From left to right: Shaun Auty of SW Retail, receives the keys to his new unit on the new £1m Marrtree Business Park,Penistone, from Marrtree director William Marshall

Shaun Auty, managing director of SW Retail and his six staff are first tenants in Phase One on the park, having taken a 4,500 sq.ft. unit for their 1,500-strong product portfolio predominantly catering for the visually impaired. “With this brand new start, we will now be able to offer potential customers a dedicated resource centre where they can try before buying,” said Shaun as he collected the unit keys from Marrtree director William Marshall.

“The location is also ideal – I live nearby, but the park is only minutes from the major road and rail network, which will make commuting and parking easy for staff and customers alike.”

William Marshall commented: “We have noticed a growing trend for the owners of small and medium-sized enterprises to balance their lifestyles by avoiding extensive commuting and city centre congestion. This development, costing £1 million on completion, is in an attractive setting with a great transport infrastructure bringing Yorkshire, Lancashire, Cheshire and the Midlands all within reasonable reach.

“We’ve had a lot of enquiries for the remaining units and believe these will soon be let with work due to start shortly on Phase Two, featuring two further units, each of 3,500 sq.ft.”

Barnsley Development Agency’s (BDA) business development officer Ann Glews added: “We wish SW Retail every success with their location. The BDA can help and assist local companies looking to grow their business and we look forward to offering them our continued support. We are delighted that Marrtree have chosen to this site at Oxspring and we are currently working with FullerPeiser to bring more new companies to this prestigious development which will create jobs for local people.”

Marrtree’s newly completed Penistone project is on Sheffield Road, only minutes from Junctions 36 and 37 of the M1 and with direct rail links to the Huddersfield-Sheffield line and Barnsley. Penistone is one of the UK’s highest market towns and this is the first new business development in the area, sitting on the fringe of the Peak District, mid-way between Huddersfield and Sheffield, with Barnsley town centre eight miles east.

Phase One of the park offers one remaining industrial warehouse unit of 4,000 sq.ft. and two of 4,500 sq. ft., all offering 10% office content and available on flexible lease terms via sole agents NAI FullerPeiser, Sheffield.

Roger Haworth, of NAI FullerPeiser added: “We’ve already had a lot more enquiries and believe we will have few problems letting Phase One and quickly moving on to Phase Two.”