Stoford to build car plant distribution centre, providing 1,300 construction jobs

The proposed new scheme

Commercial property developer, Stoford, has been appointed to deliver a 668,000 sq ft distribution centre for Ellesmere Port car maker Stellantis at Hooton Park.

The scheme will provide three storeys of office facilities, with a two-storey hub and will become a UK parts distribution centre for the motor manufacturer, which, last July, guaranteed the safety of the plant and its 1,100 jobs by switching from building the Astra car model to a new range of electric vans, and passenger versions.

The new building, off West Road, will be marked by its sustainability credentials, with consideration given to minimising embodied carbon and reducing energy consumption.

Features include photovoltaic roof panels, rainwater harvesting, LED lighting and an energy monitoring system, with the unit targeted to achieve a minimum EPC rating of ‘A’ and an excellent BREEAM rating.

Staff will benefit from an external wellbeing area, bicycle storage and EV car charging points.

The development has been sympathetically designed to preserve the integrity of the existing listed structures on the former Hooton Park Airfield, which will see the ground and building floor levels of the new facility recessed into the existing slope.

Construction is expected to start on site in June 2022, with the new building programmed for completion in July 2023.

Stoford joint managing director, Dan Gallagher, said that the new UK distribution centre represented a major investment and would ensure the longevity of Hooton Park as a significant employment site.

He said: “This is a high quality sustainable development that will deliver significant economic benefits.

“Our team has worked in close collaboration with Stellantis for the last 12 months to design a modern distribution building that meets its requirements, whilst recognising the historic importance of the wider site.

“It is an important step in the expansion of Ellesmere Port and we anticipate that the new development will create jobs for up to 1,300 construction operatives.”

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