Go-ahead given for £25m offices

Aug 22 2007 by Tony McDonough, Liverpool Daily Post

NORTH-WEST developer Charles Topham Group (CTG) has secured planning permission for a major new office development at Knowsley Industrial Park, worth £25m.

The L-shaped site on the junction of the East Lancashire Road and Cooper’s Lane in Knowsley is adjacent to Knowsley Industrial Park and will wrap around the existing site of the Yorkshire Copper Tube complex.

Knowsley Council has granted planning permission for 165,000 sq ft of office space spread across 13 buildings that will be made available for sale or to let.

Richard Topham, managing director at Charles Topham Group, said: “This is our first development in Merseyside and we strongly believe that our approach to quality will quickly win fans in the Merseyside SME community.

“By offering small businesses the opportunity to own their own premises and by creating flexible products set in a modern and accessible environment, we think this development will be a huge success.”

With 13 separate buildings each capable of supporting around 80 employees, the new business park could accommodate over 1,000 workers once complete.

The buildings have been designed specifically for CTG for what they claim is an “innovative and flexible” solution to cater for modern business needs.

The three-storey buildings can be divided both horizontally and vertically enabling occupiers to create their own bespoke office environment tailored to their needs.

Integrated car parking with a minimum of 5% for disabled users and new and enhanced landscaping along the East Lancashire Road frontage is also included in the proposals.

Extending up Cooper’s Lane, a planned trade counter development will be marketed towards wholesale traders and suppliers. These units will be made available for sale or to let.

Site preparation for the major office project is due to commence some time this month.

tonymcdonough