Shed of the Month: A visible beating heart in the Midlands
It’s slap bang in between Junction 9 and Junction 10 of the M6 motorway and can be seen by some 160,000 plus people who drive by on average each day of the week – a very visible warehouse in the beating core of the UK’s industrial and logistics heartland.
By Liza Helps, Property Editor, Logistics Matters
It’s slap bang in between Junction 9 and Junction 10 of the M6 motorway and can be seen by some 160,000 plus people who drive by on average each day of the week – a very visible warehouse in the beating core of the UK’s industrial and logistics heartland.
Unit A, SPARK Walsall WS2 9RX
Developer: HBD
Investor/landlord: Origin Future Logistics (HBD & Feldberg Joint Venture)
Letting Agents: Cushman & Wakefield and BOX4 Real estate
Units size: 249,938 ft2 ft2
Power: up to 3.5MvA
Sustainability: BREEAM Excellent and EPC A+
Travelling along the M6 motorway even just after rush hour can be a frustrating experience especially right now with major roadworks due to ongoing HS2 construction works on the M6 North/South Viaduct which will carry the new high-speed railway over the M6 motorway spanning 314m on eight piers and four abutments. (watch as the 4,600 tonnes viaduct is pushed into place on YouTube – it is mesmerising).
Luckily on our journey it was blissfully straightforward, approaching the site via Junction 9 we didn’t get lost at all – always a bonus especially round Birmingham.
This is the absolute industrial heartland of the UK and for this ex-copper works site provides potential occupiers with not just an abundance of skilled labour on its doorstep (2.9 million) but also plenty of power – according to host HBD director and head of region (Midlands) Simon Raiye, this is at 12MvA across the scheme with 3.5MvA available for Unit A.
The building itself is best described as a solid block and while not the largest shed visited by Lab Assistant Tia and myself, definitely one of the tallest at 18m to haunch.
Raiye says the decision to go tall was easy to make planning wise because the building sits low compared to the M6 motorway which roars past at height overlooking the entire 44 acre SPARK Walsall scheme. If the offices faced the M6 motorway you could wave at the workers as you drive past. Luckily for those working in the offices these instead face in the opposite direction with more arcadian views over Primley Park.
It wasn’t the comparative ease of planning that was the motivation for the decision to go tall says Raiye but more importantly because it made commercial sense – logistics today is particularly about volumetrics and height makes a significant difference for units over 150,000 ft2.
The height provides occupiers with a great deal of flexibility go high bay and add automation – the power is certainly available – or else retrofit mezzanines. There is even the opportunity to put in an extra storey of office space.
Should an occupier wish to go higher Unit B totalling some 188,508 ft2 is available on a build-to-suit basis with permission to go up to 25m to haunch. (Unit B is not part of the Origin JV and would be brought forward by HBD).
Much to my delight there were six Euro dock doors in addition to the 20 dock and four level access doors and an expansive 55m yard with parking for 52 HGVs. There is a separate 3,230 ft2 two storey transport hub centrally located with showers and space for driver amenities – an increasingly important issue.
The property has 231,467 ft2 of warehouse space with incorporated functional two-storey office space situated on the long side of the building totalling 14,897 ft2 – there is an opportunity to increase this space as previously mentioned. The property has been built to achieve BREEAM Excellent and an EPC A rating.
Inside the abundant roof lights ensure the facility is well lit even on a very grey and overcast Monday. The roof is PV ready and the FM2 floor has the expected 50kn/m2 floor loading.
The overall 620,000 ft2 scheme is being brought forward by the HBD Feldberg joint venture Origin Future Logistics consists of two phases; phase 1 which has seen the development of Unit A as well as Unit G 18,233 ft2 mid box facility both of which ready for occupation and phase 2 which is currently under construction. Phase 2 will see the development of four units ranging from 24,348 ft2 to 62,463 ft2.
