The site of a former oxygen gas plant in Ipswich is being regenerated, bringing in more than 100 new jobs to the area.

East Anglian Daily Times: The BOC depot and customer centre on the Hadleigh Road Industrial Estate, IpswichThe BOC depot and customer centre on the Hadleigh Road Industrial Estate, Ipswich (Image: Archant)

The commercial property investment group Crawshaw Bailey Industries Ltd has bought a 3.9-acre site on the Hadleigh Road Industrial Estate for £2.5million and is letting it out to around six different PLC businesses.

The site has been empty for the last 18 months, but before that BOC, formerly known as British Oxygen Company, had a production site there employing around 50 people. BOC still run a retail operation on Arkwright Rd.

“We thought that with some expenditure, we could turn it into a nice little site,” reveals Crawshaw Bailey’s managing director Peter Whatley. “Half the site has been given over to one very large company, which will create significant jobs. “We are in discussions with five or six other companies about taking up the rest of the site.”

Crawshaw Bailey, which is based locally in Kersey Tye, has about £35m of industrial property across the company.

Although Mr Whatley is staying tight-lipped at the moment about which companies will be moving into the site, Crawshaw’s current clients at its other sites include Screwfix and Toolstation.

Work started on developing the site this month.

“We are letting the existing building, and then we will open space for more units,” Mr Whatley explained. “Its 38,000 sq ft of buildings at the moment and we anticipate adding another 15,000 sq ft of buildings in the future.”