Broxtowe Borough Council’s work to build industrial units near IKEA will boost small businesses and help “invest in Britain” the authority’s leader has said.
Work on the designs for nine new ‘incubation’ industrial units close to the Giltbrook’s store is ongoing. It’s hoped planning permission will be granted by Autumn 2025.
The council purchased the ‘residual’ land near IKEA from Peter James Homes, after they moved a sewer on the site to make way for the units.
These ‘incubator’ units will be designed for starter businesses based in manufacturing, construction, assembly and the food sector and will offer employment for up to 50 people.
Broxtowe council’s leader, Milan Radulovic (Brox Alliance), says the venture is to “desperately replace” thousands of jobs lost in the area and to “get ahead of the game” by encouraging businesses using technology and Artificial Intelligence to start up in Broxtowe.
He said: “Looking at the history of the Erewash Valley, when you look at places like Eastwood, Ilkeston, Cotmanhay, Awsworth, they are areas that produced a huge amount of manufacturing jobs in years gone by, in the coal industry, steel industry, furniture, manufacturing.
“All have been lost, that’s tens of thousands of jobs – it’s impossible sometimes for people to understand just how many jobs have been lost in our area in those traditional industries.”
Cllr Radulovic said it is “absolutely essential” for people to be given the opportunity to set up their starter businesses, saying he hopes future small businesses on site grow “from small seeds to mighty oaks”.
“The idea is to encourage people to set up starter companies and starter businesses which will move on to bigger things and employ more people.”
Jonathon Little, Economic Development and Regeneration Manager at the council said: “In the private sector, there aren’t too many people who build [units] at that low level of size… a lot of big industrial building companies don’t really want to get into that level so there’s a real market failing, a real need for the public sector to step in.”
He said it has become easier to become an “online importer”, adding: “[People may think] why do I need to buy [products from elsewhere]? Could I add value in this country, in Britain?”
Cllr Radulovic says the plans are to help encourage local businesses to “invest in Britain”, adding it is “to encourage those businesses to set up and manufacture in this country where they are less susceptible to market volatility and they have more control over transportation issues, impact on the environment.
“We need to considerably reduce our dependency on other countries and actually bring back and start manufacturing back in this country ourselves.”
Terry Chambers, owner of motorbike repair shop Racepaint UK, has been based in Mushroom Farm Court, a council-owned light industrial estate by Eastwood’s Warburton factory, for around 10 years.
He started the business 25 years ago and thinks people “underestimate” small businesses.
He said: “I sort of think your small businesses would provide employment locally. You look after people… people who’ve worked for me in the past, they’re not just people who work for me, they’re friends and you look after them.
“I think collectively, up and down the country, your small businesses, they’re probably the backbone of the country, because they all pay the taxes.”
Mr Chambers said the new units “can only be a good thing” for drawing business back to Britain, but added he “does not know who’d want to be starting a small business [right now]”, highlighting a number of empty units on the small estate.
Mr Little said three units at Mushroom Court may become available and “eight people” are interested in the site.
Mr Chambers added: “If [units] are small enough and cheap enough, then it gives [small businesses] a start, and probably encourages them to think if it’s affordable, they’ll give it a go.”
Cllr Radulovic says council-owned industrial units cost “around 10 per cent less” than market value.
The new units will range from around 900 square feet to around 2,500 square feet.
The plans follow works currently under way on a further five slightly larger industrial units close to the new visitor centre at Bennerley Viaduct.
