Bakery brand Warburtons has signed a pre-let agreement for a new bespoke 65,847ft² distribution centre at Symmetry Park Biggleswade, in Central Bedfordshire.
The company agreed a 25-year lease on the facility, which will include office space, on-site EV charging facilities and solar photovoltaic (PV) arrays.
Warburtons currently produces over two million products each day at its 11 bakeries which, according to The Nielsen Company, gives the company a 20% volume share of the total wrapped bakery market. It then delivers these products fresh from its 18 UK depots, ranging from Aberdeen to Newton Abbot, to 18,500 stores every morning.
Jim Norton, head of distribution network transformation at Warburtons, said: “As the largest bakery brand in the UK, we have a responsibility to lead and constantly innovate. That’s not only true with our products but also with the facilities in which we bake and distribute.
“Our new depot at Symmetry Park Biggleswade will be a highly sustainable building which very much aligns with our own core values, whilst the location will enable us to serve more stores, more efficiently.”
Symmetry Park Biggleswade spans c. 150 acres and sits within Stratton Business Park. Developer Tritax Symmetry has confirmed that it intends to ‘submit a Section 73 amendment to the original planning permission to deliver five buildings in total, with the remaining units ranging from 139,50ft² to 287,200ft².
Tritax Symmetry has also said that it will bring forward Phase 3 of Symmetry Park Biggleswade ‘on the back of considerable demand for the net zero carbon in construction second phase of development, which comprised four buildings all fully let prior to completion’. Phase 3 has detailed planning consent for 927,000ft² of ‘highly sustainable’ logistics space.
“We aim to be on site for Phase 3 in Q4 2024 with the first units planned to complete in Q3 2025. Pre-lettings are now available on the four remaining plots, ranging from 139,500ft² to 287,200ft²,” Tom Leeming, Tritax Symmetry’s director, confirmed.
Also at Symmetry Park Biggleswade are the Co-operative Group, which occupies a 661,000ft² regional distribution centre, as well as Bidfood, Bond International, Bowman Ingredients and Noatum Logistics.
Steven Watkins, executive member for business, housing and public assets at Central Bedfordshire Council, added: “Symmetry Park Biggleswade and neighbouring Stratton Business Park are already home to established names in food industry, including the Co-op, Bidfood, and Noatum Logistics. The proven location is more than ripe for further investment, and will attract more high-profile businesses to the area, creating job opportunities for local people in the process.”
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