. The site comprises industrial buildings measuring a total of 28,000 sq ft and a large yard area to the side and rear.
The buildings have been relet to nearby Reaseheath College on a 15-year lease. The leading land-based college, which also has a University Centre and Business Hub, has repurposed the facilities for its new Reaseheath Engineering Apprenticeship Academy and has invested £250,000 into upgrading the facilities and installing state-of-the-art training equipment in the engineering workshops.
The site has become the base for the UK’s first bus and coach engineering academy, created in partnership with First Bus, and is delivering tailored training to First Bus apprentice engineering technicians in the maintenance of next generation, zero-emission transport vehicles.
Reaseheath has also used its new academy to deliver bespoke training for Bentley Motors, enabling the company to meet its increasing need for electrification training at all levels.
The college has also moved its Construction Plant Apprenticeships training hub to the Hurleston Road site.
Graeme Lavery, Reaseheath’s Vice Principal (Finance and Resources) said: “Working with Legat Owen, we have been able to acquire the lease of a first-class site which is ideally located and suited to the delivery of engineering apprenticeship training, particularly in the growing area of green technology, which is core to the businesses of our industry partners.
“The detailed process of negotiating the lease details was made easier with the proactive support of Legat Owen. This ensured Reaseheath College was able to reconfigure the site and welcome the first students to the new centre of excellence just four months after agreeing the initial Heads of Terms.”
The yard area of 2.46 acres is on a 10-year lease to Blue Machinery (Central) Ltd and will be used for the distribution and repairs of capital equipment used in the construction, quarrying, demolition, scrap and ports industries.
Pat McGeary, Chairman at Blue Machinery (Central) commented: “Locating and securing this site so quickly to meet a January deadline has enabled us to enter 2022 with a new product line and create up to 15 jobs immediately. Working with Andy at Legat Owen and Mark at Carlton Holdings was very professional and cordial at all times.”
Speaking about the deals, Andy Butler, Director at Legat Owen, commented: “Sites with this potential rarely come forward in this area. By splitting the site, we have been able to agree deals with two excellent occupiers which both provide strong covenants for our client.”
