BAE Systems invests £25m in Sheffield facility
Work is under way at Bessemer Park after the arms and aerospace giant committed to a 94,000 sq ft unit, to be operational in 2025.
The facility represents a £25m investment and will house a new artillery development and production facility, with a focus on delivering the company’s M777 lightweight howitzer manufacturing capability.
“Our aim is to deliver long-term artillery capabilities for the UK which will safeguard, sustain and grow a critical, specialised British industrial capability as well as provide important opportunities for exports,” said John Borton, managing director of BAE Systems’ weapons systems UK business.
“As we continue to grow our business to meet our customers’ evolving requirements, this significant investment will help us develop a highly-skilled and adaptable workforce as an important part of the national defence infrastructure.”
Clive Betts, MP for Sheffield South East, said: “Sheffield is well known for its strong history of world-class engineering and advanced manufacturing and BAE Systems’ investment in a new artillery facility and highly skilled jobs will ensure the city continues to play a key role in delivering both economic prosperity and national security.”
BAE Systems’ weapons systems UK division designs, develops, manufactures and supports artillery systems and naval guns, and provides engineering capabilities.
The Sheffield site is the latest investment that BAE Systems is making in its UK facilities, following a £300m transformation of shipbuilding facilities in Glasgow, and £220m in a new factory in Kent.
Bessemer Park is a development by PLP, the specialist in logistics and industrial property set up in 2015 as a joint venture, with its partners being Ivanhoé Cambridge, Peel L&P, Macquarie Asset Management and its senior management team.
ITM Power signed a pre-let on 83,000 sq ft in April 2023, while a deal with Forgefix for 137,000 sq ft in February this year meant only two units remained, a 294,000 sq ft facility and the one now taken by BAE.
