Construction begins on 430,000 sq ft distribution centre
Work has started on site to construct a major new warehouse and distribution centre for B&Q at Symmetry Park, Doncaster.
Bassetlaw District Council deputy leader, Councillor Jo White and ward member for Blyth, Cllr Jack Bowker met with members of the senior team from B&Q, alongside site developer Tritax Symmetry and its parent company Tritax Big Box REIT plc, to view the scale of the development.
Last month, Tritax Symmetry confirmed it had agreed a deal with B&Q to design and build the new seasonal facility on the strategic site which is located at Junction 34 of the A1 (M).
GMI Construction is appointed principal contractor for the facility, which is being built to net zero carbon, in line with Tritax Symmetry’s commitment to deliver all future buildings within its portfolio to this standard.
Rosemary Wilkins, director of logistics at B&Q, said: “We are pleased to see great progress on site for the B&Q seasonal warehouse and distribution centre at Symmetry Park. The warehouse will allow us to get more of the most popular products to our stores, more quickly.
“It was good to meet with the council leadership as we seal our commitment to the district and its community. We hope to be able to open the site by the end of this year.”
Freddie Oakey, associate development director at Tritax Symmetry, said: “This event marks another significant milestone in the success of Symmetry Park, Doncaster.
“The development is already an established convenience hub for visitors and commuters and is supporting a significant number of jobs through Butternut Box which occupies the adjacent 151,388 sq ft facility.
“We look forward to seeing further new jobs created and the added social impact through B&Q.
“Having a site with infrastructure already enabled and detailed planning consent in place allows us to provide a premium, bespoke and highly sustainable facility for B&Q to bolster its distribution network in this prime logistics location.”
Cllr White, cabinet member for regeneration at Bassetlaw District Council, said: “Throughout the development of this site, Bassetlaw District Council has worked with Tritax Symmetry and will continue to offer its support to the contractor GMI during the construction phase, and beyond with B&Q when the site becomes operational.
“It was great to strengthen our relationship with Tritax Symmetry, GMI and B&Q today and we look forward to providing further support with recruitment, apprenticeships, and other local initiatives that benefit the local community.”
Andrew Hurcomb, divisional managing director at GMI Construction, added: “We are extremely proud to be continuing our fantastic relationship with Tritax Symmetry delivering yet another major logistics project, that will hugely benefit the immediate community and surrounding areas.
“Creating a positive impact on the local communities, through initiatives and most importantly, the people is paramount to everyone at GMI.”
The Leeds offices of Savills, Dove Haigh Phillips and Colliers International are representing the development.
