DEVELOPMENT close to the M27 at Segensworth continues apace with Fareham agent Hughes Ellard currently involved in two new schemes.

Work is now under way on Matrix Park - a ten-acre site bought by Albion Land with funding from Lothian Pension Fund.

The site will be worth about £15m once complete and agent Gary Jeffries from Hughes Ellard said it will comprise 14 units, all being built on a speculative basis.

With 180,000 sq ft of space in total there will be industrial units starting at 3,500 sq ft, two of which will be about 34,000 sq ft, and demand is already there for the space.

They are due to be ready in November and Mr Jeffries said about one-third will be sold, with the remainder available for letting.

"This is an entirely speculative scheme but there is demand for this type of space," he said. "These will be secure units in a quality environment with a gate house and only one access road."

He said extensive landscaping would also be a major feature to screen the development from nearby residents.

Elsewhere at Segensworth North, Hughes Ellard is just beginning the marketing campaign for a new six-acre site for Land Securities.

Three detached units of 35,000 sq ft, 42,000 sq ft and 48,000 sq ft will be built on this £12m development with a high office content - something Mr Jeffries said companies are increasingly demanding in industrial units.

Work will start on this site in June, with completion scheduled for January next year.