Cardiff-based commercial property company Rombourne has acquired the former Avana Bakeries premises at Rogerstone, Newport and will develop the nine acre site as a Business Park to provide up to 200,000 sq ft of manufacturing, warehouse and office accommodation.
The company has already begun to refurbish and subdivide the existing accommodation to create a range of distribution and manufacturing units from 10,000 sq ft upwards, as well as smaller workshops and open storage compounds. Located within two minutes from J28 M4, and accessed from the A467, the site will be known as the Avana Business Park.
Damian Stokes, chief executive of Rombourne, said: “We are extremely excited about this significant property acquisition. There is strong demand for industrial premises along the M4 corridor in South Wales with a shortage of good quality accommodation currently available.
“We will invest in creating modern, high-quality accommodation for a wide range of local and national businesses and bring much needed jobs back to Newport.
“The scrapping of bridge tolls at the end of the year will mean businesses based in Newport can serve both sides of the Severn equally. The site’s position close to the M4 will attract strong interest in units as they become available.”
The former Avana Bakeries site is situated on the established Wern Industrial Estate in Rogerstone, with a strategic commercial location two miles north of junction 28 of the M4 motorway and with fast access via the A467 dual-link road. A £13.7 million Welsh Government scheme to upgrade access to Junction 28 will be completed this year.
Rombourne has proven the success of its approach at its existing industrial estate in Moy Road in Taffs Well, Cardiff, where its investment in refurbishing accommodation has led to a 90 per cent occupation of the estate within a year of completing the development.
Cushman & Wakefield and DLP Surveyors have been appointed as joint agents to market the new industrial park. Chris Yates of Cushman & Wakefield said: “This site was an important source of jobs in the area for many years and it is tremendous news that investment is to be made to revive it.”
Michael Bruce of DLP Surveyors added: “Rombourne will be building on the success achieved at its other estates by creating quality, modern, flexible and affordable accommodation suitable for a wide range of businesses.”
