Firms in Trafford could face closure and job losses as Carrington business park is redeveloped

Firms in Trafford are facing up to the threat of going to the wall with dozens of jobs being lost after they were given eviction notices from a business park which is being redeveloped.

Wain Estates gave more than 70 concerns on Carrington Business Park six months to leave their premises in February as the site is being transformed into a mixture of new homes and some buildings for commercial use.

However, as many as a dozen businesses - including a garage and a caravan storage facility - say that with just weeks to go until they have to vacate they are unable to find anywhere to set up and continue trading and could potentially go out of business.

They have now hit out at the developer, saying they have been offered no help at all in relocating, while the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has urged Wain Estates to give them more time to find somewhere else to work and also urged Trafford Council to step in.

What happened to the businesses at Carrington Business Park?

The businesses affected say that around three years ago they were told by Wain Estates that the business park was going to be redeveloped and were either offered new leases to sign or assured that they would be accommodated within the revamp in some way.

However, the FSB says that in February, 72 businesses were given their marching orders and told they had six months to find somewhere else to base themselves. The deadline for this is 31 August.

While most of those who received this news have managed to find another location, some are still without premises as the deadline looms and face the prospect of going out of business.

These are mainly businesses which are not primarily office-based or require areas of outdoor hard standing.

Several of those businesses, along with the FSB which is supporting them, claim they have been given almost no help with their predicament by Wain Estates.

Firms involved have also said Wain Estates owns other land in the Carrington area nearby but have been told they cannot move onto this either.

Wain has said it has been ‘transparent’ with all tenants and is investing in the future of the area.

‘A one-stop-shop within the Carrington area’

Paul Calderbank owns Carrington Garage, which he says is a “one-stop shop” for Carrington residents needing MOT tests, for their motorcycles, cars, vans and motorhomes as well as repairs and items such as new tyres and air conditioning units.

He said that a few years ago he was given just a month’s notice to quit, but after some discussion he was given another location and a longer lease was signed to allow him to open an MOT test station.

Now, though, a solicitor has informed him that in the small print Wain Estates reserved the right to be able to act as it is now doing and evict him from the business park.

He said his business is entirely rooted in the local community and cannot simply be moved outside Trafford.

Paul said: “I was called to the doorway in February and verbally given six months’ notice. I was told I wasn’t in their plans any more. I was shocked to say the least.

“My customers are within a five to 10 mile catchment area. If I moved I would lose a percentage of my customers. There’s nothing in the local area offering any sort of space for my garage so I’m going to lose the lot.

“I have two staff who are going to lose their jobs and I’m going to lose my job, my business and my livelihood. I’m going to have nothing.

“I’m just so disappointed at the way they’ve treated us. At meetings we were told that local businesses and the community was going to be supported and we were much needed for jobs and everything else. They’ve gone back on that altogether. We had a meeting with them but everything we said just fell on deaf ears.

“Mine and other businesses are Carrington based. Move them out and they don’t work. That’s my biggest problem.”

Paul said the eviction was a particular kick in the teeth after he had worked throughout the Covid-19 pandemic working on private ambulances which helped to shore up NHS services and looking after the vehicles of front-line workers including nurses and police officers.

A business set up 36 years ago ‘facing the end’

Janet Chappell is the owner of Carrington Caravans Storage, which was set up by her dad 36 years ago and which she took over the running of in 2005.

Before the eviction notice came the business was running at full capacity, with almost 200 caravans and motorhomes being stored for customers who were unable to keep their holiday vehicles at home on the 1.6 acre plot.

Like Paul, she says her business primarily serves Trafford residents and won’t work further afield, and she has also been hit by spiralling land costs as she searches for somewhere else.

She said: “I’m absolutely devastated. I just feel sick. I can’t sleep, I’m not eating. I don’t know what to do or where to go.

“My customers are from the immediate area, Urmston, Flixton,Carrington, Partington, Altrincham and Sale. If I went outside the area I’d be starting again.

“Other storage companies know we’re closing down and they’re now full because they’ve taken on some of our customers, leaving other customers struggling to find storage in the area.

“The price of land in the Manchester area since the pandemic has gone up massively, we’ve just been priced out of the market.”

Janet says she has enquired about other land in the area Wain Estates has and accused the company of putting “obstacles” in the way of having her storage facility there.

‘It’s just shocking how they can treat people’

Phil Oldfield is the director of Shawfields Line Marking, a company coming up to celebrating its 25th anniversary providing road markings and line painting for clients including car park and playground owners.

Phil says it is the short time frame given to the businesses to leave and the way the situation has been handled that has annoyed him most.

He said: “It is just shocking how they can treat people. We’re a small family-run business and there are five of us looking at losing our jobs. It’s the way they’ve gone about it.

“If they had given us two or three years to find somewhere else that would have been fine but six months is taking the mick.

“I’ve been looking for a hard standing yard that’s secure and there’s just nothing about at all. Everything is either too far afield like in Warrington or we can’t afford it. It’s ridiculous how they’ve treated everybody.

“I just wish they would extend the time to find somewhere else or just do something to help us as a business, because they’re not interested.”

What has the Federation of Small Businesses said?

The FSB has urged Wain Estates to give the businesses more time to find somewhere else to continue trading and also wants the local authority to become more involved.

FSB development manager for Greater Manchester Robert Downes said: “I would urge Wain Estates to have another look at this and do the right thing with these remaining longstanding tenants. These businesses accept they have to move on, but haven’t had nearly enough time to do so, especially given the pandemic situation earlier this year.

“If Wain insists on the current timetable these firms will simply cease trading with the loss of a number of jobs, successful businesses built over many years destroyed and lives ruined. Most right-thinking people will see the travesty in this, particularly in the current cost of living crisis.

“But it doesn’t have to be this way and Wain Homes could step in. I would also urge Trafford Council to step in. I’m sure they weren’t aware businesses would be left high and dry when they gave planning consent for this site for housing.

“These businesses just need more time to find new premises. We urge Wain, which announced record profits of over £53.9 million last month, to throw them a lifeline: more time, a relocation package, and some meaningful help to find alternative sites if they can’t find space for the businesses on one of their other sites.”

What has Wain Estates said?

A spokesperson for Wain Estates said: “The redevelopment of Carrington Business Park will see the creation of a state-of-the-art Enterprise Park, delivering 268,000sq ft of employment space across 10 highly energy efficient commercial buildings that will contribute towards the creation of 1,340 jobs in Carrington Village.

“The Business Park, built in the late 1950s, has reached the end of its lifespan and Wain Estates has been working closely and consulting with existing businesses since outline planning consent for redevelopment was granted back in 2017.

“We have been transparent with tenants all of whom were advised before signing leases of the development plans. Despite the majority of businesses operating on one-month rolling contracts, we gave all tenants almost seven months’ notice and we are pleased to see the vast majority of businesses have secured alternative accommodation. 

“The remaining six businesses were told in a meeting with Kate Green MP that given the development timeline an extension of their leases would not be possible.

“Whilst we appreciate the impact of relocation, we are investing for the future, making more efficient use of brownfield land by delivering housing, jobs and facilitating new public open spaces, all of which are key to Trafford and Greater Manchester.”

What has Trafford Council said?

A spokesperson for Trafford Council said: “Representatives from our Inclusive Economy and Communities team have been in touch with those businesses affected to offer help and support.

“We are doing everything we can to help businesses find alternative sites but this is proving challenging due to their specific requirements. We will continue to offer our support.”