15.06.05
£1.2M High Quality Business Unit Development Opens in Bodmin

A brownfield site in Bodmin has been transformed by the development of much needed, high quality business units thanks to North Cornwall District Council and Objective One investment. On Friday 17th June the development was officially opened by Cllr Neil Burden, North Cornwall District Council and Carleen Kelemen, Director of the Objective One Partnership.

The fourteen units on the Walker Lines Industrial Estate offer high quality, flexible work space with broadband internet connections and good facilities including cycle storage and disabled toilets. The elevated site has fantastic countryside views and the building takes advantage of the sloping site allowing all units to have external level access. The development adheres to the highest environmental standards with independent earth energy heating, low energy lighting, high levels of thermal insulation and recycled rainwater used in the toilets.

This project sees the culmination of several years' work by NCDC's economic development and estates teams. Recognising the demand for quality office space in Bodmin they put together a strong bid for Objective One investment to allow them to re-develop a council owned brownfield site to meet the needs of local business. The resulting development has set a new quality standard on the Walker Lines Industrial Estate.

Cllr Neil Burden, chair of NCDC's Regeneration Committee said: "There is a huge demand for this kind of business space. This is the only purpose-built specialist office accommodation that has been brought onto the market in Bodmin in the past five years. I am very pleased that North Cornwall District Council has responded to local demand and has been able to provide this excellent development that gives local companies the quality facilities they need. This is a good example of how a brownfield site can be re-developed to meet modern needs. We are particularly pleased to have been able to produce an environmentally friendly, sustainable building that uses geothermal energy and are grateful to the Objective One partnership for the substantial investment they have given this project. We will continue to push forward schemes to provide more well-serviced, modern business space to help established companies expand and new businesses to start up."

North Cornwall District Council secured over half a million pounds worth (£508,800) of investment from Objective One for the development which is built on a council owned brownfield site on the Walker Lines Industrial Estate. The site of the new development formerly housed the Bodmin indoor swimming pool and squash courts. The original building became surplus to requirements and was demolished when the new pool was opened at the Dragon Leisure Centre in 1996.

The letting of the units will be managed by the district council's estates service. Altogether the units provide 875m2 of lettable floor space. This is divided into 14 units of varying sizes which are sufficiently flexible so that changes in demand for accommodation size can be catered for in the future through adjustment of internal walls and partitions.

NCDC's design service developed the original concept of the scheme and obtained planning consent and project managed the development. The detailed design and construction of the building was carried out by local contractor TJ Brent.

Arthur Boyce, business manager of TJ Brent said: "We were pleased to be involved with this scheme especially as we were able to introduce numerous sustainable aspects into the project, both during the construction phase and into the completed building. We hope that this scheme attracts more interest into the Walker Lines Industrial Estate."

Carleen Kelemen, Director of the Objective One Partnership, said: "The opening of Walker Lines is excellent news for the region. Under the Objective One Programme Bodmin was identified as an area that needed high quality accommodation for businesses. The units at Walker Lines will do exactly that, helping businesses to expand and boost wealth generation in the area."

Amongst the new business tenants are two companies, ReZolve Kernow and Organic South West (The Soil Association), involved in promoting environmentally friendly products. Ian Jones, chief executive of ReZolve Kernow said: "ReZolve Kernow had been looking for new premises for sometime and this development by NCDC gave us the ideal opportunity to expand into Bodmin. We were pleased with the sustainability criteria that were built into the structure particularly the energy savings systems. We at ReZolve Kernow work with communities and businesses across Cornwall on sustainable development, waste awareness and minimisation. The Walker Lines development has given us the ideal location in which to base our teams."

Organic South West is a Soil Association managed project which works with organic producers and processors to assist them to produce and market organic products, while also working to develop local markets. The Walker Lines business units were chosen by Organic South West and the Soil Association as the ideal location due to their ease of access in a central location just off the A30. Also being a new purpose built office it also has broadband access which has already much improved communications with the Soil Association head office in Bristol and customers within Cornwall, as well as making a considerable cost saving to the project. Now we are in a central location and have a larger office we hope to facilitate more of our meetings with customers at the office rather than doing so much travelling around Cornwall. Traci Lewis, project manager said "We are very pleased with our new office and are already enjoying the benefits of broadband and our central location."

For further information please contact Annie Moore of North Cornwall District Council on 01208 893318.

The Objective One Programme for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly has invested in the Walker Lines Business Units through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

Editor's notes:

NCDC: Annie Moore: 01208 893318; Catherine Smith, Economic Development Manager,: 01208 265633; Cllr Neil Burden, Chair of Regeneration: 01566 782286

The Objective One Communications Team
Tel: 01872 223439 / 07973 813647

Ian Jones, Chief Executive, ReZolve Kernow
Tel: 01579 349 316 Fax: 01579 340406; Mob: 07813 177984

Traci Lewis, Project Manager, Organic South West (Cornwall and Isles Of Scilly)
Tel: 01208 78988; Mob: 07870 268654

Clare Morgan
Media Relations Manager
Objective One Partnership Office
Castle House
Pydar Street
Truro TR1 2UD
Mobile: 07973 813647
Telephone: 01872 223439

cmorgan@cornwall.gov.uk

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