A new speculative 160,800 sq ft industrial warehouse is to be constructed on the former Weetabix factory site on the Earlstrees Industrial Estate in Corby. Having recently purchased the 8-acre site on one of the town’s prime industrial parks, Copley Point Capital – on behalf of its Block Industrial program and Pembury Real Estate Ltd – have drawn up plans for the demolition of the existing building and a scheme for a new best-in-class facility. A planning application is on schedule to be submitted this month with the intention of speculatively delivering the scheme by mid-2023.  Prop-Search, Burbage Realty and Potter Learoyd have been instructed to seek a tenant for the project – Earlstree 160 – which will feature 12.5m minimum clears, 16-dock and two-level access doors, together with a 50m yard. Commenting on behalf of the appointed letting agents, Richard Baker, a Director of Prop-Search, said: “There is a lack of available new stock of this size in the North Northamptonshire region, so this joint venture is a very timely development.” “It is perfectly placed to accommodate the pent-up demand from occupiers with household names in Avon, CEVA, Weetabix and Saint Gobain proving that the business park, with its excellent transport links and access to a skilled workforce, is an attractive proposition to successful national companies.” Copley Point Capital, Director, Nimit Oberoi, added: “We are excited to work with Prop-Search, Burbage Realty and Potter Learoyd to find the right occupier for our scheme.  The team has an exceptional track record in the Northamptonshire market and provide the right balance between national and local market coverage.”

Dutch logistics giant Active Ants, a subsidiary of the bpost group, has struck a deal with M&G Real Estate on a 252,500 sq ft industrial unit at Brackmills Industrial Estate in Northampton, on a 10-year lease. After operating 2 successful sites in the Netherlands, Active Ants has successfully expanded into Belgium and Germany in recent years. Co-founder and Managing Partner Jeroen Dekker says: “Active Ants wants to be the best fulfilment company in Europe.  We are delighted that our arrival in the UK will further increase our presence in Europe and we believe we are moving into one of the most exciting online markets. With our strong focus on innovation and automation we offer tailor made business 2 consumer (B2C) logistics for (SME) web shops. We are convinced that this will create superior value for our customers’. Active Ants was founded in 2010 with the idea of making e-fulfilment more accurate and efficient through innovation, automation and working with robots. The company has since grown into one of the larger players in the Netherlands with over 250 customers and more than 5 million orders per year. Jeroen continues, “The Brackmills Industrial Estate is the centre of e-commerce logistics in the United Kingdom – this combination makes it the perfect location for our e-fulfilment activities. We will be close to our customers and have good connections with last-mile distributors. “In our search for the right location and the right building, it was important for us to find a building that fulfilled our mission and values. The ‘outstanding’ BREEAM certification of the Brackmills Estate means that the building performs at the highest environmental level, which fits perfectly with our sustainable – and highly automated – way of working. Active Ants is committed to sustainable relationships with all its stakeholders: customers, employees and the community”. Michael Wood, Portfolio Director at M&G Real Estate, comments: “With this scheme, M&G is delivering on its commitment to providing high quality, ESG-led schemes which meet the exacting requirements of modern occupiers, and we are delighted to be welcoming an innovative international operator with this significant pre-let.”  

