Work due to start on new Harris Business Park in Ipswich

An aerial photo of the Harris Business Park off Hadleigh Road, Ipswich, in the triangular site at the junction of the London-Norwich and East Suffolk rail lines, where work is due to get under way soon. Archant

Work is about to begin on a new 13.5-acre commercial development to the south west of Ipswich town centre, creating one of the largest new employment areas in the East of England.

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The Harris Business Park, off Hadleigh Road, takes its name from the former Harris bacon factory on the site which closed in the 1990s.

It lies between the main London-Norwich and East Suffolk rail lines, with preliminary work on the site having been carried out in 2014.

This was dovetailed with the construction of a new rail line allowing freight trains from the Port of Felixstowe to head north along the main line towards the Midlands without having to reverse at Ipswich.

A spokesman said the new business park, the focus of a £12m investment by Peter Colby Commercials Ltd, will offer up to 200,000sq ft of employment space.

Options available include serviced plots, design and build and bespoke units, all available on a leasehold or freehold basis.

It could eventually bring hundreds of new job opportunities to the town.

Vanessa Penn of Penn Commercial, agents for the site, said: “This is prime development land and offers the very best of opportunities for start ups, established ventures or growing businesses.

“The site is ideal for a variety of uses including offices, industrial, warehousing, trade counter, builders’ merchants and external storage.”

The developers are offering a comprehensive fast-track design service, which includes obtaining planning consents, project management and assistance in fitting out, she said. Projects can be completed within eight months of exchange of contracts.

Miss Penn said: “The transport links to and from Harris Business Park are excellent. The site lies within just a mile or so of the A12/A14 intersection and is a short distance from the newly refurbished Ipswich railway station and the town centre.

“All kinds of businesses operate in this area. There’s a large Sainsbury’s supermarket close by, a Bookers cash & carry, Speedy Hire, Yodel distribution centre, Ancient House Press and a number of trade counter businesses.

“Plots are now available to reserve and we’ve already seen considerable interest. We expect this to be a very popular choice for a wide range of businesses,” she added.