Construction has started at a £12 million development which will see one of the UK’s largest vehicle leasing companies, ALD Automotive, relocate to impressive new offices in the South West.
Commercial property developer Stoford has begun clearance and groundworks at the site at Vertex Park, Emersons Green, South Gloucestershire, near Bristol, in preparation for the company’s move next year to purpose-built, 36,000 sq ft office accommodation.
The development will enable ALD Automotive staff to move from their existing headquarters in Fishponds, Bristol, to state-of-the-art offices providing much-needed space for further recruitment and planned expansion.
Birmingham-based Stoford was granted detailed planning consent for the three-storey, Grade A, BREEAM ‘very good’ development by South Gloucestershire Council. Contractor Midas Construction has been appointed and practical completion is expected in November 2016.
Stoford director Gerard Ludlow said: “It is very pleasing to see excellent progress being made at ALD Automotive’s Vertex Park site. Clearance of the site is well underway and we have made a good start on the groundworks.
“Once complete, in late 2016, this development will enable ALD Automotive to move from its current headquarters to a fantastic new office environment for its current team and will allow further opportunity for expansion.”
The project is the first sizeable out-of-town pre-let office development in the Bristol market for five years. The site’s proximity to the Bristol & Bath Science Park and established facilities such as the National Composite Centre, its location on a modern business park and access to the M4, make it a very attractive proposition, added Gerard.
Mel Dawson, managing director of ALD Automotive, said: “We moved to our current location in 1995 when we had less than 100 staff and, since then, we have grown significantly and now have almost 400 employees. Looking after the needs of blue-chip Plcs, SMEs and private individuals – and being part of an international group that manages over 1 million vehicles in 40 countries – it’s important that our new office environment not only reflects the size of the business we now are and allows us to continue our planned expansion, but helps us to operate more effectively in meeting the needs of our customers.”
South Gloucestershire Council’s Strategic Economic Development Manager Antony Merritt said: “We are very pleased that ALD Automotive have chosen to build their new facilities here in South Gloucestershire. Vertex Park within the Emersons Green Enterprise Area is an ideal location for the business with excellent transport access to the nearby ring road and directly to the M32 and M4/M5 motorway corridors. We look forward to continuing to work with Stoford Developments, Taylor Wimpey and ALD to support this relocation and expansion.”
Stoford is a leading specialist in occupier-focused development. It has delivered over 10 million sq ft of pre-let development and in 2015 has more than 950,000 sq ft of pre-let space under construction throughout the UK.
