The investor behind a new £6m speculative business park in Barnsley says quality of build will be key to attracting new occupiers.

Developer and long terms investor Carnell Management Services Ltd are delivering 15 high quality units for B1, B2 and B8 use.

Construction is advancing well at the Nexus industrial development with cladding now almost completed on all of the units and internal fit out starting to take shape. Units are expected to be ready for occupation in October.

Paul Carnell from Carnell Management Services Ltd, which successfully developed and fully let Bullrush Business Park in Doncaster, said: “These are speculative units and a response to the lack of small to medium sized units that are so desperately needed in the region.

“There has not been much speculative development of this size in the region, mostly due to the difficulties making such sized schemes viable.

“We have taken a long term view on this project and committed investment in the area, coupled with support from Barnsley MBC and Enterprising Barnsley. We have kept a watchful eye on the quality of the build and are confident that this will pay dividends with occupiers.”

Cllr Tim Cheetham, Cabinet Spokesperson for Regeneration and Culture at Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council, said: “It’s great to see the progress being made at Nexus, which is located on the flourishing Capitol Park site. This major development should create high quality jobs and provide a further boost to our local economy as we look to help businesses to thrive.”

Nexus’ units are being built with the help of £2.20m loan from the Sheffield City Region JESSICA Fund, and are high specification featuring impressive facades, full height roller shutter loading doors,  LED lighting to the warehouse, fitted offices with WCs, shower and kitchen facility and good sized loading areas with dedicated yards to the large units.

The site also benefits from on site CCTV, availability of superfast broadband connectivity and electric car charging points, all set within a landscaped business park environment.

Rebecca Schofield, partner at the Sheffield office of Knight Frank which is marketing the scheme, said: “The development features high quality industrial and warehouse units ranging in size from 3,000 to 11,800 sq ft, aimed at satisfying the much-needed demand for small and medium-sized industrial space in the region.

“Now that the units are advancing we have good levels of interest in the units from potential occupiers.”

Joint agent Andrew Corbett of Smiths Chartered Surveyors added: “I am delighted to have been brought on board as joint agent. There has been a lack of speculative development of small to medium size industrial units for some time and a lack of available stock to satisfy occupier demand. The location of the scheme and high quality construction will make Nexus highly sought after space”.

Capitol Park, Barnsley sits adjacent to J37 M1 and two miles from Barnsley town centre, and has proved popular with a mixture of office and industrial occupiers including Sheffield Children’s Hospital, Gem Imports and NHS.

Barnsley has a growing reputation as an important link in the South Yorkshire business network, and as a target for growing and expanding companies. Barnsley-based SMEs ranked as the most productive in the whole of the Y&H region with higher than national average private sector job growth levels and high housing stock growth.

It boasts high business survival rates, superfast broadband and quick links to the east coast, M62, A1, M1 and M18 corridor.