Guests gathered to celebrate at the site of a major new industrial development in Southampton as the first frames of the £30m scheme begin to go up.
Developer Peel Logistics Property welcomed agents and guests from across the south at the site of the South Central development at Test Lane, Nursling, for a “big bang and bacon rolls” event.
Frames for three new high-specification industrial units are now being erected following the completion of major road widening and improvement works at the 11-acre site.
The development is on track to be completed in May 2018, when the units will be available for occupiers to move in.
It is anticipated that South Central will bring around 750 jobs to the region once the units are occupied. Commercial property specialists Lambert Smith Hampton (LSH), joint letting agents for the site with JLL, report high levels of interest in the development.
Adrian Whitfield, Industrial & Logistics Director based in the Southampton office of LSH, said: “The event was well attended and provided us with a good opportunity to update guests on this exciting development and to see it continue to take shape.
“This is a major speculative development that shows high levels of confidence in the regional economy. We are in talks with some very interesting potential occupiers and are seeing increasing levels of interest in these high-quality units as we draw closer to the completion date.”
Leader of Southampton City Council, Councillor Simon Letts said: “It’s fantastic that Peel Logistics have the confidence in Southampton to take on the challenge of building much-needed industrial and warehouse accommodation.
“I am not surprised at the high level of interest in this very well-located dockside site and the city looks forward to welcoming the new occupiers and the employment they will bring to the city.”
South Central is being developed by UK logistics and industrial property specialist Peel Logistics Property, whose funding partner for the project is Rockspring Property Investment Managers LLP.
The project offers three units measuring 39,075 sq ft, 49,965 sq ft and 116,895 sq ft, each detached unit with a Grade A specification including dock & level access loading doors, 11 metre eaves, full access raised floor offices and large secure self-contained yard.
The site’s strategic location, within two miles of Dock Gate 20 of the Port of Southampton, its 24/7 hours of operation and close transport links to the M27 and M271, make it ideally suited to occupiers in the distribution, storage and manufacturing sectors.
Neil Dickinson, Chief Operating Officer at Peel Logistics Property, said: “There is a lot of buzz around this scheme as we make rapid progress with the development, so this reception was a way of updating guests on the scheme and showing them that work is well under way as we look ahead to next year’s launch, and to welcoming our first occupiers.”
