An £11 million advanced manufacturing unit is set to be developed at a business and technology park in Coventry by leading commercial property developer Barberry Industrial Ltd. The company has today revealed plans for a 50,750 sq ft industrial unit at Ansty Park, which has established itself as a hub
Commercial real estate investor and developer, Firethorn Trust has appointed Glencar, a construction company specialising in industrial, logistics, distribution and manufacturing, to deliver a 340,000 sq ft logistics warehousing scheme in South Yorkshire. The 24-acre site, called Barnsley340, will include a Grade-A warehouse unit spanning 320,000 sq ft, along with
Stoford gets North West’s biggest warehouse scheme underway : Work is progressing on construction of a new 667,000 sq ft UK parts distribution centre at Ellesmere Port. Leading commercial property developer, Stoford is delivering the new state-of-the-art logistics development on a 38.7 acre site at West Road, Hooton Park Airfield.
Siddal and Hilton Products, the welded steel mesh manufacture, has announced its plans to completely redevelop its 4.5 acre sites in Brighouse. The £9 million investment follows the company’s goal to become a world-class manufacturer. Siddall has a number of manufacturing, storage and office buildings on both sides of Foundry
Henderson Park and Cole Waterhouse have appointed the McLaren Construction Group as main contractor to deliver the first phase of Konect 62, a major tri-modal logistics and industrial scheme in Yorkshire. The announcement follows the joint venture’s formal completion of the 136-acre site’s acquisition for £54 million. It has also
Construction of BREEAM excellent unit is situated at PLP’s newly acquired 17-acre development site at the well-established and successful Stone Business Park in Stafford Glencar, a leading UK construction company that was recently ranked amongst Europe’s fastest growing businesses, has today announced that it has been appointed by long term
Site which will consist of two warehouses of 771,000 and 210,000 sq ft is being developed by leading logistics developer Baytree Logistics Developments and is pre-let to logistics specialist Rhenus Glencar Construction has today announced that it has been appointed by leading logistics development company Baytree Logistics Developments to develop
Panattoni, the largest logistics real estate developer in the UK and Europe, has signed a pre-lease agreement with Alliance Automotive Group (“AAG”), a leading distributor of passenger and commercial vehicle parts, with significant international brands such as NAPA, BOSCH, Apec and FPS for a 630,000 sq ft facility at Panattoni
Verdion announces a major £300 million speculative development programme that will deliver all remaining warehouse capacity at iPort, the 6 million sq ft multimodal logistics hub just outside Doncaster. Totalling 1.75 million sq ft, this final stage of development at iPort will offer five buildings from 82,000 sq ft upwards,
Talent shortages and growth ambitions are forcing some of the UK’s most promising science and technology businesses to re-evaluate their building strategies according to a new research report. As a result over half are planning to relocate over the next three years and over one in six (16%) are planning
An £11 million advanced manufacturing unit is set to be developed at a business and technology park in Coventry by leading commercial property developer Barberry Industrial Ltd. The company has today revealed plans for a 50,750 sq ft industrial unit at Ansty Park, which has established itself as a hub for research and development and high-tech manufacturing. The park is home to major occupiers Rolls-Royce, Cadent, MTC, Meggitt and The London Taxi Company. An application for detailed planning consent for a Grade A unit, built to exceptional ESG standards – target EPC A and BREEAM Excellent – at Viggen Way has been submitted by Barberry to Rugby Borough Council. The site is located at the very heart of the manufacturing and logistics centre of the UK. Ansty Park benefits from direct access to the motorway network via junction two of the M6 and junction one of the M69. Coventry, Birmingham and East Midlands airports are all within a 40-minute drive. Jon Robinson, development director at West Midlands-based Barberry, said: “Ansty Park is a fantastic location for Barberry’s latest development, being one of the most significant business and technology parks in the Midlands. We are excited to unveil Barberry 50, a high-tech, build to suit unit which is ideal for a new headquarters facility or centre of excellence for a suitable occupier, available on both a leasehold and freehold basis. “Once we achieve planning consent, the unit will be built to BREEAM Excellent and EPC A standards and has been designed with a focus on sustainability which is at the forefront of our minds.” He added: “This significant investment demonstrates Barberry’s continued commitment to the region and the development while helping to address the continued shortage of new, high quality manufacturing accommodation in the West Midlands. “New buildings such as this help to create the quality accommodation that local, regional and national businesses need in order to expand their operations within the Midlands, creating new jobs and attracting investment. We continue to see significant occupier demand for new industrial and warehouse units.” Barberry has a 3.6 million sq ft industrial/logistics development portfolio with a Gross Development Value of in excess of £500 million. It is currently developing a £40 million state-of-the-art manufacturing and design facility for a global leader in engine and flight controls systems in Gloucestershire. The 207,000 sq ft centre of excellence for Moog’s Aircraft Controls Segment is being built on a 10-acre site at Ashchurch, Tewkesbury. