Rothley Lodge Commercial Park in Leicestershire has now been completed by Rotherhill Developments, with the site now fully occupied.
The occupiers include national pharmacy group Day Lewis Plc, industrial automation component distributor BPX Electro-Mechanical Co. Ltd, and Selective Marketplace Ltd, a privately owned company with two premium womenswear brands.
Situated on the outskirts of Leicester, near Loughborough, Rothley Lodge comprises four industrial buildings totalling 223,000 sq ft. The premises range from 35,000 to 128,000 sq ft and were made available to businesses on a leasehold or freehold, design and build basis.
The 14-acre industrial site was acquired from Samworth Brothers on 14 July 2017, with funding provided by a syndicate of investors from Mattioli Woods.
Located off the A6 Loughborough Road to the north of Leicester, between Mountsorrel and Rothley, the site has links to the A46 Northern Bypass and Junctions 21 and 22 of the M1.
Paul Bagshaw is the owner and managing director of Rotherhill Developments and specialises in all aspects of redevelopment, from regeneration to new builds, as well as asset management. He says: “We are delighted to have completed on the Rothley Lodge industrial scheme and to have welcomed three growing businesses as occupiers. Rothley Lodge provided a unique and rare opportunity for occupiers to design and build to meet their needs and requirements. In the current market, there are few opportunities for local owner occupiers to purchase on a freehold basis, and most recently built units fail to cater for businesses seeking smaller industrial accommodation. Having recognised the lack of supply of high-quality, bespoke industrial space in the sub 150,000 sq ft region, we set out to develop a site capable of accommodating a range of growing businesses.”
“Situated on Leicester’s gateway, with strong surrounding road links and infrastructure, Rothley Lodge is in a prime commercial location,” Paul adds, “and we look forward to continuing to support our occupiers in facilitating the next phase of their expansion plans that are set to fuel the creation of new local jobs.”
Ben Aspell, business development manager at Custodian Capital, the property fund management subsidiary of Mattioli Woods, says: “Custodian Capital Limited, through the Mattioli Woods Private Investors Club, was delighted to support Rotherhill Developments in funding the industrial development project at Rothley Lodge. Over the period of the project, we have seen the UK exit the European Union, suffer a global pandemic, and experience the repercussions of the Ukrainian War but still Rotherhill has managed to forward sell and build four units ranging from 35,000 sq ft to 128,000 sq ft.
“There still seems to be a distinct lack of quality industrial stock available in the market – be that new or secondary – which is continuing to push rents upwards. The growing focus on ESG from both occupiers and investors is likely to mean that much of the secondary supply will become obsolete over the next few years, creating a further strain on existing stock.”
Paul Walsh, managing director of EM Pharma part of the Day Lewis Group, says: “We are thrilled to embark on this new chapter in Rothley. It provides us with the space we need to expand our operations and places us in a state-of-the-art facility that will enable us to continue pushing the boundaries of pharmaceutical innovation. We remain steadfast in our mission to provide high-quality products while embracing the opportunities the convenient new location offers for expansion and development. We have already welcomed new skilled team members that have joined from the local area, and we’re excited about the fresh perspectives and expertise that they can bring to the business.”
Mark Vernon, investment/development executive at LondonMetric Property Plc, adds: “We were delighted to fund two units at this well-located logistics scheme and to work with Rotherhill on the development. The buildings have been finished to a high specification by Warwick Burt and we were really pleased that EM Pharma decided to lease both units to create a leading-edge manufacturing and distribution facility for its growing business. It was an enjoyable project to be involved with and we appreciated the hard work of Paul Bagshaw and his team. We look forward to a long-term relationship with EM Pharma and the Day Lewis Group.”
Ben Blackwall of Atlas Real Estate and Steve Jelfs of Fusion Building Consultancy advised LondonMetric Property on the acquisition. Benchmark Property Ltd provided quantity surveying and project management services to Rotherhill in respect of the construction of all phases of the development.
