Work To Fix Centre Damaged by Buncefield

3 September 2010, 06:00

Work is soon to start on the Maylands Business Centre in Hemel Hempstead, five years after it was damaged by the Buncefield explosion.

From Monday (6th September) Phase 1 will get underway which will involve the development of a new office innovation centre and 18 industrial starter units on the Axis Point centre.

Planning consent was granted earlier this year and the site demolition and clearance was completed in May.

The development is one of a very few speculative office/industrial developments that will be progress across the UK in 2010 and is likely to be one of the final schemes to be funded by the East of England Development Agency.

Planning consent has also been granted for an additional 28,000 sq ft industrial unit for Axis Point Phase 2, known as Maylands Link and work is expected to start on this after the development of Phase 1 is complete in March 2011.

Stephen Holmes is the Portfolio Holder for Planning and Regeneration at Dacorum Borough Council. He’s been telling Heart:

“The Council aims to help new businesses start, develop and thrive in Maylands and the Maylands Business Centre will be key in supporting Dacorum’s businesses and the local economy.

“The Centre will combine training and incubator units to make a joined up service for new start up businesses.

“It will be a community-centric business centre where local businesses, particularly small ones, will have access to facilities like meeting rooms and networking opportunities, which they wouldn’t have on their own.”