Work on a new 11-acre warehouse – one of the largest buildings of its kind in the world – should start this summer with the promise of 500 jobs to come.
Uniserve is to create the huge project on land at Clicketts Hill, Trimley St Mary, alongside the A14 Port of Felixstowe Road.
The building – costing around £45million – will be 40metres high and cover nearly 12 acres of the 26-acre site, and will be 396m long and 118m wide, with 1,000 parking spaces for cars and lorries involved in container storage and distribution.
It will include a bottling operation, general merchandise, chilled and frozen foods, clothing distribution and e-fulfilment, and other operations depending on customers’ requirements and contracts gained.
Initially it had been hoped work would start on site last year, but John Gandy, the property director for Uniserve, told Felixstowe Town Council bidding for the contract had been quite competitive and the tenders were very close, although significantly over-budget for the anticipated cost.
There had been long negotiations with chosen contractors to finalise the price for construction of the Super DC (Distribution Centre).
Mr Gandy said: “We have now received the final prices from the contractor and the outcome will mean doing the contract on a phased basis with two-thirds of the building – which will still be a very significant building – in the first phase.
“With a fair wind, we will get the price where we want it to be and hopefully be on site this summer. That’s our plan.”
He said the whole project would create 500 jobs with 350 of these in the first phase. Workers would work shifts and the building would operate around the clock.
Mayor of Felixstowe Doreen Savage said: “I am delighted at the progress and that Uniserve is nearly there with its preparations.
“It’s a big scheme for Felixstowe and there is great interest in the jobs that will be coming.”
Jobs will include warehouse freight handlers, sorters and packers; forklift drivers, sales staff, HGV drivers and security officers.
Uniserve believes the development will be a huge bonus for the Port of Felixstowe, able to offer a port-centric operation – a “one-stop shop” for importing, repacking and distributing goods specifically to their destination.
It should help the port become more competitive, especially as new rivals London Gateway – on the north bank of the River Thames at Thurrock – has a large logistics park.
14 March 2016
PLANNING PERMISSION
TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING ACT 1990 TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING (DEVELOPMENT MANAGEMENT PROCEDURE) ORDER 2010
TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING ACT 1990 TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING (DEVELOPMENT MANAGEMENT PROCEDURE) ORDER 2010
Agent
Mr Christopher Dwan RPS Newark Sherwood House Sherwood Avenue Newark Nottinghamshire NG24 1QQ
Parish
Trimley St Mary
Proposal:
Site:
Mr Christopher Dwan RPS Newark Sherwood House Sherwood Avenue Newark Nottinghamshire NG24 1QQ
Parish
Trimley St Mary
Proposal:
Site:
Applicant
Mr John Gandy
Uniserve Holdings Ltd and The Master Fellows and Scholars...
C/o Uniserve Holdings Ltd
Upminster Court
133 Hall Lane
Upminster
Essex
RM14 1AL
Date Valid
6th December 2013
Proposed high bay distribution unit with a footprint of c. 47,000m2, including car parking and associated infrastructure.
Land At Clickett Hill Road And South Of Railway Line, Nicholas Road, Trimley St Mary
Uniserve Holdings Ltd and The Master Fellows and Scholars...
C/o Uniserve Holdings Ltd
Upminster Court
133 Hall Lane
Upminster
Essex
RM14 1AL
Date Valid
6th December 2013
Proposed high bay distribution unit with a footprint of c. 47,000m2, including car parking and associated infrastructure.
Land At Clickett Hill Road And South Of Railway Line, Nicholas Road, Trimley St Mary
PERMISSION IS HEREBY GRANTED by SUFFOLK COASTAL DISTRICT COUNCIL as Local
Planning Authority for the purposes of the TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING ACT 1990,
Planning Authority for the purposes of the TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING ACT 1990,
“However, we have designed and now been granted planning for a totally unique facility, spanning across four floors providing over 140,000 sq m of warehouse space and over 150,000 pallet spaces,” a spokesperson confirmed.
The facilities will be geared to rapid cross dock, e-fulfilment, garments, drinks, food stuffs, chilled and frozen products, furniture, pharmaceuticals, electronics and high valued products.
Uniserve will be able to offer highly competitive rental rates as well as transactional costing according to the services required. The development carries the bonus of creating an extra 500 jobs at the port.
The new logistics hub promises to be a huge asset to Felixstowe when it opens, possibly, in Q1 2016.
A planned coldstore will be especially relevant for importers of refrigerated cargo as the next nearest one to Felixstowe is almost in Cambridge.