Panattoni Secures Northampton Site for £75m Brackmills Logistics Development
Panattoni has expanded its UK logistics pipeline with the acquisition of a 15-acre site at Brackmills Industrial Estate in Northampton, where it intends to deliver a speculative warehouse scheme with a gross development value of around £75 million. The site, formerly the Baxters Healthcare National Distribution Centre on Salthouse Road, will be redeveloped into a single 340,000 sq ft logistics unit known as Brackmills 340. A planning application for the project is expected to be submitted in the first quarter of 2026, with construction scheduled to start in 2028. Panattoni said the decision to bring the scheme forward speculatively reflects sustained demand in one of the UK’s most established logistics markets. Gregg Titley, Head of Development for the East and West Midlands at Panattoni, described the Brackmills opportunity as a rare chance to deliver a prime, high-quality facility in a market characterised by limited available supply. He said the site’s strategic position, strong transport links, and capacity for flexible design will appeal to both national and regional occupiers seeking sustainable, efficient accommodation. Panattoni highlighted the scheme’s planned ESG features as a key component of its offer, with the building expected to meet high environmental performance standards. The company has continued to expand its footprint across the Midlands in response to growing occupier interest in modern, well-connected distribution space. CBRE advised Panattoni on the acquisition. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Amro Partners Lodge Ambitious £650m Redevelopment Proposal for Lewisham Retail Park
Amro Partners has submitted a major planning application to transform Lewisham Retail Park into a large mixed-use residential neighbourhood, marking one of the most substantial regeneration proposals brought forward in the borough in recent years. The application, submitted on 4 December and currently awaiting validation by Lewisham Council, outlines the full redevelopment of the 2.8-acre site on Loampit Vale, which Amro acquired earlier this year. The plans set out a £650 million scheme comprising five new buildings and close to 2,000 square metres of commercial floorspace. The development would deliver 387 Build-to-Rent homes, 383 co-living studios and 682 student rooms, creating a total of 1,452 residential units. Discussions are said to be under way with specialist food hall operators to take up 1,000 square metres of the proposed commercial space. The Build-to-Rent homes would include one to three-bedroom flats, with layouts intended to accommodate single residents through to larger households of up to six people. Affordable housing levels have yet to be agreed with the council, though the intention is for the scheme to incorporate a blend of social rent and discounted market rent homes. Public realm improvements form a substantial part of the proposals, with plans for two residential garden areas and a central square featuring seating, children’s play spaces, open lawns, walking and cycling routes, and almost 100 new trees. Amro said the aim is to create a vibrant, inclusive environment to support long-term community life. Raj Kotecha, chief executive and co-founder of Amro Partners, described the proposals as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reshape the site into a new sustainable neighbourhood. He said the team had spent months engaging with local people to help inform the vision and ensure the development delivers meaningful social, environmental and housing benefits. The site was previously owned by Legal & General, which secured consent in 2018 for a residential-led scheme that was never brought forward. If Amro’s plans are validated, they will move into the formal decision-making process, including public consultation and eventual consideration by either a planning officer or planning committee. Should planning permission be granted, Amro anticipates beginning construction in early 2027, with phased completion expected through 2029 and 2030. The scale of the proposals sits alongside other major regeneration activity in the area, including Landsec’s £1.5 billion redevelopment of Lewisham Shopping Centre, approved in October, which will deliver 1,744 homes alongside student accommodation and co-living units. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Kier Property Advances £26m Sharston Industrial Redevelopment
Kier Property is moving ahead with the transformation of a key site in Sharston after completing demolition works and securing planning approval for its new Trade City and Logistics City scheme. The four-acre site, purchased earlier this year from Electrium, a Siemens subsidiary, is now ready for the construction phase, which is scheduled to begin in early 2026. The redevelopment will deliver close to 100,000 sq ft of modern employment space, replacing ageing industrial units that had reached the end of their operational life. The scheme comprises eight Trade City units ranging from 5,391 to 11,664 sq ft, designed to accommodate small and medium-sized enterprises, trade counters and light industrial occupiers. In addition, a single Logistics City building of 34,584 sq ft will offer contemporary space for operators requiring efficient layouts and strong transport connectivity. Kier has delivered similar schemes elsewhere, including one completed in late 2024, which brought forward a further 94,000 sq ft of new industrial accommodation. The company said the Sharston project will help address ongoing demand for high-quality space within an established commercial area. Leigh Thomas, group managing director at Kier Property, said the completion of demolition and positive planning outcome marked a significant milestone. He added that the new development would provide modern, sustainable premises for occupiers seeking well-connected locations with access to key markets. Savills and JLL have been appointed as joint agents for the scheme. Alex Palfreyman, director at Savills, said the project represents a timely addition to a supply-constrained industrial and trade counter market, offering new options for businesses seeking space in the area. Design work is being led by Horizon Fletcher Rae, while Savills is also advising on planning matters. Full details of the project can be found on Manchester City Council’s planning portal under reference number 143771/FO/2025. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Aldi Ramps Up Expansion with Five Store Openings in Just 24 Hours
