Pets at Home, the UK’s leading pet care business, has announced plans to open a new national storage and distribution centre in Staffordshire.
The company has signed a conditional agreement for a 20-year lease of a proposed 670,000 sq ft development on a 52-acre site at Redhill Business Park, Stafford, close to Jct 14 of the M6. An additional 100,000 sq ft of expansion land will also be available, if required.
Stoford Developments will deliver the scheme, which will comprise a purpose-built warehouse unit, a three-storey office and two double-storey hub offices. A recycling store, tote store and a gatehouse will be built detached from the main building.
A planning application is expected to be submitted to Stafford Borough Council in September after a period of online consultation with local stakeholders. Construction could start on site in 2021, subject to planning consent, with completion pre fit-out anticipated during 2022.
The proposal forms phase two of development at Redhill Business Park, which was developed following an £11 million investment by Staffordshire County Council.
Global real estate advisor, Colliers International, advised Pets at Home on the deal.
Stoford Joint Managing Director, Dan Gallagher, said: “We’re excited to deliver this scheme on behalf of Pets at Home, which will support both their current position as the UK’s leading pet care business as well as their future growth trajectory. Redhill Business Park is an established facility that provides a superb central location for a new development of this scale, with excellent motorway connections and a host of household occupiers nearby. The proposed arrival of Pets at Home demonstrates that deals of this scale and nature are still possible, in spite of the challenging environment.”
Simon Norton, Director, Industrial and Logistics at Colliers International, said: “This is a remarkable deal for all parties involved. Both Stoford Developments and Pets at Home have worked seamlessly to agree what would be an exciting project once completed, giving Pets at Home a purpose-built, well-located and future focused facility to serve both its store and online requirements.
“This planned site acquisition really demonstrates how the industrial and logistics property sector continues to buck the trend with space take up exceeding previous years, particularly as the Big Box market has become one of the leading asset classes for both occupiers and investors.”