Midlands mega shed bonanza
According to property consultancy Newmark there has been a plethora of big box deals in the Midlands totalling some 6.8 million ft2 – up 48% on Q4 2025 and 27% above the five year quarterly average.
By Liza Helps, Property Editor, Logistics Matters
DEALS INCLUDE Farmfoods taking a 25-year lease on Logicor’s entire 800,000 ft2 three-unit Logicor Park Daventry scheme, 3PL Bleckmann taking Marq Logistics’ largest speculative building at Magna Park Lutterworth, the 761,000 ft2 MPN 761 facility [first reported in Greenstreet News and previously a Logistics Matters Shed of the Month], Curry’s taking Tritax Big Box’s 397,000 ft2 warehouse at Newark and today’s news that Chinese 3PL Cainiao has taken the last unit standing at Prologis’ Apex Park in Daventry.
There are other buildings under offer including Rugby 661, with strong interest in the 662,000 ft2 former Top Hat unit at Marq Logistics’ Magna Park Corby scheme and the PLP and Indurent’s M1XL unit which is currently under construction..
M1 XL, which Logistics Matters reported only secured planning in September last year, will total 644,900 ft2 and will comprise a 608,270 ft2 cross-docked warehouse with 21m to haunch eaves as well as 60 dock and seven level access doors served by two yards of 55m and 65m with space for parking 224 HGVs with 360 degree circulation with separate 385 ft2 gatehouse. It will have two two-storey hub offices totalling 4,580 ft2 each on either side of the warehouse as well as 25,260 ft2 three storey offices with double height reception area.
Set to achieve BREEAM Excellent and an EPC A+ Rating, it will also offer up to 5.4 MVA of power.
Savills and Apex Real Estate Advisors are acting as joint agents on the scheme.
On a LinkedIn post Newmark’s national head of industrial and logistics agency, Charles Spicer, wrote: “Availability is falling, spec development is at a five-year low nationally and 81% of deals are being done on built stock because occupiers want to move fast.”
Spicer noted that the Cainiao deal with Prologis took just two weeks from first viewing.
“Despite the geopolitical noise, the conversations we’re having now are fundamentally different to six months ago. Occupiers are less hesitant. Decisions are coming quicker. And the best buildings are going.”
Big box requirements include two circa. 600,000 ft2 enquiries believed for fast fashion group SHEIN and Chinese 3PL Super Smart Service.
