Doncaster’s iPort is a regional multimodal logistics hub in South Yorkshire, which boasts 6 million sq ft of warehousing on an 800 acre site at the heart of the UK’s rail network and within 5 minutes of the M18. This development may well be behind the recent Savills property report, which said the West Yorkshire market appears to be undersupplied compared to the South Yorkshire market. Savills observed that the Industrial & Logistics property supply level in Yorkshire is increasingly dynamic, with some micro-locations experiencing oversupply while others face undersupply, with a headline vacancy rate of just 6 percent.
Terminal extension works are underway to double the size and storage capacity at iPort, and to increase the number of trains that the terminal can accommodate each day. Earlier this year, GBRf announced they would be running five trains a week between DP World London Gateway and iPort Doncaster providing a regular service between these two strategically important locations for rail freight and warehousing.
UKWA CEO Clare Bottle recently visited Woodland Group’s 200,000 sq ft warehousing facilities located adjacent to the iPort Rail terminal. The visit was number 72 of 80 planned across the UK to celebrate the 80th anniversary of UKWA, while raising awareness of the expanding role of warehousing within the supply chain and its importance to the UK economy.
Tall pallets of empty drinks cans are block-stacked four-high in Woodland Group’s dedicated operation for Ball Packaging Europe, where safety, service and sustainability are key. The team here have adopted the EP range of lithium-ion forklift trucks, using battery-operated double-handler counterbalances to lift these huge, relatively light loads, four pallets at a time. And thanks to their location, the operation can use inbound rail freight too.
Whilst in the region, Clare also visited Bowker Group’s 165,000 sq ft building at nearby Thorne. Bowker Group is a family firm, founded in 1919 and now one of the UK’s largest private operators of road haulage and warehousing. Specialising in food, pharmaceutical and chemical logistics, they operate 1.5 million sq ft of warehousing across 11 sites, mainly in the North of England. Last year Bowker’s took on this, their largest site yet: a modern building near Doncaster with capacity for 31,000 pallets.
The connection to road, rail, sea and air freight was crucial and it is estimated the site will employ 50 people, including management, warehouse operatives and drivers. Customers also joined the visit, as well as suppliers and Bowker’s chosen local charity, Lindsey Lodge Hospice and Healthcare.
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