Developer to start 2020 with speculative £8m development

Commercial property investor and developer Barberry Group is to start 2020 with the construction of an £8m warehouse in Staffordshire at one of the region’s key logistics hubs.

Barberry is speculatively developing a 64,000 sq ft industrial unit at Kingswood Lakeside Business Park, Blakeney Way, Cannock.

The 3.5-acre site has been acquired from Staffordshire County Council and Cannock District Council.

Barberry has secured detailed planning permission and appointed main contractor Benniman who will start on site in January. The development is expected to reach practical completion in summer 2020.

Barberry development director Jon Robinson said: “Barberry64 is another high quality warehouse development being delivered by our team and we’re excited to see work start on site in the new year. We are confident our speculative development will cater for several occupier requirements live within the market, providing them with a headquarters building in an excellent location.

“We hope to generate a great deal of interest, giving occupiers the opportunity to purchase or lease this building.”

He added: “With the acquisition of this site in Cannock, we now havemore than 2.9m sq ft of industrial and warehouse developments in the pipeline.”

Mark Winnington, Staffordshire County Council cabinet member for economic growth, said: “Barberry’s acquisition and development of this final plot of the Kingswood Lakeside Business Park is a significant milestone for site and the wider area. It’s one of our flagship sites and was constructed by the county council.

“The quality and success of this final plot development, as with the wider business park, underlines the benefit of close co-operation between the public and private sectors. It is further demonstration of how we’re continuing at pace with our economic growth programme in Staffordshire.”

Nick Oakley, head of property finance at Frontier Development Capital, said: “We are delighted to support Barberry in bringing forward this key employment site. The West Midlands Combined Authority, via its CIF Loan Fund, has enabled the accelerated development of the new industrial unit which will create increased employment and inward investment into the West Midlands region.”