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A new industrial development, which could create up to 1,500 jobs in Preston, has moved a step closer.

A 62-acre plot of land in Ribbleton has now been acquired by developers planning to build 12 warehouses on a £65m extension to the Roman Way Industrial Estate.

Plans to create the industrial and logistics park have already been submitted to the city council and a decision is expected this summer.

The scheme is being put forward by Henry Boot Developments in conjunction with Barnfield Construction. If approved it will be the partners' second employment site in Ribbleton - they developed the Preston East scheme next to junction 31A of the M6 and recently sold it to Titan Investors for £30m.

The proposed industrial park could house 12 warehouses (Image: Fletcher Rae Architects).

Ancient Roman road could be dug up to make way for warehouses in Preston

The new project will sit to the east of the existing Roman Way Industrial Estate and take the development to within 400-yards of houses in Grimsargh. The developers say the new section "has to potential" to create around 1,500 jobs when fully operational.

Ed Hutchinson, HBD managing director, said: “It’s great to be able to continue our successful partnership with Barnfield with the acquisition of this latest site.

“The deal reflects HBD’s continued focus on delivering high quality, sustainable industrial and logistics space in prime locations. Just over a mile from the M6, this site is extremely well located and would, no doubt, see strong interest from potential occupiers, particularly given the shortage of Grade A space along key corridors.”

Map of Roman Way Industrial Estate showing the proposed extension in red (Image: Fletcher Rae Architects).

HBD and Barnfield Group say they are hoping to get planning approval within the next few months, with a start being made on infrastructure works in the autumn.

Discussions about the scheme first began with Preston Council back in 2020. It is the latest of a number of industrial and logistics developments delivered by HBD and Barnfield Group in partnership.

When the planning application was submitted last July a report revealed that a 2,000-year-old Roman Road runs underneath the northern part of the site and would be disrupted by construction work. The road was thought to have linked military settlements at Ribchester and Kirkham.

"There is high potential for archaeological remains of Roman date to survive," says the report.

Developers buy Preston site to build £65m industrial park offering up to 1,500 new jobs