DP World in the UK has announced that it will build a 119,000 sq ft green warehouse at London Gateway’s port-centric Logistics Park to meet unprecedented demand for space at the freeport site. DP World plans to complete its second speculative warehouse facility in less than a year at London Gateway, a central pillar of Thames Freeport. With international trade changing fast during the pandemic, a growing number of businesses are taking advantage of the financial incentives which come with being part of a freeport, including zero stamp duty on leases, significant savings on employer national insurance contributions, accelerated capital allowances and a five year business rates holiday.
Oliver Treneman, Park Development Director at DP World in the UK, said: “We have seen the best year for new business in a decade as demand for premium warehousing space in the South East of England has reached unprecedented levels. We are very confident that LG119 (Plot 4040), the facility we are announcing today, will be of interest to some of the dozens of retail, manufacturing and logistics businesses looking to expand or establish new operations who have contacted us to take advantage of the unique opportunities on offer since our freeport status was announced.”
“At London Gateway, we have the space, infrastructure and vision to support customers as they grow. Our partnership approach, logistics expertise, digital solutions and intermodal connectivity, particularly rail, help us to solve logistical challenges and give our customers more control over their supply chains.”
The fast-tracked delivery of a second speculative warehouse follows the announcement two months ago that a 108,973 sq ft unit at the site had been leased to OASIS Group, which provides information management and document storage services. At the size of 400 football pitches, the rapidly expanding port-centric logistics park is the biggest of its kind in Europe and will become home to a workforce of around 10,000 within the next seven years.
The new facility will be ready for occupation at the end of Q3. It will be one of the most sustainable warehouses yet built, with a BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ classification, delivering a 30 per cent carbon reduction during construction and 40 per cent reduction in operational carbon emissions.
