East Midlands Gateway in running to become Heathrow logistics hub

SEGRO Logistics Park East Midlands Gateway could become one of just four Heathrow Airport Logisitcs Hubs in the UK.

SEGRO along with North West Leicestershire District council, is bidding to be one of the Hubs, which would see the materials and components needed to construct an expanded airport manufactured and pre-assembled on site in the East Midlands.

A delegation from Heathrow Airport has visited the 700 acre site as part of a tour of 65 locations still under consideration. The tour, which was significantly the last of the 65, was jointly hosted by SEGRO, the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP) and the North West Leicestershire District Council. Local MP, Andrew Bridgen, also attended to support the bid.

The Logistics Hubs, which feature in the Government’s Industrial Strategy, will help ensure that businesses across the UK can form part of the airport’s supply chain, enabling Heathrow’s new runway to deliver a nationwide legacy of construction excellence.

Bev Smith, chief executive of North West Leicestershire District Council, said: “We’re privileged to live in a part of the country that is so well connected – with the M1, A50 and A42 converging, the airport and soon the rail link offering huge reach to our regional businesses.

“We already have a significant number of key businesses located in the area, with the new logistics hub attracting more big names. And we have an excellent skill base, with universities and businesses playing a huge part in providing workers for the region’s needs today and into the future.

“A Heathrow regional logistics hub would benefit from these excellent connections, businesses and skills in our region.”

Andrew Pilsworth, SEGRO’s national logistics business unit director, said: “As a long term partner of Heathrow Airport we are committed to helping deliver the most successful and sustainable airport in the world.

“Working in collaboration with our local partners, we believe we have made a very strong case for East Midlands Gateway to be one of the Heathrow Logistics Hubs.

“The site not only offers unrivalled scale and connectivity, but businesses based here can draw on a strong manufacturing skills base, a talented pipeline from six universities and a huge potential workforce across the nearby cities of Leicester, Nottingham and Derby.”

Andrew Bridgen, Member of Parliament for North West Leicestershire, said: “The prospect of my constituency potentially hosting an important Heathrow Logistics Hub is very positive for the East Midlands. Heathrow expansion has benefits across the UK, as demonstrated by the opportunities it could bring to our region.”