Member Article

Soaring demand sees plans for fourth development at Icon Manchester Airport

Icon Industrial has submitted a planning application for a fourth development at the rapidly growing global logistics area of Manchester’s Airport City.

The detailed application is for a new 138,375 sq ft industrial/warehouse unit at Icon Industrial’s £100 million Manchester Airport site to meet rising occupational demand.

Unit 3 of Icon Manchester Airport will be highly specified, incorporating 10,125 sq ft of integrated Grade A office accommodation over three floors. The proposed development will include a 15m clear internal eaves height, 132 car parking spaces and dock and level access loading provision onto an 85m deep yard.

The announcement comes just weeks after Icon Industrial - a joint venture between Stoford and TPG Real Estate - submitted a similar planning application to Manchester City Council for a 102,500 sq ft industrial/warehouse development at Unit 4 of the scheme.

Icon Manchester Airport is a 45-acre build-to-suit logistics park with outline planning consent for circa 1 million sq ft. The available plots can deliver units from 135,000 sq ft to 434,000 sq ft on a design and build basis. The planning application, if approved, will enable the construction of Unit 3 within 10 months of approval.

Icon Manchester Airport is already home to occupiers including Amazon and DHL, with on site amenities including a BP petrol filling station, Costa Coffee and M&S Simply Food.

The site is also set to house The Hut Group’s new logistics and global content creation studio, which will see the development of a 168,000 sq ft warehouse and 104,000 sq ft of office space over four floors.

Dan Gallagher, joint managing director of Stoford Developments, said: “We have seen significant recent demand from potential occupiers keen to relocate to Icon Manchester Airport. It has led to us submitting two planning applications for major new developments at Units 3 and 4 of the scheme in recent weeks.

“This is a unique and exciting scheme with a strong list of existing occupiers and unrivalled airport connectivity in a key strategic location. Icon Manchester Airport presents potential occupiers with an excellent opportunity to have a unit built to their specific requirements and continues the fulfillment of the Airport City masterplan.”

Located adjacent to the World Freight Terminal and part of the Manchester Enterprise Zone, Icon Manchester Airport offers excellent road, air and rail connections, with immediate access to junction 6 of the M56 motorway and Greater Manchester.

The site also benefits from the recently completed A6 Manchester Airport Relief Road, a £290 million dual carriageway linking the A6 and M56 that is expected to significantly reduce journey times to Manchester Airport.

TPG Real Estate and Stoford Developments are building Icon Industrial into a significant logistics platform by acquiring and developing similarly attractive UK sites, as well as refurbishing existing buildings in prime logistics locations. The joint venture recently completed its second acquisition, Icon Harlow, which brings its total GDV to over £250 million.

TPG Real Estate has significant experience investing in logistics while Stoford has completed more than 12 million sq ft of industrial development in the UK.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by paul king .