Thomas Wintle built a brewery in Mitcheldean in 1868. In 1941 British Acoustic Films moved 54 staff out of London to make anti-aircraft equipment, and after the war the Rank Organisation made cinema equipment and then, from 1964, xerographic copiers. By the late 1970s about 4,800 people worked on the site. Xerox announced its closure in 2001. It is now Vantage Point Business Village, with units on 4wallsspaces from 284 sq ft, and it suits makers and storers who want room more than a city address.
An estate with some of its own power
Sirius Real Estate, owner of BizSpace, bought Vantage Point in 2024. It has 119 units and more than 70 companies on around 60 acres, and a solar business on the estate supplies electricity to the site.
That counts for more this autumn. Andy Burnham told the Commons on 1 September that businesses were waiting "far too long" for grid connections, and on 29 September he announced Great British Grid, a publicly owned company to speed them up. Neither comes with a timetable. On an established estate, ask the management team what capacity is spare and what a larger supply would cost before assuming either.
Swindon's Honda site and the new sheds
Honda built cars in Swindon from 1985 until July 2021, when the plant closed with the loss of 3,000 jobs. Panattoni bought the 370-acre site and in February 2026 completed its first unit, 545,000 sq ft, with a 915,000 sq ft building following. No tenant had been named by March. Alder King put the headline industrial rent in Swindon at £12 per sq ft in 2025, with 1.4 million sq ft available.
Who decides locally in the South West
Burnham has offered devolution deals to every part of England without one, and the South West has several gaps. The West of England, around Bristol, has a mayor, Helen Godwin. Six of Gloucestershire's seven councils agreed in March 2026 to work towards joining her combined authority, starting with a countywide body by May 2027. Dorset, BCP, Somerset and Wiltshire welcomed an invitation in August to form a Wessex mayoral authority. Swindon's place in a Thames Valley deal stalled when Oxfordshire pulled out in June, leaving it without one. The local industrial strategy that steers grants and skills money will depend on which of these arrives first.
Manufacturers are taking the space
Knight Frank recorded 6.9 million sq ft of take-up in the South West in 2025 for units over 50,000 sq ft, 45% of it by manufacturers, and vacancy of 5.9% at the end of the year. Alder King's 2025 headline rents were £16 per sq ft in Bristol and £10.50 in Gloucester. The two firms measure different sizes of unit, but both describe a region where businesses that make things are doing much of the renting.
Who this region suits
Manufacturers, trades and storage businesses that want room at a lower rent than Bristol will find it in Gloucestershire and the Forest of Dean. Mitcheldean has no railway station, so it works best for businesses whose staff drive. Those who need the M4 corridor will look to Swindon. The listings below cover Mitcheldean, Gloucester, Swindon, Bristol, Poole and Christchurch.
FAQ
What was Vantage Point in Mitcheldean?
The Rank Xerox factory, where xerographic copiers were made from 1964 and about 4,800 people worked by the late 1970s. Xerox announced its closure in 2001, and the site is now a business village of 119 units.
Who owns Vantage Point Business Village?
Sirius Real Estate, the owner of BizSpace, bought it in 2024. A solar business on the estate supplies electricity to the site.
How much does industrial space cost in Swindon?
Alder King put the headline industrial rent in Swindon at £12 per sq ft in 2025, with about 1.4 million sq ft available.
What happened to the Honda factory in Swindon?
It closed in July 2021 with the loss of 3,000 jobs. Panattoni bought the 370-acre site and completed the first new warehouse there, 545,000 sq ft, in February 2026.
Does Gloucestershire have a mayor?
No. Six of its seven councils agreed in March 2026 to work towards joining the West of England Combined Authority, starting with a countywide body by May 2027.
