At Opportunity Mid Sussex, the investment arm of Mid Sussex District Council, we’ve been working in partnership with commercial property developer Panattoni to deliver growth for the district.

Panattoni is the world’s largest privately owned industrial developer and it spotted an opportunity for employment space right here in Burgess Hill, when it decided to build more commercial space in the town.

The development is now complete and ready for businesses to move into – and there’s already been strong interest from companies who want high grade commercial space.   

We caught up with David McGougan, Panattoni’s development director in the South East to find out more about what Panattoni Park in Burgess Hill will have to offer.

We spotted an opportunity for us to supply commercial space in what was really a very undersupplied market. There hasn’t been a lot of Grade A commercial space development in Mid Sussex or in Sussex.

Our core business plan at Panattoni is to go into those undersupplied regions, especially in the South East. We saw there was an opportunity for us to speculatively develop this siteto deliver much needed employment and space for businesses to grow.

Burgess Hill already has an existing industrial base and a very strong demographic in terms of availability of labour and excellent access to motorways.

All these factors really drew us to investing in Mid Sussex and meant we could pick this project up and run with it by doing what we do best, which is securing planning permission for developments and building modern and desirable commercial employment space.

The majority of the stock in Burgess Hill probably dates from the 1970s up to the more modern 2000s, so if you’re an occupier that wants top quality new commercial space, there hasn’t been much choice – until now.

The planning consent we secured here offers flexibility, so we can deliver B1 light industrial, B2 general industrial and B8 warehousing distribution uses.

So, we will be able to accommodate a multitude of occupiers, with units from as small as 8,136 square feet, right up to 142,000 square feet. There are a lot of flexible options and we're offering 14 units in total.

Looking at the existing businesses within the immediate area, there is quite a heavy bias towards manufacturing and light industrial, as well as some logistics and distribution businesses, so there’s a real mix of the types of occupiers we're expecting and engaging with.

Currently we have two MVA (Mega Volt-Amperes) of power for the entire site, but we have a connectivity agreement that means we can bring in seven MVA of power in the future, so for B2 manufacturing occupiers which tend to have a high-power use, we will be able to deliver a juicy power supply.

All our units will be Breeam Excellent (sustainable building rating) and EPC A with all units having 20% EV charging, as well as photovoltaic panels on the roof with the potential for the owners to install 100% photovoltaic panels if they want to.

This will give occupants the chance to reduce costs by having an energy efficient building and one that generates power. Business owners will also have one eye on the future as it’s becoming increasingly important to have a building that is sustainable and energy efficient.

They are available now and for rent only, but with a multitude of lease lengths.

This development presents businesses with the opportunity to occupy Grade A industrial space that is both modern and brightly lit with substantial power.

In terms of accessibility, we’re close to the M23, but also there are cycle and pedestrian routes through to the town centre and the train station provides quick access to Crawley, London and Brighton.

The town centre is close by, so employees can access it during their lunch break. The location will be crucial for attracting local and national businesses.

We've had a really good level of enquiries and viewings and we've got several proposals out on some of the buildings at the moment.

The majority of interest is coming from existing occupiers within Burgess Hill. We’ve hosted Richard Cox, the chief executive officer at Burgess Hill Business Parks Association and its members for sites tours and for their AGM, which has been great for engagement with the local business community.

The majority of the stock within the town is older and some of those buildings will be close to end of life, so the running costs are high in terms of heating, energy and maintenance and repairs.

Now there is a brand-new scheme with warehouses flooded with light and top-quality space which gives employees a feel-good factor and will be much better from an ESG perspective.

I think it offers quite a lot and it’s a great place to live – it’s close to both the seaside and the countryside, you've got the universities, plus cities and towns nearby to visit including London and Brighton which are both easily accessible by train.

In terms of leisure there’s access to both the water and the nature of the South Downs. The area feels affluent and there is a working age demographic as well.

I can imagine that students would go to University in Brighton and end up staying, but naturally progress out to towns like Burgess Hill to buy their first home, but there’s still a lot going on nearby to entertain them.

I think Burgess Hill has huge potential to grow. Commercial businesses need access to good arterial routes, employees with the right skill sets and a good road, rail and sea network, as well as London Gatwick, especially if you’re transporting products.

People need to be able to get to your site and be able to live nearby to work. There will definitely be opportunities for more commercial space in Burgess Hill and for the town’s economy to grow. When you consider the land constraints of coastal towns, naturally development will have to take place north of the South Downs.

Once this site has been soaked up, you may see by 2030, sites with obsolete buildings becoming redevelopment opportunities. 

Panattoni Park has everything companies would want from a modern business park.

We’re looking forward to inviting various occupiers to the park. We’ve shown our faith in the region and the money we've invested will pay dividends for the community in terms of economic growth and employment opportunities.

Developments like Panattoni Park ultimately prevent businesses from leaving the area and  help to attract more businesses too, which helps to build a community that people want to work and live in.