UK property developer Godwin Developments has completed the sale of the Bendigo Buildings – a consented scheme for new contemporary purpose-built student accommodation in Nottingham – to Bricks Group. On completion the development, which is situated in central Nottingham, will comprise 783 beds including of a mix of modern studio apartments, four, five and six-bedroom clusters and accessible studio rooms. It will also provide a range of indoor amenities and landscaped gardens as well as commercial units on the ground floor for residents and the neighbouring community. The Bendigo Buildings development is situated less than half a mile from Nottingham Trent University and will regenerate the land currently occupied by a former Royal Mail sorting office, which has been vacant for nearly 20 years, as well as the adjacent car park on Cowan Street. Godwin Developments acquired the Royal Mail site in June 2020 and the Cowan Street site in 2021. The company secured full planning permission for both plots in the second half of 2021, to help meet substantial demand for student accommodation in the city whilst regenerating the area of St Ann’s and delivering on a number of the Council’s objectives around student living and place making. The Bendigo Buildings have been designed with sustainability in mind including features, such as air source heat pumps, photovoltaic (PV) roof panels and an energy efficient building fabric. The scheme promotes greener ways of travel in and around the city, supporting cleaner air and reducing traffic congestion in the area. It was also rated ‘Outstanding’ by Rider Levett Bucknall’s Social Impact and Social Value Report for its social value delivery, recognising the significant economic boost of £264 million which it will deliver to the city and wider region. Matt Chandler, Managing Director at Godwin Developments, said: “Representing one of our largest consented schemes to date, the Bendigo Buildings utilised our in-house expertise to work up and achieve planning for this compelling scheme on a brownfield site which will bring significant regeneration benefits to the city. We are pleased that dynamic student, hotel and co-living property company Bricks Group will now take the project forward into delivering a new thriving student hub for Nottingham. “Nottingham has significant unmet demand of student beds and with increasing student numbers expected as both universities continue their expansion plans, there is a clear requirement for more dedicated student spaces where young people can live, study, and socialise together. The Bendigo Buildings helps cater to this demand whilst also supporting the Council’s ambitions to keep the city centre vibrant, provide better quality student housing, and protect further traditional family housing from being converted for student occupation as well as bringing substantial investment to the city.” Stephen Pratt, co-founder and director at Godwin Developments, added: “This development and transaction are a clear demonstration of the strength of the Godwin business and our expert team’s capability. I’d like to thank all the consultants involved for their hard work and support at each stage of the process. “As a business, the sale will help Godwin achieve its ambitions by reinvesting the proceeds into a number of new opportunities throughout the development cycle across the residential, commercial and industrial segments nationwide as we drive our strategy forward. “We are looking forward to bringing more high-quality developments to Nottingham in the future.” Peter Prickett, founder and CEO of Bricks Group, said: “It’s great to purchase such a fantastic site in the amazing city of Nottingham. This demonstrates the Bricks Group’s continued growth plans within the PBSA marketplace, with our true student brand offering the ultimate student experience and setting new standards. We’ll also be looking to integrate UTime fitness and doza (doughnuts and pizza concept) as part of our ecosystem of lifestyle brands. “It’s been a pleasure working with the team at Godwin – a relationship we look forward to building upon with future collaborations together.” The Bendigo Buildings is conveniently positioned within easy walking distance also of Nottingham city centre, Sneinton Market, Nottingham Trent University and the main food and entertainment quarter, with the University of Nottingham and Nottingham train station also readily accessible via public transport. In recent years, Nottingham has cemented itself into a major higher education destination. The city attracts nearly 80% of its full-time students from the UK, making it resilient to fluctuations in international student demand. Irwin Mitchell and CBRE advised Godwin Developments on the transaction. The Bendigo Buildings sale builds on a period of strategic disposals by Godwin Developments, which also recently completed the sale of Agard Street, a consented 142 student bed development in Derby, to Marble Homes. Having secured full planning permission, Godwin Developments sold the consented development to the East Midlands business, who have a track record for building and operating student living schemes.

The eagerly awaited Property & Business Investment Lincolnshire Expo is now only a day away, offering the ideal opportunity for networking and business generation. Taking place this Wednesday (27 April 2022) at The Bentley Hotel, Lincoln, the free expo, for which Business Link is a proud partner, is a well targeted event aimed at the Construction, Property, Business, Investment, Finance, Professional Services and related B2B markets. Exhibitors include Aspbury Planning Ltd, Belvoir, Business Lincolnshire, BSP Consulting, Delta Simons, the Federation of Small Businesses, J Tomlinson, NatWest, Willmott Dixon, and YMD Boon, to name a few. See the full list of who is exhibiting here. Opening at 9am, the expo will also host a workshop from Team Lincolnshire and Business Lincolnshire. Running from 10:15 – 11:45, it will demystify the procurement process and explore the potential which public sector contracts could bring to your business. Team Lincolnshire ambassador Neal Wheatley, director and general manager of RG Carter Lincoln Limited, and Barry Taylor, regional director at Parker Technical Service, will be sharing insightful first-hand experiences on winning a major Lincolnshire County Council contract for the construction of the South Lincolnshire Food Enterprise Zone and how supporting the local economy is a core value within the RG Carter Supply Chain Commitment. Sign up to the free workshop here. As the exhibition closes, it will roll directly into an informal, open buffet style network lunch – tickets for the lunch are now out of stock. Tina King, of Business Shows Group, said: “It’s been a long time in the making thanks to the pandemic, but we are finally nearly there, The Property & Business Investment Lincolnshire Expo is gearing up to be one of the best to date!” To attend the event, register for free here. Meet more potential clients in one amazing cost effective day, than it would take months out on the road.

Land owned by Harborough District Council at Naseby Square in Market Harborough has now been sold for £1.4m to Platform Housing Group to amalgamate with their adjoining land and build 38 affordable homes.