West Craven Business Park

The West Craven Business Park in Earby is a major greenfield development site extending to 12 acres, with dedicated access from the A56 trans-Pennine trunk road on the northern outskirts of Earby. An upgrade to the A56 is included in the government’s road programme from 2006 to 2011.

The business park is the largest commercial development ever undertaken in Earby, exceeding the sum total of development during the Industrial Revolution, and will provide significant economic regeneration to the area.

The park will potentially create more than 450 jobs once the site is fully developed. To date, the development has created nearly 50 jobs.

The Lomeshaye Industrial Estate in Nelson is now full and the West Craven Business Park is the only major greenfield site in the borough that is ready to develop on immediately.
Units are available from as little as 2,000sq ft. upwards, on bespoke design and build packages, either to rent on commercial leases or to buy subject to a ground lease.

The West Craven Business Park was developed by JN Bentley Ltd of Skipton and part-financed through the SRB2 regeneration programme. SRB2 funding helped to open up the site, particularly through the construction of an access road.

The new access road has also reduced traffic congestion in the centre of Earby caused by heavy lorries coming to and from Wardle Storeys manufacturing plant.

One of the first firms to locate at the West Craven Business Park was the high-tech American firm Metal Improvement Corporation Inc. The MIC unit provides a highly specialist form of stress testing called Laser Peening which is used by the aerospace, automotive, chemical and medical industries to prevent premature failures in metals, or to enable components to achieve their maximum strength potential. Laser shot peening is a high tech process that is four times more effective than traditional shot peening methods. Rolls Royce is one of MIC’s main customers.

The West Craven Business Park is particularly well located to attract further companies that will complement the local aerospace cluster, and thus build on one of Pendle’s main economic strengths.

The West Craven Business Park has also allowed local firms such as JHL Engineering Ltd to expand into larger accommodation and grow their business. JHL Engineering Ltd provides a wide variety of engineering services, including: workshop fabrications, structural steelwork, compressor and air pipe installation, steam and condensate pipe work, sheetmetal work, ducting, tanks and hoppers, coded welding, design service and on-site installation.