Improvements to a 66,000 sq ft (6,131m2) warehouse/distribution facility in a strategic location at Purfleet, Essex close to junction 30 of the M25 motorway together with a flexible and value for money approach to lease and rental terms, are expected to put a new focus on the property which is soon to become available.
Currently utilised for the storage and distribution of Tate & Lyle sugar products, and formerly as a dedicated logistics facility for supermarket giant Sainsbury and prior to that for Coca Cola and for Procter & Gamble, the property is soon to undergo a programme of building works to increase the number of roller shutter doors from three to seven, with the addition of dock leveller access. The already generous service yard capacity will be increased by over 25% to 36,000 sq ft (3,344m2).
Jim O’ Connell, of joint letting agents Glenny, said: “Despite the uncertainties in the commercial property market, we are currently fielding a number of occupier enquiries in the logistics and the recycling sectors. The schedule of work soon to commence on Unit 38/39 at Purfleet Industrial Estate will undoubtedly lift the profile and the market positioning in a location within the Thames Gateway that remains one of the best in the region.
“We are acting on behalf of a property company which understands the requirements of contract led distribution firms and therefore has adopted a flexible view to lease terms. This practical unit with an eaves height of 30ft (9.15m) is partly fitted out with modern racking systems, and represents excellent value for money.”
The Thames Gateway is the UK’s largest regeneration programme with something like £90 billion of cross government funding in place, with a deliverable master plan over the next 3 years to support a strong local economy. Distribution centres such as Purfleet Industrial Park, located on London Road, leading onto the A13 trunk route and the M25 just 1.5 miles distant, have a huge role to play in an area which provides 70% of London’s port capacity and is home to the Lakeside Shopping Centre, which generates a supply chain infrastructure to support over 250 shops.
Whilst the retail sector has experienced reduced sales volumes as a direct result of the Credit Crunch, Jim O’ Connell points to an opposing trend and the growth enjoyed by the budget grocery chains of Aldi, Lidl, Netto and the Co-op, which are stealing market share from the larger supermarket groups. Determined to hang onto their new found customers, Aldi has embarked on a £1.5 billion investment to open a new store every week for the next five years in Britain, increasing its outlets from 430 to 1,500.
“Growth of that rate will have an impact on requirements for additional regional distribution points, and units of around the 66,000 sq ft (6,131m2) like Unit 38/39 Purfleet Industrial Estate are ideal for that role,” added O’Connell.
Another sector currently in the spotlight, the waste and recycling industry, demands a dedicated logistics infrastructure and, although a decline in consumer spending will create a corresponding reduction in waste volumes, the industry is one which has almost guaranteed growth driven by Government legislation. At the top end and to meet the Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) ruling, commercial property requirements for highly sophisticated recycling plants are demonstrated by Wincanton Distribution’s commencement of a brand new facility capable of recycling the equivalent of more than one million washing machines, 100 million kettles or 715 million mobile phones.
At the lower end, a more regionalised infrastructure of smaller facilities will handle waste such as tyres and plastic bottles and containers. With an annual UK volume of 48 million used tyres, the sector is an industry in its own right within the greater landscape of recycling. Rubber and plastics are, in fact, job creating manufacturing processes turning waste into reusable products in the form of pellets or crumb. Recycled tyres have numerous applications in horticulture, agriculture, engineering and leisure. With an available power supply of up to 1,500 kva and a high ratio of outside storage and lorry parking, unit 38/39 at Purfleet Industrial Estate has all the potential for a company in the distribution infrastructure of recycling business.
More information on Unit 38/39 Purfleeet Industrial Park, London Road, Purfleet, Essex RM15 4YA is available from the Basildon office of property consultants Glenny (01268 540 771) and the Rainham office of CIMS Property Management (01708 550 279).
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