Warehouse - United Kingdom Warehousing Association

Property 29Food sector targeted withpurpose-designed DCsOnward Holdings istargeting the food sectorwith two purpose builtfood distribution centreslocated at LangthwaiteBusiness Park, SouthKirkby, near Wakefield.Both units are equippedwith food clad coveringsand special lighting toavoid contaminates andUV deterioration makingthem ideal for ambientstorage.Offering a combinedfood storage space of212,500 square feet(122,800 and just under90,000 square feetrespectively) and a total of14 loading docks.Impressively, each unit iscapable of accommodating,when racked, up to20,000 standard foodpallets.The buildings aredesigned for fast foodturnaround and providecross docking opportunitiesplus optional VNAwarehouse automation,should this be required.There is also generousexternal manoeuvringwhich is capable of handlingmost vehicle bodytypes including containers,box vans and trailers,whilst also providing parkingareas for support staff.Unit 16 was originallybuilt as a regional distributioncentre for foodgiant Quaker Oats and isthe bigger of the twounits. It incorporates ahost of key food handlingfeatures, which includeseight dock levellers andfour surface loadingdoors, a 10,000 squarefootloading canopy. Unit16a has the benefit of a1,000 KVA mains supply.A further site featureis good estate security followinga £1 million investmentmaking the unitssuitable for both ordinaryand high value cargosuch as specialist foodand drinks.Currently, WakefieldMetropolitan Council isdispensing, in conjunctionwith the West YorkshireLEP and the Government,grants of up to £10,000for each new job createdon the site. Access to thislevel of funding shouldmake the site even moreattractive to those needingto recruit.Langthwaite BusinessPark is in easy access tothe motorway networkand the great containerports of the North, includingImmingham and isjust 19 miles fromDoncaster airport. The sitealso benefits from excellentdistribution connectionsand is also close tothe railway freight networkvia the nearby WakefieldEuroport. According toOnward Holdings around80% of the UK’s populationis accessible in fourhours, making the siteespecially suitable for consumerrelated items.Onward Holdingsdirector Neil Storey, said:“Langthwaite BusinessPark’s location is ideal forthose involved in food distributionand or bulkbreaking who also requireeasy access to the portsfor importing or exportingfood items. The quality ofunit build, special featuressuch as the high bay 300lux internal lighting onunit 16 and the six dockloading bays on 16a,along with both theirextensive storage capabilities,makes them the idealchoice for big internetsellers.”Langthwaite BusinessPark already hosts a numberof other businessesincluding The Ice CoStorage and Logistics,Forest Freight and GreatBear Distribution.Promotion of the site isbeing undertaken jointlyby GVA and AndrewMiller Chartered Surveyorsof Sheffield, who are handlingthe letting of thefinal unit.West Yorkshire basedOnward Holdings whichbuilt the two substantialwarehouses on the site, thelast being only a few yearsago, has designated themas suitable for food storage.Potentially, the units havethe capability to create afurther 100 new jobs.www.ukwa.org.uk May 2013