(Left) Joseph Green and Alex Sewell (Right) of Fairbank Investments Ltd who have sold the Fairfield Business Park in Penistone to Neal Brothers
Fairfield Business Park in Penistone, Barnsley, has been sold in a multi-million-pound deal.
Over the past two years, the site has been fully developed from being unoccupied into a thriving business park by family-run, Barnsley-based property and land specialists, Fairbank Investments Ltd.
The fully-let park has been bought by international packaging business Neal Brothers, for a seven-figure sum. Neal Brothers are the main tenants on the site, running their export packaging business from their onsite warehouse.
Located in the heart of Penistone, the historic former David Brown plant shut at the end of 2020 when former owner, SPX, transferred its production and manufacturing processes to an alternative UK production site, leading to job losses and vacant premises.
The 1930s factory development, once a major manufacturing hub employing more than 1,500 people at its peak production period, was given a new lease of life after being acquired by Fairbank Investments in March 2021.
Fairbank Investments bought the four-acre Green Road site after spotting its huge potential to create employment and restore economic prosperity to the town. The development progressed with the Fairbank Investments team prioritising eco-friendly design and sensitive building practices, employing the same meticulous design and sustainability ethos displayed in all of its regeneration projects.
Opened by shipmaker Cammell Laird in the late 19th century, the site was mothballed in 1930 but taken over by industrialist Sir David Brown in 1935. Sir David established foundry, pumps and fabrication operations in Penistone which produced bullet-proof castings during the Second World War and later specialised in manufacturing pumps for the global oil and gas industry.
The park currently consists of 14 independent offices totalling 15,000 sq ft which is home to a range of flourishing independent businesses with a further 66,000 sq ft of warehouse space which has been occupied by main tenants, Neal Brothers since late 2021.
Neal Brothers’ warehouse has prime access, high eves, roller shutter doors and an overhead crane. The facility has enabled the US-based international business to extend its existing operations in the north of England. The company has recruited staff locally and the operation has grown significantly since launching three years ago.
Other successful businesses operating from the site range from financial planning experts and a construction and building specialist to numerous clothing and accessories retailers and a pet grooming salon.
Alex Sewell of Fairbank Investments, commented: “We are thrilled that our vision to revitalise a local site of such historical importance has been fully realised and we have sold the business park as a thriving commercial hub, resulting in job creation and a bright future for the area. The legacy is an important one for the town following a few years of uncertainty but there is a diverse range of businesses on site, which have all created local employment opportunities and fully regenerated the area.
Added Joseph Green of Fairbank Investments: “When the production facility closed in 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic, this resulted in widespread redundancies, and the future of the site in Penistone looked incredibly bleak. As a local family business in the area and living locally ourselves, we wanted to take positive action and restore the site to its former glory, fully benefitting the town and the local economy. We are incredibly proud and satisfied that we’ve achieved this objective and have left the business park in very secure and capable hands. We will watch with interest as the site continues to flourish and the businesses on site go on to even greater success. As a progressive property business, we look forward to delivering similar outcomes for existing and new local regeneration projects.”
Two years ago Fairbank Investments acquired the historic partially Grade II-listed coal drops, signal house, and former railway siding site at Penistone in Barnsley, signalling a new chapter of growth and development for the area.
It recently unveiled the highly anticipated next phase of development for the site. With the next stage of the site’s transformative journey, Fairbank Investments is marking a significant moment in Penistone’s history, with the development promising an inspiring blend of heritage preservation and modern rejuvenation.
