A £20 million development of industrial and warehouse units at a 13-acre canal-side site in Birmingham has secured its first occupier.
Wharfdale Park, Tyseley, next to the Grand Union Canal, approximately four miles south east of the city centre, will provide high specification build-to-suit warehouse and manufacturing units ranging in size from 20,000 sq ft up to a maximum of 150,000 sq ft, available on a leasehold basis.
SIG Roofing has agreed a 15-year lease on a 15,000 sq ft unit, trade counter and large yard for specialist roofing materials. The company intends to relocate from its existing premises nearby.
SIG Roofing development manager Mark Stacey said: “Moving to Wharfdale Park will mark the start of an exciting new era for SIG Roofing and will enable us to provide an even greater level of service for our customers. The chance to relocate to accommodation so close to our existing base, and which has been built to suit our specific needs, was too good to miss.”
Wharfdale Park is being delivered by H2O Urban LLP. H2O is a national joint venture company owned 50% by the Canal and River Trust and 50% by private developer bloc Ltd. H2O Urban is working on a series of regeneration and redevelopment projects in conjunction with the Canal & River Trust adjacent to its waterways.
Richard Thomas, managing the site for H2O Urban, said: “Agreeing the deal with SIG Roofing before a brick has been laid is a key milestone in the development of Wharfdale Park and proves what an attractive proposition the site is for ambitious companies. We are talking to other potential occupiers who are attracted by the location, the quality of the development, and the build-to-suit opportunities Wharfdale Park presents. We hope to be able to announce further occupiers in the near future.”
Wharfdale Park adjoins the Canal & River Trust’s existing investment properties at Redfern Industrial Park.
The Canal & River Trust development manager Cheryl Blount-Powell said: “Securing SIG Roofing as our first occupier so soon after we have commenced demolition is great news and I’m sure the company will flourish in its new high quality accommodation.
Wharfdale Park gives us an opportunity to create a high quality business environment, with canal side frontage in part, which will offer firms the chance to rent industrial space constructed to their specifications in an excellent location. Like many cities, there is a severe shortage of Grade A industrial accommodation in Birmingham and we are therefore confident that Wharfdale Park will prove to be an extremely attractive option.”
Wharfdale Park will create many new jobs, improve the environment and benefit local residents due to reduced noise and improved traffic measures. Demolition of the existing buildings on the site has commenced and construction is scheduled to begin in Autumn.
The site, close to both the Coventry Road and Stratford Road, is in an area renowned as one of the most buoyant and successful industrial hubs in Birmingham and is already home to a range of global, national, regional and local businesses.
Companies operating in the manufacturing, storage and distribution sectors benefit from a good pool of labour and excellent transport links to the national motorway network and Birmingham International Airport and Train Station.
H2O and the Canal and River Trust strive to set an example to other developers of waterside sites by establishing best practice on the sites it owns. They build schemes that respect the waterway setting, its heritage and environment. H2O and the Trust are always interested in new development opportunities alongside canals suitable for all uses and have an excellent track record of delivery.
Harris Lamb and Colliers International have been appointed agents.
