A site which has been vacant for five years has a bright future with new owners.

DJ Property has agreed terms to acquire the former BT depot at 14 Cumberland Drive in the heart of Weymouth’s Granby Industrial Estate. The former BT site has been vacant for more than five years and is located adjacent to the former Universal Engineering site which was acquired by DJ Property in June 2017.

Mickey Jones, chief executive of DJ Property, said: “I am delighted that, at last, after a very long negotiation period we have finally acquired the former BT site from Telereal Plc. The combined area of the former Universal Engineering site and the BT site is almost five acres which will provide a substantial development area in the very centre of the Granby Industrial Estate. “The Granby Industrial Estate was first built in the 1960s and much of its success can be credited to my late father, David Jones. “Some of the original buildings now require redevelopment and this site will be a catalyst for improvement and redevelopment of a large part of the estate.”

Mr Jones added: “The future redevelopment of the Granby must also embrace supporting infrastructure uses, as is the case on most leading industrial estates across the UK. These uses include high quality but affordable gym facilities, serviced offices, a supermarket for essentials, restaurants and a no frills hotel. Without these supporting businesses, the Granby will not be fully sustainable as a modern place for business. The aim is to be able to live your working day and not have to use a car, but still having access to everything you might reasonably need.”

The former BT site is visible from the main road which runs through the centre of Granby Industrial Estate with a large frontage and extensive space for essential car parking.

With Link Park almost complete, the site has been described as ‘probably the most desirable’ on the Granby. Chickerell as a residential area is growing rapidly with new houses being created to the east and north of the town. Developers CJ Fry has recently been granted planning permission to build an additional 292 houses to the north of Chickerell, with more expected to follow in future. Mr Jones added that new employment opportunities on the Granby will help balance the residential development.

The use of this new development site on Cumberland Drive is yet to be decided, however, with approximately five acres of prime employment space located in the centre of a thriving industrial estate, the opportunities are vast.