Major letting signed for logistics and industrial space at former colliery

Henderson Park and Cole Waterhouse have confirmed that supply chain and logistics specialist, Oakland International, has agreed a 15-year lease at Konect62, a new logistics and industrial scheme in Knottingley.

The scheme is being delivered by the joint venture partners on a 136-acre site.

Its first phase has been speculatively built to provide 375,000 sq ft of prime logistics and industrial space with an additional 30-acre serviced plot, on the site of the former Kellingley Colliery.

Oakland International represents the first lease at the site following completion of the initial units, taking 161,860 sq ft of the available space.

It is an integrated supply chain specialist, focused on food and beverage logistics, and will serve the UK and Irish markets from its new facility.

The company has leased both logistics and office space at Konect62, in a move that expands its multi-temperature supply chain network.

CEO of Oakland’s Contract Logistics Division, Shaun Foley, said: “Needing more space due to increasing customer demand, and having investigated several sites, Konect 62 at Knottingley was identified as the ideal location to support our client base and further increasing our geographical footprint in the UK market.”

Christophe Kuhbier, head of investments, Europe, at Henderson Park, said: “The scale and quality of our debut letting at Konect62 is testament to the site’s strategic location, which is optimally placed to deliver much needed capacity into the Yorkshire market, as well as the facility’s high sustainability and technical specifications, which meet the requirements of the most sophisticated logistics operators.

“We are confident that the wider scheme will appeal to a range of occupiers for the same reasons, with the benefit of being able to offer flexible units of varying sizes.”

David Nuttall, managing director of Industrial & Logistics at Cole Waterhouse, added: “We’re thrilled to welcome Oakland International as the first business to commit long-term to Konect62.

“Konect62 is now up and running following our multi-million pound commitment to transform the former coal mine into a first-class place to do business in Yorkshire.

“The site has massively evolved already, and we have only just started.

“With the first occupier now in place the momentum will only continue to grow as we bring forward future phases to deliver up to 1.9 million sq ft.”

Two more units comprising 151,000 sq ft and 61,000 sq ft are available to let immediately as part of phase one.

A further 735,000 sq ft unit, known as ‘Big K’, could be ready to occupy in as little as 40 weeks, concluding the 1.1 million sq ft initial phase.

Planning for phase two is due for determination imminently to bring forward a further 802,000 sq ft of logistics and manufacturing space across units ranging in size from 4,000 to 375,000 sq ft.

Savills, DTRE and Sixteen Real Estate are joint letting agents for Konect62. Oakland was represented by Clews and Co.