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Commercial real estate investor and developer, Firethorn Trust has appointed Glencar, a construction company specialising in industrial, logistics, distribution and manufacturing, to deliver a 340,000 sq ft logistics warehousing scheme in South Yorkshire. The 24-acre site, called Barnsley340, will include a Grade-A warehouse unit spanning 320,000 sq ft, along with 20,000 sq ft of highly specified office space. Work will start imminently, with completion expected in Q3 2023. In line with Firethorn’s enhanced specification, the scheme will be delivered to net-zero carbon in construction and target an ‘Excellent’ BREEAM rating. A sustainable design is featured throughout to reduce operating costs and increase energy efficiencies, with initiatives including rainwater harvesting, provisions for HGV EV charging and capabilities for 100% Photovoltaic arrays. Paul Martin, Development Director at Firethorn Trust, said: “We’re delighted to be working with Glencar again, on what will be its third appointment on a Firethorn logistics development. We are continually impressed by the team’s expertise and ability to deliver schemes that are in keeping with the values of Firethorn, ensuring that future occupiers will benefit from a high-quality, flexible and market-leading design. “Widely regarded as a prime logistics site in an area benefitting from ongoing inward investment and regeneration, Barnsley has become a highly sought-after location for ambitious businesses looking to expand their operations. As market demand for modern logistics space continues to grow, we are confident that the Firethorn specification will unlock the full potential of this site, whilst bringing economic and societal benefits into the area.” Also commenting on the project appointment, Pete Goodman, Glencar Managing Director Midlands and North, added: “Glencar prides itself on solid partnerships and has built its business based on long-term, mutually successful relationships with our customers. We are therefore delighted to receive our third project instruction to date from Firethorn following other recent appointments in Erith and Peterborough. “As Firethorn continue to expand their portfolio of sites and presence in the logistics real estate sector around the UK, we are ready, willing and able to support that growth and fully committed to a long-standing partnership. “We look forward to getting started on this project and delivering a first-class outcome to the net zero in construction benchmark specification which is rapidly becoming the new norm in the sector.” Fronting the Dearne Valley Parkway, less than one mile from J36 of the M1, Barnsley340 offers ideal connectivity to the UK logistics network, with direct motorway access to Leeds, Doncaster and Sheffield. Enquiries should be directed to the scheme’s agents Gent Visick and Knight Frank. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Stoford gets North West’s biggest warehouse scheme underway : Work is progressing on construction of a new 667,000 sq ft UK parts distribution centre at Ellesmere Port. Leading commercial property developer, Stoford is delivering the new state-of-the-art logistics development on a 38.7 acre site at West Road, Hooton Park Airfield. The building has been pre-let to Peugeot, a subsidiary of the global automaker Stellantis Group and is the biggest single cross-docked warehouse to be developed in the North West this year. Stoford is targeting the highest level of building sustainability certification for the new development, including BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ and an EPC ‘A’ rating. It will be certified as net zero carbon in operation for the base build works. The building will provide office accommodation and features including photovoltaic roof panels, rainwater harvesting, LED lighting and an energy monitoring system. Staff will also benefit from an external wellbeing area, bicycle storage and EV car charging points. Stoford has sympathetically designed the building to preserve the integrity of the existing listed structures on the former airfield, which will see the ground and building floor levels of the new facility recessed into the existing slope. Winvic Construction Ltd has been appointed as contractor to deliver the works. It is anticipated that the building’s steel frame will be in place by the end of 2022, with the development