GUESTS at a special reception have seen the progress of a new £30m industrial development in Southampton which will bring hundreds of jobs to the region.

Representatives from Southampton City Council, developer Peel Logistics Property and agents from across the south gathered at the site of the South Central development at Test Lane, Nursling.

Guests were shown that highway widening and road improvement works associated with the 11-acre development are well under way, and on course to be completed in mid-July.

Construction work will then begin on three new industrial units, suitable for storage and distribution use.

The reception was hosted by property specialists Lambert Smith Hampton (LSH) and JLL, joint letting agents for the site.

Adrian Whitfield, of LSH, said: “This was a great opportunity to get together and celebrate the progress being made at South Central, which is the first speculative development close to the Port of Southampton in a decade.

“There is a lot of excitement around this site due to its prime location and the quality of the accommodation on offer. The levels of interest we have already seen demonstrate the continued confidence we are seeing in the commercial property investment market.”

The development is being carried out by Peel Logistics Property, whose funding partner for the project is Rockspring Property Investment Managers LLP.

The project, due to complete in the first quarter of 2018, offers three units measuring 39,075 sq ft, 49,965 sq ft and 116,895 sq ft.

It is anticipated that South Central will bring around 750 jobs to the region.

The site’s strategic location, within two miles of Dock Gate 20 of the Port of Southampton, its 24/7 hours of operation and close transport links to the M27 and M271, make it ideally suited to occupiers in the parcel distribution, storage and manufacturing sectors.

Neil Dickinson, chief operating officer at Peel Logistics Property, said: “We were proud to show guests around the site and show them the enormous potential of this exciting development, which brings a huge amount of investment to the region.”