St. Modwen has handed over two major distribution centres totalling over 129,000 sq ft to international parcel delivery firm DPD in Stoke-on-Trent and Liverpool, safeguarding over 100 jobs and creating more than 340 additional employment opportunities.
The 60,000 sq ft depot in Etruria Valley, Stoke-on-Trent is now fully operational and set for Christmas trading, with the 69,000 sq ft distribution centre in Stonebridge Park, Liverpool due to open in early 2016. They are the second and third depots to be delivered to DPD, following the delivery of an additional 60,000 sq ft facility at St. Modwen’s Skypark development in Exeter, which opened for trading in November this year.
These facilities are part of DPD’s nationwide acquisition programme of new depots, which will bring a total investment of over £25 million to the North West, South West and Midland regions.
Dwain McDonald, Chief Executive Officer of DPD, said: “With Etruria Valley providing quick and easy access to the M6 and Stonebridge Park directly fronting the A580, both sites offer strategic locations with excellent transport links which will cater for our growing business in both regions.
“We are excited to have completed our fit-out at our Etruria Valley facility in time for the busy Christmas period and look forward to start trading at Stonebridge Park in early 2016.”
Euan Lindsay, senior development manager for St. Modwen’s North Staffordshire region, said: “St. Modwen continues to actively progress development at Etruria Valley and securing an international brand such as DPD is testament to the site’s continuing success, with other high profile occupiers including Vodafone and Hanley Economic Building Society.”
Steven Knowles, North West regional director of St. Modwen, said: “Welcoming DPD to Stonebridge Park marks another exciting milestone in the regeneration of the site and the wider East Lancashire corridor and will bring additional investment and employment opportunities to the region. We look forward to welcoming other notable occupiers as we continue our commitment to enhance the Merseyside area and to develop the site in the near future.”
Etruria Valley, Stonebridge Park and Skypark are all key development sites for St. Modwen, with nearly 2 million sq ft of further employment space in the pipeline.
Planning consent was recently gained for the final phase of development at Etruria Valley, which could house up to 900,000 sq ft of buildings and create more than 1,600 jobs, and a planning application for a further 70,000 sq ft industrial unit at Stonebridge Park has just been submitted.
At Skypark, the £210 million business park St. Modwen is managing with partner Devon County Council, up to 1.4 million sq ft of employment space is planned over the next 20 years, generating 6,500 jobs.