programmed for completion in the second half of 2023. Singapore Exchange listed Frasers Logistics & Commercial Trust (FLCT) is forward funding the new development and has acquired the freehold for a total consideration on a completed basis of £101 million. Jamie Craig, UK Director for Parts Distribution at Stellantis, said: “The incredible progress on the site is a credit to Stoford and Winvic. The sheer scale of the development is impressive in every way. I am looking forward to the day when we can move our UK parts distribution centre into the building.” Dan Gallagher, Joint Managing Director of Stoford said: “This is a modern, purpose-built distribution building that will create new jobs and deliver significant economic benefits. Sustainability has been a key factor throughout the design process, with consideration given to minimising embodied carbon and reducing the building’s energy consumption. The development forms part of the expansion of Ellesmere Port and will ensure the longevity of Hooton Park as a significant employment site.” Robert Wallace, Chief Executive Officer of the REIT Manager, said: “The forward funding acquisition presents an excellent opportunity to add a state-of-the-art logistics facility to FLCT’s growing UK logistics and industrial portfolio. With a committed 15-year lease term to Peugeot, a subsidiary of the global automaker Stellantis Group, the property will serve as its national distribution centre upon completion. The property will be developed to high building and sustainability specifications and will meet BREEAM5 ‘Outstanding’ and EPC6 A rating. “The property will mark FLCT’s fourth logistics and industrial investment in the UK and is strategically sited in a well-established logistics and industrial precinct in UK’s North West, which will enable us to deepen FLCT’s presence in the attractive UK logistics real estate space, while supporting our objectives of delivering sustainable long-term value to our unitholders.” Winvic’s Head of Industrial, Distribution and Logistics, Danny Nelson, added: “We’re thrilled to be working with Stoford once again and to add another low carbon industrial facility to our roster of live projects. The relationships already built with the Stellantis team are driving the facility forward and we look forward to exceeding their expectations all the way to delivery in the second half of 2023.” Gemma Davies, Director of Economy and Housing at Cheshire West and Chester Council, said: “This is another significant investment in Ellesmere Port, not only does the new building contribute to the green credentials we are striving for, it continues the historic association Ellesmere Port has with the motor industry and creates a new modern workplace.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Siddal and Hilton Products, the welded steel mesh manufacture, has announced its plans to completely redevelop its 4.5 acre sites in Brighouse. The £9 million investment follows the company’s goal to become a world-class manufacturer. Siddall has a number of manufacturing, storage and office buildings on both sides of Foundry Street, some of which are over 150 years old and are no longer fit for purpose. Having been granted planning permission to begin work on phase one of the three-year project, the company will see the creation of new amenities for staff. While the site is being redeveloped, the office-based team at Siddall have temporarily moved into portakabins. Initial works will provide new facilities including showers, locker-rooms and a canteen for employees, with a briefing room and a training space above, followed by several major demolition and construction phases. “Since the MBO three years ago, the business has gone from strength to strength. We have already embarked on a major investment programme, from commissioning a new state-of-the-art £2m welding machine last year, replacing a roof and refurbishing existing machines to expanding the team and implementing ongoing training programmes to upskill colleagues,” said Ian Thurley, Chief Executive. “This significant investment in redeveloping the entire site will bring all our facilities up to the latest standards as we continue to compete on the world stage. Not only will it see us expanding our operational site capacity, but also improving process flow and future proofing the buildings as well as creating a better working environment. One of our key strengths is our skilled workforce in Brighouse and the scale of this project is a further demonstration of our commitment to our people and continuing to invest in the town.” The first phase, which represents a £4 million investment, will see the demolition of a number of the older buildings, to be replaced by a new portal-framed building, HGV service yard and factory extension. With work due to start on site in 2023, the redevelopment has been carefully planned to ensure that the business remains fully operational throughout the work. Later phases will include the extensive refurbishment of the old Tower Works site and the conversion of one of the sheds to provide permanent office accommodation. Once this has been completed, the company plans to remove the portakabins and build two warehousing units adjacent to Birds Royd Lane. Other enhancements will focus on improving vehicle movements around the site to minimise vehicular obstructions on Foundry Street and to significantly improve safety for pedestrians and other road users close to the works. Overall, the project will enable Siddall to streamline its manufacturing processes by providing a much more efficient workflow, as well as creating a safer, greener and more modern environment for its employees and the local community. The scheme has been designed by Darren Till, partner at TJP Architects, based in Pontefract. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Home of Construction and Property News
