IMPRESSIVE new aerial images show the first phase of an £11m business park in a South Lakeland town is nearing completion.

The Beehive Business Park, situated along the A590 in Ulverston, has been transformed from a building site into a busy shopping hub in just 12 months.

Marks & Spencer Food and Aldi are already trading there, with Screwfix set to open a warehouse later this month. A purpose-designed facility for Cumbrian meat suppliers Lake District Farmers makes up the first phase of the development.

“It is hugely satisfying to see what can be achieved in a little over a year since starting construction on the site,” said Brian Scott of Rawdon Property Group, the development firm behind the business park.

“We are confident that it marks a new chapter for Ulverston.

“Encouraging more local people to do their main shopping in Ulverston rather than travelling to Barrow, and attracting people from the surrounding communities such as Dalton, Coniston and Grange, has to be good for the local economy.”

Cllr Sharon Webster, the mayor of Ulverston, said: “There is a lot of excitement in Ulverston about the new business park because of the extra shopping choice it will offer and the jobs it brings to the town.

“The development now looks fantastic and I am sure it will prove very popular.

“We hope the Beehive will bring people into Ulverston from the surrounding area and encourage more local people to shop here.

“In the wake of the coronavirus it is more important than ever that people are encouraged to enjoy everything Ulverston has to offer.”

Discussions with interested parties over the ‘smaller, second phase’ of the business park are currently taking place.