PLANS IN PLACE FOR £125M NEXT WAREHOUSE

Plans have been lodged for a new £125m large warehouse in West Yorkshire for retail giant Next, which could lend the region to more than 1,000 jobs.

Next, supported by Q+A Planning and pHp Architects, has submitted an application to Wakefield Council for a site south of Field Lane in South Elmsall.

Full planning permission is sought for a 777,000 sq ft facility comprising warehouse space and ancillary offices.

A new pedestrian bridge would be built to link the new facility with Next’s existing operations north of Field Lane. The proposal also includes 47 HGV loading bays and road infrastructure works.

The proposed development represents a capital investment £125m. It has been estimated to provide about 1,100 new jobs (including construction jobs) for Wakefield, of which more than half will be net additional roles.

It could also generate an estimated gross value added (GVA) to the economy of more than £46m per annum.

The new warehousing and distribution unit is required to cope with an expected increase in online sales for Next in the coming years.

A planning statement submitted as part of the application said the proposed development would provide an “extension of the local purchasing, recruitment, skills development, career progression and community benefits already associated with the existing Next distribution operations in South Elmsall”.

It would also assist in “safeguarding the future of Next’s existing operations in South Elmsall, and the substantial local employment and benefits to the local economy that this existing development provides”.