Cornwall’s largest speculative workspace development hailed a success

Software specialist, Bluefruit has just relocated to new offices at the newly built Barncoose Gateway Business Centre near Redruth.

With two floors of over 440 square metres each, there’s plenty of room to accommodate Bluefruit’s expanding pool of developers, and its ambitious plans for growth over the next few years.

Bluefruit are the latest established company to move into either office or industrial space at Barncoose Gateway following Cornish Cottage Holidays, Furniture World and Coastline Housing (who bought the freehold of their premises for their Headquarters).

The £13.5 million Business Centre which was completed at the end of last year was supported by more than £6.6 million of  ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) Convergence investment.

It remains the largest speculative employment space to be undertaken in Cornwall and is made up of five office and hybrid/industrial units on a site near to the A30 and Redruth.

Julian German, Cornwall Council Portfolio Holder for Economy and Culture and member of the Convergence Local Management Committee, which steers the Convergence Programme said: ‘The fact that the Barncoose Gateway Business Centre is already almost at full capacity is testament to the demand from local businesses for high quality workspace. It shows how the ERDF programme can work with the private sector to develop the types of quality investments we are looking for in Cornwall to drive our growth ambitions’

Rob Redgrave who is Head of Commercial Agency at Miller Commercial Chartered Surveyors has been overseeing the marketing of the premises and negotiating the lease agreements for the companies moving in there.

He says “We have been involved with the site since conception and marketing commenced on an ‘off plan’ basis 18 months ago; we are now down to the last remaining unit.

Interestingly the majority of the companies who have taken space at Gateway Business Centre are internet based businesses. We feel part of the attraction of this site is the access to Superfast Broadband, at also demonstrates that being located in the administrative centre of Truro is no longer essential. Demand appears to be shifting to strategic locations benefitting from good transport links and access for staff commutes.