Henderson Park and Cole Waterhouse have appointed the McLaren Construction Group as main contractor to deliver the first phase of Konect 62, a major tri-modal logistics and industrial scheme in Yorkshire. The announcement follows the joint venture’s formal completion of the 136-acre site’s acquisition for £54 million. It has also newly signed a development debt facility with BentallGreenOak enabling the initial phase to get underway. Phase One will see the speculative development of 1.1 million sq ft of state-of-the-art, energy efficient warehouse space across four units, all built to BREEAM Excellent sustainability standards. This will include ‘Big K’ a 735,000 sq ft unit, one of the largest ever delivered in the North of the UK, as well as three further units of 161,000, 151,000 and 55,000 sq ft, catering to a variety of potential occupiers. Konect 62 holds full planning consent for 1.4 million sq ft of prime logistics accommodation, however plans are under review to enlarge the scheme to c. 1.8 million sq ft, enabling it to better fulfil the strong occupier demand, with a further planning application for the additional area due to be submitted in the new year. David Nuttall, Managing Director of Cole Waterhouse industrial and logistics, commented: “Appointing McClaren to deliver these sustainable and high-quality units so quickly after we acquired the land and completed the construction funding is a major step forward for Konect and a statement of intent from the partners involved. We plan to be on site within four weeks with completion from Q3 2023. The range of units we are developing will appeal to a diverse range of occupiers who will bring high quality jobs and investment to the area and cement Konect as a significant employment destination in anticipation of our future phases in the coming years.” Commenting on the investment, Christophe Kuhbier, Managing Director at Henderson Park, said: “This strategically located site is optimally placed to deliver much needed capacity into the critically undersupplied Yorkshire industrial market, with local vacancy rates of 2.2%. We are confident that the sustainability and technical specifications of the scheme we are developing will appeal to the highest quality logistics operators as well as traditional industrial occupiers, who are increasingly energy conscious. We are excited to get the project underway and deliver what we believe will be an exemplary regeneration of a major brownfield site.” Gary Cramp, Managing Director of McLaren Construction (Midlands and North), said: “We are delighted to have secured the project which represents a great investment for the Yorkshire region, including plans for one of the largest units ever to be delivered here. The scale and scope of the scheme will bring abundant investment and employment opportunities to the county’s industrial and logistics market, and we are looking forward to continuing relationships with Henderson Park, Cole Waterhouse and their stakeholders.” Jim Blakemore, Global Head of Debt at BentallGreenOak, said: “We are delighted to be supporting Henderson Park and Cole Waterhouse on this project in a key logistics location in the UK. The business plan reflects our debt investment thesis which is to finance best-in-class sponsors who are creating high-quality assets in strong and sustainable locations. This investment builds on 4 million sq ft of logistics assets which BentallGreenOak have lent on in the UK and European logistics markets over the last two years.” The development represents the country’s only inland distribution park ready enabled to offer tri-modal connectivity to the UK and continental Europe via road, water or rail. The site will have a high level of power capacity for energy intensive operations allowing it to appeal to both traditional industrial and logistics occupiers. Located at the crucial axis of the M62 and the A1(M) it is positioned to address local, regional and national markets as well as international markets with a number of sea ports and main UK air freight hubs within 4.5 hours. The project team includes: C4 Projects acting as architect, project manager and cost consultant; planning consultant Barton Wilmore; XOsquare as structural engineer; Novo Integration (M&E); Terra 97 (Geo-environmental) and Axis PED (transport). DTRE and Sixteen Real Estate are acting as joint letting agents for the scheme.
