IN Brief:
- Barnfield Construction has started work on the 103,770 sq ft Birch 100 industrial and logistics unit in Heywood.
- Chancerygate’s specification includes a 12m clear height, 1MVA power supply, solar PV, EV charging and extensive dock-level loading.
- A separate planning application has also been submitted for around 130,000 sq ft of additional accommodation at Birch Business Park.
Barnfield Construction has started building a 103,770 sq ft industrial and logistics unit at Birch Business Park in Heywood as owner Chancerygate expands and upgrades the estate following its acquisition last year.
The new building, marketed as Birch 100, is being developed as a detached Grade A warehouse with associated office accommodation. Current project information divides the gross external area between a 91,226 sq ft ground-floor warehouse and two office floors of 6,272 sq ft each, taking the total to 103,770 sq ft.
The specification combines steel portal-frame construction with features aimed at larger logistics and industrial occupiers. Clear internal height is planned at 12 metres, while the warehouse floor is designed for loading of 50kN per sq m. Yard depths of between 40 and 50 metres are intended to provide manoeuvring space around the loading elevation.
Servicing is distributed across six dock-level doors, two Euro dock doors and two level-access doors. The arrangement supports different loading operations rather than concentrating movements through a small number of openings, while level access also allows equipment and vehicles to enter directly from the yard where required.
The building is being marketed with a 1MVA electrical supply, fitted office accommodation and raised-access flooring in the office areas. Solar photovoltaic generation and electric vehicle charging are also included, with the development targeting BREEAM Excellent and an EPC A rating.
Higher-capacity electrical connections are becoming a more prominent part of industrial building design as automation, charging infrastructure and tenant equipment increase power requirements. A 1MVA connection does not determine how an occupier will use the building, but it provides greater headroom than a lower-capacity supply that might subsequently require reinforcement.
PV generation can offset part of the building’s electricity demand, although actual performance will depend on installed capacity, operating patterns and tenant consumption. EV infrastructure introduces another load that has to be considered alongside warehouse equipment, lighting, offices and any future process machinery connected by the occupier.
Barnfield’s start on site follows Chancerygate’s acquisition of the existing Birch Business Park estate for £60m in July 2025. The park sits close to junction 19 of the M62 and junction 3 of the M66, providing access to the wider Greater Manchester and North West road network.
Chancerygate has also completed refurbishment work to existing units on the estate. Current Birch Business Park information describes more than 497,000 sq ft of existing, refurbished and planned commercial space across the wider site, with smaller refurbished buildings sitting alongside the much larger Birch 100 development.
Construction is therefore taking place within an established employment estate rather than on an isolated development site. New-build works have to be coordinated with existing occupiers, estate traffic, deliveries and operational infrastructure while the warehouse structure, envelope and services are installed.
A separate planning application has been submitted for around 130,000 sq ft of further industrial accommodation at Birch Business Park. That proposal remains at a different delivery stage from Birch 100: Barnfield is already constructing the 103,770 sq ft unit, while the additional accommodation remains subject to the planning process.
The loading arrangement also indicates the range of operations the completed warehouse is intended to support. Dock-level doors accommodate trailers against a raised warehouse floor, while level-access doors provide direct entry for vehicles and mobile equipment. The combination allows different goods-handling methods without major structural alterations after occupation.
Floor loading of 50kN per sq m similarly reflects the demands associated with storage racking, handling equipment and concentrated warehouse loads. The structural floor has to control movement under those loads while maintaining tolerances required for materials-handling equipment operating across the slab.
Current project marketing lists Birch 100 for availability during 2027. Before then, Barnfield’s programme will progress through structural erection, envelope completion, building services, external works and final fit-out required to turn the development specification into an operational industrial unit.
The Heywood project adds new Grade A space to an established business park while Chancerygate continues to refurbish existing stock and pursue further development on the same estate. Birch 100 is the part of that programme already in physical construction, with its separate 130,000 sq ft proposal remaining behind it in the planning sequence.
