The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Work commences on business park
Construction has started on the new Thainstone Business Park, with the first units due for completion by spring 2022.
The 65-acre business park, located at north-east farmers’ co-operative ANM Group’s headquarters at Thainstone Mart near Inverurie, will feature six industrial units.
It is a joint venture between ANM, which also runs a mart at Quoybrae in Caithness, and commercial property developers GSS Developments Ltd.
ANM chief executive Grant Rogerson said the co-op’s collaboration with GSS signalled a “significant milestone” for the northeast commercial property market.
“The new business units provide an excellent location in an outstanding setting, but with easy access to the city,” said Mr Rogerson.
“Our investment will pay dividends to the local
economy thanks to job creation as we utilise a range of local contractors and tap into cross sector trades to complete the first phase of the project and beyond.”
GSS Developments director, Tim Stevenson, welcomed the company’s venture with ANM and said: “The partnership showcases our commitment to providing occupiers with high-quality facilities in Aberdeenshire and we look
forward to further opportunities to support ANM as the wider business park continues to develop.”
The development is being marketed by Ryden and CBRE and Ryden’s partner, Paul Richardson, said the units would be suitable for a range of business sectors including oil and gas, storage and distribution.
He said: “We are hopeful of announcing some lettings in the next few months demonstrating that occupiers are seeking fit-for-purpose, highspecification premises within an attractive green setting.”
The development of the business park has been in the pipeline for a number of years and securing planning consent was a lengthy process for ANM after councillors deferred final approval of some of the planning conditions.
Former Conservative MSP, Peter Chapman, got caught up in the process and was forced to resign as shadow rural affairs secretary after it emerged he had tried to sway Aberdeenshire councillors to back ANM Group’s plans.
Mr Chapman was a shareholder of the cooperative and at the time he apologised and referred himself to a standards watchdog over what he described as an “honest mistake”.
He was later reappointed to the shadow cabinet.