Redeveloped St James Industrial Estate wins prestigious award

The industrial estate, which is based in Westhampnett Road, Chichester, and which is owned and managed by Chichester District Council, reopened in March last year following a £6 million redevelopment. It offers 30 modern and sustainable industrial units for businesses to rent.

LABC represents all Local Authority building control services in England and Wales, and its annual Building Excellence Awards are the UK's largest business-to-business awards in the sector.

Having won 'Best Non-residential New Build' in the region, the St James Industrial Estate now qualifies as a finalist for consideration in the national awards, which take place early 2025. 

The site has also achieved the rating of 'Very Good' from the Building Research Establishment (BRE), which highlights the high level of sustainability of the buildings on the site. This positive rating also acknowledges the council's active approach to sustainability when planning and delivering the project and recognises it as an example of advanced best practice.

Councillor Adrian Moss, Leader of Chichester District Council, says: "Helping local businesses and providing them with a high-quality space to grow and thrive is a key priority for us. The investment made into the redevelopment of the St James estate is a key part of this, and so it's great to see the project recognised through this prestigious award.

"In 2023, we completed a £6m redevelopment of the estate — which was built on an old council depot site in the early 1980s — in order to bring the whole site into use and deliver the quality accommodation that businesses told us they wanted to see.

"The estate now includes a mix of 30 different sized units and 32 electric vehicle charging points, serving the estate and solar panels on every building, helping to reduce the estate's carbon emissions.

"As a council we are committed to reducing our impact on the environment. This is a big challenge, but one that we have taken significant steps to tackle. The sustainable performance of the buildings on the St James' Industrial Estate is an excellent example of this, and we're pleased that this has been recognised with a high rating from the Building Research Establishment."

The industrial estate is one of a number of investments the council has made to support local businesses and attract businesses outside of the area to relocate to the district. These projects include the building of the £6 million Enterprise Centre to support start-up businesses and the building of £2 million Ravenna Point industrial units, both of which are based on Terminus Road in Chichester.

Businesses who are interested in finding out more about the St James Industrial Estate can call the council's Estates team on: 01243 534632 or email: property@chichester.gov.uk 

People can find more information about the work that the council is doing to reduce its carbon footprint and to help others in the district to reduce their carbon footprint by visiting the climate change web page.  

Chichester District Council is also currently running a climate change consultation (opens new window), which is open until 5pm on 30 September. The consultation invites those who live, work or are students in the district to share their views on climate change projects that could help individuals and communities to reduce their carbon emissions. People can take part in the survey, which includes videos that help to explain each project.

Date of Release:12 September 2024   

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