A brand new flagship gateway development at the entrance to Aerohub Business Park, at Cornwall Airport Newquay, has enjoyed a double celebration with an event to mark its official opening and news that almost three-quarters of the units have been let or are under offer.
Sector 2 has been developed by Cornwall Council and co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund and offers high-quality office and light industrial space on a leasehold basis.
It is the latest in a series of developments owned by Cornwall Council and operated by Cornwall Development Company which have been brought together to be marketed nationally and internationally through a newly-launched website www.choosecornwall.co.uk
Sector 2’s strategic location makes it particularly attractive to businesses looking to make the most of excellent connectivity, its position within one of the UK’s largest designated Enterprise Zones and proximity to Cornwall Airport Newquay, earmarked as Europe’s first horizontal launch Spaceport for small satellites.
Already all of the eight industrial units and three of the nine new offices are either let or under offer with businesses spanning a number of sectors including specialist electronics manufacturing.
The project was made possible by a £3.1m investment by Cornwall Council and a further £4.3 million from the European Regional Development Fund, via the Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Growth Programme.
Officially opening Sector 2, Cllr Bob Egerton, Cornwall Council portfolio holder for Culture, Economy and Planning, said he was delighted with the strong interest received from businesses wanting to be part of the development.
“Sector 2 is an excellent example of the way Cornwall Council is investing alongside the Growth Programme and other partners to provide new workspace that can attract and create those skilled, well-paid jobs that we need, and to foster growing businesses,” he said.
“The early success of the development demonstrates that there is strong interest from companies looking to develop and grow in Cornwall and that if you provide high quality workspace in the right location, businesses will come and create jobs.”
Sector 2 is part of a suite of new high-quality business premises and plots across Cornwall that are owned by Cornwall Council and managed by Cornwall Development Company on its behalf. The aim is to provide new workspace that can support skilled, well-paid jobs and help meet the Growth Programme’s aim of delivering smart, sustainable and inclusive growth.
Other developments include the Enterprise Space for Advanced Manufacturing (ESAM) near St Austell; the Marine Renewables Business Park West at Hayle, and its sister development, Marine Renewables Business Park East, at Tolvaddon, near Pool.
By bringing these together on the new www.choosecornwall.co.uk website, it makes it easier for businesses to locate in Cornwall and is part of Cornwall Council’s objective of securing 38,000 new jobs on council land by 2030.
Mike King, Managing Director of Cornwall Development Company, said: “In recent years Cornwall Council and the EU-funded Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Growth Programme have partnered to invest more than £20 million in delivering high quality workspace and development plots for business, especially in growth sectors like aerospace and marine energy.
“With Sector 2 at Aerohub now complete and open, ESAM near St Austell attracting occupiers and plans for the second phase of the Marine Renewables Business Park at Hayle, we have a strong portfolio now brought together under a single banner and offering inward investors the perfect location to build their businesses in Cornwall.”
As well as offices and industrial premises to let, www.choosecornwall.co.uk also features serviced development plots available to buy.
Beth Taylor-Stubbs, Commercial Property Manager at Cornwall Development Company, said: “The new website has been designed so that we can add to it in the future and we hope it will be a real shop window for promoting workspace in a range of business location opportunities in Cornwall.”
Sector 2 was designed by architects Bailey Partnership and built by Kier Construction Ltd with Mace Group Ltd acting as Project Managers.
The new three storey building features nine new office suites, ranging from 57 to 111m2, and eight industrial units each with an average 230m2 floor-space split across two blocks.
Built to BREEAM ‘Excellent’ standard, the aim was to offer flexibility and tailored solutions for the needs of both start-up businesses and established firms, with the office and workshop space available to be let as individual or multiple units. And because it is within the Aerohub Enterprise Zone, there are tax incentives and capital reliefs available to qualifying businesses that locate to the development.
Glenn Caplin, Chief Executive of the Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership, attended the launch of Sector 2. He said: “Quality, bespoke workspace aimed at key sectors is a vital ingredient of a growing economy and Sector 2 delivers on all fronts. It is already attracting high-value, innovative businesses, and will be an anchor for the continued development of the Aerohub Business Park.”
For enquiries about workspace please contact Beth Taylor-Stubbs, Commercial Property Manager at Cornwall Development Company, via info@choosecornwall.co.uk
