New Lancashire Logistics Hub To Create Thousands Of Jobs
A major new logistics hub in Lancashire has been given the green light by planners, which will enable firms to deliver enhanced freight logistics solutions and provide thousands of jobs.
The new logistics hub and industrial estate, which will be established by Caddick Developments, will be located near Farington, between Leyland and Preston. It has been given the go-ahead by South Ribble Council, the Lancashire Evening Post reports.
It will include 612,500 sq ft of commercial space, with industrial, logistics and office room. The 40-acre site is designed to include a diverse range of businesses.
The site is conveniently located next to Lancashire Business Park and is expected to create over 1,000 full time jobs as well as 460 more in the supply chain, in addition to the 280 construction jobs involved in building the complex. It is predicted to contribute £66.6 million a year in economic output.
North west director of Caddick Developments Steve Widdowson welcomed the development, commenting: “This landmark project offers an attractive proposition to businesses looking to establish themselves in the North West, with excellent access to Central Lancashire, Greater Manchester, and Merseyside. “
The site is located close to junctions 28 and 29 of the M6, as well as the M65 and M61 motorways. It is expected to provide a particularly important boost to the north west region, which is currently suffering from an all time low level of warehouse and stock distribution provision.
Investment in UK warehouse space in the last year hit record levels, according to the Financial Times.
It quoted figures from Savills indicating that an unprecedented £4.7 billion was invested in distribution warehouses, a 25 per cent year-on-year increase and £500 million more than the previous record in 2014.
The survey attributed the figures to the growth of online delivery retail in the pandemic, as well as the need for more storage to deal with the complications arising from Brexit.
