30th June 2014
Demand for industrial land rockets at Rockingham Park in Avonmouth
Three recently-released plots of land totalling 6.47 acres have been sold for a total of £2.1 million at Rockingham Park, a new 8.5 acre employment park in Avonmouth. The Park, marketed by Alder King and Williams Gunter Hardwick on behalf of Terramond, is now 80% sold, just two months after the completion of infrastructure works to open up the site.
King Lifting, the Bristol-headquartered crane hire and transport company, was first to commit, acquiring the freehold of plot 1, a two acre site with road frontage. It plans to expand its Bristol operation with a purpose-built crane hire and maintenance depot to capitalise on the upturn in construction activity.
This has now been followed by the freehold sale of plots 2 and 3 totalling 4.47 acres to John Wainwright & Co. Ltd, the Shepton Mallet quarrying and aggregate company. Wainwright will commission a new modern tarmac plant on the site capable of producing 240 tonnes of tarmac per hour.
Andrew Ridler, partner in Alder King’s industrial and logistics team, says the land acquisitions, both from the construction sector, demonstrate the strong demand from businesses for bespoke premises.
“This is tangible evidence of the construction sector’s on-going recovery with two highly successful businesses striking quickly to secure newly-available employment land. They will now commission their own facilities to their exact specification.”
Huw Thomas, director at Terramond says: “Interest from occupiers has been very positive from the start but the installation of the site access road and mains services has definitely focussed demand and led to the successful sale of three out of the four plots.”
Rockingham Park on Smoke Lane in Avonmouth has planning consent for up to 160,000 sq ft of employment use. The last remaining plot 4 offers 1.82 acres and is available to rent or purchase.
Malcolm Gunter of joint agents Williams Gunter Hardwick commented: “Plot 4 would suit a variety of employment uses, in particular lower density occupiers, for example builders merchants, plant and transport operators, businesses that often find it difficult to find available premises, or alternatively conventional industrial space up to 35,000 sq ft.”
Knight Frank acted for John Wainwright & Son while David Skinner Property Consultants represented King Lifting.
More information about Rockingham Park is available from Alder King in Bristol on 0117 317 1000 or Williams Gunter Hardwick on 0117 922 1222. www.rockinghamparkavonmouth.co.uk
Photo caption from left to right: Russell Crofts (Knight Frank), Ian Timberlake, Joni Stoker and Peter Barkwill (all of Wainwright), James Fothergill (Terramond), Brian Rexworthy and Simon Lumkin (both of Wainwright), Huw Thomas (Terramond) and Andrew Ridler (Alder King)