M5 Development opportunities

Bristol City Council and South Gloucestershire Council are investing in the economic potential of the Avonmouth Severnside Enterprise Area, the largest brownfield site in Western Europe. The site is expected to attract new economic activity and employment in sectors including energy generation, waste management, manufacturing, warehousing and distribution. Currently a new junction on the M49 at Avonmouth is being built. Costing around £49 million, the project is scheduled for completion in December. The councils say the project will also reduce the numbers of HGVs and other vehicles on the local road network.

St Modwen Park Access 18

Avonmouth is a prime development site, with direct access to the M5/M49 at junction 18. More than 950,000 sq ft of new accommodation has already been delivered and across the 212-acre site, a total of more than two million sq ft will be developed.

As one of the largest speculative buildings in the region (150,000 sq ft), unit 15 was completed earlier in 2019 and is under offer to a national occupier. Units 17 and 18 (25,123 sq ft and 44,656 sq ft) were also speculatively developed and are now available for occupation.

Smaller units are also available for immediate occupation from 5,000 sq ft and upwards. Additional build to suit opportunities up to approximately 400,000 sq ft are also available, with a further 1.2m sq ft in the pipeline.

Occupiers which have relocated to the site include Hermes Parcelnet, Nisbets, Movianto, City Electrical Factors, GB Liners and Kent Foods.

Construction work is under way at Portside Park, a new development in Avonmouth which will bring more than 150,000 sq ft of industrial space to the area.

Trebor Developments and Barwood Capital are speculatively developing the scheme in a single phase due to strong demand for high quality accommodation in the area.

Located on Kings Weston Lane, Avonmouth, Portside Park is easily reached from Junction 18 of the M5 and will also be accessible from Junction 1 of the M49 on its completion at the end of the year.

It is also in a prime position for occupiers operating through or looking to locate close to businesses within the Port of Bristol.

Dawsongroup has bought the first plot of just over six acres at Delta Properties’ extension of Central Park, Bristol, off the Severn Road, Avonmouth.

The land is part of a 50 acre development owned by Delta Properties. The company said there was a particularly strong market for smaller plots from owner-occupiers.

Forest Green Rovers has resubmitted plans for a 5,000seat wooden football stadium off junction 13. The original plans submitted by football club owners, Ecotricity, included a green technology park. While this isn’t in the current planning application, such a park would have the support of Gloucestershire Local Enterprise Partnership, GFirst.

Sharpness Docks handles ships up to 6,000 tonnes. It is accessible from junctions 13 and 14 giving access to the West Midlands, South Wales and the M4 corridor.

The facility is owned by The Victoria Group and with the threat of a no-deal Brexit, the port could suddenly become more important to the UK’s economy. Last year the idea of a third Severn Bridge was put forward by the Gloucestershire 2050 organisation as one of ‘six big ideas’ to help drive the county’s economy

“Forest Green Rovers has resubmitted plans for a 5,000-seat wooden stadium just off junction 13 of the M5”

Junction 12 — GLOUCESTER

Junction 12 is home to a new Energy from Waste facility at Javelin Park. Built by Urbaser Balfour Beatty, the facility is due to become operational soon.

for the next 30 years. A third crossing would connect Sharpness to Lydney in the Forest of Dean on the western side of the river.

Junction 11A — GLOUCESTER

Gloucester Business Park offers a prime position between Gloucester and Cheltenham. More than 2.75 million sq ft has been developed, from small industrial units to large distribution units.

Recent transactions include Dowty Propellers, G-TEM, TBS Engineering and 60,000 sq ft of offices for Ecclesiastical Insurance which is relocating from the City centre. Bruton Knowles advised on the acquisition which is due for completion mid 2020. Land remains available for design and build with the largest plot being 6.85 acres.

Bruton Knowles is retained by developer Graftongate promoting a development opportunity known as Gloucester 12. Given the lack of industrial stock at present, the developer is keen to push forward with a speculative scheme. A range of units are proposed from 17,000 sqft upwards. The site has further potential for up to 125,000 sqft.

St Modwen Park Gloucester is a 58-acre site with outline planning consent for nearly one million sq ft of industrial and logistics space. An initial three units totalling 173,000 sq ft in size (44,860 sq ft, 55,583 sq ft and 72,723 sq ft) are currently being speculatively developed at the site. They are expected to be ready for occupation in December.

St Modwen Park Gloucester follows its 16-acre Gateway 12 Business Park, also in Gloucester. The scheme is now fully developed with a single unit comprising 67,138 sq ft of space, the final remaining unit.

Gateway 12 occupiers include WMB Logistics, ProCook, Samworth Brothers and Roechling Materials.

www.brutonknowles.co.uk

Junction 11 — CHELTENHAM

Kingsditch Trade Park, just off Junction 11 at Cheltenham, was acquired by Legal & General IPIF Fund for £20.5 million last year.

Legal & General already owned the adjoining trade units to the park and is now rethinking the whole estate, with a view to adding more mixed use opportunities which currently don’t exist. Such redevelopment could open up major commercial opportunities across the north and west of Cheltenham

Legal & General has retained Bruton Knowles to advise on realising this development’s significant potential.

The 7.9 acre estate comprises 28 light industrial units and totals 137,942 sq ft. The property is currently let to 24 tenants from diverse industry sectors.