DPD takes 63,000 sq ft at Forrest Park
Joint venture developer and investor Richardson Barberry has agreed terms with the parcel delivery firm for a distribution centre at the £100m County Durham business park.
DPD has signed a 25-year lease for a build-to-suit unit within an eight-acre plot at Forrest Park, which is located next to Junction 59 of the A1(M) at Newton Aycliffe.
The developer said that the hub is expected to safeguard 125 jobs for County Durham and generate up to another 250 jobs.
Midlands-based Richardson Barberry has already secured reserved matters planning consent and will soon submit a minor amendment, specific to DPD’s requirement, as it looks to start on site in Q1 2025.
BREEAM Excellent is the target. As part of Geopost, DPD UK has a Net Zero target of 2040
Jon Robinson, development director for Barberry, said: “This is a major pre-let to DPD, an internationally recognised occupier, which demonstrates the quality of our proposed development at Forrest Park, its connectivity and proximity to the motorway junction, nearby demographic and availability of labour.
“The pre-let will allow us to open up the site and create additional estate infrastructure and development plateaus. This is an exciting moment for the North East, Richardson Barberry and Forrest Park.”
Richardson Barberry has detailed consent for £100m development of eight warehouse units at Forrest Park, with £14m already invested on site preparation. The first phase is mapped out at 830,500 sq ft of warehouse/logistics space on 42 acres of the whole 116-acre site.
Robinson continued: “We are thrilled to have agreed a 25-year lease with DPD. This deal has already prompted other potential occupiers who have shown interest in Forrest Park.
“We can deliver building opportunities on both freehold and leasehold terms from 30,000 sq. ft up to 1m sq. ft. Newton Aycliffe is a highly attractive location for a range of major businesses due to its access to a skilled labour demographic and it is testament to the quality of Forrest Park that we have agreed pre-let terms with such a major occupier as DPD.”
Louise Ferguson, head of property for DPD Group UK, said: “It is a great location for us. The new facility is part of DPD’s aim to be the most sustainable delivery company in the UK and a leader in the move to electric delivery vehicles.
“We have invested heavily in our regional network in the last 10 years to meet the huge increase in demand for our services and this new facility will allow us to offer an even better service to the area, with more efficient fleet, shorter journeys and lower emissions.”
Forrest Park (Newton Aycliffe) Ltd, a joint venture between Durham County Council and local landowner the Forrest family, signed a development agreement with Richardson Barberry.
The vision is that over the next 10 years the park could provide up to 1.8m sq ft of industrial space and create more than 3,000 jobs. There is the possibility of a major rail-linked shed on one side of the park.
Overall, the development could extend Aycliffe Business Park to become the largest in the North East, the developer said.
A roadside retail development by Euro Garages, including a petrol filling station, a convenience store and a KFC drive-thru restaurant, has already been built on the first plot at the site.
Savills, Cushman & Wakefield and Connect Property are agents on the scheme.
