HC Deb 02 August 1978 vol 955 cc358-60W
Mr. Michael McGuire

asked the Secretary of State for Industry what plans he has to build further advance factories and, in particular, to meet the needs of Merseyside.

Mr. Alan Williams

I am glad to announce a new programme of advance factories, details of which are set out below. The programme is expected to cost about £10 million and to provide about 2,500 job opportunities. In addition, we have asked the English Industrial Estates Corporation to make plans to start the modernisation of its older factories. This should benefit the Northern Region in particular, but should also bring early benefits to Merseyside.

There are also many factories still to be built under the previous programme. For example, in the inner area of Newcastle upon Tyne 40,000 sq ft of factory space is under construction, whilst a further 120,000 sq ft will be built when land negotiations have been completed In addition to our own building programme, the development commission will be building factories in the rural parts of the assisted areas. In particular, this should assist areas such as the South-West.

31ST ADVANCE FACTORY PROGRAMME

North West

  • Liverpool (inner city area)
  • South Dock Area, Scotland Road, Sandon Way—Terrace Units (TU) of various sizes amounting to 150,000 sq. ft. on the three sites.
  • Birkenhead (inner area)—TU of various sizes. Total 50,000 sq. ft.
  • St. Helens (inner area)—2×15,000 sq. ft.
  • Barrow-in-Furness—4 TU of 6,600 sq. ft. Total 26,400 sq. ft.
  • Ulverton—1x5,000 sq. ft. (also 5,000 sq. ft. factory included in the previous announcement is being enlarged to 10,000 sq. ft.).
  • Manchester (inner city)—1×10,000 sq. ft.
  • Salford (inner area)—4 TU of 2,500 sq. ft. Total 10,000 sq. ft.
  • Fleetwood—1×10,000 sq. ft.; 4 TU of 3,750 sq. ft. Total 15,000 sq. ft.
  • Barnoldswick—Two factories of 5,000 sq. ft. and 6,800 sq. ft. will be constructed instead of a 10,000 sq. ft. factory announced previously.
  • Blackburn—2 TU of 6,800 sq. ft. will be constructed instead of a 10,000 sq. ft. factory announced previously.

Northern

  • Sunderland—2 TU of 5,000 sq. ft.—Total 10,000 sq. ft.
  • Gateshead 4 TU of 1,700 sq. ft. Total 7,000 sq. ft.
    • 360
  • Hartlepool—4 TU of 3,500 sq. ft. Total 14,000 sq. ft.
  • Langbaurgh (South Bank)—4 TU of 7,000 sq. ft. Total 28,000 sq. ft. 4 TU announced previously will be changed in size from 2,500 to 6,000 sq. ft., an increase of 14,000 sq. ft.
  • Middlesbrough—1 of 20,000 sq. ft.
  • Workington (Allerdale)—3 TU of 3,500 sq. ft. Total 10,500 sq. ft.
  • Whitehaven (Cleator Moor}—2 TU of 5,000 sq. ft. Total 10,000 sq. ft.
  • Bishop Auckland—4 TU of 2,500 sq. ft. Total 10,000 sq. ft.
  • Blyth—4 TU of 2,500 sq. ft. Total 10,000 sq. ft.
  • Teesside (Thornaby)—4 TU of 2,500 sq. ft. Total 10,000 sq. ft.

Yorkshire and Humberside

  • Hull (inner area)—6 TU of 2,500 sq. ft. Total 15,000 sq. ft.
  • Grimsby—1×5,000 sq. ft.
  • Cleethorpes—4 TU of 2,500 sq. ft. Total 10,000 sq. ft.
  • Whitby—3 TU of 2,500 sq. ft. Total 7,500 sq. ft.
  • Scunthorpe—4 TU of 2,500 sq. ft. Total 10,000 sq. ft.
  • Barton-upon-Humber—4TU of 2,500 sq. ft. Total 10,000 sq. ft.
  • Doncaster—1×5,000 sq. ft.
  • Mexborough—1×5,000 sq. ft.
  • Rotherham (Hellaby)—1×5,000 sq. ft.
  • Bradford (inner area)—4 TU of 2,500 sq. ft. Total 10,000 sq. ft.
  • Bradford (inner area)—Plans for two 10,000 sq. ft. factories announced in the previous programme have been changed to 4 TU of 3,500 sq. ft. each plus a terrace of one 4,600 unit sq. ft. and 2 of 6,000 sq. ft., an increase of 10,600 sq. ft.
  • Wakefield (South Elmsall)—1×5,000 sq. ft.
  • Kirklees (Colne Valley)—1×5,000 sq. ft.

East Midlands

  • Louth—2×5,000 sq. ft.
  • Hartington (Chesterfield TWA)—4 TU of 2,500 sq. ft. Total 10,000 sq. ft.
  • Harworth (Doncaster TWA)—4 TU of 2,500 sq. ft. Total 10,000 sq. ft.

South West

  • DA Penzance—2×5,000 sq. ft.
  • Bideford—1×10,000 sq. ft.
  • Truro—1×10,000 sq. ft.