Harworth Group plc, a leading regenerator of land and property for sustainable development and investment, is pleased to announce that it has completed a pre-let with a global automotive parts designer which will see Harworth develop a 108,600 sq ft advanced manufacturing facility at Chatterley Park, Staffordshire and lease it to the occupier on an 18-year term.
The new facility, at Plot D3 on the site, will be constructed to Harworth’s proprietary building specification, targeting a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ certification and an EPC rating of A, and will incorporate rooftop solar PV panels, LED lighting, rainwater harvesting and EV charging points. Construction of the facility will commence shortly, with completion expected in the second half of 2027.
Alongside the construction of this facility, the Group intends to develop an adjacent 58,000 sq ft unit. This is in response to strong occupier demand for industrial & logistics space in the local area, driven by highly competitive labour costs and a skilled workforce in aligned trades.
Chatterley Park is a 106-acre site adjacent to the A500, in close proximity to Junction 16 of the M6, and is set to play a key role in the economic growth in Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire, reinforcing the area’s reputation as a logistics hub and a centre of manufacturing excellence. The Chatterley Valley West project, which has the potential to create up to 1,700 jobs, is benefiting from £3.5 million investment by Staffordshire County Council, which will be recouped from future business rates generated from the site’s Enterprise Zone status, and £3.6 million from the Kidsgrove Town Deal after a successful funding bid by Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council.
Earlier this year Harworth completed enabling and infrastructure works at the site and it is now construction-ready to deliver up to 1.1m sq ft of industrial & logistics space, with 15 MVA of secured power.
In December 2025, Harworth secured planning permission to develop the two largest units at Chatterley Park, Plots A and B, up to a height of 40 metres. This makes it one of only a few sites in the UK to offer units capable of this height and flexibility, and positions Chatterley Park as one of the premier destinations for advanced logistics and high-bay automation.
Jonathan Haigh, Chief Investment Officer at Harworth commented: “Having a global leader in automotive design choose Chatterley Park as the next site in its global expansion underscores the strength of our locations and our deep understanding of occupier requirements within the advanced manufacturing sector. This letting marks an important milestone in the emergence of Chatterley Park as a manufacturing centre of excellence, and we continue to see strong occupier demand for units at the site.”
Robin Hall, Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet member for Economy and Skills, said: “Our investment and several years of work with partners have transformed previously unusable land into a construction-ready commercial site with the potential to create up to 1,700 jobs.
“With its location next to the A500 and direct access to the M6 and A50, secured power supply and planning flexibility, Chatterley Park offers an extremely attractive proposition for businesses looking to invest in Staffordshire.”
Jonathan Gullis, Leader of Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council and Cabinet member for Planning and Town Centres, said: “For too long, places like ours have watched investment and opportunity go elsewhere. This announcement shows that is changing, with a major global business choosing Chatterley Valley and showing real confidence in our community.
“Turning formerly derelict land into a home for advanced manufacturing is exactly the ambition we had for this site; creating highly skilled, well-paid jobs on our doorstep and generating the momentum to make Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough a place where major employers want to invest.
“Good jobs do more than strengthen the economy, they strengthen families and communities too. They give people security, help young people stay and build a life close to home, and put more money back into local shops, businesses and our wider community. That is the kind of growth we want to see across our Borough.”
