The former Ford engine plant in South Wales has been brought to market with expected strong interest from developers and investors.
The freehold interest in the site, which extends to 158 acres with a 1.7 million sq ft factory, is being marketed by property advisory firm CBRE.
Suitable for owner occupation or redevelopment, new owners could invest to repurpose the site to attract new tenants in sectors such as industrial and logistics, where there is growing demand in Wales but a current lack of stock.
Ford Motor Company (FMC) currently owns the freehold interest.
The main building is made up of production and storage space, offices, meeting rooms, a canteen and locker rooms. There is a further 67,000 sq ft of basement space.
External ancillary buildings include a gatehouse, security office and plant stations. There are two main car parks with space for 890 cars and 99 HGVs.
Ford ceased production in September 2020 after 40 years of production, with a loss of more than 1,000 jobs in what was a major blow to the Welsh automotive sector.
The car maker has been preparing the site physically for sale with a small number of staff overseeing decommissioning which is due to complete in August.
A spokesperson for FMC said: “We are re-using or selling machinery, transforming the site into a cold idle status, which means that utilities are mostly disconnected. A major focus is put on environmental due diligence. A so-called phase two is under preparation. This phase two investigates in detail the soil and groundwater conditions in order to then develop and implement a remediation strategy.”
Ruth Tytherley, senior director of CBRE’s advisory & transaction services, said: “This is a significant opportunity to acquire a rarely available site of such scale on a freehold basis. Given the shortage of warehouse availability and sites for development across the UK, we have received enquiries from regional, national and global occupiers, investors and developers. "
Bids for the site have to be submitted by June 8.
The marketing of the site comes as there is understood to be strong interest in the adjoining Welsh Government owned Brocastle development site.
The first development on the 100 acre brownfield site was intended to be a 250,000 sq ft factory for Ineos Automotive for its Grenadier 4x4 vehicle.
The project was planning to create 500 jobs, before Ineos opted to locate production at a former Mercedes-Benz factory in France.
Despite the set back it is understood that there is considerable interest in the site, close to the M4 and rail's South Wales Mainline, including from a tech company and a manufacturing venture.
A Welsh Government spokesman said: “No Welsh Government funding was ever provided to Ineos. We have made a significant investment into the site we own at Brocastle to prepare it for development, in order to offer investment-ready opportunities to businesses. We are very encouraged by the interest shown in the site. Work to progress this interest is ongoing."
