The estate, which was developed on an old council depot site in the early 1980s, needed updating and is part of the council's desire to provide quality business accommodation throughout the district.
"It's fantastic news that this important project has been completed and that our modern industrial premises are now available for businesses to benefit from," says Cllr Tony Dignum, Cabinet Member for Growth, Place and Regeneration at Chichester District Council.
"By making these changes, we have been able to bring the whole site back into use and deliver the quality accommodation that businesses have told us they want to see.
"Inward investment and helping local businesses to grow and thrive is a key priority for us. We are doing a huge amount of work in this area — from encouraging businesses to relocate here, through to helping entrepreneurs and start-ups expand their businesses. We can't wait to welcome businesses back onto the site and to see the positive impact this will have on the local economy."
The industrial estate now includes a mix of different units, the largest situated in the central block, where there are 10 spaces ranging from 213 square metres to 240 square metres. These units also have the potential for tenants to fit out a mezzanine floor ranging from 107 square metres to 120 square metres. The remaining 20 units are spread across a further four blocks and range from 53 square metres to 60 square metres.
The site now includes level access into every unit, increasing accessibility and meeting the needs of wheelchair users and those using mobility aids. There are 32 electric vehicle charging points serving the estate and solar panels on every building, helping to reduce the estate's carbon emissions. There is also a comprehensive landscaping scheme, helping to improve the look and feel of the space and making it a pleasant place to work.
This project has been supported by a £1,183,017 grant allocated by Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership from the Government's Getting Building Fund, which aims to deliver jobs, skills and infrastructure across the county.
The industrial estate is one of a number of investments the council has made over the past five years to support local businesses and attract businesses outside of the area to relocate to the district. These projects include the building of the £6 million Enterprise Centre for start-up businesses, which is now run by Basepoint, and the building of £2 million Ravenna Point industrial units, both of which are based on Terminus Road in Chichester.
Facilities include:
The Enterprise Centre
- 3,252 square metres of managed workspace providing a mix of offices, workshops and shared workspace within two main buildings.
- The office building to the south side of the site comprises three floors of accommodation with 68 individual office units ranging from 13 square metres to 31sqm in size.
- The other main building where the workshops are based include individual units of 48 square metres at ground floor level and 17 square metres on a first floor mezzanine.
Ravenna Point
- The development provides 2,201 square metres of commercial floor space arranged across six industrial/business units with ancillary trade counter use and associated car parking.
- Each unit provides between 332 and 434 square metres of floor space including the potential for individual tenants to add a mezzanine floor of 102 to 135 square metres.
"We know how quality business accommodation can make a big difference," adds Tony. "Some of the businesses that originally started at the Enterprise Centre have now gone on to bigger premises. We are hoping that St James' Industrial Estate will continue to follow this very positive trend."
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