First phase of Blackburn commercial estate completed

The first phase of a £10million Blackburn commercial estate on near the M65 has been completed.

Roundhouse Properties Momentum development is next to Guide Reservoir close to EG Group’s Waterside headquarters and opposite Shadsworth Business Park.

When the site has been completed, it will see 68 new commercial units providing 24,000 square feet of commercial space on a 3.85 acre site.

Phase one saw 14 of them being built, of which ten are 1,000 sq ft and four are 850 sq ft.

There are only two units left available to purchase or let.

They are aimed at growing small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs).

The new business park will be accessed off Haslingden Road close to Junction 5 of the M65 and includes provision for 193 parking spaces, motorcycle parking and cycle storage.

The Shadsworth site will be the fourth Momentum project and follows previous developments in Preston and Buckshaw Village, near Chorley.

Managing director of Bamber Bridge-based Roundhouse Properties, Jeremy Lefton, said: “Despite the economic uncertainty over the past year, we have seen a healthy demand for units at our Blackburn site, and we’re now focussing on starting phase two that will see 20 units constructed by the end of May 2025.

“With the UK economy looking like it’s back on track, we expect that demand for phase two to be better than phase one, and once we have most of those units tenanted or sold, we’ll then look to develop the final phase of the site by 2026.

“We developed the Momentum concept to provide growing businesses with affordable and flexible space, and it’s an idea that has gone down very well with SMEs across the region.”

Danny Pinkus at Pinkus & Co. and Neil Weaver of Taylor Weaver are joint agents for the scheme.

The scheme was granted planning permission in May 2022 despite objections from a nearby couple.

They submitted three letters of objection raising concerns including over-development; traffic and air pollution; lack of green space and loss of trees; poor design; ecological impact; and noise.

But an officer’s report to Blackburn with Darwen Council planning committee said: “This would provide substantial economic, social and environmental benefits.

“The scrubland application site lies vacant and is identified as an employment land.

“The modern appearance of the units, with an attractive, active frontage to Haslingden Road and the retention of the existing stone wall, is considered acceptable, and the scale and appearance of the buildings would be similar to other buildings in the area.”