Movetech UK (Part of the British Turntable Group) have successfully had their building plans approved for their brand new £500,000 redevelopment scheme at their head office site on Emblem Street in Bolton, Greater Manchester.

The planning application for the new manufacturing and headquarters facility was presented to Bolton Council earlier this year and has recently been approved by the boroughs planning department, much to the delight of Tim Entwistle, Movetech UK’s managing director. Tim said: “With the successful planning application now in place, we can now move forward with this project, the biggest infrastructure redevelopment since the company began business.”

“We have come a long way since we first started trading back in 1959, initially as Bolton Turntable. The company was founded on a solitary request for a car showroom turntable by my late grandfather John Entwistle senior. Since then, Movetech UK has continued to grow and develop at a rapid pace and we have seen our portfolio of products and materials handling expertise expand beyond all recognition of the original business plan.

“I often get asked if the company ever stops and just sits back and has a ‘break’, and quite simply my answer is always no, why would we? Our customers continually present us with challenges for new products and materials handling solutions and, because we aim to please, we must strive to progress. Research and development has been at the core of our success to date and this major redevelopment is consequently vital for future progression.

“Recognising that our needs have changed and that we had outgrown our current facilities, some years ago the whole site on Emblem Street, Bolton was put up for sale, and the company went on the lookout for a new site to relocate to. As time passed we started to comprehend more about the problems of business disruption that such a move would incur and the concept to redevelop the existing site was brought to the table. This route was attractive as it allowed a ‘staged’ development process without major business disruption and most importantly protected our greatest business asset, the people who work here.

“The company has evolved significantly over the last 55 years, and Movetech UK invested in continual improvements to the existing site, but none of these could address the issues of improved access and craneage that are necessary for our future development.

“The plan to redevelop the site is split into several phases. The first course of action, which the company have already completed, was to relocate their entire office facilities into temporary rented accommodation adjacent to the existing site. Now this has been completed, the old office location has being completely demolished to make way for a larger car parking area.

“Our current facility is divided into two main adjoining areas, the bottom shop and top shop. The bottom shop is now being cleared of all storage and stock to make way for the major construction works. The complete redevelopment of the bottom shop to produce a modern high bay manufacturing facility with improved access and overhead craneage with significantly increased lifting height and quadrupled lifting capacity. This will give all the facilities necessary for fabrication and testing of our bespoke materials handling equipment. As soon as this is functional production will move into it with minimum disruption.

“The next part of the redevelopment phase will be to construct the new office location within the current top shop, which production will have then vacated. It is intended that this will be built on a raised floor to free valuable space at ground level whilst offering a modern welcoming work environment for our dedicated office staff. Office floor space will be increased by around a third to allow for future expansion.

“The planned redevelopment has a proposed five year time scale and Movetech UK are currently on track to achieving this target. This is a long programme that we are anxious to complete but one that allows us to commit to our customers with minimum disruption and continue to invest in the future of our staff just as they commit to us, a partnership that has been the cornerstone of our past success and one that we must build upon for our future.”

Further news on the project will be updated as the development is progressed.