A major manufacturing concern is understood to be interested in a 100,000 sq ft unit on a Blackpole site where Worcestershire developers Maximus have applied for planning permission.
The major pre-let would be part of a 200,000 sq ft industrial development on a strategically important site at Blackpole, just off the Junction 6 of the M5 near Worcester.
Maximus managing director Jon Hickton said the deal was commercially sensitive as the business was seeking to move into Worcestershire from outside of the area, and any move would be subject to staff consultation.
He said the application for the Blackpole site addresses what he considers is an imbalance in the use of land identified under the 2009 Green Belt Review.
He said a number of the sites identified in that review had been taken up by housing, retail or mixed use schemes.
“When you consider the former Ronkswood Hospital site is zoned for residential use, Sheriff Street in Worcester for mixed use and the only other remaining site south of Warndon Woods is likely to taken up by residential development, there is a strong case for use of some of the available land for employment purposes.
“This application addresses the employment land issues facing Worcester City Council and is very well located.
“There is very strong demand for distribution or manufacturing sites in this area and we are receiving significant interest both from within Worcestershire and from outside of the county,” he said.
A report prepared by Worcester City Council notes that, with the exception of the Great Western Business Park development on Tolladine Road which was completed in 2009, “there has been little employment land completed in the city in recent years”.
Mr Hickton said he was hopeful that the Blackpole site Maximus has identified could go some way to alleviating the demand for and pressure to produce employment land in the county.
Maximus is a privately owned property development and investment group launched in 2001 which has experienced rapid growth and success over the past 14 years.
Notable developments include Topaz, the 44,700 sq ft office park near Junction 1 of the M42 at Bromsgrove, the Quartz Point business park near Junction 6 of the M42 at Solihull, and the 40,000 sq ft speculative office scheme Wildwood Triangle, off Junctions 6 and 7 at Worcester.