AN industrial site which was a major part of Blackburn Rovers' Premier League title success has been bought by a US-backed investment company.

Walker Industrial Estate, situated next to junction 5 of the M65 three miles from Blackburn town centre has been bought by 4th Industrial.

It currently houses eight fully-let units totalling 324,340 sq ft of space with a total annual rental income of £1.49m.

Tenants including Wincanton, Perspex International, Steel Dynamics, NeoNickel (Blackburn), Pentland Wholesale and Carlisle Interconnect Technologies.

The 21.3-acre site was once home to Walker Steel, the business empire led by the late Blackburn Rovers owner Jack Walker.

Following the sale of the business to British Steel for £330million in 1989, the site was redeveloped by the Walker family.

Jack Walker went on to invest heavily in Rovers, bringing in Kenny Dalglish as manager in 1991.

Promotion to the Premier League was secured in 1992 and investment in a raft of big-money signing such as Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton delivered the top-flight title in the 1994-5 season.

Simon Wood, head of investment at B8 Real Estate, said: “We are delighted to have been able to secure this high-quality industrial park for our client in the face of tough competition.

"Lancashire has a vibrant industrial base which is driving demand for space all along the M65 corridor from Chorley to Blackburn. We particularly liked the Walker estate because of its excellent layout and the opportunities to add value.

“This deal demonstrates the way in which major overseas investors are increasingly willing to look beyond the M6 corridor and make significant investments in industrial areas like Blackburn. As such, it represents a significant vote of confidence in the North’s economy.”

Founded in February 2021, 4th Industrial specialises in multi-let and light industrial property.

Walker Industrial Estate is the latest addition to its portfolio which also includes Crendon Industrial Estate in Thame, Alpha Business Park in Birmingham, Ashroyds Business Park in Barnsley, Melford Court in Warrington, Faraday Park in Swindon and The Ringway in Huddersfield.

B8 Real Estate acted as agents for the buyer. The vendor was a client of CBRE Investment Management, advised by M1 Agency.