Southwell Business Park

The entrance of the business park, as seen in 2014.

Southwell Business Park is a business park on the Isle of Portland, Dorset, England. It is housed in the ex-MOD buildings of the Admiralty Underwater Weapons Establishment, which closed in 1995, along with Portland's naval base, and then became the Southwell Business Park in 1997. The park has become one of Portland's recent success stories.

History

Operation and closure of the AUWE (1949-1995)

The establishment as it remains today, now the Southwell Business Park.

Portland Harbour has been an important site for research into underwater defence equipment since Robert Whitehead established his Torpedo factory at Ferrybridge in 1891.^[1] After World War II, the Admiralty Gunnery Establishment was built between 1949 and 1952, at Barrow Hill which had been the location of a wartime camp. The establishment was Portland's biggest building project since the construction of the Victorian Verne Citadel.^[2] Working with the East Weares establishment, the two Portland establishments were designed to be a single centre, under the command of a Captain Superintendent, responsible for the design, development and testing of underwater weapon and detection systems. In 1961 international attention focused on both the Southwell and East Weare establishments following the discovery of espionage infiltration, which became known as the Portland Spy Ring.

In 1995 the Royal Navy closed their Portland base, and the most obvious evidence of their departure was the absence of warships. However what was less obvious, but just as devastating to Portland, was the huge range of buildings of the Admiralty Underwater Weapons Establishment, which had employed over 2000 people (at its peak 3000 scientists and administrators worked on the site). The buildings were left empty, with an uncertain future.^[3] In 2004, the HMS Osprey shore establishment buildings at East Weares were all demolished. The research carried out at Portland, now under the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA) since 1995, was relocated to the Atomic Energy Agency's business park at Winfrith, leaving Bincleaves as the sole establishment in the Portland Harbour area.^[1]

Transformation into Southwell Business Park (1997-)

The establishment can be clearly seen on the skyline from various parts of Portland, particularly from the South West Coast Path which runs around the edge of the establishment.

After the Admiralty left, the buildings stood empty for approximately two years, and did not receive a single bid during that time. Due to this lack of interest the Ministry of Defence made plans to demolish the buildings, and then seek permission for either building or mineral extraction. However Roy Haywood and Ray Bulpit, whose business was the acquisition and development of former military sites, then purchased the site in 1997. The forty acres and 350,000 square feet of buildings included two miles of corridors, and various challenges in transforming the site were such things as walls built to withstand explosions from inside, huge compression tanks with rails running through them for test-firing torpedoes, and underwater acoustic tanks. Even the building nearest the sea still had evidence of a huge door, from which the largest naval guns could test-fire their shells across Lyme Bay. Although Portland as a whole had received financial support from the government after the navy left, there were no grants for specific projects like the park and the operation was funded entirely by private investment.^[3]

Haywood and Bulpit took the decision early on to adapt the buildings as necessary but to keep new build to a minimum, and in 1997 they started to look for tenants. The former office complex, some of it rooms of only 150 square feet, had a natural appeal to small businesses, and the Southwell Business Park soon became well-established. One of the first tenants was Andrew Coupe, a marketing and business development expert. A wide array of businesses remain at the park to date, providing employment for almost 500 people and being home to over 100 businesses, ranging from professional services, research and development, design and publishing.^[4] It is estimated that the total turnover generated from all those businesses since 1997 to 2008 is in excess of £200 million.^[3]

The main building seen upon entering the park is the office area, and towards the cliff-side is a host of manufacturing and light engineering businesses, based in what were the laboratories and workshops of AUWE, where systems were actually built and tested. Some business in this section include roofers, theatrical prop makers and printers, as well as a plant for the refurbishment of sewage treatment equipment. In keeping with a connection to the MOD, some businesses on site have contracts with the MOD, one of which is building a new range of vehicles for use in current theatres of war. Due to Portland's natural maritime connection, many businesses of this nature moved to the park, including manufacturers of up-market rigid inflatables for luxury yachts and of underwater detection equipment. A business on site also hosts a sixty-kennel unit which trains security dogs.^[3]

In addition to the businesses, the park's management also decided to install storage units on site, which continues to offer temporary storage, often used to store personal furniture during house moves, or storing items that personal families no longer have room at home for. Initially fifty storage units were opened, and due to the increasing demand several occasions saw expansion of more units, always in groups of 50. Today there are 350 in total. Another type of storage keeping offered by the park is a computerised document archiving and retrieval service, which is popular with companies and other organisations such as NHS trusts which are obliged to keep old papers.^[3] Around 2000, the park was noted to have a much cheaper rate, (in terms of pound per square foot), than other parks within the region such as those in Bournemouth, Southampton, Basingstoke and Reading.^[5]

Construction of a spa and hotel (2005-2008)

