Lancashire shed scheme secures planning

Caddick Developments has secured planning for a 621,000 sq ft industrial and logistics scheme in Farington, Lancashire from South Ribble Council.

Upon its completion, the 40-acre site located adjacent to Lancashire Business Park is anticipated to directly create over 1,000 full-time jobs with a further 460 jobs created in the supply chain, alongside an estimated £66.6m economic output per annum. A further 280 full-time positions are expected to be created during the construction phase.

It is located close to the M65, M6 and M61 motorways, and will include a range of unit sizes to accommodate the needs of future occupiers, including big-box distribution units, mid-box production and warehousing, as well as smaller units for local businesses.

According to letting agents Knight Frank and Cushman & Wakefield: “A combination of changing consumer behaviours, business preparedness, and pandemic mobilisation has resulted in record demand for logistics space, with uptake increased by 64% from 2019, equating to more than 30m sq. ft of space taken in 2020. With warehouse and distribution stock levels at an all-time low in the North West, this development will provide a much-needed boost to supply.”

The Farington scheme, designed by Yorkshire based architects KPP, is the latest in Caddick’s portfolio of commercial developments, which includes Wakefield 515, Crosspoint 33, and Moor Park. The developer has a current pipeline of over 16 million sq ft of employment space, totalling around £1.8 billion of end value.