Aldi has marked a major milestone in its ongoing UK growth push after opening five new stores within the space of 24 hours across 11 and 12 December. The new branches are located in Uxbridge, Northallerton, Pershore, Old Kent Road in London, and Yate in Bristol, significantly increasing the retailer’s reach in the run-up to Christmas. The openings form part of Aldi’s long-term ambition to operate 1,500 UK stores, up from its current total of around 1,070. The supermarket has outlined a substantial investment plan to support this expansion, including £650 million allocated for store launches and refurbishments in 2025, and a further £1.6 billion committed over the following two years. Jon Neale, real estate managing director at Aldi UK, said the rapid series of openings highlights both the retailer’s momentum and the strong demand from customers for more local access to its offer. He added that launching five stores in the days leading up to Christmas will provide a timely boost to shoppers in each of the newly served areas. Neale emphasised that Aldi remains focused on expanding in locations where it can make the greatest positive impact, supported by teams that deliver its value-focused approach. He said the retailer is moving at pace to bring its combination of low prices and high-quality products to more communities across the country. With the latest openings completed, Aldi’s expansion drive shows no sign of slowing as it continues to target new sites and broaden its national footprint heading into 2025 and beyond. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Clegg Construction appoints new commercial manager
Contractor Clegg Construction has strengthened its team with the appointment of a new commercial manager. Andy Bore will be the commercial lead on the Midway Karparc project – an innovative scheme in Newcastle-under-Lyme to redevelop a 1960s former multi-storey car park into apartments which is being undertaken by Clegg Construction for Capital & Centric. He will also provide commercial and contractual support across the wider business and assist with the development, training and mentoring of the commercial team. With 24 years of working in the construction sector for companies such as Interserve, Kier, Thomas Vale Construction, nmcn and most recently GF Tomlinson, Andy brings a wealth of experience to the role. Clegg Construction Commercial Director Dan Manley said: “We are very pleased to welcome Andy to the Clegg Construction team. His extensive experience and proven track record in the industry will be an asset to our business. “Andy possesses expertise that I am sure will bring a positive impact, not only to the Midway Karparc project but across our wider operations as we continue to deliver successful developments for our public and private sector clients.” Andy, has worked on a wide range of schemes – both new build and refurbishment – including schools, shopping centres, a leisure centre and swimming pool, office block, student accommodation, high end housing, bio mass facility, heritage projects, and a few blue light schemes. Andy said: “I am excited to have started a new role as commercial manager at Clegg Construction – bringing my experience and expertise to the company at an exciting time when there is much in the pipeline to look forward to and celebrate.” With its headquarters in the Lace Market, Nottingham, Clegg Construction is a Midlands, East Anglia, and Yorkshire-based construction firm specialising in the delivery of public and private sector projects. The company works with organisations of all sizes and specialities across a comprehensive range of sectors. For more information visit www.cleggconstruction.co.uk Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Whitbread wraps up 2025 with planning consent at Dorset House, SE1
Planning permission for the conversion of the 90,000 sq ft office brings hub by Premier Inn a step closer to London’s World-Famous South Bank Whitbread, the parent company to Premier Inn, the UK’s largest hotel business, has successfully secured planning permission to convert Dorset House, a former office building on Stamford Street in Southwark (SE1), into a 421-key hub by Premier Inn. The permission rounds off an especially active 2025 for the business in Central London where it has acquired four development sites for its Premier Inn and hub by Premier Inn brands since January 2025. Collectively, the four locations add close to 1,000 bedrooms – and more than 262,000 sq ft of development space – into Whitbread’s secured development pipeline in the capital. Dorset House brings the hub by Premier Inn brand south of the River Thames for the very first time at a location that boasts Waterloo Station, Blackfriars Station, London’s South Bank and the Royal Festival Hall within a ten-minute walking distance. Whitbread acquired the 90,000 sq ft building freehold in May [2025] and quickly began conversations with Southwark Council on the change of use of the nine-storey vacant office into a hub by Premier Inn hotel. The intention is to add the compact hub bedrooms within the existing floorplate and introduce a new hotel entrance on Stamford Street, with the basement-level F&B space visible through cut-out concrete sections on the ground-floor. Construction work is expected to begin in the second half of 2026 with a target date for opening in summer 2028. Jonathan Langdon, Senior Acquisition Manager for Whitbread, said: “Whitbread’s reliable and affordable hotels are ingrained in London life and we’re taking full advantage of opportunities to expand our network further for our guests. “The buildings we have acquired in 2025 bring four outstanding hotel locations into our secured pipeline in places where we are either not yet represented or are responding to strong, year-round demand from our customers. “All four acquisitions demonstrate Whitbread’s ability to spot and convert excellent opportunities to grow our business, deploy capital strategically, and work through planning risks to successfully grow our estate. “Achieving planning permission at Dorset House rounds off an especially active period for Whitbread’s Central London team in 2025, and we are moving quickly to progress our pipeline hotels into construction and onto trading as soon as possible.” Reflecting wider changes in the demand for office properties across the UK, all of Whitbread’s property acquisitions in Central London are office-to-hotel conversions. They include: Collectively the acquisitions total more than £100 million of direct investment. All the new hotels will be powered solely by electricity generated from renewable sources in line with Whitbread’s sustainability programme, Force For Good. Whitbread’s London hotels represent 18% of the company’s c. 86,000 bedroom-strong network in the UK & Ireland and an important growth market for both brands as the company works to expand its hotel estate by 45% to a long-term potential target of 125,000 UK&I rooms. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals