Council leader, Dan Harrison, has welcomed the start of work at Bardon III, J20/M1, where UK real estate investor and developer, Firethorn, plan to deliver 947,650 sq ft of Grade-A industrial and logistics space.
Contractor BlueEarth Construction has now commenced on-site access and infrastructure works, preparing the site which will be brought forward on a speculative and build-to-suit basis.
Firethorn expects to invest £125 million into the 80.2-acre site, which benefits from detailed planning consent for two units with B2 and B8 use.
The recent ‘breaking ground’ ceremony was attended by key local members who played influential roles in seeing the project realised, including the Leader of Leicestershire County Council Dan Harrison alongside Rebecca Henson, Head of the Growth Service at Leicestershire County Council, and Chris Brown, Assistant Director of Planning and Regeneration for Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council, reflective of the significance of the development to the local economy.
Located within the Midlands’ “Golden Triangle”, the site sits at the heart of the UK’s logistics network, providing direct access to the strategic national highway network at Junction 22 of the M1.
The new development will follow previous phases delivered by Mountpark, which are now occupied by established distribution and manufacturing businesses, including Amazon, DHL, Eddie Stobart, VF, Vistry, and Pharmacy2U.
James Sanders, Head of Industrial and Logistics at Firethorn, said: “Bardon is one of the UK’s most established and sought-after logistics locations, with a strong supply of local labour and direct connectivity to the strategic network making it ideally placed for leading occupiers operating national and international supply chains.
“Breaking ground marks a significant step in the development process and a chance to provide recognition to those who played a role in the project coming forward. We’re delighted to mark the occasion and to be working with the BlueEarth team to deliver the first stage of what promises to be a modern, sustainable and high-quality product that will not only respond to a shortage in supply, but deliver lasting economic benefit to the region.”
We’re working hard to build the Leicestershire of the future, with prosperity, jobs and economic growth at the heart.
This £125m investment is significant, offering opportunities for big companies to set up shop, as well as a 37-acre country park and over 2km of walking routes.
Bardon is a top UK location for logistics. We really are leading the way in Leicestershire and we’re shouting from the rooftops that we’re open for business.
Person:Councillor Dan Harrison, leader of Leicestershire County Council
Kirk Farrow, Construction Director at BlueEarth Construction Ltd, said: “The entire team at BlueEarth has worked incredibly hard and is absolutely delighted to be progressing this development with Firethorn, following our completion of the preliminary enabling phase with Mountpark.
“The site has presented a number of significant challenges, particularly the major overhead cable diversion works required to underground and reroute services around the development. In addition, the design of the large screening bund has been a very complex and demanding aspect of the project.
“We at BlueEarth Construction Ltd are extremely proud to be working in partnership with Firethorn to help bring this development forward.”
The new development targets practical completion in late 2027 and will deliver a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating with net-zero carbon in construction.