Construction of BREEAM excellent unit is situated at PLP’s newly acquired 17-acre development site at the well-established and successful Stone Business Park in Stafford Glencar, a leading UK construction company that was recently ranked amongst Europe’s fastest growing businesses, has today announced that it has been appointed by long term customer and specialist UK Logistics and industrial property business PLP to construct a 344,500 sq ft warehouse unit being developed speculatively on a 17-acre site at Stone Business Park in Stafford. The site situated on Brooms Lane will feature the redevelopment of a redundant and recently vacated data centre into a new, high specification logistics warehouse that will include over 20,000 sq ft of office accommodation. The development will also feature a separately accessed, secure service yard up to 67m deep, 300 car park spaces and the retention and enhancement of the existing landscaping belt around the perimeter of the site. Construction commenced at the beginning of September with completion scheduled for Q2 2023. To mark the start of work on site, a ground-breaking event took place on the 4th October, attended by representatives from PLP, Glencar and the wider project team. The scheme is being developed to achieve a BREEAM Excellent rating and, as with all PLP speculatively developed properties, adhere to the UK Green Building Councils Net Zero Buildings Framework. PLP’s carbon net zero (CNZ) framework combines CNZ construction with CNZ ready design, to enable future occupiers to achieve CNZ operation by utilising built-in renewable energy features and procuring appropriate renewable energy supplies. This includes the use of solar photovoltaics, air source heating and cooling, LED lighting and electric car charging points. Future flexibility is also built into the design, with features such as a strengthened roof to enable full coverage of solar photovoltaics and underground infrastructure to facilitate 100% of all car and HGV parking spaces to have electric charging points. The project is forecast to deliver a host of significant socio-economic benefits including over 100 additional jobs during the construction phase and over 500 new permanent jobs once the scheme is occupied. The completed and occupied scheme will also contribute additional GVA of £24.5 million annually to the local economy. Commenting on the appointment Glencar Managing Director Midlands and North Pete Goodman said: “We are absolutely delighted to once again be working for our long-standing and much valued customer PLP on this incredible new speculative development. This scheme represents the fifth project we have worked on together with PLP and is typical of the strong customer partnerships we place great emphasis on building.” The PLP building specification is market leading with a host of building innovations and carbon net zero features, designed to be ‘future flexible’ to enable future occupiers to benefit from their own renewable energy sources.” Located on Brooms Road, the site is extremely prominent and the gateway to the well-established and successful Stone Business Park. It is highly accessible by road with the A34 dual carriageway adjacent and Junction 14 of the M6 motorway located only 5 miles to the south and Junction 15 of the M6 only 9 miles to the north. The project team comprises of WSP as planning consultants, PHP Architects – Architects, Knight Webb – Project Managers and Hydrok – Engineers..
Site which will consist of two warehouses of 771,000 and 210,000 sq ft is being developed by leading logistics developer Baytree Logistics Developments and is pre-let to logistics specialist Rhenus Glencar Construction has today announced that it has been appointed by leading logistics development company Baytree Logistics Developments to develop a major new 1 million square foot sustainable logistics development pre-let to logistics specialist Rhenus at a site in Nuneaton in the West Midlands. The site will consist of two warehouses, totalling one million square feet. The first warehouse is due to complete by the end of this year and will be 210,000 square feet. The second, which is due to complete in early 2023, will be 771,000 square feet. Upon completion, the development will be known as the ‘Rhenus Campus’ and be the equivalent of 36 football pitches. The state-of-the-art, sustainable warehouses will offer a wide range of warehousing and distribution services to Rhenus’s diverse customer base. As such they will benefit from the latest in robotics, AI and warehouse management systems to provide flexible solutions and control of the supply chain. In addition, the development will feature the very latest digital technology and upon completion the development will be certified BREEAM Outstanding. Solar panels will be installed on the roof to provide solar energy and air source heat pumps will be installed, additionally the car park will be equipped with electric car charging points. The site will become home to numerous trees, log piles, bees, bat and bird boxes, as well as a pond and wildflower grassland and meadow, which will support biodiversity. Employee allotments, outdoor seating areas, sports facilities and a walking track will also be installed, providing staff with green, open spaces