Stakehill gets funding boost

Councillor Peter Williams, Paul Richardson, Asset Manager at CEG and John Hudson, Chief Executive of Rochdale Development Agency

Stakehill Industrial Estate is to receive hundreds of thousands of pounds to make sure it continues to attract new businesses.

Rochdale Borough Council has committed more than £300,000 over the next two years to fund environmental and highways improvements.

Councillor Peter Williams, Rochdale Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Planning, said: “Stakehill has a fantastic location on the M62 but we’ve recognised that in recent years it has started to look tired, especially in comparison to some newer and neighbouring business parks.

“The Council asked Rochdale Development Agency to co-ordinate a programme of improvements to the park and things have really gathered momentum after Commercial Estates Group took over around one-third of the site last year. We want to keep that momentum going and that’s why we have prioritised it over the next two years. Working with RDA and CEG we are confident that we will return Stakehill to its former glory and create hundreds of jobs.”

Stakehill was established 30 years ago with 2.5million square feet of industrial and distribution space. Last year CEG took on the management of more than a third of the estate and new occupiers took up around 0.5million square feet of space, creating around 300 jobs. There are currently approximately 2,500 people employed on the site and a further 1,500 jobs will be created when the site is fully occupied. Companies that have moved onto Stakehill in recent months include Comfy Quilts, Sitraben Contract Furniture, delivery company Yodel, NFT Distribution, Kinetic Security and Colorlord.

The Council investment will be used to improve the general environment, including installing new signage, providing bins, improving the lighting and clearing the verges, as well as improving the roads on the site.

Councillor June West, Chairwoman of Middleton Township Committee, said: “I am delighted that the Township is able to support the allocation of funds to upgrade the estate and contribute to future job growth in the Middleton economy.”

Paul Richardson, Asset Manager at CEG, said: “The Council’s investment is a great boost and we are working with them and the RDA to make sure Stakehill fulfils its potential. We are investing around £3million to improve the entrance to the site and to market it more widely and we have got every confidence that Stakehill will be fully occupied, creating hundreds more jobs.”

John Hudson, Chief Executive of Rochdale Development Agency, said: “We’ve worked hard with the private sector to give ourselves the best portfolio of employment sites in the North West and we have an incredibly strong presence along the M62. Stakehill is key to our inward investment offer and we are delighted that working in partnership with the Council and CEG we are seeing the estate attract new businesses and create jobs.”