Colliers International appointed to 123-acre Samlesbury Enterprise Zone

Colliers International has been tasked with helping to boost economic growth in Lancashire by attracting high-tech manufacturing companies to the 123-acre Samlesbury Enterprise Zone (EZ).

The real estate advisory firm will market up to one million sq ft of space at the scheme, which is located between Blackburn and Preston, to businesses in the advanced engineering and manufacturing sectors.

Colliers was appointed following an Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) tender process by the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and Lancashire County Council.

The Samlesbury EZ site is able to accommodate business units ranging from 20,000 sq ft to around 350,000 sq ft.

Construction work is already underway on a new road linking the A59 to the A677, enhancing the EZ’s connectivity with nearby cities and transport infrastructure, including Manchester Airport and the Liverpool Superport.

Andy Delaney, director of development consulting at Colliers’ Liverpool office, said: “Lancashire is the UK’s number one in terms of aerospace activity and advanced manufacturing and is home to significant businesses of national and global importance.

“Our appointment to market the Samlesbury EZ site is a major and prestigious instruction for Colliers and one which places us at the very heart of the drive by the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership and Lancashire County Council to highlight the key attributes and benefits that Lancashire offers as well as stimulating interest, enquiries and inward investment opportunities.”

He added: “This Samlesbury Enterprise Zone aims to attract thousands of highly skilled, high value jobs to a high quality commercial development in the epicentre of the Northern Powerhouse.”

Lancashire Enterprise Partnership chair Edwin Booth commented: “The LEP has been successful in securing EZ status for four separate sites across Lancashire, at Samlesbury and Warton, the Blackpool Airport Enterprise Zone and the Hillhouse International Energy and Chemicals Enterprise Zone.

“This is the most EZ sites awarded to a single LEP in the country, which is a significant achievement.”

He added: “Our four EZ sites have a strong and complementary industrial focus, building on Lancashire’s national and international strengths in the aerospace, advanced engineering and manufacturing, energy and chemicals industries.”

Speaking further, Edwin said the LEP’s EZ sites will help to collectively create more than 10k jobs, with thousands more created in the supply chain.

He continued: “Colliers will be marketing Samlesbury’s excellent location, rapidly improving connectivity, access to a highly skilled workforce and proximity to a supply chain featuring many high quality Lancashire businesses specifically geared up to support the automotive, aviation and hi-tech sectors.”

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