for them to enjoy outside of work. Speaking about the development Glencar Managing Director Midlands and North Pete Goodman said: ”So soon after completing our first project for Baytree in Milton Keynes at their incredible Fenny lock scheme we are absolutely delighted to receive this second instruction and to be delivering another stand out sustainable logistics development. Baytree are leading the way in terms of the technological, social, and environmental aspects of next generation sustainable logistics developments and we as partners are incredibly pleased to be partnering in this regard. As a result, Glencar is developing a profound understanding of the circular economy and ‘cradle to cradle’ principles in terms of future material usage and return to best use without any compromise in quality. We are already making excellent progress and we look forward to seeing this building rapidly emerge out of the ground”. Also commenting, Jonathan Fenton Jones, Baytree Operations Director said: “It is invigorating for Baytree to play its part in creating this new development with Glencar for Rhenus which sets new benchmarks in environmental and social responsibility. Clearly, Rhenus care deeply about their people and the positive impacts which their enterprise will have for its customers and the wider community. It is the symbiosis of Rhenus’ business vision and values expressed within the built and natural environment which will make the Rhenus Campus in Nuneaton a beacon amongst its peers. Baytree is delighted to partner with Glencar once again as their trusted delivery partner for construction of the new Rhenus Campus development in Nuneaton”. Also commenting Kerry Delaney, Managing Director at Rhenus Warehousing Solutions Lutterworth, said: “We are very proud that construction has begun on our new warehouses at Baytree, Nuneaton, and to have celebrated this important milestone alongside our development partner Baytree. “The brand-new facility will reach the highest level of sustainability in warehousing, creating a site that’s environmentally diverse and that promotes happiness, health and well-being amongst our employees. At Rhenus, we put our people at the heart of all we do, and operating from a flexible space where they can boost their work life and mental health is hugely important to us. “This new site will allow us to more easily meet the demands of our growing business and attract new customers, whilst enabling us to deliver our high-quality, personalised service. More importantly, our new, sustainable warehouses can support our customers in achieving their own carbon-zero goals. “Every aspect of our warehouse environment, in terms of its carbon output, will be measured using the latest in digital technology. As all companies will need a plan to achieve a carbon-zero supply chain by 2045, Rhenus is perfectly positioned to help its customers document their own roadmap to deliver this. “We’re very excited about our business expansion and are looking forward to continuing our successful partnership with Baytree throughout 2022 and beyond”
Panattoni, the largest logistics real estate developer in the UK and Europe, has signed a pre-lease agreement with Alliance Automotive Group (“AAG”), a leading distributor of passenger and commercial vehicle parts, with significant international brands such as NAPA, BOSCH, Apec and FPS for a 630,000 sq ft facility at Panattoni Park Rotherham. AAG has signed a 25-year lease for the facility, which will be one of the largest-ever speculative logistics buildings in the north of England. Construction of the facility along with a smaller 80,000 sq ft unit, has just begun, with completion expected in August 2023. They will be built to a minimum BREEAM sustainability rating of ‘Very Good’ and an EPC rating of ‘A’. The Park is located next to junction 1 of the M18 at Rotherham, the 40-acre Panattoni Park Rotherham bridges the last mile to the 1.4 million consumers of the Sheffield city region. Dan Burn, Head of Development, North West &Yorkshire at Panattoni, said: “This major pre-let to AAG endorses our continuing commitment to a significant speculative development programme across the UK and our continued confidence in the logistics sector. We look forward to working with AAG over the coming months as we bring significant investment and employment opportunities to Rotherham”. Steve Richardson, AAG’s Managing Director, said: “We’re delighted to partner with Panattoni to secure this new facility for our FPS business. We’ve experienced significant growth since acquiring FPS in 2016 and this investment not only allows us to consolidate our three existing facilities in Sheffield, but also forms part of our wider programme to strengthen our distribution infrastructure to ensure we are prepared for future growth. “This will be a purpose-built, state-of-the-art facility, integrating best-in-class logistics operations with advanced technologies to put us at the forefront of aftermarket distribution. As we move forward customers can expect an even wider product offering alongside market leading service and support. It’s an exciting next step in our journey and we expect the new facility to be operational in the first quarter of 2025”. Letting agents are M1 Agency, Legat Owen and Knight Frank.
