Chandler's Ford: £20m Bericote industrial park is on track

Construction of a £20 million industrial and warehouse development at a key site in Chandler's Ford has reached a major milestone and is on track to be completed in September.

The site, now known as Alpha Park, is under construction by Bericote Properties in a scheme forward funded by BlackRock.

Bericote and BlackRock held a reception at the site to mark the erection of the frames for the units at the site, which is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2017. 

Alpha Park is prominently situated on the well-established Chandler's Ford Industrial Estate on land at School Lane/Electron Way which was previously an APW Electronics manufacturing facility.

 The building on the site was demolished to make way for three units of 20,000, 45,000 and 84,000 sq ft, all detached with self-contained secure yards and designed to cater for increasing demand from industrial & logistics occupiers for commercial property on the south coast.

Guests at the reception included representatives from local authorities, the Solent LEP, industrial agents and business groups.

Jonathan Maher, director at Bericote Properties, said: “We’re delighted to welcome so many guests to this site to see the development well under way at Alpha Park.

“Alpha Park is one of the first speculative developments providing Grade A specification high eaves units with secure yards in the region for two decades, again showing that there is a great deal of positivity in the market.”

The agents for the scheme are LSH and Colliers. Adrian Whitfield, industrial & logistics director for LSH on the south coast, said: “This is a significant development because Lambert Smith Hampton secured funding just after the EU Referendum, against a background of general nervousness about the economy.

“To receive backing for a speculative development during that time demonstrates the high level of confidence in the scheme and in the region’s economy.

“We are already in detailed talks with several potential occupiers ahead of these units becoming ready for occupation in September.”

The three new units at Alpha Park are designed to be suitable for general industrial, warehouse and distribution use. The park is in a highly accessible location near the M3, M27 and M25 motorways and close to Southampton Airport and Southampton Docks.