South-west success for Stourbridge developer

Network Rail is on track to open a new regional distribution centre at a multi-million pound business park, a West Midlands-based joint venture developer has announced.

Richardson Barberry revealed that Network Rail has agreed a 10-year lease on a 41,827 sq ft warehouse unit.

The unit, at More+, Central Park, Avonmouth, Bristol, will become Network Rail’s regional distribution centre for the Western and Wales region, bringing investment and new jobs to Bristol.

The first phase of More+ Central Park – five mid-box warehouse units, totaling 174,500 sq ft – reached practical completion last year. Richardson Barberry has speculatively developed phase one with appointed contractor VINCI. The 40-acre site is capable of accommodating 557,426 sq ft of mid-box warehouse units.

Jonathan Robinson, development director of Barberry – based near Stourbridge – said: “We are very pleased to announce the arrival of Network Rail at More+ Central Park. It is the ideal location for its new regional distribution centre and will provide an investment and employment boost for the area.

“More+ Central Park is a best in class, strategically located site next to the new motorway junction of the M49 due to be completed shortly, in Q2 2020. Our scheme offers new, self-contained detached mid-box warehouse units with large yards to a market where there is strong demand for this size units. By securing Network Rail, we have demonstrated this is a development of the highest quality in a prominent motorway location in the South West.

“Being able to offer occupiers a prominent motorway connected site in this region has proved to be a real success.”

He added: “Our speculative development was the right strategy for this site. Pilkington Automotive Glass agreed a 10-year lease on a unit last year and, with strong demand from several major companies, we expect to be able to announce further occupiers in the very near future.”

Dan Cartwright, operational logistics manager at Network Rail, said: “Overlaying the strategic route delivery points with transport modeling software and historic material volume data, Bristol was identified as the optimal site to cover most of the mapped area within a 90-minute response window. The chosen site has direct links to the M4 & M5 corridors. The regional distribution centre model aims to provide an accessible and flexible supply chain, modeled to meet Network Rail infrastructure requirements.”