Onward plots prime logistics site in Featherstone

Following on from the successful letting of Phase One at the modern Green Lane Industrial Estate at Featherstone, Onward Holdings is pleased to announce it has purchased the four-acre plot next door for an exciting design and build opportunity for any business wishing to move or expand in this highly sought after location.

Onward Holdings says it is responding to growing demand for warehousing in the UK which is leading to a potential shortage of prime sites for logistics operations in key locations such as Yorkshire, which has seen the largest recorded take up of available space to June 2014 since the start of the downturn in 2007 (1).

This significant knock-on effect of the economic recovery is a result of increasing demand from third party logistics providers and the continuing expansion plans of e-retailers seeking additional capacity for their customer fulfilment centres. These factors have led to a sharp fall in available sites.

To help address this shortage, Phase Two at Onward Park of up to 70,000 square feet of warehousing or manufacturing units, subject to planning permission, is being made available by Onward Holdings. It is in a superb location and can be utilised for a wide variety of uses.

One of the reasons for Green Lane’s continuing success is its location which is only a short distance from the major motorway infrastructure of the M62, M1 and A1M and is within easy reach of the northern container ports and Doncaster airport.

The industrial estate benefits from excellent distribution connections and is also close to the railway freight network via the nearby Wakefield Europort. According to Onward Holdings around 80% of the UK’s population is accessible in four hours, making the site ideal for bulk distribution items.

Planning permission for the new plot – which will be up to 12m eaves height and include good-sized yards, excellent loading facilities and state-of-the-art security systems – should be quickly forthcoming allowing for construction to commence in a matter of months of a bespoke build unit to meet most business requirements.

The Featherstone site, which is based on a former coal mine, was originally established by Yorkshire Forward, the former regional development agency, due to its great geographical positioning and also the local skilled workforce.

Onward Holdings has already successfully let all of its other units at this location and believes that this new design and build warehouse plot on this highly popular estate with the help of a recovering economy will provide an excellent business opportunity for those involved in warehousing, distribution, retailing and light manufacturing.

Site promoter Andrew Miller, from Andrew Miller Chartered Surveyors of Sheffield, said: “There is a shortage of high quality and strategic warehousing sites in Yorkshire so we are responding to demand and bringing this new site forward. We have already had enquiries so urge businesses to get in touch now if they don’t want to miss out on this great opportunity.”

Family-run business Onward Holdings specialises in operating highly competitively priced industrial warehousing and retail parks in the North of England. Its other warehousing sites include nearby Castleford, Doncaster, Ackworth and Scunthorpe as well as the very busy Onyx Retail Park at Wath upon Dearne.