New business units set to be completed

Dodgson Street, council built industrial units construction in progress

The first of 40 new council-built industrial units on Dodgson Street are set be completed by August 2017 - part of the council’s drive to support new and growing businesses, which need a small base, but can’t afford larger premises.

Councillor Richard Farnell, leader of the council, said: “These units are the first of 40 we will deliver over the next four years. They’re ideal for new and small businesses, which may have outgrown the garage, but don’t need anything really big. It’s clear from the number of enquiries we’ve had for these type of units that Rochdale’s business community is flourishing and we want to encourage them every step of the way.

“Companies that start out in small units like this could end up being the next big thing and we’re helping to give them the next step up. Indeed, one of our home-grown companies, Nomical Networks, started out as two men working from home. They then made the move into a small unit, like the ones we’re building at Dodgson Street, and have now grown so much that they are employing 40 people in a two-storey office building off Kingsway.”

The Dodgson Street units start at 69 square metres (750 square feet). The units, which are ideally suited to uses like construction trades, manufacturing and food production, will all have two parking spaces each and access to toilet and kitchen facilities. Two of the units also have mezzanine floors, while the other units have the capacity to add mezzanine floors at a later date.