Plans to transform the former Bloxham Centre site in Rugby into high-quality business space which could support up to 50 jobs have been given the green light.
The new development on Somers Road is being delivered by Warwickshire Property & Development Group (WPDG) and will give growing small and medium-sized businesses room to expand without having to leave the area.
Rugby Borough Council has granted planning permission to replace the existing buildings on the site with three modern commercial units. The development will total 21,350 sq ft, with units ranging from 5,350 sq ft to 10,000 sq ft.
High sustainability standards are built into the scheme from the outset, with the units targeting an EPC A rating and BREEAM ‘Very Good’ standard. The development will also include 29 car parking spaces and six electric vehicle charging bays whilst retaining and improving landscaping along the site boundaries
Work is expected to start on site in early 2027, with completion targeted for the end of the year. The units will be marketed for freehold sale by Avison Young.
It will be WPDG’s first commercial development in Rugby and its third in Warwickshire, building on a growing track record of delivering space that helps SMEs to thrive and grow in the county.
Its first scheme, Sucham Park in Southam, brought a long-unused site at Holywell Business Park back into use with nine industrial units totalling 42,200 sq ft.
Every unit was let within 12 months of completion and the development, now home to businesses supporting around 100 jobs, was sold earlier this year to fund further investment in new schemes.
WPDG is now pressing forward with its next round of schemes including Greville Business Park, between Warwick and Leamington Spa, where work is well underway on 11 units for small and medium-sized businesses.
WPDG, owned by Warwickshire County Council, is the Midlands’ only public-private commercial developer that reinvests its profits in further economic and community development.
It brings forward speculative space of units below 15,000 sq ft suitable for small businesses meeting a gap in the market that is often unmet by private developers and has now completed, started or secured planning for more than 90,000 sq ft of commercial space across the county.
Chloe Britton, Senior Development Manager at WPDG, said: “We’re delighted to have secured planning permission for our first commercial development in Rugby.
“The Bloxham Centre site is in an established industrial location, and the new units will give expanding businesses the modern, sustainable space they need to grow while supporting jobs for local people, boosting Warwickshire’s economy.
“The commercial sites that WPDG has developed demonstrate the strong demand among smaller businesses for freehold premises that are appropriately sized for their needs and conveniently located close to both their customers and workforce
“Our focus now is on moving the scheme forward for redevelopment and securing interest from ambitious SMEs.”
Councillor James Crocker, Deputy Leader of Warwickshire County Council and Portfolio Holder for Finance and Property, said: “Securing planning for this development is an important milestone and marks another step forward in bringing this high-quality commercial space to Rugby.
“The new units will provide growing businesses in the local area with the modern, sustainable premises they need to expand, and the scheme builds on the successful developments already delivered by WPDG and demonstrates our ongoing commitment to supporting business growth across the county.”
Alex Thompson, Associate Director, Industrial & Logistics at Avison Young, added: "Bloxham Centre represents a fantastic opportunity to bring forward high-quality business space in a well-connected location, with excellent transport links to the M6 and M1.
“Freehold opportunities of this nature are increasingly sought after, and the scheme will offer growing businesses the chance to secure a long-term foothold in a strategic location in the heart of the UK’s logistics Golden Triangle.”