Employment site earmarked for redevelopment

A real estate investment manager has submitted plans to redevelop a Telford commercial site in a move that would represent “an intensification of employment uses in an existing strategic employment area”.ARA Europe has lodged proposals for the site of International House on Stafford Park, which is currently occupied by an industrial building, office space and car parking.Lined up is the retention of the warehouse building and the demolition of the ancillary office space, along with the speculative development of about 43,000 sq ft GEA of flexible research and development, light and general industrial, and storage and distribution uses.The scheme, which would retain approximately 101,500 sq ft of existing B8 employment floor space, provides for a total of about 143,000 sq ft.A planning statement filed with Telford & Wrekin Council said the project would “represent an intensification of employment uses in an existing strategic employment area”.It added: “The existing ancillary office building which is to be demolished is dated and approaching the end of its serviceable life span.”The design of the proposal is of the highest standard and will introduce a modern industrial unit that will attract investment to the area and local economy.”The scale of the building is in keeping with modern industrial units and the surrounding industrial estate.”