Exertis' Burnley development hits construction milestone

Construction work on the new Exertis distribution facility in Burnley is well underway, with a fifth of the steel framework now in place.

The 543,620 sq ft centre, at Burnley Bridge Business Park, will see technology distribution firm Exertis become the 70-acre site’s largest occupier after signing a deal with developer Eshton earlier this year.

Contractor Bowmer & Kirkland, which has an office in Manchester, started construction work on the site in July and has now poured half of the concrete for the service yard, with work to lay fencing, drainage and foundations ongoing. Furthermore, 200 tonnes of steelwork has now been delivered to the site.

Eshton’s managing director, James Chapman, said: “The deal to bring Exertis to Burnley Bridge Business Park was a landmark for the region and us as a business, so to see the building finally taking shape is a huge step forward for commercial development locally.

“Every day we see more and more progress being made at the site but it’s great to see the steelwork going up as this is a major milestone in the project’s delivery.”

When finished, the facility will be large enough to house five full-sized football pitches, according to Exertis.

Bowmer & Kirkland’s regional director, Gary Bradley, commented: “We are delighted to be working with Eshton to deliver this distribution centre for Exertis.

“We are on programme and construction has progressed very well.”

The erection of steelwork will continue in the coming weeks, with 42km of steel tubular piles and 2,000 tonnes of steels expected to be used in total.

Construction is due for completion in May next year, with the site expected to be in full operation by the beginning of 2017.