HBD and Barnfield start work on £100m APTUS scheme

HBD, part of Henry Boot, and Barnfield Construction, part of Barnfield Group, held a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the beginning of work on site at APTUS, the JV’s strategic industrial and logistics scheme in Preston.

The £100 million scheme will provide a major boost for the Lancashire economy, creating up to 1,500 jobs and attracting crucial inward investment, including first occupier Kerakoll which is expanding from its current base in Leyland.  

HBD and Barnfield have secured planning permission for 800,000sq ft of high quality, sustainable space at APTUS, which has seen strong interest from occupiers, particularly given its excellent location at Junction 31A of the M6, close to the established Roman Way industrial estate.

Ed Hutchinson, managing director of HBD, said: “It’s great to be able to get started on site, putting the infrastructure in place to deliver this important employment scheme. Once the spine road is complete, Barnfield will begin construction on Kerakoll’s 145,000sq ft unit early next year.

“APTUS will inject much needed space into the market, helping to ease the under-supply within the region, while providing bespoke, sustainable buildings that meet occupiers’ ESG objectives.”

Tracy Clavell-Bate, Head of Development at Barnfield Group, said: “It’s fantastic to see work progressing at pace at APTUS – the spine road will open up and serve the entire site, alongside off- site highway improvements and new services.

"We’re also creating a biodiversity area of 15 acres to the south of the site, coupled with a payment to Lancashire Wildlife Trust. It Is great to be working with HBD again on our third joint venture development following the extremely successful schemes at Huyton and Preston East".

Units are available from 25,000sq ft to 500,000sq ft at APTUS. The agents are Gerald Eve, Young & Co and Eckersley Property.

HBD, part of Henry Boot, is one of the UK’s most well established property developers.

It boasts an impressive track record, strong financial backing and a reputation for delivery that has seen it become the partner of choice for local authorities, investors, and developers.

Working with a £1.3 billion development pipeline, HBD operates from six UK offices, focusing on industrial and logistics, urban development and residential projects.

Barnfield Group are contractors, developers and investors working with public and private sector partners and clients for more than 40 years.

Headquartered in Lancashire, the £80 million turnover property group is delivering a diverse range of schemes on more than 30 live sites nationwide. The organisation is a market leader in its field, with an excellent track record in every sector of the industry.