ALMOST 40 per cent of a ‘business incubator’ built to meet the town’s demand for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is empty.

The Base, a 50,000 square foot office building, on Dallam Lane, opened in January 2016.

The £8.5 million project was delivered by Warrington & Co on behalf of Warrington Borough Council.

The five-storey building was funded with around £7 million from the council and £1.5 million from the European Regional Development Fund.

The council has confirmed The Base is operating at a financial loss.

But Steve Park, the authority’s director of economic growth, highlighted the importance of the site.

He said: “The Base is an important instrument in helping grow Warrington’s economy, providing a collaborative environment in which fledgling businesses can grow and move on to bigger premises.

“Although The Base is currently just over 60 per cent occupied, and we expect to increase over the course of the next two to three years, it is never likely to be fully occupied given its function in providing business incubation facilities.”

The purpose of the building is to encourage and facilitate the growth of start-ups and SMEs within the advanced engineering, manufacturing and digital/tech sectors.

It aims to provide a ‘collaborative and innovative’ environment, with on-site business support part of the offer.

The support ranges from assistance with identifying funding sources to help with innovation and networking.