UKAEA has sold the 72 acre Birchwood Technology Park at Risley for more than £20 million.

The site has been bought by property development company MEPC from London. The company plans to redevelop the site into a mixed use business park and to improve access by building a new roundabout off Birchwood Way.

The site was originally part of a Second World War ordnance factory and for almost 50 years it has been involved in the development of nuclear engineering and technology.

Over recent years, UKAEA has carried out an extensive site improvement scheme. This has included the demolition of obsolete buildings and encouragement of new tenancies. Current tenants include Bechtel Water Technology Ltd, North West Water and NNC Ltd. UKAEA will now become a tenant itself.

Director of MEPC, Gavin Davidson, said: "In the immediate future we plan to invest £1.8 million in the construction of a new roundabout off the A574 and to refurbish part of the main building on the site, Chadwick House.

"In the longer term we plan a phased redevelopment to transform the site into a mixed use business park of the same calibre as MEPC's flagship, Milton Park in Oxfordshire. We are confident of applying the same management strategy to the Warrington site to produce one of the best business locations in the north west. We hope this will bring more jobs to the area."

UKAEA Director of Property Management, James Bretherton, said: "The sale represents a major achievement for UKAEA property strategy. In recent years we have made considerable progress in adding value to the site and in encouraging companies to relocate to Warrington. The measure of our success is that MEPC is taking on a thriving science and technology park with excellent potential for future growth."

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