A main contractor has been appointed to deliver the first phase of a major tri-modal logistics and industrial scheme in Yorkshire.
London-headquartered McLaren Construction Group has been appointed by City-based private equity manager Henderson Park and Manchester property developer Cole Waterhouse on Konect 62, the new scheme for a 136-acre former Old Kellingley coal mine. It sits between Ferrybridge and Eggborough, equi-distant from Goole and Leeds.
The joint venture has just completed the acquisition of the land for £54 million, with the site benefiting from direct access to the strategic freight network and a station capable of handling trains up to 640 metres long, as well as the Aire & Calder canal waterway - unlocking potential freight links between Leeds and the Humber ports. It also sits at the “crucial axis of the M62 and A1(M).
Read more: Full breakdown of what will make up £100m new Immingham ferry terminal to serve Stena Line
The development represents the country’s only inland distribution park ready-enabled to offer connectivity to the UK and continental Europe via road, water or rail. Its legacy offers enhanced power for energy intensive operations, allowing it to appeal to both traditional industrial and logistics occupiers.
David Nuttall, managing director of Cole Waterhouse industrial and logistics, said: “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.”
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, as well as three further units of 161,000, 151,000 and 55,000 sq ft, catering to a variety of potential occupiers.
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 per cent. 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.”
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 around 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.
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.”
A newly signed development debt facility has been established with BentallGreenOak, enabling the initial phase to get underway. Jim Blakemore, global head of debt there, 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 four million sq ft of logistics assets which BentallGreenOak have lent on in the UK and European logistics markets over the last two years.”
The project team includes C4 Projects acting as architect, project manager and cost consultant; planning consultant Barton Wilmore; XOsquare as structural engineer; Novo Integration (mechanical and electrical); Terra 97 (geo-environmental) and Axis PED (transport). DTRE and Sixteen Real Estate are acting as joint letting agents for the scheme.
Read next:
Thorpe Marsh power station site could become UK's largest energy storage site
New rail freight service launches out of Port of Immingham taking 80 HGVs off the road a day
285,000 sq ft logistics site emerges in South Yorkshire
All your Humber business news in one place - bookmark it now