Despite the success of the park, by 2005, when all the most adaptable space had been let, there was still a large area standing empty, namely the 1970s wing which was built as an expansion to the original AUWE site. The park company decided to develop it themselves, but following the principle of avoiding new building where possible. The company also decided to design and project-manage as much as possible in-house, and only used specialist architects where necessary. A small group of local craftsmen were employed in this project, and some of these were already tenants of the park. This was the first stage of the Portland Spa, and by 2008 the health club attached to this spa included a gym, a smaller ladies only gym, a weights room, a studio for fitness classes and a top-of-the-range indoor swimming pool. The spa therapy suite offered more than seventy treatments. The spa's establishment was based on top-quality accommodation and facilities in order to compete in the national market. A conference centre was soon established too, completed in April 2007, with a 200-seat theatre and several function rooms. Some of these rooms, including the Sherborne banquet suite, provide flexibility to allow them to host entertainments like popular gala cabaret dinners. Around the same time some rooms became liensed for civil ceremonies, which allowed the park's management to enter the wedding market. The conference centre has been boosted by free parking for 750 cars and comparatively easy security if required.^[3]

The opening of the spa and conference centre meant that a catering facility was necessary, and this became the next fundamental project, including a kitchen capable of accommodating 400 people at a time. The result was the Orchid Restaurant opened around 2008, which was converted from the old AUWE canteen. It was later renamed to the Cliff Panoramic Restaurant and Bar, which remained its final operating name. At the same time was the restaurant, work on an 80-bedroom, 4-star hotel, was due to completion in 2008. It was converted from the 1970s wing.^[3] The Venue Hotel was opened in October 2008.

Financial difficulties and new ownership (2009-2010)

However in late 2009 it was announced the park could be put up for sale after the newly opened luxury hotel and spa went into administration. Having borrowed a lot of money to create the spa and hotel, the two facilities had not long opened when the UK went into recession. Therefore the hotel went into receivership, and it became inevitably that in order to pay back the debt the entire complex would have to be sold. The hotel remained open despite the situation. The effect was heavy on businesses based at the park, one of which BBC News revealed had seen a drop of 65% in business. Within a BBC News report, another example included was the business that trains sniffer and guard dogs, who had never before seen such hard times, losing 30-40% of their business, despite going through previous recessions. However some businesses were still thriving on the site, some of which were taking on apprenticeships, and looking at expansion, including a jewelry maker and an engineering firm.^[6]

The accounting firm KPMG was appointed administrators of Portland Spa Ltd and Southwell Estates Ltd, a management company which provides utilities and other services to businesses at Southwell Business Park. The Southwell Business Park company was the parent of both subsidiaries, although the parent company was not placed in administration itself. Whilst the hotel attempted to attract a new owner, it continued to owe money to many local firms including Portland Stone Ltd, who were owed thousands of pounds for work done at the site including laying a new road and removing rubbish.^[7]

In 2010, both the park and hotel became under new ownership, where Compass Point Estates bought the park from KPMG after going into administrative receivership. The park was sold on 18 March 2010. A new company, The Portland (Weymouth) Ltd, took over the running of the hotel complex, which was then renamed The Portland Hotel. The main ambition for the new owners were to focus on the business aspect of the park, although other plans were also revealed including a proposed events showground and new buildings.^[8]

Recent activities (2012-)

In early 2013 The Ocean Spa announced the plan to merge, and take over the running of the adjoining hotel and restaurant. This included expansion plans with the creation of new spa therapy rooms, a relaxation lounge and thermal suite. At this same time the company announced the launch of The Ocean Spa School of Spa Therapy, the only spa industry private training facility in the South West of England to be based within an actual spa business.^[9]

Scheduled for September 2015, part of the site will be home to the Isle of Portland Aldridge Community Academy's £14 million campus. The decision has resulted from much controversy, as the academy's original late 2012 application for planning permission raised questions over the effect the new school would have on the island's roads and traffic.^[10] The reworked plan followed in 2013, and included alterations, extensions, a new sports hall and sports fields as well as re-organisation and additions to road, footpath and cycle routes. The plan caused much objection to the school becoming part of the business park, including the former managing director of the park, Ray Bulpit, who spoke out against the scheme as unsuitable for the site. The current owners of the park were in favour of the school.^[11] The Weymouth and Portland Borough Council planning committee rejected the application later in the year, however the academy then appealed. In April 2014 planning inspector Neil Pope overturned the decision of the council, granting permission for the school to be built.^[12][13]

Following the decision of the school to be based at the park, the Ocean Spa and Hotel made the announcement in September 2014 that it would close that month, along with the Cliff Panoramic Restaurant and Bar. It was announced that the new school building work which is about to commence meant that the hotel and its location is no longer an attractive destination for guests seeking a luxurious peaceful break. Therefore the decision was made to close the hotel. It was announced that in the future the company hoped to re-locate the business and create a new spa and training academy.^[14]

References

Coordinates: 50°32′37″N 2°27′14″W / 50.54356°N 2.45381°W / 50.54356; -2.45381