WORK STARTS ON NEW £4 MILLION INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT IN SOUTH KIRKBY

24th March 2021

Northern Trust is pleased to confirm that work on their new 34,132 sq ft industrial development in South Kirkby has started on site following the purchase of the 3 acre plot at South Kirkby Business Park from Wakefield Council.

The new development which is being part funded by the European Regional Development Fund will provide 26 units with sizes ranging from 538 sq ft up to 3,315 sq ft. The new units will be arranged in 3 separate terraced blocks and constructed to a high specification. The units over 2,200 sq ft will include an integral office, and each unit will benefit from dedicated parking and good communal circulation space.   The development will be constructed in line with BREEAM and has been designed to be energy efficient, with 30% of the site being given over to Green and Blue infrastructure.

Neil McManus, Senior Development Manager at Northern Trust commented “We are delighted to have the support of European Regional Development Fund in bringing forward this strategic development. This development will complement our existing ownership in the Yorkshire region and provide much needed workshop accommodation for small and medium sized enterprises looking to set up or relocate to the area.  Considering the current economic climate this development shows our commitment to investing in the area and creating jobs for the local economy, with the current Northern Trust portfolio housing in the region of 18,000 jobs.”

The new development when completed will be actively managed by Northern Trust’s in house managing agents, Whittle Jones. The Yorkshire portfolio currently comprises 34 assets, of which 32 are industrial/trade and 2 are office schemes totalling over 850,000 sq ft in more than 440 units.

The site has been purchased from Wakefield Council and forms part of South Kirkby Business Park Enterprise Zone. South Kirkby Business Park consists of sites remediated for development on the former South Kirkby Colliery utilising The National Coalfields Programme and the European Regional Development Fund ReCHAR II Programme.    

Neil continued “Wakefield Council have done an excellent job creating this active business park from the former South Kirkby Colliery.  Northern Trust are delighted to be able to increase the parks offering with our SME product, which will allow smaller local businesses and regional depots to get a foothold in the area. We know from experience that our product increases opportunities and employment in the areas we build, so look forward to completion of the development. Wakefield has been excellent to work with and have provided continued support for this scheme from its initial conception.”

Cllr Darren Byford, Wakefield Council’s Cabinet Member for Economic Growth and Regeneration, said: “We are delighted that Northern Trust have chosen to build their new development here in South Kirkby – which shows confidence in the district being an attractive place for businesses to start up or relocate to.

“We are really proud of what our district has to offer and as national and local economies begin to recover from the effects of Covid-19, Wakefield has shown itself to be a district of choice for businesses looking to rebuild, recover and grow.”

For more details on the new development or to register your interest please contact Whittle Jones Yorkshire on 01924 282020 or email Yorkshire@whittlejones.co.uk.

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