Rochdale News | Business News | Kingsway Business Park set for ‘unprecedented year’

Release date: January 08, 2022

An aerial view of Kingsway Business Park

2021 was an incredibly successful year for Kingsway Business Park and 2022 promises to be even better.

That is the message from Henry Henson, Commercial Development Manager at Wilson Bowden Developments, after a number of high profile builders and building permits have been obtained over the past 12 months.

Kingsway Partnership is a joint venture between Rochdale Development Agency, Rochdale Borough Council, Homes England and Wilson Bowden.

Kingsway Business Park is one of the largest of its kind in the UK, just an hour’s drive from eight million people.

Earlier this year, Kingsway fell a victim of its own success when all of the remaining units were bought up, meaning that no units were available for immediate occupation in Kingsway for potential occupiers.

As a result, a number of specification developments have been brought forward and are expected to be completed in 2022.

Wilson Bowden Developments has commenced work on the 7.67 acre site between Sir Isaac Newton Way and Lower Lane – known as Urban Park or Plot G.

The units in Urban Park, which are between 21,570 m² and 39,740 m² in size, were speculatively bought by the real estate investment company Urban Logistics REIT. These should be completed in summer 2022.

Henson said, “There is real pent-up demand from tenants and investors for prime building lots near the main highway network, which is why Kingsway is so popular.

“In the past 12 months, retail has undoubtedly seen accelerated growth from online sales due to the Covid pandemic. This in turn has a major impact on the need for additional parcel turntables and delivery systems for the last mile in the logistics sector in order to meet the increasing trend towards fast delivery times for consumers.

We have also heard of many companies facing supply chain issues from overseas during the Brexit and Covid periods. As a result, many of the companies we spoke to are rethinking their business strategies, leading to more supportive action being taken. As a direct consequence, we see an enormous need for new production and logistics space at our development sites and especially at Kingsway.

“We have other options in the pipeline at Kingsway, both on a design and build basis and on the specification of financing options. If you are a user or an investor, come to us and talk to us. “

Looking to make 2021 a successful year, Henson identified five key developments at Kingsway this year.

• Amazon is moving into a 216,000 square foot unit known as “Plot H” or “Kingsway 216”
• Monarch 330 – a 328,000 square foot distribution and warehouse facility on 17.1 acres on John Milne Avenue, making it Wilson Bowden Developments’ largest speculative project in Kingsway
• Financing secured for completion of Kingsway Business Park Northern Loop Road on Michael Faraday Avenue. The 300 meter long section of road will lead over the Stanney Brook Corridor and contribute to the development of additional development sites
• Building permit for a 10.8 hectare property on property J2. secured
• The Logic Business Park in Rochdale with 11 units has been fully let, securing 130 jobs in the district.

Councilor John Blundell, Rochdale Borough Council cabinet member for economics and communications and RDA board member, described Kingsway as a “feather in the hat” for the whole of Rochdale.

“It’s been another phenomenal year at Kingsway Business Park and the pipeline that’s coming through is even more encouraging,” he said.