Last updated 14:02, Tuesday, 12 August 2008

ALMOST 100 firms from around the world have asked about moving work and jobs to a new Barrow industrial estate. 

The companies interested in the Waterfront Business Park on Barrow Island include some from America, India, France, Denmark, Spain as well as from the UK. About half the enquiries have been from local firms thinking about relocating from existing sites in the Barrow area.

The site is expected to create an estimated 1,500 jobs over 10 years. The type of businesses interested include marine services companies, off-shore energy development specialists, defence, engin-eering and nuclear firms, a kitchen manufacturer and hotel companies.

Barrow mayor Councillor Dave Roberts said: “The response is terrific. We have always been hopeful that it would attract this kind of attention and this is a wonderful start.  Obviously, when you get people showing interest at such an early stage it gives us the opportunity to speak to the various companies and organisations and see what their needs are and develop them accordingly.”

Furness Enterprise was hired to promote the new park by urban regeneration group West Lakes Renaissance, the body behind the Barrow Waterfront masterplan for developing unused land in the docks.

The £200m masterplan includes a marina and marina village, as well as the three-phase business park on old dock land on Barrow Island. An initial £11m of work going on now will see roads and building plot sites completed and services like water, gas and electricity
installed by November for the first phase of the giant business park, called the Ramsden Business Park.

Building of the first work and office units should start after November. Work on a £2m new road link into the docks from Michaelson Road is expected to begin in September.

Stuart Klosinski, the industrial development director of Furness Enterprise, said some firms that have shown interest have already visited the site to have a look. 
He said: “The response so far is encouraging. We are treating 34 of these inquiries as a priority.”

Enquiries started coming in even before building work had begun.