Verdion announces a major £300 million speculative development programme that will deliver all remaining warehouse capacity at iPort, the 6 million sq ft multimodal logistics hub just outside Doncaster. Totalling 1.75 million sq ft, this final stage of development at iPort will offer five buildings from 82,000 sq ft upwards, with delivery from June 2023. The largest of the five buildings will extend to 848,250 sq ft and complete in June 2024 – one of the largest speculative logistics units ever developed in the UK offering a significant proposition for businesses looking for a new national hub. All buildings will be built to very high standards of construction and certified to a minimum of BREEAM Very Good. John Clements, Executive Director of Verdion, said: “This is a major investment that underlines our unwavering confidence in both iPort and the UK market. Demand for high quality, efficient space in strategic locations remains extremely strong and this programme addresses the current scarcity in Yorkshire market and further afield head on. “Speed of delivery is important and we have a fantastic on-site construction team, planning permission is in place and contractors’ agreements are signed.” The decision follows recent lettings at iPort as well as the completion of the final building in its previous speculative phase, iP10, which is located adjacent to the on-site rail terminal. Woodland Group, Euro Pool Systems and Maritime Transport have all signed leases for new space at iPort this year. iPort is one of the UK’s most significant multimodal logistics hubs, and the largest in the north of England, with capacity for a total of 6 million sq ft of 24/7 of logistics and light industrial accommodation close to Junction 3 of the M18 and the East Coast Main Line. Occupiers include Amazon, CEVA, Fellowes, Lidl, Dusk, Kingsbury Press, Woodland Group, Maritime Group and Euro Pool Systems. In addition to large areas of landscaping and wetland, iPort benefits from an award-winning multimodal on-site rail freight terminal, iPort Rail, which is increasingly being used by companies based on-site and across the region looking to cut carbon across their supply chains, with rail connections to major UK sea ports. Gent Visick, Colliers and CBRE are the retained leasing agents for iPort. Verdion’s longstanding partner in the development of iPort is the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP). www.iportuk.com www.iportrail.com
Talent shortages and growth ambitions are forcing some of the UK’s most promising science and technology businesses to re-evaluate their building strategies according to a new research report. As a result over half are planning to relocate over the next three years and over one in six (16%) are planning to move overseas. The report, Building a Future for Science and Technology, by Ridge and Partners, the multi-discipline property and construction consultancy, suggests a UK science and technology sector with big expansion plans. The 103 science and tech companies interviewed expect to grow by an average 52% over the next three years. However, they are being inhibited by premises and location concerns which have ramifications for the local authorities, developers, city planners, and science parks looking to attract them. These issues and shortcomings are impacting on the sectors’ ability to recruit and therefore grow. For instance, over a third are struggling to fill crucial support roles such as lab technicians and admin staff – personnel who are massively affected by public transport and local housing costs. Meanwhile, almost half (48%) are having difficulty filling more senior roles. These issues have become so pronounced that almost a third (31%) report they need to be nearer a larger pool of talent. For many, that may involve moving overseas. Liz Sparrow, Partner, Science and Tech Lead at Ridge and Partners, comments: “There’s no lack of ambition or opportunity for growth within the science and tech communities. Indeed, a third of the companies we studied expect to grow by over 60% over the next three years. But they need to be in the right environment to do this. That means somewhere with the right infrastructure, transport links, housing, and premises to attract the partners, suppliers, and talent they need.” Ridge’s research also highlights how highly dependent small and large science and technology-based businesses are on each other. Irrespective of size, 31% want to be located nearer to other science/tech businesses. This drive to operate in such ‘eco-systems’ has made tech and science parks the preferred solution for 98%. However, the report shows that these eco-systems aren’t working as they should, with 19% reporting that their science park landlords are not in tune with their needs. A third say that there aren’t enough good suppliers near them, while 24% need to be closer to major academic institutions. Such proximity would make collaboration and innovation easier and create a greater magnet for the specialist talent and suppliers the sectors collectively need. A sizeable 45% strongly agree that science parks can all seem the same and 80% say they feel rather ‘out of town’, an issue exacerbated by public transport problems. Conscious that their choice of building reflects on their own brand, 81% believe their science park should prioritise sustainability. A fifth want their science park to be a more high-tech and greener space to help them attract talent with an array of things on wish-lists such as visible renewable energy sources (19%) and impressive front of house or showcase areas for visitors and partners to use (20%). Liz Sparrow, again: “It’s important that we note these needs, as every company which exits these diverse eco-systems and relocates overseas, or simply fails to thrive, weakens things for everyone else. To protect one we must plan and build for all. “But with such a diverse mix of building, housing, and infrastructure needs to address no single body alone can do this. Joined-up thinking is needed between the public and private sectors, between the UK’s government, its cities, regions, construction sector, and science parks. Collaboration is key if we’re to create, grow – and keep – the UK’s tech/science powerhouses.” The Building a Future for Science and Technology Report is free to download.