Huge Essex logistics scheme proposed

By Liza Helps Property Editor Logistics Matters

THE HYBRID application totalling 1.315 million ft2 for the 113.5-acre site sandwiched between the A127 and the already established Burnt Mills Industrial Estate, envisages a 500,000 ft2 plus single cross dock unit within a detailed application and a further six units  ranging from 30,000 ft2 on the remaining land subject  to reserved matters as part of an outline plan to be developed  at a later stage.

According to planning documents St Modwen believes ‘this site provides a logical opportunity to extend the existing Burnt Mills Industrial Estate and deliver a significant scale of employment floorspace in this location, particularly for larger scale units which cannot be delivered elsewhere in the borough, alongside smaller scale units for smaller local businesses. As such, the development will meet the immediate and pressing identified need for industrial and logistics uses on one sustainable self-contained site’. 

The site is located with the Green Belt, however the Council has considered the site as appropriate for development in a previous draft Local Plan before it was withdrawn after it had progressed to examination in March 2022.

The Alternative Sites Assessment indicates that there are no alternative sites in Basildon that could accommodate the development, whilst across the wider region, the supply is concentrated in a few large sites which serve different market segments to the application site, with no alternative comparable sites outside the Green Belt. 

The hybrid nature of the application will allow an initial phase of development to progress quickly following the grant of planning permission, following an ‘infrastructure-first’ approach, whilst also providing flexibility for the details of the remainder of the site to be refined to respond to specific market and occupier requirements. 

St Modwen noted that all elements of the full application would be brought forward first, with the outline elements coming forward once the Reserved Matters applications have been submitted to and approved by the Council.

It hopes to complete the construction of Unit 1 totalling 540,746 ft2 ft2 in 2027. The Reserved Matters applications for the outline element will come forward at the same time as Unit 1 is being built out, as such, it is anticipated the whole development will be constructed within five years. 

Unit 1 is envisioned as a cross dock facility on a 55 acre self contained site. It will have  25m eaves, with 500,000 ft2 of warehouse space, 26,200 ft2 of modern Grade A office space a gate house and transport office with 55m service yards parking for 401 cars and 128 trailer spaces.

The proposals could provide 430 direct construction jobs and 390 indirect/induced jobs during the construction phase and a further 1,870 direct jobs on site once operational. 

St Modwen goes on to note that the proposals could generate up to £5.5 million a year in collectible business rates revenue, with £2.2 million as net income to Basildon Council and its partners. 

The buildings have been designed to achieve a BREEAM Excellent rating, with aspirations to achieve BREEAM Outstanding and the use of sustainable construction materials and water efficient fixtures and fittings will be used where possible. And as part of the overall landscaping  woodland will be retained  and where trees and hedges have to be  removed these will be replaced with some 966 trees and 3,786 linear metres of of mixed special native hedgerow and 2,469 sqm of enhanced hedgerow mix planting which will assist the developer in a positive Biodiversity Net Gain of 24.20% for habitat units and 35.85% hedgerow units.

St Modwen consulted on the site during 2021 and submitted the planning application in January this year.