Railpen and Wrenbridge have signed a major new occupier, Leathams Ltd, a food supplier and distributor, at Dartford X. Leathams Ltd have taken a pre-let of 30,000 sq ft at the site. Dartford X covers nine-acres and was acquired by Railpen in December 2019. Railpen’s development partner Wrenbridge have delivered
RPMI Railpen (Railpen), the investment manager for the £30bn railways pension schemes, and Wrenbridge have achieved planning consent for a 185,000 sq ft warehouse development in Dartford, set to create approximately 500 new jobs. The 9-acre site, which was acquired by Railpen in February 2020, will comprise five Grade A
BDC 319 : Aug 2024
Railpen and Wrenbridge have signed a major new occupier, Leathams Ltd, a food supplier and distributor, at Dartford X. Leathams Ltd have taken a pre-let of 30,000 sq ft at the site. Dartford X covers nine-acres and was acquired by Railpen in December 2019. Railpen’s development partner Wrenbridge have delivered five new Grade A warehouse units ranging in size from 13,000 sq ft to 75,000 sq ft. The warehouses all have excellent sustainability credentials, with Dartford X achieving a BREEAM Excellent rating. All buildings are highly insulated, have PV panels on the roof, and contain water-saving features and energy-efficient lifts. There are also electric vehicle charging points across the site (20 per cent active and 80 per cent passive). Alastair Dawson, Senior Asset Manager at Railpen, says: “We are delighted Leathams have taken space at Dartford X. Leathams choosing Dartford X shows the park can accommodate major companies wanting to operate from high-specification buildings with excellent access to Central London and the M25 at an affordable price. The industrial and logistics sector form a key part of Railpen’s portfolio at a time when the sector is hugely important to the UK’s economic recovery.” Martin Sandler, Real Estate Director at Leathams, says: “Dartford X is a brilliant location for Leathams. Its proximity to major motorways and transport infrastructure giving us access to Folkstone/Felixstowe for our inbound goods as well as our outbound distribution to London and National, are a key part of its appeal. Dartford X’s green credentials, the ceiling heights, large yard and generous power supply are important too, particularly as we plan to install a new chilled box as part of our fit-out. The outlook over plentiful green spaces and lakes will also be great for our Colleagues from a wellbeing perspective. We look forward to occupying the space and a long-term relationship with Railpen.” Harry Gibson, Associate Director at Wrenbridge, says: “The transaction with Leathams Ltd highlights the demand for high specification accommodation in key locations such as Dartford. We have enjoyed working closely with Leathams, and we look forward to growing the relationship further throughout their fit-out and seeing how they utilise the building’s specification and sustainability measures.” Dartford X is owned and managed by Railpen, the investment manager for the GBP35 billion Railways Pension Schemes and developed in partnership with Wrenbridge. CBRE, Cushmans and Glenny represented Railpen.
RPMI Railpen (Railpen), the investment manager for the £30bn railways pension schemes, and Wrenbridge have achieved planning consent for a 185,000 sq ft warehouse development in Dartford, set to create approximately 500 new jobs. The 9-acre site, which was acquired by Railpen in February 2020, will comprise five Grade A warehouse units ranging in size from 13,000 sq ft to 73,000 sq ft. Work on the new development is scheduled to start in October, and due for completion in June 2021. The new development will form part of The Bridge, a 1.8m sq ft mixed-use development which currently provides commercial accommodation for occupiers such as Mercedes, DHL, Sainsbury’s and Network Rail. The site is easily accessible from Central London and other areas of Kent via major motorway and railway links, and benefits from close proximity to Junction 1A of the M25 corridor and City Airport. The new buildings will also have excellent sustainability credentials, with Railpen and Wrenbridge targeting a BREEAM Excellent rating and Planet Mark Certification. Alastair Dawson, Senior Asset Manager at Railpen, commented: “Despite the challenges presented by the current Covid-19 crisis, we are pleased to be able to efficiently move forward with this major project. Achieving consent for Dartford is a great step in expanding Railpen’s industrial portfolio, and the subsequent creation of jobs reflects the keen focus on social aspects of our investment strategy.” Jeff Wilson, Director at Wrenbridge, added: “Securing planning consent in such a short period of time is testament to our innovative and highly sustainable development plans. The scheme, and those working within it, will benefit from a range of high quality environmentally advanced technologies all within a landscaped setting with amenity on the doorstep.” The newly approved Dartford development joins a wide range of real estate assets owned and managed by RPMI Railpen, including a new scheme of six high specification warehouse units in Waltham Cross, also in partnership with Wrenbridge, which is due to complete in March 2021. CBRE, Cushmam & Wakefield and Glenny have been appointed as the leasing agents for the new development.
