Construction firm appointed to deliver UK’s largest speculative warehouse scheme

A construction firm has been handed the contract to build the UK’s largest speculative warehouse, in Cheshire.

Firethorn Trust has appointed Winvic Construction to deliver its landmark 42-acre development, Link Logistics Park in Ellesmere Port, which could create 800 jobs.

More than 760,000 sq ft of industrial space will be created on the former brownfield site, including a single unit spanning 655,000 sq ft, making it the biggest single cross-docked warehouse being developed in the UK this year.

The contract is the second awarded to Northampton-based Winvic by Firethorn, following the delivery of Ascent Logistics Park in Leighton Buzzard. Groundworks have completed at the Ellesmere Port site, and construction will begin imminently, with completion expected by the fourth quarter of 2022.

Winvic will deliver the scheme to net zero carbon in construction, with future provisions for renewable energy supply. The highly specified design includes LED lighting to offices, photovoltaic arrays and 32 electric vehicle charging points, with ducting in place for an additional 32 spaces. Up to 25MV of power will also be available from a local carbon-neutral ‘Waste to Energy’ facility.

Paul Martin, development director at London-based Firethorn Trust, said: “As the UK’s largest speculative logistics scheme, this is an ambitious, yet hugely exciting development for Firethorn. We have been impressed by Winvic’s extensive knowledge, experience and ability to deliver a project of this scale, and look forward to working with the team to swiftly bring our vision for Link Logistics Park to life.”

Winvic’s director of industrial, distribution and logistics, Danny Nelson, said: “Winvic’s reputation for delivering quality industrial schemes is evidently being bolstered by our ability to deliver our clients’ net zero ambitions. It’s fantastic to be working on such a landmark development, whilst building upon our partnership with Firethorn, whose presence within the UK logistics market continues to grow.”

Immediately next to junction seven of the M53 and within a 45-minute drive of Liverpool and Manchester airports, the multi-modal industrial development lies in close proximity to the Manchester Ship Canal, just 22 miles from the Port of Liverpool, offering exceptional transport links to the UK logistics network.

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